AM Radio: Solid Gold

Summary of AM Radio: Solid Gold

by iHeartPodcasts

48m•November 18, 2025
Listen to Episode

Overview of AM Radio: Solid Gold (Stuff You Should Know — iHeartPodcasts)

This episode traces the history, cultural impact, technology, and present-day controversies around AM radio — from its explosive birth in the 1920s to the rise of Top 40 and radio personalities, the “golden age” of scripted radio, through music-era shifts (yacht‑rock / AM gold) and today’s debate over removing AM from new cars. The hosts mix historical facts, technical explanations, personal anecdotes and contemporary policy discussion (including a recent congressional effort to preserve AM in vehicles).

Key takeaways

  • AM radio was the first mass electronic broadcast medium and reshaped news, entertainment, politics and advertising in the 20th century.
  • Early AM broadcasts (starting with KDKA, Pittsburgh, 1920) spread rapidly worldwide and created national radio networks (NBC, CBS).
  • Formats developed on AM shaped modern media: radio dramas → soap operas, serialized storytelling, sports play-by-play, and later Top 40 music and celebrity DJs.
  • Technical strengths of AM: long-range propagation (nighttime skywave/ionosphere bounce), simple receivers (even crystal radios that need no external power), and utility for emergency/public service broadcasting.
  • Modern controversy: many automakers have been dropping AM from new EVs and models (citing electrical interference), prompting legislation attempts (the “AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act”) to require AM receivers in cars.
  • AM remains widely used (thousands of stations, tens of millions of monthly listeners) and is still argued to be essential for public-safety/emergency alerts and rural coverage.

Episode structure and main topics

Historical timeline

  • Early experimentation: radio tech developed in early 1900s; wartime restrictions during WWI.
  • 1920: KDKA (Pittsburgh) often cited as the first commercial broadcast (noted for election result broadcasts).
  • Early 1920s: rapid global spread; Marconi’s companies helped international expansion; BBC founded 1922.
  • Late 1920s–1950s: Golden Age of radio — scripted dramas, comedies, news, variety shows, sports.
  • 1930s–1950s: US household penetration rose sharply; networks (NBC/CBS) and sponsorship models created formats that lasted decades.
  • 1950s: Top 40 format pioneered by Todd Storz (Omaha), leading to jukebox-driven radio and famous DJs.
  • 1962 (often cited): cancellation of long-running shows (e.g., Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar and Suspense) marks end of the classic scripted “golden age” for many historians.
  • 1970s: AM music evolves into “AM gold” / yacht rock / mellow formats; FM and TV shift audiences and content.

Cultural and format impact

  • Radio invented or standardized many media practices: how news is delivered, serialized soaps (sponsored by soap companies → “soap operas”), game shows, radio drama storytelling techniques.
  • Presidents used radio powerfully (e.g., FDR’s fireside chats) — the medium gave politicians a new personal reach.
  • Evangelists and religious programming became prominent via the “electric pulpit.”
  • The DJ as celebrity and the Top 40 chart format were AM-era innovations that shaped modern music radio.

Technical basics (concise)

  • AM frequency band: roughly 535–1705 kHz (kilohertz). FM band: 88–108 MHz (megahertz).
  • AM signals propagate long distances at night via skywave/ionosphere reflections — enabling a station to be heard many states away after sunset.
  • AM is more susceptible to electrical interference (important in the EV/car debate).
  • Crystal radios can receive AM broadcasts with no external power source by harvesting carrier-wave energy.

Regulation, public service and the Fairness Doctrine

  • Early radio was treated as a public good; government regulation sought to ensure equitable access and public-interest programming.
  • The Fairness Doctrine (mid-20th century U.S.) required broadcasters to present controversial public issues in a fair, balanced manner. Its repeal/decline helped open the door to partisan talk radio/echo chambers.
  • AM stations and “clear channel” 24-hour stations were designated for wide-area, emergency-capable broadcasts.

Contemporary issues: AM in cars and policy

  • Carmakers (notably some EV manufacturers) began removing AM radios, arguing interference and cost.
  • Concern: losing AM in cars could degrade emergency-alert coverage (EAS/EBS legacy) and rural reach.
  • Industry & policy response: some manufacturers committed to keeping AM; some (Tesla, Rivian, Polestar, certain BMW/Volkswagen/Volvo models) removed it in parts of their lineups. Legislative efforts (the “AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act”) have been proposed to require AM receivers in new cars — previous attempt failed (2024 per episode), reintroduced in 2025.
  • Public arguments: AM’s resilience (long reach, works without internet/phone service), crystal radio examples, and rural dependence vs. manufacturers’ technical/cost concerns.

Notable anecdotes, examples and cultural color

  • Soap opera Guiding Light began on radio (1937) and successfully transitioned to TV, ending as a TV show in 2009 — one of the longest-running examples of radio→TV migration.
  • Sports broadcasts in the early 1920s (e.g., a 1921 heavyweight fight from Jersey City) gave people a new live experience.
  • DJs and on-air personalities (Wolfman Jack, Big Bopper, etc.) became station brands and cultural icons.
  • “Mellow gold” / yacht rock era on AM (1970s) contrasted with FM album‑oriented rock; hosts discuss how constraints can spur creative songwriting.

Episode extras and production notes

  • Vinyl reprint: The hosts’ episode “How Vinyl Works” was reprinted on red/black marble vinyl (300 units) and released Nov 28 (Record Store Day/Black Friday) via Born Losers Records and syskvinyl.com; special gold copies carried by indie stores.
  • Tour announcement: Stuff You Should Know tour dates announced for early 2026 (Jan run: Denver, Seattle, San Francisco SketchFest; April: Madison, Chicago, Akron); presale code SYSKLIVE; tickets/info at StuffYouShouldKnow.com.
  • Listener mail: a thank-you from a longtime listener (Kara), reflecting the show’s role as a personal companion across years.
  • Sponsors mentioned in episode: Squarespace Payments, Virgin Voyages, Public.com, Guardian bikes, Miko Mini Plus.

Recommended actions / takeaways for listeners

  • If you care about emergency/public-safety access, be aware of local AM stations and the legislative debate over keeping AM in vehicles — contact representatives if you want to support preservation efforts (episode mentions the “AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act”).
  • Try tuning an AM station (especially at night) to experience long-distance propagation and classic broadcasts (sports, talk, local news).
  • Fans: check syskvinyl.com for the reissue of the “How Vinyl Works” vinyl; consider tour tickets if you want to see the hosts live (presale code: SYSKLIVE).

Memorable lines / insights

  • “AM broadcasting was the first form of mass communication that was not printed.” — frames AM’s historical importance.
  • “It was almost like the Internet in the early 1990s — you just knew this would change the world.”
  • Practical reminder: AM’s technical properties (long reach, simple receivers) still make it uniquely useful for emergency communications even in a smartphone era.

If you want a quick refresher: listen for the episode’s three big threads — history (1920s–1950s expansion), cultural formats (soap operas → Top 40/DJs → AM gold), and today’s preservation debate (cars, EV interference, and emergency-alert importance).