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Podcasts – The Return of Radio

It was nearing 11PM over 60 years ago, in the early 1950’s, “The Golden Age of Radio.” My father was preparing for bedtime. He brushed his teeth, grabbed his little transistor radio and hopped into bed. This little handheld device was the major vehicle for news, talk shows, and programming. He was preparing to listen to the Barry Gray Show, the unofficial “Father of Talk Radio.”

Along with Barry Gray, some of the leading personalities on the air were newsmen Edward R. Murrow and H. V. Kaltenborn, Jack Benny, Groucho Marks, Fred Allen, Bob and Ray, Arthur Godfrey, Lawrence Welk, and disk jockey Alan Freed. A few of the leading radio stations in New York were WINS, WOR, WPIX, WNEW, WMCA, WCBS, WMGM, and WNYC. The morning and afternoon newspapers were the main source of news at that time.

As the years progressed, many of the radio personalities moved on to television. Live TV/News coverage became popular in the 1960s and CNN went live in 1980. News at 5/6 PM and 11 PM became the main source for news before watching late TV or going to sleep.

Personal computers in the home became mainstream in the early 1980s. It wasn’t until the mid-1990’s that newspapers started to digitalize their content for computers.

In 2008, Apple introduced the smartphone, and for the first time, content and communications were available on a handheld device.

There was a time when the first thing we did upon waking up in the morning was to read the morning newspaper while eating breakfast. That practice gave way to turning on the TV. Now, most of us reach for our smartphone upon waking up for the news, weather, and other digital content. Most surveys report that the average cable viewer is about 70 years old, while the average podcast listener is around 34.

Podcasting started to become popular in 2003/4. Now, with many of the major news networks experiencing at least a 50% drop in viewership, many high-profile media personalities are turning to podcasting.

Today, the first thing I do upon waking up is to reach for my smartphone. The TV frequently is not turned on until later. As I walk around the city between meetings or stop at a restaurant, I am listening to either a podcast or a book. Before I go out, the first thing I look for is my smartphone even before my wallet.

Yes, Welcome to the return of “Radio.”