The rise of right-wing broadcasting during the Cold War has been mostly forgotten today. But in the 1950s and '60s you could turn on your radio any time of the day and listen to diatribes against communism, civil rights, the United Nations, fluoridation, federal income tax, Social Security, or JFK, as well as hosannas praising Barry Gold-water and Jesus Christ. Half a century before the rise of Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck, these broadcasters bucked the FCC's public interest mandate and created an alternate universe of right-wing political coverage, anticommunist sermons, and pro-business bluster. A lively look back at this formative era, "What's Fair on the Air?" charts the rise and fall of four of the most prominent right-wing broadcasters: H.L. Hunt, Dan Smoot, Carl McIntire, and Billy James Hargis. By the 1970s, all four had been hamstrung by the Internal Revenue Service, the FCC's Fairness Doctrine, and the rise of a more effective conservative movement. But before losing their battle for the airwaves, Heather Hendershot reveals, they purveyed ideological notions that would eventually triumph, creating a potent brew of religion, politics, and dedication to free-market economics that paved the way for the rise of Ronald Reagan, the Moral Majority, Fox News, and the Tea Party.

About the Author
Heather Hendershot is professor in the Department of Media Studies at Queens College and in the Film Program at the Graduate Center, the City University of New York. She is the author of Saturday Morning Censors: Television Regulation before the V-Chip and Shaking the World for Jesus: Media and Conservative Evangelical Culture.

Reviews
"What's Fair on the Air? is a fascinating look at the inner world of ultra-conservatism. Funny, insightful, and beautifully researched, it uncovers a group of media activists who played a critical part in building the modern right." (Kimberley Phillips-Fein, author of Invisible Hands: The Making of the Conservative Movement from the New Deal to Reagan)"


Awards
Commended for PROSE (Media/Cultural Studies) 2011.



Book Information
ISBN 9780226326788
Author Heather Hendershot
Format Paperback
Page Count 272
Imprint University of Chicago Press
Publisher The University of Chicago Press
Weight(grams) 397g
Dimensions(mm) 23mm * 16mm * 2mm