When it first appeared in the 1930s, FM radio was a technological
marvel, providing better sound and nearly eliminating the static
that plagued AM stations. It took another forty years, however, for
FM's popularity to surpass that of AM. In
Sounds of Change,
Christopher Sterling and Michael Keith detail the history of FM,
from its inception to its dominance (for now, at least) of the
airwaves.
Initially, FM's identity as a separate service was stifled, since
most FM outlets were AM-owned and simply simulcast AM programming
and advertising. A wartime hiatus followed by the rise of
television precipitated the failure of hundreds of FM stations. As
Sterling and Keith explain, the 1960s brought FCC regulations
allowing stereo transmission and requiring FM programs to differ
from those broadcast on co-owned AM stations. Forced nonduplication
led some FM stations to branch out into experimental programming,
which attracted the counterculture movement, minority groups, and
noncommercial public and college radio. By 1979, mainstream
commercial FM was finally reaching larger audiences than AM. The
story of FM since 1980, the authors say, is
the story of
radio, especially in its many musical formats. But trouble looms.
Sterling and Keith conclude by looking ahead to the age of digital
radio--which includes satellite and internet stations as well as
terrestrial stations--suggesting that FM's decline will be partly a
result of self-inflicted wounds--bland programming, excessive
advertising, and little variety.