Fireside Politics

Douglas B. Craig is a reader in history at the Australian National University. He is the author of After Wilson: The Struggle for the Democratic Party, 1920-1934.

An impressively researched and useful study... Craig subtly winds his interpretive, critical thread of the unfulfilled promise of radio as an engine of a more expansive democracy into a larger narrative about the institutional and ideological sway of commercial radio interests. -- Brett Gary Journal of American History Douglas Craig's main goal was to write a political history of radio broadcasting in the United States before World War II; however, he has also succeeded in producing the best general study yet published on the development of radio broadcasting during this crucial period when key institutional and social patterns were established. -- Hugh R. Slotten Technology and Culture Fireside Politics is the most complete study so far of the interactions between broadcasting and the U.S. political system during the 'golden age' of radio... Likely to become a leading reference in continuing discussions over communication history, technology, and democracy. -- Stephen Ponder H-Pol, H-Net Reviews A fascinating study making good use of archival material as well as prior research. CBQ 2005

• List of Maps, Illustrations, Figures, and TablesAcknowledgmentsIntroductionAbbreviationsPart I: Making the Medium, 1895-19401. The Radio Age: The Growth of Radio Broadcasting, 1895–19402. Radio Advertising and Networks3. Regulatory Models and the Radio Act of 19274. The Federal Radio Commission, 1927–19345. A New Deal for Radio? The Communications Act of 19346. The Federal Communications Commission and Radio, 1934–1940Part II: Radio and the Business of Politics, 1920-19407. The Sellers: Stations, Networks, and Political Broadcasting8. The Buyers: National Parties, Candidates, and Radio9. The Product: Radio Politics and Campaigning10. The Consumer: Radio, Audiences, and VotersPart III: Radio and Citizenship, 1920–194011. Radio and the Problem of Citizenship12. Radio at the Margins: Broadcasting and the Limits of Citizenship13. Radio and the Politics of Good TasteConclusionNotesBibliographyIndex