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324 live from ... could competewiththem- sive newmediumjustsothey desire toinvestinanexpen- and marketing,theyhadno equipment, programming, lars investedinAMradio like RCAhadmillionsofdol- broadcasting corporations obvious virtues.Because radio industry, despiteits was bitterlycontestedbythe higher-quality broadcast. so theyareapurelylocalbut and ashorterrangethanAM, broadcasts havelessstatic amplitude ofthewave.FM carrier wave,insteadofthe varying thefrequencyof information istransmittedby AM butinadifferentway: uses thesameradiowavesas Edwin HowardArmstrong.It cast developedin1933by FM isatypeofradiobroad- The GrowthofFMRockRadio The developmentofFM selves fromAM.“Free-form” quickly todifferentiatethem- that year, stationsmoved the broadcastday. Beginning ming foratleast50percentof provide originalFMprogram- dual-license ownershadto mission’s 1967orderthat Communication Com- LP, andtheFederal of stereorecordingandthe equipment, thedevelopment improvements inhomeaudio turned inthe1950swith selves. ButthetideforFM It alsowasthemainformat spread nationwideby1968. in LosAngeles,theformat Bay Areaandsubsequently to Donahue’ssuccessinthe in thespringof1967.Thanks KMPX-FM inSanFrancisco format whenheadopteditat influential proponentofthe Donahue becamethemost York’s WOR-FM,butTom ably firstdevelopedatNew the formatthatworkedbest. or “Progressive”radiowas Free-form radiowasprob- Whats That Sound 06-09_5.0 1/23/06 9:56 AM Page 325

for student-run college sta- developed a method of string- result, progressive radio tions. (Although never widely ing songs together by means came to be called “Album- popular, college radio was a of a musical, thematic, or his- Oriented Radio,” or AOR. The key element in the rise of torical connection between mutual influence of radio on alternative rock in the 1980s, songs, a device known as a rock music and rock music when commercial stations “segue.” For instance, two on radio eventually freed both resisted playing it.) songs might be put together from the two- to four-minute On progressive radio, DJs simply because the end of restriction of song length. programmed their own sets one led well into the begin- Because stylistic variety with little or no attention to ning of another. Or an entire was not as important as in playlists. They chose songs set might be made out of other fonrmats, AOR DJs led as they saw fit for musical or songs about rain (e.g., listeners into deeper knowl- other reasons—even for polit- Dylan’s “It’s a Hard Rain edge of specific styles, musi- ical purposes. As a result, the [Gonna Fall],” followed by cians, and even songs. At the taste and personality of the Creedence Clearwater same time, AOR fragmented particular DJ became the Revival’s “Who’ll Stop the FM into an array of stations major commercial asset of Rain?” and the Doors’ “Riders associated with specific musi- FM radio. The DJ evolved into on the Storm”). After the cal styles. Rock stations a combination music critic, Beatles’ invention of the con- would play little or no dance musicologist, counterculture cept album, progressive DJs music, dance-music stations revolutionary, and entertainer. sometimes played entire would play little or no rock, This was primarily demon- uninterrupted album sides as and jazz stations would play strated through the two a single set. By combining little of either. Just as the major innovations of progres- their programming choices social fragmentation caused sive radio: “The rap” and the and their rap, free-form DJs by “urban renewal” programs “segue.” both entertained and enlight- in the 1970s led to renewed “The rap” refers to the ened. racial segregation in housing, style and content of a DJ’s Progressive radio was the stylistic fragmentation of voice. Because of FM’s higher mainly album-based, rather AOR led to renewed segrega- fidelity, progressive DJs usu- than single-based like Top 40 tion in music. ally spoke in a more intimate, radio. DJs chose the best less affected style. Free-form songs available, whether they DJs educated their listeners were released as singles or by rapping (speaking) about not, and usually the best ver- musical, political, or social sion of a given song was issues. They also used their found on the album. As a familiar personalities as a way to bring listeners closer to musicians through broad- cast interviews. Free-form DJs

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