Platter chatter and the doughnut disker: Developments in radio disk jockey programming in the United States, 1946–1960

Abstract

The broadcast industry's recent technological shift in storage and delivery systems is reminiscent of the 1950s. The introduction of television, transistors, vinyl records, stereo multiplexing, and FM broadcasting changed the face of the industry and helped bring down the curtain on the “golden age”; of radio. These developments prompted alterations in business and programming practices, and gave rise to one program element that helped radio to survive: the disk jockey oriented music and news show. This paper (1) analyzes the origins of disk jockey programming, (2) traces the use of recorded music, (3) discusses the genesis of personality radio, and (4) outlines significant elements in the careers of some of the first modern disk jockeys.