Radio as we know it today, is vastly different than it was during the "Golden Age". At its core, it has developed into a completely different, and less popular media entity. In the past, radio was known for its sitcom-like shows. For every installment, a script was written for the characters and it aired in a certain time slot. It was up to the listeners to create an image of the show for themselves. One very easy method that was used to add to the imagery were the sound effects. Fibber McGee and Molly had a knack for utilizing sounds for things like the opening of a letter and the shutting of a door. Talk radio as we think of it now is something much separate from that of the 1930s and 1940s. Talk radio has nearly been done away with but there are a few sportscasts and a few NPR stations here and there.
Radio has morphed into one of the most annoying broken records of all time. It is filled with multiple Top 40 pop and country stations littering the airwaves. Due to things such as Spotify, Pandora, and iTunes, radio is just not worth it for most people anymore. Radio has geared itself to the masses and lost its own identity in the process. There is however, a form of radio show that could potentially save the industry. Elvis Duran and the Morning Show is an almost podcast type show where real people give their real input on real events. Their show is full of hilarity and they laugh at anyone who takes them too seriously. If radio could model itself after this, it could break its cycle. It has the capacity to become so much more than what it is and even be restored to its former glory. It has such an influential history and if it were to find its roots and drop its current act, it could once more be as popular as it used to be. Current radios fault is its obsession with being exactly what the people want by analyzing popular demand. However, in the past they created shows for anyone looking to listen to anything at any time. Their diversity was their strongest suit and now they have lost that. There is no individualism. Podcasts are so popular currently and those are essentially just recordings of people discussing what they like and dislike. If radio were to incorporate these sorts of models and drop the "this weeks hits" then it could transform.
