American Old-Time Radio Networks

This book is a history of commercial broadcast radio networks in the United States from the 1920s to the present. It covers the four transcontinental webs that operated during the pre-television Golden Age, plus local and regional hookups, and the developments that have occurred in the decades since, including the impact of television, rise of the disc jockey, the rise of talk radio and other specialized formats, implications of satellite technology and consolidation of networks and local stations.

I am not a fan of the history of old-time radio, but I enjoy listening to the shows. This book is not centered on any specific genre or radio program. It covers all the larger and independent radio chains such as the Texas State Network, the Don Lee Broadcasting System and the Liberty Broadcasting System, among others. Lengthy chapters on ABC, Mutual, CBS and NBC are included. A chapter about the FCC and their earliest efforts at censorship are included. The best part was on page 191 that documents (briefly) Ed Wynn's Amalgamated Broadcasting System.

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