"The Most Personal of the Media"

Radio is described as "the most personal of the media" for various reasons including its increase in specialization. Everyone can find a suitable station for their preferences and can connect through the power of music. Radio plays a wide selection of music, which is such an emotional part of our lives. An unknown author wrote, "Music is what feelings sound like." Everyone can connect through music. Whether it be country, rock, or classical, we all form an emotional attachment to music. Radio stations have become very specialized for their intended audience and everything from advertisements, commentary, and music aim at the particular audience. Talk radio has also become quite popular over the years. This can be attributed to the inclusion of the audience. People like to be heard, and this gives them a great opportunity to express their ideas and ask questions. Also, with politics and other recent "hot topics", the public likes to get involved and make their opinions known. Talk radio presents a great environment for this purpose. In 1983, only 53 radio stations had talk formats, compared with more than 1,000 today, while the total number of stations remained constant at 10,000, according to SABOMedia. Economics can be figured into talk radio's popularity because of advertising. SABOMedia also concluded that nothing moves a product more than a talk show host talking about it on air.