Americans love talk shows. In a typical week, more than 13
million Americans listen to Rush Limbaugh, whose syndicated
radio show is carried by about 600 stations. On television,
Oprah Winfrey's syndicated talk show is seen by an estimated
30 million viewers each week. Talk show hosts like Winfrey and
Limbaugh have become iconic figures, frequently quoted and
capable of inspiring intense opinions. What they say on the air
is discussed around the water cooler at work, or commented
about on blogs and fan web sites. Talk show hosts have
helped to make or break political candidates, and their larger-
than-life personalities have earned them millions of fans (as
well as more than a few enemies). Icons of Talk highlights the
most groundbreaking exemplars of the talk show genre, a
genre that has had a profound influence on American life for
over 70 years. Among the featured personalities:
• Joe Pyne
• Jerry Williams
• Herb Jepko
• Randi Rhodes
• Rush Limbaugh
• Larry King
• Dr. Laura Schlesinger
• Steve Allen
• Jerry Springer
• Howard Stern.
• Oprah Winfrey
• Don Francisco
• Cristina Saralegui
• Tavis Smiley
• James Dobson
• Don Imus
Going behind the scenes, this volume showcases the
techniques hosts used to motivate (and sometimes
aggravate) audiences, and examines the talk show in all of
its various formats, including sports-talk, religious-talk,
political-talk, and celebrity-talk. Each entry places the talk
format and its hosts into historical context, addressing
such questions as: What was going on in society when
these talkers were on the air? How did each of them affect
or change society? What were the issues they liked to talk
about and what reaction did they get from listeners and
from critics? How were talk hosts able to persuade people
to vote for particular candidates or support certain
policies? Which hosts were considered controversial and
why? Complete with photographs, a timeline, and a
resource guide of sources and organizations, this volume
is ideal for students of journalism and media studies.
Icons of Talk is available at: