Top 40 radio begins
Top 40 radio emerged in the early 1950s as a response to the significant competition radio faced from television, particularly after World War II. During this period, radio programming was primarily network-affiliated and featured segmented content, leading to a decline in audience engagement. Pioneers Todd Storz and Gordon McLendon revolutionized the format by introducing a playlist of forty popular songs, which allowed for a more consistent listening experience. Storz, from Omaha, and McLendon, from Dallas, implemented fast-paced newscasts, engaging contests, and jingles, effectively capturing listener attention. This innovative approach coincided with the rise of rock-and-roll music and the increasing influence of the teenage demographic, which propelled Top 40 stations to widespread success across the United States. The format's reliance on repetitive play of hit singles, driven by sales data rather than specific genres, transformed radio programming. Additionally, it paved the way for the careers of iconic disc jockeys, thus shaping the future of music broadcasting in America. The popularity of portable and car radios further facilitated the reach of Top 40 radio, solidifying its place in the cultural landscape.
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Top 40 radio begins
Popular radio music program format that combined a countdown of the forty most popular songs of the week with personality disc jockeys, contests, and promotions
During the 1950’s, as television began to end radio’s dominance as America’s entertainment medium, a new Top 40 countdown format was created to bring listeners back and drive advertising revenues.
After World War II the American radio industry was robust but faced new competition from television. The arrival of commercial television during the late 1940’s attracted some radio listeners to evening television programming, which eventually led to significant radio audience erosion. By 1952, new television stations were emerging across the country, daily programming schedules were lengthened, television receiver sales increased, and television took away more and more of radio audiences. Not only was radio losing listeners, but the advertisers and popular on-air talent also were leaving radio for television. National radio advertising revenue plunged to an all-time low in 1954.
Most radio stations at the time were affiliated with national networks and featured general-interest programming blocked in fifteen- and thirty-minute segments. As more independent radio stations (those not affiliated with a network) entered new markets, they broadcast music and news formats that provided more consistency in the on-air sound than the segmented sound associated with blocked programming.
Network radio programs began to disappear or were transferred to television while radio stations were struggling for direction. That new direction was ultimately provided by two broadcasters, Todd Storz and Gordon McLendon. Both men contributed to the concept of a disc jockey playing popular hit records using a forty-record play list, a programming format which became known as Top 40 radio.
Storz, owner of KOWH-AM in Omaha, Nebraska, along with program director Bill Stewart, created the Top 40 idea during the early 1950’s. In 1953, McLendon, owner of KLIF-AM in Dallas, Texas, used the format to create a formula which combined music with fast-paced newscasts, jingles, continuous promotion, and exciting contests. After inaugurating and refining this format, much of the industry adopted the idea, which led to success for radio stations nationwide. The Storz and McLendon stations dominated the airwaves in the markets they served and led the way for numerous other broadcasters.
Impact
Top 40 radio revolutionized the medium, and within a few years, Top 40 stations appeared throughout the country to great success, spurred by the burgeoning popularity of rock-and-roll music, the growing importance of the country’s teen generation, and the wildly popular music of Elvis Presley. The popularity of this format was further enhanced by the spread of portable and car radios. The format relied on the repetitive play of hit singles—whose popularity was based on sales research—rather than on genres and specific artists. It also launched the careers of the first generation of disc jockeys, including “Moondog” Alan Freed in Cleveland, Ohio.
Bibliography
Fong-Torres, Ben. The Hits Just Keep Coming: The History of Top 40 Radio. New York: Miller Freeman Books, 1998. Inside stories of the format, its disc jockeys, and the era’s rock-and-roll stars.
Garay, Ronald. Gordon McLendon: The Maverick of Radio. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 1992. Thoroughly researched and accurate book about the career of McLendon.
MacFarland, David. Development of the Top 40 Radio Format. North Stratford, N.H.: Ayer Company, 1979. Well-researched book about Top 40 radio.