A detailed study of American public radio’s early history: Radio’s Hidden Voice: The Origins of Public Broadcasting in the United States, by Hugh Richard Slotten.

“Employing extensive research from archives across the United States, Hugh Richard Slotten examines the origins of alternative broadcasting models based especially on a commitment to providing noncommercial service for the public. These stations, operated largely by universities and colleges, offered diverse forms of programming meant not merely to entertain but also to educate, inform, enlighten, and uplift local citizens.” Want to know more?