Voices of Change on the Airwaves: Radio and Personalities in the Late 1970s

Voices of Change on the Airwaves: Radio and Personalities in the Late 1970s

In the late 1970s, the media environment in Japan was undergoing major changes. Young people's media preferences shifted from television to FM radio, and FM radio was rapidly gaining popularity due to its excellent sound quality and extensive music programming. FM radio at that time had many music programs, mainly Western music, and was indispensable for young music lovers. On the other hand, medium wave (AM) radio was beginning to lose support, especially among young people, as its conventional structure of mainly news and talk shows was considered "outdated. Hideto Osawa, head of the programming department at Bunka Hoso, even admitted that the content of the programs had become "stale," and there was a sense of uncertainty about the future of AM radio.

To break through this situation, Bunka Hoso launched a new form of radio that made full use of "sound" and "image. It emphasized programming that would allow listeners to develop their imagination through sound alone, and aimed to incorporate "not just music broadcasting, but an immersive production. As one of its attempts, a six-month-long special program was planned from October 3, 1977, to explore new possibilities for radio. a strategy to revitalize AM radio by differentiating it from FM radio was underway, but it still could not compete with the momentum of FM radio, and AM radio was AM radio was still searching for a way to survive.

In this era, many famous personalities were active in the radio industry and led the revolution of radio culture. Ohashi Kioizumi, also of TBS Radio, was a representative of AM radio, popular for his sharp talk on current topics. and "Hitachi Music in Hyphenic" introduced a Western music-centered format that incorporated FM radio.

Meanwhile, Goro Itoi, one of the first personalities on Nippon Broadcasting System's "All Night Nippon," was known as the "God of DJs" and was a pioneer in introducing Western music. Hidetake Takashima, who was in charge of "Hidetake Takashima's All Night Nippon," was also known as "the king of late-night radio" for his light-hearted talk style, and was loved by listeners; on TBS Radio, Kazkei Kojima enlivened late-night broadcasting with "Kojima Kazkei Yoru wa Tomodachi," and on CBC Radio, Tsuboi Norio was known as " Tsuboi Norio's "The More I Listen, the More I Hear," which was overwhelmingly popular, especially in the Tokai region. In 1977, "Terumi Yoshida's Teruteru Wide" was launched on Bunka Hoso (Bunka Hoso), and he became one of the key figures behind the radio boom that followed in the 1980s.

Looking back at the radio industry in the late 1970s, AM radio continued to try to incorporate the style of FM radio while maintaining programs centered on socially-conscious talk shows like those by Rokusuke Ei and Keizumi Ohashi. Late-night broadcasts such as "All Night Nippon" were strongly supported by young people, but FM radio's popularity did not wane, and it continued to expand its reach through enhanced music programming that took advantage of its high sound quality.

Thus, the late 1970s was a period of intensifying competition between FM and AM, and AM radio was seeking to transform itself in order to survive. AM radio stations, including the Bunka Hoso Broadcasting System, strengthened their storytelling programming and tried new approaches to counter FM's momentum, but were ultimately unable to stem the tide of FM radio. Nevertheless, the culture established by the radio personalities of the time continues to have a significant impact on the subsequent history of media in Japan.