The Flamethrowers

How right wing radio took over American democracy. A new series hosted by Justin Ling.

Our story begins with Canadian priest Charles Coughlin — a populist crusader who winds up espousing conspiracy and hate. Right-wing radio flexes its muscle with a boycott of Polish Ham. And the Kennedy government almost wipes right-wing talk off the map. For transcripts of this series, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/podcastnews/the-flamethrowers-transcripts-listen-1.6852997

President Ronald Reagan takes the shackles off right-wing radio and inaugurates a golden era of conservative politics. And Rush Limbaugh — almost by accident — becomes a kingmaker in the Republican party and changes radio forever. For transcripts of this series, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/podcastnews/the-flamethrowers-transcripts-listen-1.6852997

Welcome to the world of conspiracy and paranoia. A horrifying act of domestic terrorism brings right wing radio some unwanted attention, which pushes one fan of the supernatural away from politics, while a pair of anti-government broadcasters dig their heels in. For transcripts of this series, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/podcastnews/the-flamethrowers-transcripts-listen-1.6852997

The terror attacks of September 11th have Americans turning the dial to talk radio, where a whole new generation of broadcasters are eager to capitalize on anxiety and fear. For transcripts of this series, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/podcastnews/the-flamethrowers-transcripts-listen-1.6852997

Right-wing radio finds their greatest foe in Barack Obama: As they try to take him down at every turn, they find the perfect formula to manufacture outrage. For transcripts of this series, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/podcastnews/the-flamethrowers-transcripts-listen-1.6852997

Donald Trump takes the style, tactics, and issues straight from the right-wing radio playbook. The only question now is: Where does it go from here? For transcripts of this series, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/podcastnews/the-flamethrowers-transcripts-listen-1.6852997

The controversial reality TV show known as ‘Kid Nation’, which borrowed its premise from Lord of the Flies, was cancelled shortly after its 2007 debut. Producers took 40 kids into a makeshift desert town to fend for themselves and create their own society. Was the series an opportunity to discover what kids are capable of? Or simply a ploy for ratings? With access to former ‘Kid Nation’ contestants, their families, and the show’s creators, culture journalist Josh Gwynn uncovers how this cult TV show became a lightning rod for an ongoing debate about the ethics of reality TV. Welcome to Split Screen, an examination of the utterly captivating, sometimes unsettling world of entertainment and pop culture. From reality TV gone awry, to the cult of celebrity, each season of Split Screen takes listeners on an evocative journey inside the world of showbiz. Ex-contestants, producers, and cultural critics uncover complicated truths behind TV’s carefully curated facades, and question what our entertainment reveals about us. Split Screen: sometimes reality is twisted. More episodes are available at: https://link.chtbl.com/MBx1B_dt