Synopsis

An “engrossing and entertaining…major work of media history” ( The New York Times Book Review ) that reveals the unlikely story of one of America’s most celebrated but least understood media empires. Founded in 1970, NPR is America’s most powerful broadcast news network.

Despite being overshadowed by the larger and more glamorous PBS, public radio has long been home to shows such as All Things Considered , Morning Edition , and This American Life that captivate millions of listeners in homes, cars, and workplaces across the nation.

NPR and its hosts are a cultural powerhouse and a trusted voice, and they have created a mode of journalism and storytelling that helps Americans understand the world in which we live.

In On Air , a book fourteen years in the making, journalist Steve Oney tells the dramatic history of this institution, tracing the comings and goings of legendary on-air talents…