ON ELECTRONIC PUBLIC SPACE - TALK SHOWS IN THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVE

Call-in radio and television programming has received an enormous amou nt of attention since the 1992 U.S. presidential election campaign. Ye t we know very little about why people call in to these programs, or w hether the phenomenon has any theoretical importance for political sci ence or communications. This article presents some exploratory data on the subject and draws upon some existing theoretical insights, in ord er to illuminate the role of call-in programs in American political cu lture. It suggests a few possible routes for the study of talk program s, emphasizing their importance for political communication.