ABSTRACT
This chapter’s main focus is the sound documentary, a genre of radio soundwork that gained a strong presence on radio in its earlier decades, fell into obscurity (especially in the US) in the second half of the twentieth century, but has been revitalized in the digital era in new, expanded, and sometimes strange forms. Along with innovations prompted by the capacities of digital production and reception in a few key shows, this chapter discusses emerging players in the soundwork field and their relationships with the existing radio industry. A brief overview of recent revivals in radio drama and spoken word/poetry points towards other innovations prompted by podcasting and digital platforms. Can the now-century-old term ‘radio’ encompass all these challenges? This chapter argues that it can, and that today’s innovative soundwork revolution has allowed radio to move in the rich and productive directions it has been waiting for all its life.
