Abstract
Call‐in radio and television programming has received an enormous amount of attention since the 1992 U.S. presidential election campaign. Yet we know very little about why people call in to these programs, or whether the phenomenon has any theoretical importance for political science or communications. This article presents some exploratory data on the subject and draws upon some existing theoretical insights, in order to illuminate the role of call‐in programs in American political culture. It suggests a few possible routes for the study of talk programs, emphasizing their importance for political communication.

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