Some dates demand special attention. They jump out at you and say: "I'm important. Remember me.". Others can be neglected without a second thought. And yet others deserve that second thought. Dates such as this are like late bloomers who seem to promise very little at the outset, but somehow earn a place of honor as they mature. Today's date link is that sort of date.
Once again, from This Day in History, we learn that:
It was on this day that the Federal Communications Commission gave approval for FM Stereo broadcasting. While it would be another five or six years before FM stations went "underground" or "progressive" to attract listeners who were tired of the lack of audio quality on AM stations, FM stations to this time had broadcast in glorious monaural sound. Today, FM broadcasting in the United States accounts for more than 80 percent of radio listening.FM Stereo not only caused a change in the listening habits of the western world. It questioned the entire premise of radio programming for popular, middle of the road, taste. We read so much about how the internet has changed the definition of "audience". Giving credit where credit is due, FM programming paved the way for the breakdown of the dictatorship of popular taste, making it possible for every taste to be popular over the air waves.
And what about that title?