Irish Music and Culture on U.S.

Radio
Dr. John Mark Dempsey, Texas A&M University-Commerce (U.S.);
jm.dempsey@tamuc.edu
Irish music and culture is maintained and promoted in the U.S. by a number of radio stations and
programs, notably in New York City, Boston and Chicago. This qualitative study will analyze
Irish radio broadcasting in the U.S., and will examine how radio reinforces a sense of Irishness
in the U.S., among members of the Irish community. Also, it will consider the extent to which
the programs and stations extend the influence of Irish culture to Americans with little or no
connection to Ireland.
A secondary focus of the study is the extent to which the American radio programs promote
traditional Irish music vs. the music of contemporary Irish performers, and how the producers
maintain a balance between the two.
In recent years, FCC-licensed AM and FM radio stations have been joined by streaming Internet
stations. The study will examine the audience ratings of the various Irish stations and programs
in the U.S., and will consider the extent to which the advent of streaming radio including radio
from Ireland has affected the American programs and stations.
A similar study, The Irish Hour: An expression of the musical taste and the culture values of the
Pittsburgh Irish community, was published by Kathleen Monahan in the scholarly journal
Ethnicity in 1977.
Traditional Irish and Celtic music, while not typically finding its way to the top of the pop charts,
maintains a healthy presence on the U.S. radio airwaves, where it will continue to influence
listeners and musicians as it has throughout history.