Talk is hot, whether it's on TV, radio, or the Internet. Experts disagree about why Americans love to hear and participate in talk programming, but many believe talk media helps people feel connected with others. It's also entertaining. Talk programming across all media has grown rapidly. In 1983, only 53 radio stations had news/talk formats, compared with more than 1 000 today, while the total number of stations remained constant at 10 000. The number of talk shows on television soared from just a handful in 1986, to 15 in the 1989~1990 season, to 19 during the 1996~1997 season, according to Nielsen Media Research. What makes the talk media so popular? Is it bored viewers and listeners wanting the most shocking gossip(流言)available? Not entirely, says Michael Harrison, writer for Talkers Magazine, which covers the talk-media industry. "It all serves the simple need for connections with other people," he says. "People don't know their neighbors anymore, and they wouldn't have time to talk even if they did. But there's still a human need for community, so it's a virtual, electronic, global media community." Economics also help account for the rise in talk. Television talk shows are much cheaper than other shows to produce. And talk sells better than any other radio format. Programmers, can also fit more advertisements into fast-paced talk than into a music format. What's more, our commuter(常乘公共车辆往返者)culture may be giving talk-radio, in particular, a popularity boost. Americans on the road to work are an enthusiastic audience for talk-radio. And in some large or fast-growing cities, time spent on the way to work is on the rise. In Los Angeles, the individual drive time will go up at least five minutes a year for the next 20 years because of population growth and the lack of new infrastructure(基础设施).
单选题
What can be inferred about radio stations in America today?