Ep. 8: The Ghost of Royal Oak
The Church gives Coughlin an ultimatum: his radio career or his priesthood. Meanwhile, the FBI closes in on Coughlin.
Father Charles Coughlin
Ep. 7: Sedition
The radio priest drops all pretense at diplomacy, getting himself kicked off major radio stations in the process.
Ep. 6: Social Justice
The radio priest and his National Union for Social Justice energize the anti-FDR base at massive political rallies across the country.
Ep. 5: His Cross to Bear
Father Coughlin's broadcasts become increasingly antisemitic, and the Jewish community debates how to respond.
Ep. 4: “Driving the Money Changers from the Temple”
Father Coughlin grew in influence by using hateful rhetoric to blame President Hoover, bankers, and communists for the economic downturn.
Ep. 3: The Sound of America
Preaching on the dial was once sacrilegious, inappropriate, crass. But soon, listeners were hooked by the radio priest’s targeted messaging.
Ep. 2: Radio Days
Father Coughlin builds his church, with help from famous friends. He embraces the airwaves and becomes America’s first talk radio celebrity.
Ep. 1: In the Beginning
Andrew Lapin details the humble origins of the first mass media demagogue and the conditions that fueled his meteoric rise.
“Radioactive: The Father Coughlin Story” Study Guide
A study guide for the "Radioactive" podcast: the story of a crafty bigot who used a new mass medium to spread hate and gain political power.