This episode of "On the Media" Midweek Podcast previews the second episode of "The Divided Dial" season two, which explores the rise of the militia movement on shortwave radio. It details how shortwave, initially a platform for peace and global communication, became a tool for right-wing rhetoric and anti-government militias in the 1990s. The episode highlights figures like Tom Valentine, Mark Kornke, and Pete Peters, and examines how the Oklahoma City bombing brought attention to the movement's use of shortwave radio, ultimately leading to its decline with the rise of the internet, though its impact on the internet cannot be ignored. The episode also touches on the story of Radio for Peace International and its efforts to monitor and critique the far-right broadcasts.
