Conservative talk radio has had a long and controversial history in the United States of America. Two early controversial radio hosts who rose to fame in the United States were the "radio priest" Charles Coughlin (1889-1979), a Roman Catholic priest who had a massive national radio audience of approximately 30 million people during the 1930s, and the Reverend Robert P. Shuler (1879-1965), the fundamentalist Evangelical pastor of the 5,000 member Trinity Methodist Church in Los Angeles California. This thesis examines Charles Coughlin and Robert P. Shuler's use of recognized propaganda techniques as defined by Harold Laswell, Walter Lippmann, Ronald H. Carpenter, Alfred McClung Lee, Elizabeth Briant Lee, and others, especially in casting themselves as favored social elites, using their insider information to warn followers that other elites meant them harm. In an era when digital communication easily magnifies demagoguery, understanding the various methods and effects of propaganda as practices by these two figures might help contemporary audiences discern whether a communicator intends to promote the general welfare of society or merely their own interests. Additionally, this thesis examines Coughlin and Shuler's relationship with populist political movements.

This study recounts the events surrounding the Federal Radio Commision's (FRC) 1931 decision to remove radio station KGEF. Robert Shuler, minister of Los Angeles' Trinity Methodist Church, South, used KGEF to attack city officials and organizations whom he felt were corrupt. Chapters explore Shuler's background and acquisition of KGEF, his use of KGEF, and FRC and Court hearings and appeals. The study concludes that the action against Shuler, resulting in deletion of KGEF, may have resulted from political pressures. In spite of the "landmark" status of the Shuler case, his First Amendment rights may have been violated.