The presidential oath of office was administered to Donald Trump on Monday afternoon, and news/talk radio had comprehensive coverage of the event.
Hundreds of stations around the country aired special coverage of Inauguration Day. Despite the hours of time dedicated to the event, the Oath of Office is actually incredibly short, as it took just over three-and-a-half minutes for both President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance to say the words “I do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the office of President/Vice President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.”
On the local level, dozens of stations — from 1040 WHO in Des Moines to 77 WABC in New York — had talent in the capital city to witness the event as Donald Trump became just the second United States President to be elected to two, non-consecutive terms.
Additionally, national hosts like Clay Travis, Buck Sexton, and Sean Hannity hosted their programs live from Washington D.C. before, during, and after the inauguration took place. SiriusXM host Megyn Kelly also hosted her program from the capital during the historic day, and offered a special edition of her program on the satellite broadcaster’s Triumph channel, while other coverage took place on SiriusXM Patriot, SiriusXM Progress, and P.O.T.U.S.
At NPR, the network’s coverage was helmed by Michel Martin and Steve Inskeep, while White House correspondent Tamara Keith, and political correspondents Mara Liasson and Susan Davis contributed.
The radio coverage of the inauguration marks the 100-year anniversary of the first time the Oath of Office was heard live on AM/FM radio. In 1925, President Calvin Coolidge was sworn in with radio coverage heard on several stations across the nation. However, his inauguration took place on Wednesday, March 4th, which was the customary date before moved to January 20th in the early 1930s.
Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. To stay updated, sign up for our newsletters and get the latest information delivered straight to your inbox.
