Introduction
Arguably one of the most epic accomplishments of the 20th century was the discovery of radio waves and the subsequent invention of the radio. The radio proved to be the first mass communication media and its impact on society was and still continues to be phenomenal. In today’s society were there exists a myriad of information and media technologies, which not only bombard us with information but also impact on the consumer’s behaviour, the radio has still managed to remain relevant.
While other fairly newer technologies such as the television, internet and cell phones have reduced the reliance on the radio as the chief mass communication means, its resilience has resulted in the radio still being the preferred source of information for a big number of people. This paper shall set out to investigate the relationship of the radio to information, technology and society. The paper shall begin by offering a brief history of the radio which shall be followed by a discussion on the relationship between the radio, technology and society.
Brief Historical Overview of the Radio
The radio is in essence sound programming that is produced at a source which is known as a transmitter and received by a tuner on the recipient’s end using the properties of electromagnetic waves we called radio (Priestman, 2002). The radio can trace its birth to 1920 when Hans Christian Orsten demonstrated that “an electric current through a wire could deflect a magnetic needle” (Garratt, 1994). This discovery was significant in that it not only demonstrated that current caused some magnetic effect but that this magnetic force acted in circles.
Later on in 1865, the Scottish physicist, James Clerk Maxwell, came up with other theories electromagnetism which resulted in the first experimentation with wireless communication. Garratt (1994) notes that in 1884, the coherer was invented which was by Temistocle Calzecchi-Onesti which was in essence a “glass tube filled with metal filings connected to electrical current producing an audible click in a sounder while receiving the signal used in radio”.
A significant breakthrough in radio communication came about in 1887 when physicist Heinrich Hertz positively demonstrated the reality of electromagnetic waves in the air (Garratt, 1994). Hertz came up with a system that let him send and receive wireless signals and is thus credited as having contributed towards the development of practical radio communication. However, the first person to truly demonstrate the working of the radio by use of a radio transmitter and receiver system was Nikola Tesla who was hailed as the inventor of the radio as we know it in 1898.
While the radio has over the decades has made remarkable advancements from its early implementations, the radio still utilizes the primitive and relatively simple transmitter–receiver concepts that were demonstrated by Hertz in 1887. In the modern day, the radio has come to signify a device that outputs information or messages to the listener and uses different techniques to catch the listener’s attention. Through the years, the radio has played a big role in communication and is arguably the most widely used means of mass communication.
As technology advances, the radio has caught up with the digital age and moved from the analogue form of transmission to the digital form. Radio broadcasters have also moved with the times coming up with the newest ideas and updates to broadcast to the world. While radio has always played a key role in communication, the changes in technology have made radio expansive by providing more information and entertainment in a more useful way, making it easy to access, and providing friendly ways in today’s current society.
The Significance of Radio Media
The media in general is one of the social issues that affects and influences almost every aspect of our lives. The influence that the media wields in our lives is very significant. Gentz and Kramer (2006) articulate that the media provides the backdrop against which we make sense of any new conditions and information that we encounter in a world that is increasingly becoming globalized. Croteau and Hoynes (2003) propose that the radio is historically the most influential mass media. The radio has played an important role in history by virtue of its ability to reach more people than any other media. One of the reasons why radio has continued to be used by a majority of the population is because it is accessible free of charge by all. As such, all one needs is a receiver and then they are ready to tune in and listen to the radio.
The main aims of the radio in communication are to inform, educate and entertain people. Priestman (2002) asserts that “no one aspect of radio can be fully understood without some reference to three interrelated aspects of the medium: first, the ways in which it is produced, secondly the form and content of its programming and thirdly the interpretations and reactions of its consumers, the listeners”. The programming of the radio has evolved over time as the consumers of this media product have changed over the years.
In the past, the radio was used to reach out to farmers and children in less developed areas where education was not accessible to them. In this setting, the radio was used as a means of education and the programming was laced with educational programs (Hilmes & Loviglio, 2002). In addition, the radio also served as a major entertainment means for the people. This was especially significant to the people that could not afford the luxury of travelling to the theatres which were the centres of entertainment (Zainbooks, 2010). Owing to the popularity of the radio, the technology was borrowed by various regions in the world and by the mid-20th century, almost all regions in the world had some form of mass radio communication in place.
The technological changes that have been experienced over the last few decades have resulted in the availability of many more programs broadcasted which has made radio have an even more expanded audience. However, radio still remains as a one-way communication means since the audience are the passive recipients of the information presented by the media. Priestman (2002) theorizes that the radio could be the most novel public communication system conceivable if “it were capable not only of transmitting but of receiving, of making listeners hear but also speak, not of isolating them but connecting them”.
Impact of the Radio on Society
The motives of listening to the radio vary from person to person but they can be summarized as: for company, to break the monotony or drudgery that may arise from someone having to go through the same routine every day, to change people’s mood, relieve boredom, provide news and information, participation of events and overcome social problems. Listening to the radio has also resulted in the forging of powerful connections between “people’s inner thinking selves and other selves, other voices, from quite faraway places” (Douglas, 2004, p.31).
Inner speech is the regarded as the almost incessant aspect of ourselves; as we reason with ourselves, and meditate within ourselves throughout the day. Inner speech acts as an accompaniment to the rest of our experiences and it forms the inner thread of continuity to our sense of being in the world. With radio, Douglas reveals that “this interior “I” began oscillating with the voices of those never met, never even seen” (Douglas, 2004, p.31). Radio therefore helps a person to connect and reconnect with himself/herself.
The radio also brings together common culture of different classes, races, genders and ages and allows people to learn about people from different viewpoints. This is a concept known as socialization. Socialization is the process whereby we learn and internalize the values, beliefs, and norms of our culture and, so doing, develop a sense of self (Croteau & Hoynes, 2003). These attributes of the radio can assist in building the community by forming a forum through which local or political ideas can be brought together. Radio has also been responsible for changing the manner in which people think by making them exposed to new ways of thinking and giving them common topics to talk about with family and friends.
One of the more significant impacts of the media is that it helps people know what is going on in the world around them therefore keeping them up to date with local and global events. At a high level, this increased awareness of events is great toward the achievement of globalization. At a lower level, this knowledge assists people in socializing with each other through common topics of interest.
Research by Hargrave (2000) on listening habits revealed that the radio is used in the same manner as one would use a friend to provide company, uplift one’s moods when they are feeling down or to relax one when they are feeling tired and tense. The different categories of radio broadcasting; music presentation, factual speech radio, news, current affairs, educational programmes and sports coverage, audience participation speech radio, including talk radio formats, non-factual speech radio, including comedy and drama and radio experiments, have been tried by programme-makers over the years so as to test the boundaries of what radio can do (Priestman, 2002).
A factor which has made radio the most popular means of mass communication is that it gives updated information in the fastest time to the listener. The radio still remains to be the technology that is most easily accessed by people all over the world. It uses airwaves to transmit information directly to anyone who owns a radio. The radio has transformed the way society operates since it is possible to listen to the radio while doing many activities. For example, the radio can be installed in a car, cell phones, mp3, on the Internet and more. These implementations of the radio make it convenient and available everywhere people go including at home, shops workplace, café, and car and even to individuals walking plugged into their personal stereos (Hargrave, 2000). It allows people listen to the radio while doing another task at the same time.
There is a wide variety of radio station broadcasts which give the audience choices of which one they want to access. There are a huge number of channels designed to fulfil specific needs of the listening population. This has resulted in radio remaining relevant to the audience since it offers specialized “services’ for the differing audiences. This has helped the radio to attract a large number of audiences as well as maintain them over the years. Radio has attracted many young audiences who listen to the radio since it is one of the most easily accessible technologies available to them.
Radio and Human Needs
Currently, digital radio is the new standard that is replacing the traditional analogue radio implementation. One of the most important features of digital radio is that its uses are not restricted to communication purposes only. Radio now utilizes other forms of multimedia such as video and text in addition to the traditional sound. For example, a car might have a digital radio which in addition to its traditional functionalities has features such as maps, traffic data and even business information which the user may find applicable.
With the introduction of satellite radio, it can only be expected that the already wide reach that radio has will broaden even further. Technologies involved in the radio have worked with the human body and its sensory and other needs by it have changed the lifestyle of people in society. The radio appeals mostly to peoples’ hearing and touching.
The information provided by the communicator is presented to attract the listener to concentrate hearing the message being outputted. Our scope for interacting with a programme is usually confined to the on/off switch or the tuning control (Priestman, 2002). There are now more choices of stations to choose from, allowing people to choose back and forth from stations.
But another factor is that it is now easier to change stations because of the technological advances that allow pre-programming so that a station can be changed at the touch of the button rather that having to do with a dial (Hargrave, 2000). These are touching senses that we need to control in order to fit individual preferences by changing to any station we want to listen to. Therefore, it has made listening to the radio change.
Technological determinists might claim that the changes are due to advances in technology like stereo broadcasting, the transistor radio and the use of FM and digital frequency for better sound. These technological sources were available before it was actually used but it has applied as a social necessity. Especially, community radio is great tool to help get information to poor communities because it does not need reading skills or money like how newspapers need to. These can help give powerless communities a voice which helps create a strong link between government and local media through the use of the internet.
As the technology advances, the radio changes its role by increasing the amount of information outputted. The radio becomes easier and faster to access, more effective and appealing to more audience. This digital technology can affect many parts of society, which includes impacts on education, safety and provides many jobs for the economy.
The radio offers different ways of broadcasting information which includes interviewing a person, discussion panel, new bulletin, radio theatre, the radio soap opera, public games, mini-programs and feedback. These programs are forms of entertainment but also educate people with information research studies. Radio provides a unique intimacy with its listener who can interact with it through their imagination. Since it uses auto communication, which provides listeners to hear with only spoken languages with no images in front of them. Therefore, the broadcasters have to broadcast their information as accurately as possible to avoid misunderstanding.
Advances in technology will result in radio listeners being able to choose from a myriad of possible programmes and Wired (2002) reveals that “some models will have small screens, displaying pictures of the artist whose song is playing, news or advertising”. The radio also provided people with instant news that happened around them either close or somewhere far in the world. For instance, it can provide people with updated news on the weather and traffic, which can let people, know instantly or in advance to avoid any problems or delays in their daily life. The radio provides many channels either in FM or AM stations, which provides varieties of jobs in the radio station and radio industry.
Zainbooks (2010) reveal that radio has resulted in the creation of a number of jobs including “news-readers, copywriters, playwrights for radio dramas, anchors for different discussion shows, musicians, recording engineers and ranges of technical jobs” (Zainbooks, 2010). These occupations not only result in the growth and development of the radio industry but they also have a positive impact on the country’s economy since they lead to the provision of more jobs to society members.
Radio and Marketing
The radio is not just a form of entertainment and technology but is also a means through which marketing is perpetuated. Arguably one of the uses for which radio has been immensely successful is advertising. Advertising is defined by Lester as “any form of non-personal presentation and promotion of ideas, good and services by an identified sponsor” (Douglas, 2004). The primary objective of advertising is to promote the consumption of the particular product being advertised.
Croteau and Hoynes (2003) suggest that the heavy emphasis of advertisements in media is due to the fact that advertisers are the dominant sources of revenue for most modern media. The influence that advertisements have on the people is colossal as can be inferred from the rise in sales for corporations that engage in large-scale advertisement. The effectiveness of radio in advertising has been noted with Hilmes and Loviglio (2002) suggesting that the power of radio comes from the personalized messages that it delivers and hence it acts as an effective vehicle for delivering messages to consumers.
The radio is deemed to be one of the strongest medium to market high number of consumers of their products and services. In order to attract the consumer, the marketing techniques mostly used are music jingles with some kind of interesting script writing for the consumer to remember easily. Every station strives to achieve its own style. Although the style can be similar to other stations. Therefore, coming up interesting programs or how the station concentrates one certain area that are unique from other stations helps distinguish from the other stations. For example, how some radio station are specialize at only playing music only or how song station provide updated news only.
Future Implications of Radio
The radio uses two forms of communication which can be termed as: horizontal and vertical. ‘Horizontal’ communication describes the situation whereby all the participants are treated as though they have an equal status and as such, communication passes freely between them and control is evenly dispersed among the various communicating parties. ‘Vertical’ communication on the other hand is the opposite of Horizontal communication and it describes a situation where status is differentiated into a hierarchy since the communication parties are deemed to be of unequal status.
Information is controlled at the core and communication flow is not across, but upwards and mainly downwards from the few at the head of the hierarchy to the many at the bottom (Priestman, 2002). At the onset, radio primarily utilized the horizontal communication model; however, the advance in technology made the broadcast system shift to the vertical system. This has resulted in communication by the radio being even more extensive as the radio broadcasts broadly.
In the early years following the invention of the radio, the technology suffered from issues such as primitive sound quality, interruption of signals when their transmission systems become overloaded and from the immobility of receivers, in the form of the valve wireless and the desktop computer (Priestman, 2002). This greatly impeded the use of radios since the operators had a lot of technical inhibitions even as they exploited the technology. All this has changed through the years as novel technological inventions have been made and exploited by the radio technology.
At the present, listening to the radio occurs even through the use of computers and the internet and in the last decade, online web radio has become popular. Fonda (2004) reveals that while only 7 million people were reported to listen to online radio per week in the year 2000, the number had almost tripled to 19 million people by the year 2004. It can only be expected that this figure has risen through the decade as the internet has become even more pervasive and the cost of computers significantly lowered.
One of the traditional limitations of the radio have been that it is a one-way means of communication and as Priestman (2002) asserts, it effectiveness would be more increased if it was a more interactive media. Modern-day presenters are already trying to make radio interactive by use of call in programs in which the audience can participate in the matters being discussed.
While this is a fairly limited means of connecting the audience since only a limited number of listeners can make their voices heard over the radio, it is a major step in bridging the isolation that traditionally existed between the radio presenters and their audience. It is a proven fact that listeners are more likely to be swayed by the views of their fellow listeners and listeners also appreciate a media which gives them an opportunity to make their thoughts heard.
At the present, there are many different program broadcasts that allow people to phone in and talk or email the broadcaster with questions, answers or opinions on the program currently on air. It is even possible for someone to make request of songs and words to their loved ones on air. These developments have made radio more useful people for interactivity is one of the attributes that makes a medium even more popular with its users.
Traditionally, radio transmission has been delivered in real time and it has been hard for listeners to catch up with programming that happened before. However, new technology has made it possible for listeners to tune in to their favourite programs at their convenience. For example, as early as 2004, listeners were able to “program their radios in advance to record broadcasts on a built-in hard drive” (Wired, 2002). This has been used in many radio stations for their audience to listen and repeat listen the program they missed. This has resulted in a change in the listening habits of some of the radio audience since they can now catch up with their favourite programs at their convenience and hence do not have to listen to the radio in real-time anymore.
Conclusion
This paper shall set out to investigate the relationship of the radio to information, technology and society. To this end, this paper has reviewed radio technology; its invention and subsequent advances through the years. From this paper, it is clear that the expansion of information and technology on the radio has resulted in the better dispersion on information and as such, the radio has proved to be a monumental invention. This paper has discussed the many advantages of the radio including how it satisfies its audience in various ways.
The ability of the radio to survive and remain relevant in a competitive media environment has been attributed to its ability to adapt itself to the various social, cultural and technological changes that are prevalent. While the popularity of the radio has decreased owing to the prevalence of other technologies such as television and the internet, the radio is still one of the leading communication media for providing information and entertainment. By creating new ways in which it can be used by society, the radio is an important medium which is continually expanding its roles to socialize our society.
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