Outline the history of radio, including key developments and trends.
The first radio transmissions happened in 1895, with morse code being transmitted over 2 miles, aswell as the electrophone which allowed for news to be given over the phone. However there was no actual audio transmission until they began experimenting with audio in 1905, and then 15 years later in 1920 when the first commercial radio stations started appearing, broadcasting voice and music to listeners. Between 1921 and 1924, the number of US radio stations increased from 5 to 500, increasing the reach of radio. The British Broadcasting Corporation was established in 1926, along with the General strike happening which increased the popularity of radio, and radio became the main source of news as during strikes newspaper production stopped. In the Us radio sales skyrocketed between 1920 and 1930, with 60,000 being sold in 1922 and a massive 842,000 sold in 1929.
What made radio so popular in its golden age?
The golden age for radio is between the 1920s to 1950s, this was because radio was so popular at this point, in the 1940s popular uk radio shows reached upwards of 40% of the population, it was a mass medium. The first reason it was so popular was the novelty of it. Radio was a new and exciting thing, which allowed people to have entertainment at home, and it was the latest technology, so it was the trend. Also the economy of the radio was another reason, it was relatively cheap, and it was the fastest way to find out what was happening, it was almost immediate, whereas with a news paper you would have to wait for the news. The simplicity of radio made it popular as literacy levels were low, but radio was something everyone could understand and use as a source of information. Radio also had a monopoly. meaning it had very few competitors, and was the only home-based entertainment source in this time, so was popular. World War 2 also played a big part in radio's popularity, the power and influence of radio peaking at this time, when it became crucial tothe publicto help them stay informed, and was also a powerful tool for politicians, such as Winston Churchill.
What factors have contributed to its decline?
The first main factor that contributed to the decline of radio, was television (TV) as it allowed for people to have visual entertainment aswell as audio. From 1950 TV ownership increased massively and at this point in time almost everyone owns a TV. However, TV in the 50s was very limited, because it was more expensive and more limited than radio, however over time TV has become more popular than radio, and has developed massively, whereas radio has almost stayed the same. The differences between TV and radio allow them to co-exist relatively peacefully. Another factor that contributed to the decline of radios is Spotify. Instead of being limited to the music played by a radio station, now people can listen to whatever song they want to easily, therefore decreasing the value of radio as the source of music and a key form of entertainment.
Is it in terminal decline? And if so why? Or alternatively, what do you think could keep it alive?
I don't think that radio is in terminal decline. I think first of all the novelty of radio will keep it alive I think. A lot of people listen to the radio in the car and for live sports coverage. Especially now that sports live streaming is becoming more expensive, with the amount of paywalls increasing, radio could be a source of free, convenient sports coverage. Also, at one point in the future, radios will become vintage, like record players, when we don't commonly use them anymore and then they will become trendy as they are not common, so they will become more expensive and valuable, however I do think that radios will significantly decrease in popularity and sales over the next few years.
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