How does the history of radio help us understand how internet radio, podcasting and other audio media are going to develop as commercial forms? As political forms? As artistic forms?

     “In 1896 Italian inventor Guglielmo Marconi created a wireless telegraph that used radio waves to carry messages in Morse code. This was the first practical use of radio” (Straubhaar 159). Since then, radio has evolved to become an instrument that not only conveys important messages, but it also provides knowledge and social interacting. It is also a medium that retail stores and political campaigns use in order to reach different populations and extend their needs.

     

      From the very beginning radio was utilized as a means in which retail stores and shops could promote their goods; therefore the same stores realized that by creating their own radio stations they could fulfill their need of extending of reaching more and newer customers. This “quick shaping of radio by commercial interests laid down a pattern that other media followed, both in the US and abroad. This can still be seen in today’s world since the global shape of broadcasting reflects this then-unique arrangement of radio in the US” (Straubhaar 162). Radios today still need this ‘commercial way’ of working, since it is with this that their revenue increases. Radio stations, networks, podcasts and other audio media realize that by selling advertising they can make good money and also earn more credit in comparison to other radio stations. This trend alone shows us that as the years pass, society will continue to be more materialistic and their need for commercial goods will only increase; therefore radio stations, networks and even internet radios will continue to be a link between the consumer and provider. By doing this, radios and other audio media will obtain their sponsorships and will be able to survive this competitive world.

     

      Radios also serve as means of distributing valuable information. Since the beginning of its time, radios provided different programs in which they would broadcast news and other important information. Coverage of wars, political incidents and any other news related issues were first covered by radios. In today’s world we can see that this has not changed much. We are still able to tune in for weather and traffic reports, educational programs and also coverage of the different events going on. Political coverage is something that plays a major role in media today. Political campaigns are known to ‘buy’ the different types and sectors of media in order to increase their popularity and also reach out different audiences. They too provide the radio stations with revenue by doing this, but it also creates a considerable difference in the way people perceive their stations. The growing gap between the different political parties has begun to affect the way in which we, as listeners select our radio stations and continue to listen to them. This tells us that in the future this gap will only continue to get deepened and provide a major differentiation between the stations and the way we choose them.

      Artistically speaking, radio has been a way in which artists, poets and story tellers promote themselves. Although radio’s first broadcast was not music, it did not take long for radio stations and networks to figure out that bringing music and other artistic programs to the household was not only going to increase the popular demand of the particular genre but also give much more popularity to the station. With the creation of portable audio media, radio has suffered greatly, but it still continues to improve its broadcasts in order to survive this changing world.