Communication Technology Update and Fundamentals, 14th Edition

9

 

Radio Broadcasting

Gregory Pitts, Ph.D.*

 

(While) radio is valued, radio is also taken for granted. Because it is so pervasive, radio is sometimes overlooked, just like water or electricity.

– National Association of Broadcasters, (n.d.)

Why Study Radio Broadcasting?

• Broadcast radio remains important because it’s free and easy to use – there’s no subscription or expensive receiver.

• Around the world, there are billions of AM or FM receivers. In the U.S. alone, there are 800 million radios.

• Radio technology plays a major communications role around the world for populations in political, economic, and social transition.

Introduction

Radio experienced its golden age in the 1930s and 1940s. It was the medium for live entertainment and ...