Week 1 History of Radio

The first reading, 'On Air, Methods and Meanings of Radio' by Shingler and Wieringa (1998) provided the timeline of events which has allowed me to learn how radio has developed from 'point to point communication' to global broadcasting.
The sub-chapter on themes and communication created some very valid arguments and points when discussing the difference between pirate radio and the BBC and how these differences created competition for the BBC (Public Service Broadcasting) meaning that they have to compete for listeners. The creation of commercial radio such as Capital Radio, Classic FM, community radio and pirate radio meant that there are more options and varies types of radio stations/shows creating competition between the various stations. In addition, the use of radio for entertainment rather than communication is another interesting development, during World War II AFN started to create shows of Top 40's to entertain the soldiers and in 1944 the BBC employed foreign correspondents meaning that news can be shared and broadcast back home. The importance of radio was shown to the world when the Titanic sank, thanks to radio communication a broadcast was sent out which allowed for help to be dispatched.
The second reading "The Industrialisation of Music" reinforces the points made in the first reading, it tells us how the musical side of radio slumped during the 1920's and 1940s (war-time) due to broadcasting and foreign correspondents, news etc. being it's main use alongside of communication between countries and the people. Despite the record industry starting in 1888 with the North American Phonograph Company it's sole purpose was for communications (Titanic) and the spreading of news (war-time broadcasts). It wasn't until the birth of Rock'n'Roll in the 1950's that the music industry boomed. The evolution from gramophone to tape decks to CD players allowed the industry to grow more and more whilst working alongside radio as music dominated the world. In my opinion the only issue with radio and the music industry is how limited it is, it suggests that the presenter/artist has full control/reign/freedom over what they say/create however due to the BBC and record labels etc. this freedom is restricted. Despite this I believe that radio has evolved and there is more freedom thanks to technological advancements and online/community radio stations. The way I would under-go this investigation is to analyse the content on both the stations and compare it e.g. types of music, how much talking, is there any audience participation, news bulletins etc. to see how different current radio stations are.