Radio is the medium with the highest relevance for media users in daily life – at least with respect to the amount of exposure time. In western industrialized countries, people listen to radio for about three hours each day, with about 80 percent of daily reach (Table 1). Radio consumption has decreased massively since the
Radio for development is the strategic use of this medium to effect social changes beneficial to a community, nation, or region. Within the study and practice of communication for national development and social change, radio has claimed a prominent place for a variety of reasons. As an aural medium, radio obviates the need for a
Radio producers plan, rehearse, and produce live or recorded programs. They work with the music, on-air personalities, sound effects, and technology to put together an entire radio show. They schedule interviews and arrange for promotional events. According to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the United States alone has more than 13,769 radio stations. Larger stations
Radio and television program directors plan and schedule program material for stations and networks. They determine what entertainment programs, news broadcasts, and other program material their organizations offer to the public. At a large network, the program director may supervise a large programming staff. At a small station, one person may manage the station and
Radio and television announcers present news and commercial messages from a script. They identify the station, announce station breaks, and introduce and close shows. Interviewing guests, making public service announcements, and conducting panel discussions may also be part of the announcer’s work. In small stations, the local announcer may keep the program log, run the
The radio broadcasting spectrum is viewed as a natural and scarce resource available to all nations. Even though the rules establishing the allocation of bandwidth and assignment of frequencies vary, common principles apply to all countries. The legal rationale for controls over licensing is generally based on four principles: (1) recognition of spectrum as a