440 MIXED MEDIA
THE WORLD OF RADIO
An unknown speaker once said that “of all the peoples in the world,
Americans, with their millions of television and radio sets, stand in
great fear of a moment of silence.” That statement certainly seems to
apply to teenagers, who are perhaps the most important group of radio
listeners in America. Arbitron, the company that compiles radio rat-
ings, says its surveys show that about 93 percent of teens aged 12 and
up listen to the radio at least once a week. “Radio is simply a part of
their daily lives,” concluded one study.
Not only is radio immensely popular with teens but it is also the most
universal of all the mass media (the means of communication that
can reach large audiences). Nowhere is there a patch of land or stretch
of ocean so remote that it cannot be reached by radio signals beamed
from more than 44,000 stations worldwide. Over a third of those sta-
tions are located in the United States, where nearly every home has at
least one radio. In fact, with about 800 million radios nationwide, we
have an average of nearly three radios for every citizen.
Another form of radio broadcasting, Internet radio, is also vying for
listeners. It is estimated that about 70 million people from around the
world listen to Internet radio each month. With more than 10,000
online radio stations, people can listen to millions of songs, talk shows,
and sporting events from all over the world. In recent years, satellite
radio has become popular with millions of listeners. Radio signals
are broadcast from communications satellites to listeners and cover a
much wider range than conventional radio. Listeners can hear their
favorite stations anywhere in North America.What Radio Does Best
Radio has a number of significant advantages over other forms of
communication.- First, radios are portable, inexpensive and convenient. You
can take them with you wherever you go. - In emergencies, radio keeps people informed. In times of
extreme danger, such as blizzards, tornadoes and floods,
radio can save lives. - Radio news coverage is fast and adaptable. When a major
news event occurs, radio can sometimes get the story first.
Reporters armed only with cellular phones can be on the
air instantly. Television reports require heavier, bulkier
equipment, and most television stations have limited
resources for broadcasts from remote sites. - People can listen to the radio while they are doing other
activities, such as driving, working, cleaning, and even
halfheartedly trying to wake up. This mobility is impossible
while watching television because most sets are large. - Unlike television, radio doesn’t need visuals to cover a story.
Thus, radio stations can run more newscasts—sometimes
every hour—than television stations. They can therefore
update information on stories more frequently.
mass media
the means of communication
that can reach large audiences