Chapter Review

COMMON THREADS

One of the Common Threads discussed in Chapter 1 is the developmental stages of mass media. Like other mass media, radio evolved in three stages, but it also influenced an important dichotomy in mass media technology: wired versus wireless.

In radio’s novelty stage, several inventors transcended the wires of the telegraph and telephone to solve the problem of wireless communication. In the entrepreneurial stage, inventors tested ship-to-shore radio, while others developed person-to-person toll radio transmissions and other schemes to make money from wireless communication. Finally, when radio stations began broadcasting to the general public (who bought radio receivers for their homes), radio became a mass medium.

As the first electronic mass medium, radio set the pattern for an ongoing battle between wired and wireless technologies. For example, television brought images to wireless broadcasting. Then, cable television’s wires brought television signals to places where receiving antennas didn’t work. Satellite television (wireless from outer space) followed as an innovation to bring TV where cable didn’t exist. Now, broadcast, cable, and satellite all compete against one another.

Similarly, think of how cell phones have eliminated millions of traditional phone, or land, lines. The Internet, like the telephone, also began with wires, but Wi-Fi and home wireless systems are eliminating those wires, too. And radio? Most listeners get traditional local (wireless) radio broadcast signals, but now listeners may use a wired Internet connection to stream Internet radio or download Webcasts and podcasts. The radio industry’s push for the future is to ensure that all mobile phones have enabled FM radio chips so that local radio listening through the Internet can be (again) wireless.

Both wired and wireless technologies have advantages and disadvantages. Do we want the stability and the tethers of a wired connection? Or do we want the freedom and occasional instability (“Can you hear me now?”) of wireless media? Can radio’s development help us understand wired-versus-wireless battles in other media?

KEY TERMS

The definitions for the terms listed below can be found in the glossary at the end of the book. The page numbers listed with the terms indicate where the term is highlighted in the chapter.

telegraph, 151

Morse code, 151

electromagnetic waves, 152

radio waves, 152

wireless telegraphy, 153

wireless telephony, 154

broadcasting, 155

narrowcasting, 155

Radio Act of 1912, 156

Radio Corporation of America (RCA), 157

network, 158

option time, 161

Radio Act of 1927, 162

Federal Radio Commission (FRC), 162

Communications Act of 1934, 162

Federal Communications Commission (FCC), 162

transistors, 166

FM, 166

AM, 166

format radio, 167

rotation, 167

Top 40 format, 168

progressive rock, 168

album-oriented rock (AOR), 169

drive time, 169

news/talk/information, 170

adult contemporary (AC), 172

contemporary hit radio (CHR), 172

country, 172

urban contemporary, 172

Pacifica Foundation, 173

National Public Radio (NPR), 173

Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), 173

Public Broadcasting Act of 1967, 173

Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), 173

satellite radio, 175

HD radio, 175

Internet radio, 175

podcasting, 177

payola, 179

Telecommunications Act of 1996, 179

low-power FM (LPFM), 181

REVIEW QUESTIONS

Early Technology and the Development of Radio

  1. Question

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    Why was the development of the telegraph important in media history? What were some of the disadvantages of telegraph technology?

  2. Question

    +YwDJNG82vws7pXlCFQ2slY46aV3vmFP0RAgfREyaUVUr4UxPA66TdKycmSRdXJ0f4OJlImBGEcyic1UPqan/5lD5mLlcIGvFb3IJ/RYYQv84HPvgdtkojOHdX0=
    How is the concept of wireless different from that of radio?

  3. Question

    arjVhfAPuhMuL8UUxCzS7nwNijr6VQQ1Qr91wl7YTilfgykX9pC5mcR9yq29tE+TRBsr2ovPnPeME5CVGnNWkW8pjmYmxIHrpckMDosdw8a87AAII2Tde0+06u3A5U7d3nbSWCTR7bayqrb/K+AozQ==
    What was Guglielmo Marconi’s role in the development of wireless telegraphy?

  4. Question

    92HvbY0A4zLoTfA0xpHQFjVUGHkX56JegRoo+V5QkLy+CwaOOZqm3AiUHJiDyM9Ox16+dSfFHt5YwXkVSP2YwF+qR8SuhqZgQnLetB+rFs26yP3J
    What were Lee De Forest’s contributions to radio?

  5. Question

    e6aI+h/Pb8NX65AQf0p2LfUAKkHQq8o8Hsk3Yk2zja6nO8YCVMize0MieBTbTMezPtdiwVVjXfc6j3yQ5e8NjrEDmkQcP+rUVq453XblTlAwge0gmec8Xqy8PYKsNV3wqZqIAA==
    Why were there so many patent disputes in the development of radio?

  6. Question

    shrMxvT5he8ps3qoVyxZGLqREV4R4hoGkSu8f4zbUJUpufEjOWROQNa/8xQ8tSUY7hTaGbHNSOSglaoUeDPoYQ==
    Why was the RCA monopoly formed?

  7. Question

    XM+PtP74stCtN8GgZhxknx2YejUqdlIg1VHH9RWvpyvoqtK/A7KxjvORnzLpTYl1fGa2eYC5lIkNNlrA7aPIqWlUIlOzybFtGOlnbvZLq+w8dVsffny1/0WjQmDhISD/NsCOaOlUr3Ps3NuX
    How did broadcasting, unlike print media, come to be federally regulated?

The Evolution of Radio

  1. Question

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    What was AT&T’s role in the early days of radio?

  2. Question

    HF8bIqIijSytQ8gS3cBg92cXXbByUGaCKvT/aM3UAZ9v5x+S2pVdQKeVJ2U/1Bgses7WTpQ6yat89gHJ2rCjnwhAtIyoXCXEleU8hcvAyF/riLjD7pbdmsas5ETPx/VCLEBlEWiUB4coHJgFoUMAIsCjsvhKyFRZVFgAnB3GLJSpU8lTwqFnG2e9IddVIwadezrn2g==
    How did the radio networks develop? What were the contributions of David Sarnoff and William Paley to network radio?

  3. Question

    xH8JxIh38GKO0KfdCwTFitNQiwfq681etkomXgS0d2u8UjMVNMzvUKccIKgtmmEDR+Ij3yTM6YeyIgviz4j61iAhmYQvbTBZVs2C1lNxUqz09KRyrXkdnik9ecgzxLt2ayGNkl5FH8bmhHLbHQBXrDTaKUZ9WXesK8zIqAVBfPYVhTOX
    Why did the government-sanctioned RCA monopoly end?

  4. Question

    +t8hdqYxBghXWNyuqKb55TtzhKdP4XrFa3/KbPIrf1zT5Cx+n0wk0ee1MqiS4TH73PyzIzISHwEfHKv9xX66W3DWSsmegAGdADPC+pEyiYhJjo0p27fDubZv4L8nyiLsYU2O6gDbPJ8hTZPtDzIaDaf/ybcwBQll
    What is the significance of the Radio Act of 1927 and the Communications Act of 1934?

Radio Reinvents Itself

  1. Question

    WGkHDwP5uUtKL7mPyz2wLsg0GY7HPX8iyxQ27WWviXkS6WZrXI871U5Mm5+E13UxExDH3q8yLfktGb0zSirMYzsUEtTASpMneAhUEu1iT7Wju+CQ
    How did radio adapt to the arrival of television?

  2. Question

    mn/dgFhU7gmdskikr9O04bLxf6Ykiarmgpgsxs+CcMHm81U9/OkNjvkEXwt32II+V0XBHOWIc3F4S6n0Lz9kV+j/6rJ+TKAf+Mlrob7sBD+smyRbCe33An6ljNz9YYXTbhLMXlBl1oyogLXfNhoiZgYNgt1tETl3veW77Hl0i/zIgQxzUr0ug3yjJkxqzBwi
    What was Edwin Armstrong’s role in the advancement of radio technology? Why did RCA hamper Armstrong’s work?

  3. Question

    MqfO8RF+6nSlxsUi7rHGGCBA/qm/+P8yUVYCfFLRMdXD7ZpjHukopn8RyARO8/LXd3+oOl9qc4uTMq/kw4Odl7Tb2MejGFyYYPcRbQ==
    How did music on radio change in the 1950s?

  4. Question

    WGZKEXW+2CZJQjG72+WRt4Xxby05mhYvHH/yTkBfv0ILzNMz4gSjxl26BhgFZT6OTETBvpELwhfpjOLJmZjr/DzRiv9rbz9rf0cmsT2ZqSfwDbfVzNPiry7G2TzGgZgdRMwVQ4d5mrU=
    What is format radio, and why was it important to the survival of radio?

The Sounds of Commercial Radio

  1. Question

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    Why are there so many radio formats today?

  2. Question

    Rdz1h6QeMGH8XmlXTXPcGSXrkLcCVW8cC1a22xApo9Jv6ltwYxkCViF0rPEesx6JWrWDHmjrpO6FHpMkTTFCP9IflHPXjGqbm9ZTajxpoIyM1q2QHIWAYaiSZICfjTqwvgbb+w==
    Why did Top 40 radio diminish as a format in the 1980s and 1990s?

  3. Question

    wPIqMUoTBIhbSRms8jWs8Zg0Tm0QHcIkFmWzPLC7wQTBplmjMl2LQYNIb2Uc0hycQgumCamopSpse2IQEHJ3oEhTh3gx6HCWcd6T8g==
    What is the state of nonprofit radio today?

  4. Question

    lVtezZjYXP3SVDwtaR2PbTHsbYOXICQBNWW9XkCpmySjrwv539BvoHFw4baD/+b8XHbB405G8MpJnHViURuLpv8j68HObXZ9TMu/ScCzQ6MwG8g+2j+rKknMtE/FCMOpLVcDKVi/kS5sCQ87kAj7wxUtSf3NWIai1TZWBytG3zd1BuiGhFGW7KNvjTLF4LcHcjL7pd/kKnwSIQCzGlp6N6oHNC0Y2oV3
    Why are performance royalties a topic of debate between broadcast radio, satellite radio, Internet radio, and the recording industry?

  5. Question

    WT3zulVV3h5hIVVNRm9y1C5mWj0zc7hRIRqcoY0S/m3F51HSwYi9xeqgbhgssW4QSSF8eg2Z5rucfw6l7hUn3fjhld6rvBAk9ZSAB0VEadT9lg6QPLZ/7dDkrxaY0EcPTBlAlBZ4RFUc4JNmyWbmgA==
    Why do radio broadcasters want FM radio chips enabled for use in mobile phones?

The Economics of Broadcast Radio

  1. Question

    zkOIOVQaY9NdR6+iSRci3Uk3EIQg7iGjkX7h3/NOdfW+6RjZJ6499uWX998TqPC0ELYuoRS3euTjix7r0FUKg2EUo2MgZ99tiw+kWmmPGs54OFolEwRPLA75f54FDvJj
    What are the current ownership rules governing American radio?

  2. Question

    hwzwQyoYoNRCF8cD4ZKEg4DDNAO566Qcc71h4Nq6OSbXBzo+86zpyFBMuGznVbAml6YtmPUTqOkd2wCi8Tz8jxOawa/VHJcDzPulPsEUM3DF/DcnB6pzCIjrMGgmJtCmaACOPfRE3YTwvoowEZaBQTG1cs4IfzIg9nhekMXrwFA=
    What has been the main effect of the Telecommunications Act of 1996 on radio station ownership?

  3. Question

    kbol/wQnTQ2D9nTdaWhwWCMdBGldSey0IAee2QoR1DFy096L0eMeR0oFHbOMTrck2rvsOWtIYnolhiaBnYGSY4LJXyyZXHwQwk3nAkPkklMvGj6Vmexoywk84s2TB9U2UqfGyInSveb+Y907/zosOdcy6vG8ODN473OFFzypEqUHQFrts1UGNn4rcqU=
    Why did the FCC create a new class of low-power FM stations?

Radio and the Democracy of the Airwaves

  1. Question

    O758b+/PXuNwExHwlVDUPfe64OW0bNoHRidmmkORVF7AHhhi43eZVoj+VQ9UQL4M8ocOKcUqhzrCv+B07WOehzZUwZk27SacV2TdCdDR+1OF4YvGjD35ds2at9Pu7AXVFa2a68/MeIQtEFefsfIkr/G7QPfa9JIp1d82PbQLsKj1MFIra6gk46xGwrKs4otuDlAMoLFSqSU=
    Throughout the history of radio, why did the government encourage monopoly or oligopoly ownership of radio broadcasting?

  2. Question

    CRwlONaXE9QdOUvN4t6qQK6i2Z1/9k6vt2rYf3r/QPLwNVHbGwctKyD9Ug/fmOVoZIIISpvQKbj9+2tOEfzm1sqB8AUfNZ18hO12Ul1dLnKyK33wc4XDKl9XDD9BrL4yMi4p4oaflKk=
    What is the relevance of localism to debates about ownership in radio?

QUESTIONING THE MEDIA

  1. Question

    HjRfZf1uSXef2Uqm1271+yMOzlp3r5iS9ZLkDzLa9peeAjJCHna7KnSYlihN7gv01u1cZ752ZuD7jWLP/r8khIdNF+ZCwALaIH1nTHZVl8l/tNjhpk6+LrTLFaOhCXii9HjTmxPCl1RZiAT5NUwgBnvTOBq0rFgXQ9b++0aURtZvzLyV73EG0rIRobFmgPeV/2iPhIdth4yWAmsnB5yD1c19r6OVfJ5S8nO/kzn7Ey9qzai4kBKTnu3MIV6Hn/NQ8IGtccuOgxYyGJURZ8e08wovoypp2yEz2fHnlRiWQatOjf2ZRHlsoU2wtyu3gKvEpuDVst87SaZYVSOt3LscHK4n2Nf1v3UmeyK9eaP0lW0oNE454QFjhxE3CpGxZ6Md0ZEEDSUZeWGIwHpV4qfDQ8pjJApy+JzIPT3y2Rea9bA=
    Count the number and types of radio stations in your area today. What formats do they use? Do a little research, and find out who are the owners of the stations in your market. How much diversity is there among the highest-rated stations?

  2. Question

    viemunTnW3tuFxKuM5hUZEJa4jualnbLFpdQ3eEDhIN3dZEtuvhvcgeVMT1e8F6Et3MfZUnaude97FrVq/D0UywfWKs8YOwSFJfemIwMQpoKnwKmDF+lxA5btqSXVkJQuzarAONc/s47+2w7d/c8n8+BpOh5TC++YMfW6GN8p1o=
    If you could own and manage a commercial radio station, what format would you choose, and why?

  3. Question

    wu33Fpn3P28adSJcEdvpEnC1hhQoUgzx0WZoudGRLE2TRzujgAnwXoLepH+GqS82SS+8DY/tccnL1F3ZQ89w+MgRm5XiIlKWdVO1tju60Qk5UoNI8EtsPdcR/kbnQK3O8SLoPjBvgr12qC7YXpUwPovRy5TA+hvMt4Agi3RIjFU5cASxGooyGa8Z6WMRqoGPtegYxU5ItRAMCMdSnyKc+XgN9gDcART7WZjR1m5IKfyb+yU23TKg4zyqxfs=
    If you ran a noncommercial radio station in your area, what services would you provide to address needs that are not being met by commercial format radio?

  4. Question

    n1tr0bh0DIV/q+yG1S407muKhGvTmBH6WtidK/3vPLMs93f83sdjitfrARYfateDAQlSxsdmF7q8ow9jQGa3WQrftk5TFd8F4D1n91KRoHU/ZNC6waguIK43ckt2xeR/wpTdut8B8L/XsbEIh8AZnJMxtQGd5OzoFswKHw==
    How might radio be used to improve social and political discussions in the United States?

  5. Question

    IeSwvUgd20c8gauUZQ994ZMWP0B5IRfD7otloNzdP97oAJmruR7wDH2Gex4QYsO61xBg5xsIFYwh0yUrffwGfAFBlPvJvm5w+2fItFdzA4VZzS80dXYHbd46wfxdYP4DnbO0eNNUxXNLaVb9kXYfSVrthHNivLGcrgADjpLULShCLbg2zDHUd9Z2YWZStNy/o5ntG8uE0Gw=
    If you were a broadcast radio executive, what arguments would you make in favor of broadcast radio over Internet radio?

LAUNCHPAD FOR MEDIA & CULTURE