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Tag: Broadcasting

  • The role of radio in the age of Spotify and digital broadcasting

    The role of radio in the age of Spotify and digital broadcasting

    In an era dominated by Spotify, Apple Music, and various podcast platforms, it’s easy to overlook the enduring presence and significance of traditional radio.

    Despite the surge of on-demand services, radio continues to play a pivotal role in our daily lives. For the case of Irish readers, you would just have to look to the most recent JNLR reports (how radio stations measure listenership) where you’ll find that on an island that’s not long after passing the five million mark on the population front, we’ve got over three million adults regularly engaged with traditional radio. Not only that, but Irish adults spend significantly more time stuck to the radio than to Spotify or other audio streaming services.

    So what can radio offer that Spotify and digital broadcasting or on-demand services can’t?

    1. A sense of community

    Radio, particularly independent and local radio, fosters a sense of local community that is unparalleled. Stations will highlight news, sport, entertainment, local artists, events, and more, providing a platform for the unique culture and happenings of a specific franchise area.

    In the case of Irish radio, you’ll have local stations that operate on a single-county basis like Radio Kerry, Clare FM, Tipp FM, a dual-county basis like KCLR (Kilkenny, Carlow), LMFM (Louth Monaghan), a three-county basis (Midlands 103 covering Laois, Offaly, Westmeath) before moving into regional radio stations like Beat (south east), Spin (south west), iRadio (midlands and surrounds) and onto the nationals.

    Localised content helps listeners feel connected to their community, providing a sense of belonging and understanding that global streaming services can’t offer.

    2. Accessibility and inclusivity

    One of radio’s standout features is its accessibility. Even in the 21st century we’ve got broadband poverty (read lack of internet access) but your trusty FM radio, be it in the corner of your kitchen, your car or – if you’re still rocking an older Nokia handset with an FM receiver in it – your phone, doesn’t require any online connectivity to pick up a signal. This inclusivity ensures that information and entertainment are available to everyone, regardless of their economic status or geographical location.

    3. Real-time information

    Radio is a reliable source of real-time information, especially during emergencies. Whether it’s severe weather warnings (I’m looking at you, winter of 2010), traffic updates, or breaking news, radio stations provide timely and accurate reports that keep communities informed and safe.

    In 2022, the annual Eurobarometer survey from the European Commission singled out radio as the most-trusted medium for information in Europe for the 12th year in a row with radio trusted by 56% of the population on average. In the UK that figure rises to 61%, far surpassing TV and other press. Access those survey details here.

    4. Engaging personalities

    The charm of radio often lies in the engaging personalities that host shows. Whether it’s current affairs or music, farming or the arts, presenters are more likely to offer a human touch, sharing stories, insights, and humour that build a rapport with listeners.

    As a presenter, listeners will want to know you, like you and trust you. It takes work, but this personal connection turns the listening experience into a relationship, with audiences tuning in to hear familiar and beloved voices, something you’re not likely to get too much out of from streaming music services.

    5. Diverse content

    While streaming services often rely on algorithms to suggest content (you are the product, even though we’re now paying higher subscription rates), radio offers a curated experience that introduces listeners to new music and ideas. The diversity of content, spanning different genres, topics, and discussions, provides a rich listening experience that caters to a wide audience.

    Going back to local radio, this becomes even more pertinent with content delivered based on the issues impacting and concerns of those living within the franchise area of the radio station – be it live sport you won’t get anywhere else, political debate, updates on key local developments

    6. Supporting local talent

    Many artists owe their success to the exposure provided by local radio stations. These platforms play a crucial role in promoting emerging talent, offering a stepping stone for artists to reach wider audiences and establish their careers. Spotify’s also not going to pay the bills unless you’re hitting some serious streaming numbers.

    Radio plays, however, continue to garner sizeable payments for smaller artists and the trust placed in radio presenters even to this day can help make or break talent.

    7. Educational value

    Radio is not just about music; it’s a platform for education and learning. From talk shows discussing current affairs to programs dedicated to science, health, the arts, farming (thinking of our own schedule here), history and technology, radio is a treasure trove of knowledge that educates as it entertains.

    8. Nostalgia and tradition

    For many, radio is steeped in nostalgia, reminiscent of a time when families would gather around the radio set to listen to shows, news, and music together. Some of that I’ve covered here and reflected on in my own radio upbringing.

    This sense of tradition and shared experience continues to resonate with listeners, offering comfort and continuity in a rapidly changing media landscape.

    There’s room for everybody

    While Spotify and other streaming services offer convenience and a vast library of content, traditional radio continues to hold its ground with a unique blend of community connection, accessibility, engaging personalities, and diverse content.

    That said, there’s room for everybody and when I’m not listening to radio, you’ll find me tucked into a podcast likely because I find the content relevant to me and what I’m interested in or the host is good at tying it all together.

    But as long as there are listeners and as long as the world keeps turning, we’ll still have radio and it will still be there, in the corner of the room, on the commute or in the background in your local coffee shop, keeping you company, keeping you informed and keeping you entertained, without having to shell out 12.99 a month for it.

  • Tuned in: The slow but steady evolution of radio broadcasting in 6 minutes-ish

    Tuned in: The slow but steady evolution of radio broadcasting in 6 minutes-ish

    The medium of radio has helped to capture and captivate audiences around the world for over a century.

    Radio wasn’t always ten hits in a row and wasn’t always commercial or regulated either. By way of a presentation that had to be given at one time to a group of radio-curious students, here’s a slow but steady outline of the evolution of radio broadcasting in just around six minutes-ish.

    If it’s not behind a paywall, you can also get a good feel for Irish radio history from this piece in 2018.

    The evolution of radio

    From its initial sparks to today’s digital innovations, radio has continually evolved, bridging distances and bringing communities together. Some corners will tell you it’s a dying medium, but of everything that’s come and gone, radio is still here and in some corners stronger than ever. So how did it start, and where is it off to?

    The Early Days: Wireless Telegraphy

    The story of radio broadcasting starts not with voices but with dots and dashes. In 1901, Guglielmo Marconi made groundbreaking advances in wireless telegraphy—transmitting Morse code signals without the need for wires. This invention signalled the possibilities of a new form of communication, and the world began to take notice. Marconi was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics for his radio work in 1909. If you’ve ever wondered where Marconi House, home to Newstalk and TodayFM in Ireland got its name, that would be a solid guess.

    A voice across the Atlantic: Ireland’s role in early radio development

    One of the most pivotal moments in the history of radio took place in the serene surroundings of Ireland. Going back to that date in 1901, Marconi sent the first-ever transatlantic wireless signal from Cornwall in the UK to Newfoundland in Canada. The buildup to that event had started in Ireland with the earliest-known radio broadcast in the country said to have happened as far back as 1898, with Marconi establishing a wireless telegraphy link between Rathlin Island and Ballycastle. Marconi established a base in Clifden, Galway, in 1907 that operated until the 1920s, a station responsible for the first commercial wireless messages across the Atlantic.

    The first broadcast in Ireland is considered to be a Morse code transmission, sent from the GPO in Dublin by the rebels during the Easter Rising.

    However, the echo of Ireland’s contributions reverberated again in 1926 when the first official radio broadcast in the Emerald Isle graced the airwaves, courtesy of 2RN, which would later evolve into Radio Éireann and subsequently RTÉ, Ireland’s national broadcaster.

    The ‘Roaring Twenties’ and the radio boom

    The 1920s heralded the golden age of radio, in particular in America. Stations mushroomed across the U.S., Europe, and other parts of the world. Long before Netflix and Prime, long before TV sets were a staple of households, families gathered around their radio sets, drawn in by the music, news, dramas, and adventures that flowed from the speakers.

    No longer limited to Morse code, the world could now hear voices, transcending boundaries and oceans.

    World War & radio: Broadcasting on the frontlines

    On the European front, the power of radio became evident during World War II (1939-1945).

    It was a critical tool for propaganda, information dissemination, and boosting morale. Governments realised the medium’s potential for reaching the masses, and the radio played a crucial role on both the home front and the battlefront.

    From AM to FM and beyond

    Technological advancements over the years brought clearer sound quality and broader reach. In the mid-20th century, FM (it stands for ‘frequency modulation’, by the way) was introduced, offering a static-free listening experience compared to AM (which stands for ‘amplitude modulation’). By the 1970s, FM became the preferred choice for music broadcasts. In Ireland you’ll see FM adopted as part of a lot of commercial radio stations’ branding – Clare FM, Tipp FM, 96FM, Today FM, Red FM, LMFM etc.

    Community radio in Ireland

    In Ireland, community radio has been alive and well since the 1970s and while 2RN (later becoming RTÉ Radio 1) has been around since the 1920s, followed by Raidió na Gaeltachta and 2FM, commercial radio in Irelan was outlawed until 1989 meaning pirate radio thrived.

    Once legislation and licensing were introduced in 1989, a shape began to fall on the Irish radio landscape which today sees over thirty commercial radio stations operating, backed by a growing network of community broadcasters serving needs not often met by commercial license holders.

    Community license and commercial license holders typically operate within different parameters, with community broadcasting typically more focused on the immediate surroundings of the community (or up to a certain radius). At the time of writing, Craol, the body that oversees community radio in Ireland, lists 21 active community stations with a further 13 in development, all operating on FM.

    A new millennium: digital broadcasting & streaming

    The onset of the 21st century saw another evolution: digital radio broadcasting. DAB (Digital Audio Broadcasting) offers listeners more channels, even clearer sound, and additional information about the song or program being broadcasted. DAB trials ran for years in Ireland but while wider European markets, the UK, Australia and Canada have made great inroads with DAB, the technology was effectively given a bullet in Ireland in 2021.

    Concurrently, the rise of internet availability, smartphone enhancements and smart speakers introduced more online streaming, meaning suddenly, radio stations from around the globe were accessible from desktops and smartphones.

    Online advancements coupled with smarter scheduling software and increased quality in audio feeds have also seen traditional FM radio stations make the jump to additional online-only offerings of dedicated 80s and 90s channels, sports channels, documentary channels and more.

    The Future of Radio: What Lies Ahead?

    As we stand on the cusp of a new era, one might wonder: where is radio headed next?

    With the rise of smart speakers and AI assistants, radio is becoming more interactive. Podcasts, a modern derivative of radio, have surged in popularity, indicating listeners’ appetite for on-demand, niche content. Regardless of how many podcasts there are, there never seems to be enough.

    Innovations in technology may also pave the way for immersive radio experiences. Picture 3D sound environments, where it feels like you’re right in the midst of a radio drama or at a live concert broadcast. Moreover, as the world grapples with issues like climate change and socio-political divides, radio, with its vast reach, can play a pivotal role in awareness and education.

    So while the methods of broadcasting and the devices we use have evolved greatly, the essence of radio remains unchanged.

    It’s a medium that tells stories, connects people, and reflects the zeitgeist of every era.

    Here’s to the next chapter of radio, as it continues to adapt, innovate, and captivate.