Aanavi Vidya Anand
Almost every day while travelling with my dad in the car, I have noticed him listen to the radio nine out of ten times and every time we end up fighting on what to put on. He doesn’t listen to FM channels or songs but stories, news or podcasts and that is how most of our drives go.
Radio has always played a pivotal role in shaping communication and society ever since its beginning up until now. Emerging in the early 20th century, radio revolutionized information dissemination by providing a new, immediate way to reach mass audiences. It was initially only used for maritime communication but quickly evolved into medium for broadcast of music, news, or entertainment. In the 1920s radio was used as a means of communication and helped in unifying the masses. Its real-time capability to connect listeners with global events marked a significant shift from the delay-prone print media.
The post war era saw a shift in the role and importance of radio as television became the main audio-visual source of entertainment. Yet the radio channels adapted and stuck to niche fields such as talk shows, music or podcasts which helped it remain prevalent. Offering local content, live interaction, and a sense of community, the start of FM radio found more success due to better quality, catering to a variety of tastes and providing multiple channels as options.
Today in the time of the digital age radio has adopted new technologies, such as internet streaming and podcasts, which have expanded its reach and accessibility. Despite of the immense competition from other digital fields radio remains an ever evolving, ever adapting vital medium whose presence is still felt in the media landscape.
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