Lule Chapter 7: Radio

Question 1

radio

Answer 1

communication through the use of radio waves

Question 2

telegraph (1986)

Answer 2

• The telegraph communicated messages through a series of long and short clicks
• It allowed communication between places that could not before
• Its cables were laid across the Atlantic Ocean

Question 3

radio networks

Answer 3

• Radio networks were formed, which were originally groups of radio stations that shared the same programming
• the same content could be broadcast over different radio stations
• These became large broadcasting corporations in control of radio programming

Question 4

radio’s variety shows

Answer 4

featured several different performers introduced by a host who segued between acts

Question 5

Radio Act of 1927

Answer 5

• Federal Radio Commission formed
• FRC was established to manage allocation of airwaves and grant licenses

Question 6

Communication Act of 1934

Answer 6

• Federal Communications Commission formed
• FCC began new government regulations, such as the 1938 decision to limit stations to 50,000 watts of broadcasting power, allowing for more local stations
• In 1987, the FCC under the Reagan administration repealed the regulations

Question 7

Fairness Doctrine (1949)

Answer 7

• 1949 Fairness Doctrine required equal time for opposing viewpoints
• Stated that two viewpoints had to be presented on an issue

Question 8

Golden Age of Radio

Answer 8

• From 1930s to the mid 1950s
• Instant news
• Daytime and prime time programming was aimed at certain demographics

Question 9

Television’s arrival & its effect on radio

Answer 9

• Shows moved from radio to TV
• TV popularity brought end to radio’s golden age (1950s)
• Radio again focused on music, this birthed Top / 50 songs

Question 10

Pacifica

Answer 10

• first public radio station
• “listener-supported”

Question 11

FM radio

Answer 11

• Expansion of FM in 1960s
• encouraged new innovations

Question 12

Border Stations

Answer 12

• An important innovation on FM was the growth of border stations, which were located just over the U.S.-Mexico border, that broadcast into the U.S. without being subject to U.S. or FCC regulations

Question 13

Public Broadcasting Act of 1967

Answer 13

• Created corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) which funded public radio
• PBS (public TV) and NPR (public radio) started in 1970
• PRI, Public Radio International

Question 14

Telecommunications Act of 1996

Answer 14

• rapid consolidation (homogenization)
• consolidation made radio profitable but reduced local coverage and program diversity

Question 15

Satellite Radio

Answer 15

• XM and Sirius eventually merged in 2007
• Satellite radio began in Africa in the late 1990s
• Satellite radio was a way to get around the finite limits of the broadcast spectrum and allows for even more niche programming to develop

Question 16

Radio and Politics

Answer 16

• Served as means of unification across the nation
• FDR’s Fireside Chats helped explain the unprecedented actions his administration was taking to deal with the economic fallout of the Great Depression
• Talk Radio Growth, post elimination of Fairness Doctrine (1987)

Question 17

Radio Station Formats: Country

Answer 17

• Most popular radio format in the 2020s
• Country music, formerly a mix of folk, blues, and mountain music, was made into a genre that was accessible by the nation
• Without programs that featured these country and blues artists, Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash would not have become national stars, and country music may not have risen to become a popular genre

Question 18

Radio Station Formats: Religious

Answer 18

• Second most popular radio format in America
• Many broadcast stations have found success with religious programming, primarily Christian, which can take the form of formal services, lectures, lessons, and Bible readings as well as religious hymns and music

Question 19

Radio Station Formats: News/ Talk/ Information

Answer 19

• Third most popular radio format in America
• It includes AM talk radio, public radio stations with talk programming, network news radio, sports radio, and personality talk radio
• Reaches a wide audience

Question 20

Radio Station Formats: Spanish Language

Answer 20

• Radio formats that target Spanish-speaking audiences, including talk, religious, and popular music formats
• Spanish-language stations really are formats within formats and include Spanish oldies, Spanish adult hits, Spanish religious, and Spanish talk among others

Question 21

Radio Station Formats: Adult Contemporary

Answer 21

• Generally targeted toward individuals over 30, the adult contemporary (AC) format favors pop music from the last 15 to 20 years as opposed to classic rock or current hits
• The urban contemporary format plays modern hits from mainly Black artists—such as Beyoncé, Drake, Lil Wayne, John Legend, and Ludacris—featuring a mix of soul, hip-hop, and R&B

Question 22

Consolidation’s Impact on Local Radio

Answer 22

• The Telecommunications Act of 1996 did away with many regulations on how many stations a single company could own and even allowed the purchase of multiple stations in a single market, depending on that market’s size
• Increased Conglomeration (companies like iHeartRadio) and eliminated many local stations

Question 23

HD Radio (2001)

Answer 23

• a digital transmission of radio signals that allows separate subchannels to be broadcast on the same analog frequency
• less static
• better sound quality

Question 24

Podcasting

Answer 24

• may be a precursor to how radio will continue to evolve
• podcasting growth in the 2020s
• niche podcasts stand alone

Question 25

AM Radio

Answer 25

• In 1987, the FCC under the Reagan administration repealed FCC’s regulation, which set off an AM talk radio boom
• Repeal of the Fairness Doctrine (1949) led to the rise of religious personalities, political personalities, and wild personalities on AM talk shows

Question 26

Radio Station Formats: Classic Rock

Answer 26

• Classic rock stations generally play rock singles taken from the 1960s into the 1980s
• Popular with Baby Boomer audience