Radio Lab
Encyclopedia
Radiolab is a radio program produced by WNYC
, a public radio station in New York City, and broadcast on public radio stations in the United States. The show is nationally syndicated and is available as a podcast
.
Hosted by Jad Abumrad
and Robert Krulwich
, the show focuses on topics of a scientific and philosophical nature. The show attempts to approach broad, difficult topics such as "time" and "morality" in an accessible and light-hearted manner and with a distinctive audio production style.
Radiolab received a 2007 National Academies Communication Award "for their imaginative use of radio to make science accessible to broad audiences." In 2011, Abumrad received the MacArthur grant.
Although Radiolab is a "limited run series", nine seasons of five episodes each have been produced; the tenth season is currently airing.
composition and production at Oberlin College
, Jad Abumrad worked for New York City Pacifica
affiliate WBAI before landing a job freelancing for National Public Radio (NPR). In 2002 he produced a series of post-9/11 radio documentaries called 24 Hours at the Edge of Ground Zero, and regularly contributed material to Studio 360
, both for WNYC. In 2003 Abumrad was given an assignment to interview ABC News
science reporter Robert Krulwich and the two men discovered they had a lot in common: both were alumni of Oberlin College (though 25 years apart), both had worked at WBAI before moving on to WNYC and NPR. They became fast friends and began collaborating on experimental radio pieces, the first of which they sent to Ira Glass
for a proposed Flag Day
episode of This American Life
. "It was horrible," said Glass of the tape in an interview with Abumrad and Krulwich. "It's just amazing that you were able to put together such a wonderful program after that."
Not to be dissuaded, Abumrad and Krulwich continued to collaborate. In 2004 Jad Abumrad began hosting a series of sporadic science-themed programs under the name "Radiolab" and featured Robert Krulwich as a "guest host" on a program about time
in early June. By the following episode, (Space, aired two weeks later), they were co-hosts, launching into the program's first official season in 2005.
Each Radiolab episode is elaborately stylized. For instance, thematic—and often discordant—music accompanies much of the commentary. In an April 2011 interview with the New York Times, Abumrad explained the choice in music: “I put a lot of jaggedy sounds, little plurps and things, strange staccato, percussive things.” In addition, previously recorded interview segments are interspersed in the show's live dialogue, adding a layered, call-and-response affect to the questions posed by the hosts. These recordings are often unedited and the interviewee's asides appear in the final product. In the same New York Times interview, Abumrad said, “You're trying to capture the rhythms and the movements, the messiness of the actual experience...It sounds like life.” And unlike traditional journalism, in which the reader is given only access to the final article, not the interview, Abumrad added that Radiolab's process is more transparent.
, as one of the most innovative shows on radio.
In a 2007–2008 study by Multimedia Research (sponsored by the National Science Foundation), it was determined that over 95 percent of listeners reported that the science-based material featured on Radiolab was accessible. Additionally, upwards of 80 percent of listeners reported that the program's pace was exciting, and over 80 percent reported that the layering of interviews was engaging.
Radiolab has also won several awards, including the 2010 George Foster Peabody Award for broadcast excellence. In spring 2011, Krulwich and Abumrad took the show on a live, national tour, selling out in cities such as New York, Seattle, and Los Angeles.
s usually deals with a specific topic and investigates it from several different angles. Utilizing sound design
(not a common practice in modern radio programming), rapid dialog edits and sound effects are used to build a soundscape constructing an expository conversation, and usually feature brief, seemingly unscripted tangents. The credits are generally read by people who were interviewed or featured on the show, rather than by the hosts.
As of June 15, 2009, the podcast offers full, hour-long episodes on a regular schedule with two podcasts in between "that follow some detour or left turn, explore music we love, take you to live events, and generally try to shake up your universe."
WNYC
WNYC is a set of call letters shared by a pair of co-owned, non-profit, public radio stations located in New York City.WNYC broadcasts on the AM band at 820 kHz, and WNYC-FM is at 93.9 MHz. Both stations are members of National Public Radio and carry distinct, but similar news/talk programs...
, a public radio station in New York City, and broadcast on public radio stations in the United States. The show is nationally syndicated and is available as a podcast
Podcast
A podcast is a series of digital media files that are released episodically and often downloaded through web syndication...
.
Hosted by Jad Abumrad
Jad Abumrad
Jad Abumrad is a Lebanese-American radio host and producer. He has reported and produced documentaries for a number of local and National Public Radio programs, including On the Media, PRI's Studio 360 with Kurt Andersen, Morning Edition, All Things Considered, Democracy Now!, and WNYC's "24...
and Robert Krulwich
Robert Krulwich
Robert Krulwich is an American radio and television journalist whose specialty is explaining complex topics in depth. He has worked as a full-time employee of ABC, CBS, National Public Radio, and Pacifica. He has done assignment pieces for ABC's Nightline and World News Tonight, as well as PBS's...
, the show focuses on topics of a scientific and philosophical nature. The show attempts to approach broad, difficult topics such as "time" and "morality" in an accessible and light-hearted manner and with a distinctive audio production style.
Radiolab received a 2007 National Academies Communication Award "for their imaginative use of radio to make science accessible to broad audiences." In 2011, Abumrad received the MacArthur grant.
Although Radiolab is a "limited run series", nine seasons of five episodes each have been produced; the tenth season is currently airing.
History
Having majored in experimental musicExperimental music
Experimental music refers, in the English-language literature, to a compositional tradition which arose in the mid-20th century, applied particularly in North America to music composed in such a way that its outcome is unforeseeable. Its most famous and influential exponent was John Cage...
composition and production at Oberlin College
Oberlin College
Oberlin College is a private liberal arts college in Oberlin, Ohio, noteworthy for having been the first American institution of higher learning to regularly admit female and black students. Connected to the college is the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, the oldest continuously operating...
, Jad Abumrad worked for New York City Pacifica
Pacifica Radio
Pacifica Radio is the oldest public radio network in the United States. It is a group of five independently operated, non-commercial, listener-supported radio stations that is known for its progressive/liberal political orientation. It is also a program service supplying over 100 affiliated...
affiliate WBAI before landing a job freelancing for National Public Radio (NPR). In 2002 he produced a series of post-9/11 radio documentaries called 24 Hours at the Edge of Ground Zero, and regularly contributed material to Studio 360
Studio 360
Studio 360 is an American weekly public radio program about media, the arts and culture hosted by novelist Kurt Andersen and produced by PRI Public Radio International and WNYC in New York City. The program's stated goal is to "Get inside the creative mind" and uses arts and culture as a lens to...
, both for WNYC. In 2003 Abumrad was given an assignment to interview ABC News
ABC News
ABC News is the news gathering and broadcasting division of American broadcast television network ABC, a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company...
science reporter Robert Krulwich and the two men discovered they had a lot in common: both were alumni of Oberlin College (though 25 years apart), both had worked at WBAI before moving on to WNYC and NPR. They became fast friends and began collaborating on experimental radio pieces, the first of which they sent to Ira Glass
Ira Glass
Ira Glass is an American public radio personality, and host and producer of the radio and television show This American Life.- Early life :...
for a proposed Flag Day
Flag Day
A flag day is a flag-related holiday—either a day designated for flying a certain flag , or a day set aside to celebrate a historical event such as a nation's adoption of its flag....
episode of This American Life
This American Life
This American Life is a weekly hour-long radio program produced by WBEZ and hosted by Ira Glass. It is distributed by Public Radio International on PRI affiliate stations and is also available as a free weekly podcast. Primarily a journalistic non-fiction program, it has also featured essays,...
. "It was horrible," said Glass of the tape in an interview with Abumrad and Krulwich. "It's just amazing that you were able to put together such a wonderful program after that."
Not to be dissuaded, Abumrad and Krulwich continued to collaborate. In 2004 Jad Abumrad began hosting a series of sporadic science-themed programs under the name "Radiolab" and featured Robert Krulwich as a "guest host" on a program about time
Time
Time is a part of the measuring system used to sequence events, to compare the durations of events and the intervals between them, and to quantify rates of change such as the motions of objects....
in early June. By the following episode, (Space, aired two weeks later), they were co-hosts, launching into the program's first official season in 2005.
Format
Radiolab is aired on over 300 radio stations across the U.S., including California, Alaska, and New York. Each episode is one hour long and tackles various philosophical and scientific topics. However, the show began in 2002 as a three-hour weekly show on New York City radio station WYNC's AM's signal. It wasn't until 2004 that Krulwich began appearing as a regular guest and eventually as a co-host.Each Radiolab episode is elaborately stylized. For instance, thematic—and often discordant—music accompanies much of the commentary. In an April 2011 interview with the New York Times, Abumrad explained the choice in music: “I put a lot of jaggedy sounds, little plurps and things, strange staccato, percussive things.” In addition, previously recorded interview segments are interspersed in the show's live dialogue, adding a layered, call-and-response affect to the questions posed by the hosts. These recordings are often unedited and the interviewee's asides appear in the final product. In the same New York Times interview, Abumrad said, “You're trying to capture the rhythms and the movements, the messiness of the actual experience...It sounds like life.” And unlike traditional journalism, in which the reader is given only access to the final article, not the interview, Abumrad added that Radiolab's process is more transparent.
Response
Radiolab has been widely acclaimed among listeners and critics alike. Around 1.8 million listeners tune into the show, though most of them access it via podcasts. It has even been hailed, along with This American LifeThis American Life
This American Life is a weekly hour-long radio program produced by WBEZ and hosted by Ira Glass. It is distributed by Public Radio International on PRI affiliate stations and is also available as a free weekly podcast. Primarily a journalistic non-fiction program, it has also featured essays,...
, as one of the most innovative shows on radio.
In a 2007–2008 study by Multimedia Research (sponsored by the National Science Foundation), it was determined that over 95 percent of listeners reported that the science-based material featured on Radiolab was accessible. Additionally, upwards of 80 percent of listeners reported that the program's pace was exciting, and over 80 percent reported that the layering of interviews was engaging.
Radiolab has also won several awards, including the 2010 George Foster Peabody Award for broadcast excellence. In spring 2011, Krulwich and Abumrad took the show on a live, national tour, selling out in cities such as New York, Seattle, and Los Angeles.
Radiolab episodes
Each hour-long episode, through stories, interviews, and thought experimentThought experiment
A thought experiment or Gedankenexperiment considers some hypothesis, theory, or principle for the purpose of thinking through its consequences...
s usually deals with a specific topic and investigates it from several different angles. Utilizing sound design
Sound design
Sound design is the process of specifying, acquiring, manipulating or generating audio elements. It is employed in a variety of disciplines including filmmaking, television production, theatre, sound recording and reproduction, live performance, sound art, post-production and video game software...
(not a common practice in modern radio programming), rapid dialog edits and sound effects are used to build a soundscape constructing an expository conversation, and usually feature brief, seemingly unscripted tangents. The credits are generally read by people who were interviewed or featured on the show, rather than by the hosts.
As of June 15, 2009, the podcast offers full, hour-long episodes on a regular schedule with two podcasts in between "that follow some detour or left turn, explore music we love, take you to live events, and generally try to shake up your universe."
External links
- Official site
- Audio interview with Krulwich & Abumrad on public radio program The Sound of Young AmericaThe Sound of Young AmericaThe Sound of Young America is a public radio program and podcast based in Los Angeles, California and distributed by Public Radio International...
- Podcast interview with Jad Abumrad