Radio in the United States
Encyclopedia
Radio is one of the major mass media
of the United States.
(the National Broadcasting Company), and one by CBS
(the Columbia Broadcasting System). Until 1943, there were four major national radio networks: two owned by NBC, one owned by CBS
, and one owned by Mutual Broadcasting System
. The NBC's second network became ABC
, the American Broadcasting Company.
Though mostly listened to for entertainment, radio's instant, on-the-spot reports of dramatic events drew huge audiences throughout the Great Depression of the 1930s and World War II. President Franklin D. Roosevelt
recognized the potential of radio to reach the American public, and during his four terms (1933–45), his radio "fireside chats
" informed the nation on the progress of policies to counter the Depression and on developments during World War II.
After World War II, television's visual images replaced the audio-only limitation of radio as the predominant entertainment and news vehicle. Radio adapted to the new situation by replacing entertainment programs with schedules of music interspersed with news and features, a freeform format adopted by NBC when it launched its popular weekend-long Monitor
in 1955. During the 1950s, automobile manufacturers began offering car radios as standard accessories, and radio received a big boost as Americans tuned in their car radios as they drove to and from work.
themselves with plain-text names, identities such as "cool
FM", "rock
105" or "the ABC network" are not globally unique. Another station in another city or country may (and often will) have a similar brand; the name of a broadcast station for legal purposes is therefore normally its ITU call sign
.
Broadcast stations in North America generally use call letters in the international series. There are some common conventions followed in each country. In the United States, the first letter generally is K for stations west of the Mississippi River
and W for those east of the Mississippi; all new call signs have been 4-character since 1922, though there are historical 3-character calls still in use, such as
WOR
New York City, WBZ
Boston, WOL
Washington DC, WSB
Atlanta, WSM
Nashville, WMC
Memphis, WGN
Chicago, KLZ
and KOA
Denver, KSL Salt Lake City, KEX
Portland, OR, KFI
Los Angeles and KGU Hawaii.
There are a number of exceptions to the east/west rule, such as KDKA
in Pittsburgh and WFAA in Dallas-Fort Worth, but these are historical artifacts from a rule change in the 1930s, and most of the exceptions are located in the states immediately to either side of the river. The westernmost station in the continental United States beginning with W is WOAI
in San Antonio. WVUV-LP
in Pago Pago, American Samoa
, is the westernmost station with a W call sign. KYW
in Philadelphia is the easternmost station with a K call sign.
Another exception to this is that all time broadcasting stations have a three or four letter call sign beginning with WWV. The three current government-operated time stations, WWV (and longwave sister station WWVB
), and WWVH
, are located in Fort Collins
, Colorado and Kekaha
, Hawaii, respectively, both of which would normally use call signs beginning with "K".
The US government-operated international broadcaster the Voice of America
no longer has call signs assigned to it; however Radio Canada International
's transmitter in Sackville, NB is still assigned CKCX
. Privately-operated shortwave stations, like WWCR
and CFRX, also have call signs.
radio, which has better sound quality but a more limited range than traditional AM
, represented the major technical change in radio in the 1970s and 1980s. FM radio, aided by the invention of ever smaller portable radios and inexpensive "Walkman
" headsets, dominates music programs, while AM has shifted to "talk" and news formats. Talk radio
began to ascend in the 1980s, as a result of improvements in satellite communications, the repeal of the Fairness Doctrine
, and, by the mid-1990s, extensive concentration of media ownership
stemming from the Telecommunications Act of 1996
. While prior to the 1980s, talk radio was primarily a local interest, the development of national spoken word programming contributed to the comeback of the once-moribund AM radio. Both FM and AM radio have become increasingly specialized. Music formats
, for instance, comprise a variety of specializations—the top five in 1991 being "country
and western," "adult contemporary
," "top 40," "religious" and "oldies
." Radio has also been shaped heavily by demographics
, though not quite as much as television; modern radio formats currently tend to target certain groups of people according to age, gender, urban or rural setting, and race. As such, freeform
stations with broad-spanning playlists have nearly ceased to exist on commercial radio.
In an era in which TV is clearly the glamour
medium, the reach of radio is still extensive. Ninety-nine percent of American households in 1999 had at least one radio; the average is five per household. Every day, radio reaches 80 percent of the U.S. population at one time or another. Revenues more than doubled from $8.4 billion in 1990 to more than $17 billion in 2000. Radio continues to have a hold primarily in automobiles, where attention can be kept on the road while radio is used as background noise.
and PBS
. NPR
(National Public Radio) was incorporated in February 1970 under the 1967 Public Broadcasting Act. PBS was also created by the 1967 Public Broadcasting Act. BBC World Service
is distributed is the United States by PRI
. It is also possible to listen to BBC World Service
via Shortwave radio.
Until the 1980s, most commercial radio stations were affiliated to the large networks, such as Capital Cities/ABC, CBS, Mutual Network, NBC, and others. NBC sold its radio network in 1988. Mutual was purchased by Westwood One. Capital Cities/ABC, later sold to Disney, reduced gradually its radio operations. Nowadays, most commercial radio stations are controlled by media conglomerates like Clear Channel Communications
, Infinity Broadcasting and many others.
. Sirius XM Radio currently holds a monopoly
on the technology after the two entities, Sirius Satellite Radio
and XM Satellite Radio
, merged into one company. Unlike terrestrial radio music channels, most channels feature few or no commercials. The content of satellite radio is not regulated by the Federal Communications Commission
(FCC).
Cable radio
, a slightly older technology, has also become widespread. Music Choice
is the market leader in this field and specializes in music programming. CRN Digital Talk Radio Networks specializes in talk radio. Cable radio has the distinct disadvantage that it must be hooked to a cable service and/or a television set to work, limiting its use outside the home.
The developments of Internet radio
and digital music players, coupled with smartphone
s with the capability to stream audio, pose a significant threat to terrestrial radio. Unlike satellite radio, most Internet stations do not require a subscription; several of the more popular ones use algorithms that allow listeners to customize the music they want to hear and select new music that may interest them. At the very least, the continued proliferation of Internet-based stations (which are more numerous and easier to set up than their television counterparts
) creates a threat of audience fracturing far beyond that currently experienced by television due to cable and satellite.
Media of the United States
Media of the United States consist of several different types of communications media: television, radio, cinema, newspapers, magazines, and Internet-based Web sites. The U.S...
of the United States.
History
The beginning of regular commercially licensed sound broadcasting in the United States in 1920 ended the print monopoly over the media and opened the doors to the more immediate and pervasive electronic media. By 1928, the United States had three national radio networks – two owned by NBCNBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
(the National Broadcasting Company), and one by CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
(the Columbia Broadcasting System). Until 1943, there were four major national radio networks: two owned by NBC, one owned by CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
, and one owned by Mutual Broadcasting System
Mutual Broadcasting System
The Mutual Broadcasting System was an American radio network, in operation from 1934 to 1999. In the golden age of U.S. radio drama, MBS was best known as the original network home of The Lone Ranger and The Adventures of Superman and as the long-time radio residence of The Shadow...
. The NBC's second network became ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
, the American Broadcasting Company.
Though mostly listened to for entertainment, radio's instant, on-the-spot reports of dramatic events drew huge audiences throughout the Great Depression of the 1930s and World War II. President Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...
recognized the potential of radio to reach the American public, and during his four terms (1933–45), his radio "fireside chats
Fireside chats
The fireside chats were a series of thirty evening radio addresses given by United States President Franklin D. Roosevelt between 1933 and 1944.-Origin of radio address:...
" informed the nation on the progress of policies to counter the Depression and on developments during World War II.
After World War II, television's visual images replaced the audio-only limitation of radio as the predominant entertainment and news vehicle. Radio adapted to the new situation by replacing entertainment programs with schedules of music interspersed with news and features, a freeform format adopted by NBC when it launched its popular weekend-long Monitor
Monitor (NBC Radio)
NBC Monitor was an American weekend radio program broadcast from June 12, 1955, until January 26, 1975. Airing live and nationwide on the NBC Radio Network, it originally aired beginning Saturday morning at 8am and continuing through the weekend until 12 midnight on Sunday...
in 1955. During the 1950s, automobile manufacturers began offering car radios as standard accessories, and radio received a big boost as Americans tuned in their car radios as they drove to and from work.
Broadcast call signs
While broadcast radio stations will often brandBrand management
Brand management is the application of marketing techniques to a specific product, product line, or brand.The discipline of brand management was started at Procter & Gamble as a result of a famous memo by Neil H...
themselves with plain-text names, identities such as "cool
Cool jazz
Cool is a style of modern jazz music that arose following the Second World War. It is characterized by its relaxed tempos and lighter tone, in contrast to the bebop style that preceded it...
FM", "rock
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
105" or "the ABC network" are not globally unique. Another station in another city or country may (and often will) have a similar brand; the name of a broadcast station for legal purposes is therefore normally its ITU call sign
Call sign
In broadcasting and radio communications, a call sign is a unique designation for a transmitting station. In North America they are used as names for broadcasting stations...
.
Broadcast stations in North America generally use call letters in the international series. There are some common conventions followed in each country. In the United States, the first letter generally is K for stations west of the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
and W for those east of the Mississippi; all new call signs have been 4-character since 1922, though there are historical 3-character calls still in use, such as
WOR
WOR (AM)
WOR is a class A , AM radio station located in New York, New York, U.S., operating on 710 kHz. The station has a talk format and has been owned by Buckley Broadcasting since 1987, after the station was sold by RKO. The station has conservative, or right-of-center hosts.Its call letters have no...
New York City, WBZ
WBZ (AM)
WBZ is the call sign for an AM radio station in Boston, Massachusetts owned by CBS Radio, itself owned by the CBS Corporation. Originally based in and broadcast from Springfield, Massachusetts, WBZ was the first commercial radio station in the United States...
Boston, WOL
WOL (AM)
WOL is an Urban Talk radio station in Washington, DC. Broadcasting on 1450 AM, this is the flagship radio station of Radio One.The station was Washington's top rated rhythm and blues music station through the 1960s and 1970s...
Washington DC, WSB
WSB (AM)
WSB — branded AM 750 and 95.5 FM News/Talk WSB — is a commercial radio station licensed to Atlanta, Georgia broadcasting a news/talk format. The station transmits with 50,000 watts of nondirectional power day and night, enjoying clear-channel status on its broadcast frequency according to the U.S...
Atlanta, WSM
WSM (AM)
WSM is the callsign of a 50,000 watt AM radio station located in Nashville, Tennessee. Operating at 650 kHz, its clear channel signal can reach much of North America and various countries, especially late at night...
Nashville, WMC
WMC (AM)
WMC is a radio station in the Memphis, Tennessee market, broadcasting at 790 AM. It is one of the city's oldest radio stations and presently programs a sports format....
Memphis, WGN
WGN (AM)
WGN is a radio station in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It is the only radio station owned by the Tribune Company, which also owns the flagship television station WGN-TV, the Chicago Tribune newspaper and Chicago magazine locally. WGN's transmitter is located in Elk Grove Village, Illinois...
Chicago, KLZ
KLZ
KLZ is a talk radio station licensed to Denver, Colorado and is owned by Crawford Broadcasting. Programming includes The Laura Ingraham Show, The Savage Nation, Dave Ramsey and Bob Dutko.-History:...
and KOA
KOA (AM)
KOA is a clear channel, news/talk radio station serving the Denver-Boulder and Colorado Springs, Colorado markets. It is owned by Clear Channel Communications and is nicknamed "the Blowtorch of the West" for its 50,000 watt signal.KOA was originally owned by General Electric and began...
Denver, KSL Salt Lake City, KEX
KEX (AM)
KEX is a class A clear channel AM radio station broadcasting from Portland, Oregon. As of 2005 it is owned by Clear Channel Communications and runs news/talk programming. Because KEX is a Class A station, KEX reaches most of the densely populated areas of Oregon, providing grade B coverage as far...
Portland, OR, KFI
KFI
KFI is an AM radio station in Los Angeles, California. It received its license to operate on March 31, 1922 and began operating on April 16, 1922 as one of the United States' first high-powered, "clear-channel" stations...
Los Angeles and KGU Hawaii.
There are a number of exceptions to the east/west rule, such as KDKA
KDKA (AM)
KDKA is a radio station licensed to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. Created by the Westinghouse Electric Corporation on November 2, 1920, it is one of the world's first modern radio stations , a distinction that has also been challenged by other stations, although it has claimed to be the first in...
in Pittsburgh and WFAA in Dallas-Fort Worth, but these are historical artifacts from a rule change in the 1930s, and most of the exceptions are located in the states immediately to either side of the river. The westernmost station in the continental United States beginning with W is WOAI
WOAI (AM)
WOAI is a San Antonio, Texas, news/talk formatted radio station operating with 50,000 Watts non-directional day and night from a transmitter site near Marion, Texas. Current owner and operator San Antonio based Clear Channel Communications acquired the station in 1975 which founded the now...
in San Antonio. WVUV-LP
WVUV-LP
KKHJ-LP is the name of a low-power television station in Pago Pago, American Samoa. The station broadcasts over the air on UHF channel 30, and is an NBC affiliate....
in Pago Pago, American Samoa
American Samoa
American Samoa is an unincorporated territory of the United States located in the South Pacific Ocean, southeast of the sovereign state of Samoa...
, is the westernmost station with a W call sign. KYW
KYW (AM)
KYW is a class A AM radio station on 1060 kHz licensed to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. KYW is owned by the CBS Radio unit of CBS Corporation, and has broadcasted an all-news format since 1965. The station's studios are located on Market Street in Center City Philadelphia, and it transmitters...
in Philadelphia is the easternmost station with a K call sign.
Another exception to this is that all time broadcasting stations have a three or four letter call sign beginning with WWV. The three current government-operated time stations, WWV (and longwave sister station WWVB
WWVB
WWVB is a NIST time signal radio station near Fort Collins, Colorado, co-located with WWV. WWVB is the station that radio-controlled clocks in most of North America use to synchronize themselves. The signal transmitted from WWVB is a continuous 60 kHz carrier wave, derived from a set of atomic...
), and WWVH
WWVH
WWVH is the callsign of the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology's shortwave radio time signal station in Kekaha, on the island of Kauai in the state of Hawaii....
, are located in Fort Collins
Fort Collins, Colorado
Fort Collins is a Home Rule Municipality situated on the Cache La Poudre River along the Colorado Front Range, and is the county seat and most populous city of Larimer County, Colorado, United States. Fort Collins is located north of the Colorado State Capitol in Denver. With a 2010 census...
, Colorado and Kekaha
Kekaha, Hawaii
Kekaha is a census-designated place in Kauai County, Hawaii, United States. The population was 3,175 at the 2000 census.-History:...
, Hawaii, respectively, both of which would normally use call signs beginning with "K".
The US government-operated international broadcaster the Voice of America
Voice of America
Voice of America is the official external broadcast institution of the United States federal government. It is one of five civilian U.S. international broadcasters working under the umbrella of the Broadcasting Board of Governors . VOA provides a wide range of programming for broadcast on radio...
no longer has call signs assigned to it; however Radio Canada International
Radio Canada International
Radio Canada International is the international broadcasting service of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation . Until 1970, it was known as the CBC International Service and was sometimes referred to as the "Voice of Canada" in its early years.- The early years :The idea for creating an...
's transmitter in Sackville, NB is still assigned CKCX
Radio Canada International
Radio Canada International is the international broadcasting service of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation . Until 1970, it was known as the CBC International Service and was sometimes referred to as the "Voice of Canada" in its early years.- The early years :The idea for creating an...
. Privately-operated shortwave stations, like WWCR
WWCR
WWCR is a shortwave radio station located in Nashville, Tennessee in the United States. WWCR uses four 100 kW transmitters which broadcast on 14 different frequencies....
and CFRX, also have call signs.
Music
The expansion and dominance of FMFM broadcasting
FM broadcasting is a broadcasting technology pioneered by Edwin Howard Armstrong which uses frequency modulation to provide high-fidelity sound over broadcast radio. The term "FM band" describes the "frequency band in which FM is used for broadcasting"...
radio, which has better sound quality but a more limited range than traditional AM
AM broadcasting
AM broadcasting is the process of radio broadcasting using amplitude modulation. AM was the first method of impressing sound on a radio signal and is still widely used today. Commercial and public AM broadcasting is carried out in the medium wave band world wide, and on long wave and short wave...
, represented the major technical change in radio in the 1970s and 1980s. FM radio, aided by the invention of ever smaller portable radios and inexpensive "Walkman
Walkman
Walkman is a Sony brand tradename originally used for portable audio cassette, and now used to market Sony's portable audio and video players as well as a line of Sony Ericsson mobile phones...
" headsets, dominates music programs, while AM has shifted to "talk" and news formats. Talk radio
Talk radio
Talk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues. Most shows are regularly hosted by a single individual, and often feature interviews with a number of different guests. Talk radio typically includes an element of listener participation, usually by broadcasting live...
began to ascend in the 1980s, as a result of improvements in satellite communications, the repeal of the Fairness Doctrine
Fairness Doctrine
The Fairness Doctrine was a policy of the United States Federal Communications Commission , introduced in 1949, that required the holders of broadcast licenses to both present controversial issues of public importance and to do so in a manner that was, in the Commission's view, honest, equitable...
, and, by the mid-1990s, extensive concentration of media ownership
Concentration of media ownership
Concentration of media ownership refers to a process whereby progressively fewer individuals or organizations control increasing shares of the mass media...
stemming from the Telecommunications Act of 1996
Telecommunications Act of 1996
The Telecommunications Act of 1996 was the first major overhaul of United States telecommunications law in nearly 62 years, amending the Communications Act of 1934. This Act, signed by President Bill Clinton, was a major stepping stone towards the future of telecommunications, since this was the...
. While prior to the 1980s, talk radio was primarily a local interest, the development of national spoken word programming contributed to the comeback of the once-moribund AM radio. Both FM and AM radio have become increasingly specialized. Music formats
Radio format
A radio format or programming format not to be confused with broadcast programming describes the overall content broadcast on a radio station. Radio formats are frequently employed as a marketing tool, and constantly evolve...
, for instance, comprise a variety of specializations—the top five in 1991 being "country
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
and western," "adult contemporary
Adult contemporary music
Adult contemporary music is a broad style of popular music that ranges from lush 1950s and 1960s vocal music to predominantly ballad-heavy music with varying degrees of rock influence, as well as a radio format that plays such music....
," "top 40," "religious" and "oldies
Oldies
Oldies is a term commonly used to describe a radio format that concentrates on music from a period of about 15 to 55 years before the present day....
." Radio has also been shaped heavily by demographics
Demographics
Demographics are the most recent statistical characteristics of a population. These types of data are used widely in sociology , public policy, and marketing. Commonly examined demographics include gender, race, age, disabilities, mobility, home ownership, employment status, and even location...
, though not quite as much as television; modern radio formats currently tend to target certain groups of people according to age, gender, urban or rural setting, and race. As such, freeform
Freeform (radio format)
Freeform, or freeform radio, is a radio station programming format in which the disc jockey is given total control over what music to play, regardless of music genre or commercial interests. Freeform radio stands in contrast to most commercial radio stations, in which DJs have little or no...
stations with broad-spanning playlists have nearly ceased to exist on commercial radio.
In an era in which TV is clearly the glamour
Glamour (presentation)
Glamour originally was a magical-occult spell cast on somebody to make them believe that something or somebody was attractive. In the late 19th century terminology a non magical item used to help create a more attractive appearance gradually became 'a glamour'...
medium, the reach of radio is still extensive. Ninety-nine percent of American households in 1999 had at least one radio; the average is five per household. Every day, radio reaches 80 percent of the U.S. population at one time or another. Revenues more than doubled from $8.4 billion in 1990 to more than $17 billion in 2000. Radio continues to have a hold primarily in automobiles, where attention can be kept on the road while radio is used as background noise.
Public radio
In 1998, the number of U.S. commercial radio stations had grown to 4,793 AM stations and 5,662 FM stations. In addition, there are 1,460 public radio stations in the United States. Most of these stations are run by universities and public authorities for educational purposes and are financed by public and/or private funds, subscriptions and some underwriting. Public radio broadcasting is mostly by NPRNPR
NPR, formerly National Public Radio, is a privately and publicly funded non-profit membership media organization that serves as a national syndicator to a network of 900 public radio stations in the United States. NPR was created in 1970, following congressional passage of the Public Broadcasting...
and PBS
Public Broadcasting Service
The Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
. NPR
NPR
NPR, formerly National Public Radio, is a privately and publicly funded non-profit membership media organization that serves as a national syndicator to a network of 900 public radio stations in the United States. NPR was created in 1970, following congressional passage of the Public Broadcasting...
(National Public Radio) was incorporated in February 1970 under the 1967 Public Broadcasting Act. PBS was also created by the 1967 Public Broadcasting Act. BBC World Service
BBC World Service
The BBC World Service is the world's largest international broadcaster, broadcasting in 27 languages to many parts of the world via analogue and digital shortwave, internet streaming and podcasting, satellite, FM and MW relays...
is distributed is the United States by PRI
Public Radio International
Public Radio International is a Minneapolis-based American public radio organization, with locations in Boston, New York, London and Beijing. PRI's tagline is "Hear a different voice." PRI is a major public media content creator and also distributes programs from many sources...
. It is also possible to listen to BBC World Service
BBC World Service
The BBC World Service is the world's largest international broadcaster, broadcasting in 27 languages to many parts of the world via analogue and digital shortwave, internet streaming and podcasting, satellite, FM and MW relays...
via Shortwave radio.
Until the 1980s, most commercial radio stations were affiliated to the large networks, such as Capital Cities/ABC, CBS, Mutual Network, NBC, and others. NBC sold its radio network in 1988. Mutual was purchased by Westwood One. Capital Cities/ABC, later sold to Disney, reduced gradually its radio operations. Nowadays, most commercial radio stations are controlled by media conglomerates like Clear Channel Communications
Clear Channel Communications
Clear Channel Communications, Inc. is an American media conglomerate company headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. It was founded in 1972 by Lowry Mays and Red McCombs, and was taken private by Bain Capital LLC and Thomas H. Lee Partners LP in a leveraged buyout in 2008...
, Infinity Broadcasting and many others.
Modern developments
A new form of radio that is gaining popularity is satellite radioSatellite radio
Satellite radio is an analogue or digital radio signal that is relayed through one or more satellites and thus can be received in a much wider geographical area than terrestrial FM radio stations...
. Sirius XM Radio currently holds a monopoly
Monopoly
A monopoly exists when a specific person or enterprise is the only supplier of a particular commodity...
on the technology after the two entities, Sirius Satellite Radio
Sirius Satellite Radio
Sirius Satellite Radio is a satellite radio service operating in North America, owned by Sirius XM Radio.Headquartered in New York City, with smaller studios in Los Angeles and Memphis, Sirius was officially launched on July 1, 2002 and currently provides 69 streams of music and 65 streams of...
and XM Satellite Radio
XM Satellite Radio
XM Satellite Radio is one of two satellite radio services in the United States and Canada, operated by Sirius XM Radio. It provides pay-for-service radio, analogous to cable television. Its service includes 73 different music channels, 39 news, sports, talk and entertainment channels, 21 regional...
, merged into one company. Unlike terrestrial radio music channels, most channels feature few or no commercials. The content of satellite radio is not regulated by the Federal Communications Commission
Federal Communications Commission
The Federal Communications Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, created, Congressional statute , and with the majority of its commissioners appointed by the current President. The FCC works towards six goals in the areas of broadband, competition, the spectrum, the...
(FCC).
Cable radio
Cable radio
Cable radio or cable FM is a concept similar to that of cable television, bringing radio signals into homes and businesses via coaxial cable. It is generally used as cable TV was in its early days when it was "community antenna television", to enhance the quality of terrestrial radio signals that...
, a slightly older technology, has also become widespread. Music Choice
Music Choice
Music Choice is a United States company that programs music and produces music-related content for digital cable, cell phones, and cable modem subscribers in the US. Music Choice programs dozens of audio music channels for digital cable subscribers, as well as programs and produces music-related...
is the market leader in this field and specializes in music programming. CRN Digital Talk Radio Networks specializes in talk radio. Cable radio has the distinct disadvantage that it must be hooked to a cable service and/or a television set to work, limiting its use outside the home.
The developments of Internet radio
Internet radio
Internet radio is an audio service transmitted via the Internet...
and digital music players, coupled with smartphone
Smartphone
A smartphone is a high-end mobile phone built on a mobile computing platform, with more advanced computing ability and connectivity than a contemporary feature phone. The first smartphones were devices that mainly combined the functions of a personal digital assistant and a mobile phone or camera...
s with the capability to stream audio, pose a significant threat to terrestrial radio. Unlike satellite radio, most Internet stations do not require a subscription; several of the more popular ones use algorithms that allow listeners to customize the music they want to hear and select new music that may interest them. At the very least, the continued proliferation of Internet-based stations (which are more numerous and easier to set up than their television counterparts
Internet television
Internet television is the digital distribution of television content via the Internet...
) creates a threat of audience fracturing far beyond that currently experienced by television due to cable and satellite.
External links
- Broadcasting timeline: "History of American Radio" from a Pennsylvania State UniversityPennsylvania State UniversityThe Pennsylvania State University, commonly referred to as Penn State or PSU, is a public research university with campuses and facilities throughout the state of Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1855, the university has a threefold mission of teaching, research, and public service...
website