Radio in the Current Digital Age, Free Essay in Technology

Radio is a form of communication that uses radio waves. The receiver can be used for person-to-person communication, or it can also be used for mass communication. Two functions of radio still exist up to date. Although the term radio is usually associated with radio stations broadcasting to the public, people need to understand that radio waves are used in all media technologies starting with televisions to cell phones. The relationship between radio and its tradition media sibling can be easily described compared to how it relates to the modern ones. Even though their relations got strained at some points, radio had to coexist in the advancing media environment peacefully. Within this competitive market, wireless maintained its relevance, as it continues to thrive by focusing on rock music, improved fidelity as well as going portable. It also encouraged creative personalities and even fine-tuned it formats as a means of reaching the target audience.

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Just like many other traditional formats that came before digitalization, the place of radio in the modern media landscape has been questioned on various occasions. Since the arrival of Television in the late 1940s and early 1950s, many predicted doom and gloom to the radio operating companies since a good number of the American population shifted to watching televisions (Talarico et al., 2017). The existence of radio seemed threatened, and it was never imagined that it could survive in the telecommunication industry to date. Despite the arrival of televisions, only a few radio stations closed while other stayed put with new ideas of promoting their business. One good thing that happened to the radio at that moment was the creation of stereo signals as well as new content formats that boosted them to higher levels. It was driven by the penetration of radio into another remarkable human device like automobiles.

Despite the massive digital landscape in the current society, radio still gets to survive and plays a vital role in the telecommunication industry. Communication seems to flourish even more than it was before this digital age. What people expected to kill the existence of radio turned out to work best for it making it do well in the current market. Radio may have lost a lot regarding shows and dramas to televisions, but when it comes to advertisement and entertainment, it still tops the list. As the radio networks abandoned drama and various shows that had sustained their format for years, the soundscape remained, and the best thing radio could do better was playing music (Talarico et al., 2017). They made advertising cheaper and improved their recording formats as they focused on shows that had played prerecorded music. As music stations continue to rise, the innovation of increasing their profitability emerged.

Starting with content channels, radio through the web has created a new delivery platform. It still thrives in a car that remains to be its single most listening environment. Most offices and homes also always listen to radio where total listening hours weekly remains constant and stable compared to how it was a decade ago. The most impressing thing here is that podcast has allowed the content to be saved and consumed by listener's way beyond the original signal's power. What makes radio to capture the vast audience at this time and age are the current issues. Most people listen to news and talk shows from the broadcasts where most of them seem to make part of their day. Unlike television that one needs to focus full attention on while watching the news, most people can listen to the radio while carrying out their daily chores. Like in the UK a typical person pay attention to radio and audio programming alone during morning hours while preparing for work, communicating or engaged in any other activity. Most people especially youth also still listen to the radio with the aim of discovering new music in the market. Even after the emergence of YouTube and other digital platforms, radio remains the best music player that continues to attract the attention of many people.

Over 90 years after the introduction of radio as a commercial medium, it still maintains its broad reach. Up to date, over 92% aged 12 years and above listens to radio every week what shows how relevant it remains in this modern age (Talarico et al., 2017). This media seems to experience unprecedented change just like other media platforms since the dollars shifting to the new platforms can never return. The emerging digital platform appears to affect all the traditional media platforms and radio is just one of them. The one thing that makes it maintains its relevance to the advertisers despite the digital emergence is its actual ad format. They have a setup that pushes the content to audiences hence enabling delivery of a more complex sales message. The enhancement of the ads usually occurs through music, humor, celebrity endorsement call for action, offers, web addresses that are a high-speed disclosure that consumers love and all these are got on the radio.

The most critical thing in the advertisement is reach and frequency. The radio ads are frequently heard as they drive the message home while establishing a lasting memory of jingles and catchphrases in ways that can never be experienced in the digital ads. Most advertisers understand how significant the radio ads format can be since many purchases are usually driven by the needs that cannot be predicted. Seeding the audience of product understanding as well as in-depth recall that can help them on quick purchase decisions is what makes the difference, and that makes radio maintains its top position in advertisements. The human nature of radio is currently transmitted through various online and offline pipes. Even though the impact on sales has become less trackable than in direct response campaigns, it remains the most influential touch point when it comes to brand advertising campaigns.

Most consumers usually ignore digital ads since some of them are habitually misplaced on inappropriate websites. These ads are never taken seriously following the presences of advertising fraud as well as commercial blocking scripts prevent the real ads from appearing. Due to these, radio ads remain the legit ones since its metrics are usually audited and more reliable. The rampant fraud cases in digital ads seem to be excellent news to radio since it creates a market for their advertisements. When it comes to radio media, advertisers are guaranteed of a known quantity and are sure that their ads will get air time following the number of people tuning in. Unlike in digital ads where adverts will appear with inappropriate content, advertisers on the radio are sure their ads will be appropriate. They always have radio sales representatives to work with on an ad campaign that can work for them. Advertisers also prefer radio ads since it is affordable, it's broad reach and trustworthiness.

Regardless of the stiff competition in the telecommunication market with new technology emerging occasionally, radio still finds it easy to survive in the market. Instead of fighting it competitors, radio has decided to use their service to its advantage. The availability of digital platforms like Twitter, Facebook, youtube among others that many thought to be a threat to radio has benefited and even contributed a lot to the flourishing of broadcasting. Radio stations have Facebook pages where their audiences can stream live the talk shows that take place and follow the whole program just like those watching televisions. In the past, the relationship between radio presenters and their audiences was based on the mutual act of faith. The radio had no idea who its listeners were and vice versa since they never saw each other. They stayed strangers to each other for quite a long time as listen could only hear the voices without knowing who they are physical. Even after the introduction of phone call s from the audience to radio, they remained strangers since they could only hear the voices, but with this digital age, all these have changed. The Internet has enabled the people to at least interact with the people they know. Unlike many decades ago when one could not identify their radio presenters, currently they can communicate on live platforms just like televisions. The listeners can also download some of the radio shows from the internet and listen to the entire clips in case they missed it. The Internet has boosted radio communication and as it stands, there as a mutual benefit between the two.

Apart from its broad reach, the nature of radio channels remains influential in the telecommunication industry. During this digital age, traditional media still manages to scoop about 60% of global media consumption what makes it stay dominant in the current media landscape (Talarico et al., 2017). Like in the 1980s when people used to use Walkman, a large population in the contemporary world are plugged into audio programming through earphones and earbuds all day long. Across the globe, people are walking or commuting are entirely into this as they shut off the world around them as they listen to other voices entering their brains and ears. Radio still gets people's attention, and listeners get intimate to broadcasts just as they can get to someone seated next to them on a bus. It has also remained influential since people can still listen to it in the background as they study or do their homework with the mind still receiving the message.

The relationship between radio and its tradition media sibling can be easily described compared to how it relates to the modern ones. Even though their relations got strained at some points, radio had to coexist in the advancing media environment peacefully. Many years after the prediction of doom and gloom to radio by people, it still thrives in the modern era where digitalization is all people understand. Radio has maintained its relevance regarding advertisement and playing better music hence capture many audiences. Instead of fighting against a digital age that many may see as a threat to radio, they decide to make use of these modern platforms to popularize their business. Mobile media and internet have promoted radio existence in the market hence contributing to its survival in the industries.

References

Talarico, J. M., Kraha, A., Self, H., & Boals, A. (2017). How did you hear the news? The role of traditional media, social media, and personal communication in flashbulb memory. Memory Studies, 1750698017714835.