Radio is the most dominant form of communication. Not only that, but its popularity has fast-tracked other forms of communication.
The use of the telephone is one of them, and if you look at our generation, radio has incorporated other communication media such as e-mail and social media.
Invented in the 1890s by Italian inventor Guglielmo Marconi, the radio’s furthest frequency was only one kilometre. With development and changes by the 1920s, it became more than a wireless telegraph but provided entertainment, education, and information. It was the key source of information for people during the Second World War, and many political leaders used it to influence their nations.
Fast forward to almost 100 years later, and radio is still alive. We have the internet, smartphones, and talking watches, but it has not lost its appeal. Radio’s popularity lies in the fact that it has the potential to reach anyone. It reaches the literate and the illiterate and crosses the racial line and socio-economic borders.
Even without access to electricity, you can still listen to the radio, unlike television or the internet; it’s a pity you can’t place bets on the radio or access, for example, your casino777 accounts or bank accounts.
The reason for radio’s longevity is its ability to adapt and evolve. With the invention of the telephone, listeners were able to call in for song requests and participate in competitions.
Then came the internet, and you could e-mail radio stations. Stations have websites that can be accessed over the internet. Even when travelling internationally, one can listen to their local station via the net.
Now, even with social media and podcasts, radio has still adapted. People no longer have time to sit and listen to live shows and interviews, hence the popularity of podcasts and blogs. Every station worth its salt has an archive of podcasts and is present on all social media platforms. Presenters have blogs about their show
The use of apps to listen to the radio has increased coverage and popularity. For example, community radios were traditionally restricted to their communities, and once you were out of range of your hometown, you couldn’t listen to the programmes. Now with apps, you can listen anywhere with no hassle.
Where people thought digital disruption would kill traditional media, it has had the opposite effect. Apps have made radio more interactive. Listeners can take surveys and give feedback to the station management in real-time. Apps also provide another revenue
platform for the station since they can also sell the station’s app advertising space.
The advancement of technology and new digital innovations over the years has proven that radio is adaptable and still indispensable. What communication channel transcends media like radio does? It still plays on the old battery and antenna radio just as well as on an iPhone app.
So whatever else may be invented in the next millennia, the radio will adopt the new technology into its functions and evolve as the years go on.