Radio Broadcasting

RADIO IS FREE!

Formats

Some History First to simultaneously transmit entertainment to millions Continues to grow, with or without technology Marconi usually thought of as the inventor or at least the innovator AM broadcasting began in 1920

Antenna Tuner Detector Amplifier Speaker Radio AM – FM difference

Transmissions Technologies Amplitude Modulation (AM)  Varies signal strength  Electrical interference Frequency Modulation (FM)  Varies frequency of signal  Smaller coverage area 1978: FM passed AM in number of listeners

Ownership Telecommunications Act of 1996 lifted ownership limits  Could only own seven stations  Then eighteen  Now, no limit

Owners Clear Channel Communications  1200 stations a few years ago  1000 stations now Cumulus Media  336 stations Business organizations and not technology innovators

Substitutes for Radio Smartphone Digital Media Player or Tablet  40% of Americans listen to audio on digital devices each week This number will double by 2015

SDARS Satellite Digital Audio Radio Service  XM Satellite Radio  Sirius Satellite Radio  Sirius XM Music comes commercial free for $10-$13 a month Costs a lot to set up subscribers

Satellite Radio

Blunders Broadcast radio station owners have made SDARS possible by what they play and how they program their stations Fewer formats Less mass appeal

DAB Digital Audio Broadcasting HD Radio from IBiquity Digital  No hiss  CD quality  Pause, fast forward, etc.  Weather, Traffic info Combines Analog and Digital

IBOC In-band, on channel system  Simultaneous broadcast of analog and digital signals  Uses no new spectrum

Where we listen 75% of radio listening takes place in cars 55% of year olds listen to iPods in cars

Low Power FM (LPFM) Short range Educational uses mostly Non-profit organizations

The Fight Ahead MP3 players Cellular phones Radio stations as DAB streaming MP3 audio to cell phones?