EFFECTS OF RADIO ON SOCIETY:Entertainment, Information, Jobs

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Introduction to Mass Communication MCM 101

LESSON 31

EFFECTS OF RADIO ON SOCIETY

Radio proved far more effective in mass communication as compared to the print media. The

property of radio which did not require transportation of the message drew immense attention of common

people and investors in the field of mass media. Once the radio technology was recognized as an effective

mean of communication, there was a race among companies and individuals to have their own radio facility.

In the last chapter we had a detailed view of the growth of radio in the 20th century. In this chapter we will

see how radio programs and its other uses changed the lifestyle of people around the world.

Peace time

Entertainment

As already mentioned, radio brought a unique entertainment opportunities to people, especially for

those who could not afford the luxury of visiting places where entertainment was available only to the rich.

With a radio set by their side, common people could also enjoy music and stayed informed about events as

ordinary as a street robbery to change of governments and tug of war among political rivals to availability of

commodities in the market. But it was the entertainment which made the radio popular on first instance.

Very soon the entertainment started moving in other areas than music. Comedy shows, gossip chat and

answering letters from listeners made people crazy about radio enjoyments.

Information

Radio served hugely the human instinct to know about events taking place around him and at

distant lands. No fairy tales, but the radio brought news from across the oceans and from inland without

distinction. A regular listener of radio news would get an impression as the whole world has shrunk a

feeling which print media would never had thought in around 400 years before the invention of the radio.

The news aired regularly from different stations were followed by views and a much spicy discussion among

experts to generate more interest in events from social and political life. The announcements about weather,

and trains/flights schedule has been an added advantage to radio listeners.

Education

As radio continued to have its impression on the cultural outlook of the societies by pouring in

more opinions of experts in different fields of social life, it started special services to educate people on

scores of issues foremost among those have been the healthcare matters. No other source would have been

proved handier than radio programs to educate mothers in particular on providing primary health points for

babies and school going children.

Jobs

Radio opened gates of jobs never known before. To become a broadcaster with a radio station was

considered to have a prestigious job in the early days of radio. It still is. The news-readers, copy writers,

playwright for radio dramas, anchors for different discussion shows, musicians, recording engineers and a

range of technical jobs came about so quickly that colleges and universities had to run degree programs to

meet the requirement of radio stations to employee staff in its various sections.

Advertising helped

The corporate sector sensed the importance of radio as one strong medium to reach very high

number of consumers of their products and services and started buying time for this purpose. Within a

decade of radio broadcast, an advertising sector far more organized than the world would know during

the rapid growth of print media, was visible. Since the popularity of the commercial programs was

dependent hugely on the entertaining side, the glamour was but to appear broad and loud. New trends were

invented in music jingles, script writing and presentation.

Promotion of other industries like film industry

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Introduction to Mass Communication MCM 101

The film industry which was also in its nascent stages was one noticeable area which benefited

tremendously from radio technology. Mainly, the film songs would resound the air all day instigating

ordinary people to visit theaters for watching movies the songs belong to. At one stage in 30s and 40s it

appeared as the radio and film world are only two names of one same product. Not only the songs, the hot

talks about stars scandals and rise and fall of film stars would generate lot of interest for common listeners.

Still a number of radio and TV stations are heavily depended on matters related to film industry.

Wartimes

People glued to radio

Wars among nations particularly the great wars in the 20th century, have brought massive

destruction of societies. A nation at war has only one goal of fighting against the enemy. In this context the

role of radio becomes all the more important. Radio news, commentary, announcements and war music are

commodities in high demand by a society at war. Radio services have been fully exploited by countries at

war. The quickest source of telling people what to do, where to move and what instruction they must follow

have always come from radio. All important addresses by head of government to people are done on radio.

Special band used by armies to communicate

It is not the common people who benefit from radio services but the armies have been gaining

much advantage due to radio technology. Sending codes to different formations in the battlefield within no

time have been possible by developing a code and occupying a particular frequency for this purpose.

Communicating through codes is the common most practice during wartimes. decoding of messages if

believed to be one strong point which led to German defeat in the WWII.

Ships, planes are connected through radio frequencies

It is not the activities of armies on the land which are linked with radio messages, ships in the deep

sea and the war planes in the air are also connected with radio frequencies.

Satellite using radio waves to detect enemies' movement

After the dispatch of satellite in the space in early 60s, the movement of armies of the enemy is

now detected from the skies with the help of radio waves.

Propaganda to morale boosting and demoralizing enemy

The worst in wars occur in the form of propaganda at a wide scale to demoralize the enemy. And

at the same time boosting morale of your own people and army.

Laws

The invention and usage of radio has been instrumental in introducing laws which regulate the

radio programs and ensure that no misuse of this technology takes place which may cause problems to

social life.

Censorships

It is applied by the governments when a political crisis is visible. Dictatorial government have

always used censorships to ensure that a public opinion is not molded against them by certain interest

groups.

Jamming transmissions from hostile sources

Ethics

Cultural values promotion

Cultural conflicts an essential angle of mass communication

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