2nd 6 Weeks: Response to Radio Lecture

Our recent class lecture on radio's was one of my favorites. During this lecture I really made the connection between all of the different kinds of mass communication and that they all follow the same pattern. Like all other forms of mass communication, radios gradually grew in popularity and then reached a peak where they were extremely popular everywhere. But, after television was invented, radios began to decline and demassify, going for niche audiences. This is the pattern followed by most forms of mass communication.

Until the FCC regulated which stations played on which channels, radio stations would try and broadcast through the same channel. Because of this, you could hear part of one station and part of the other. The FCC regulated which stations broadcasted though each channel, but its different for each city. Because of this, you can be driving somewhere and for a brief time period, you hear two stations at once. That's because they run through the same channel. I thought this was relatable because this happens to us a lot when my family goes on road trips. 

Another thing that was really interesting was that rock and roll music saved radios from dying out. Radios were saved by rock and roll because teens began to use the radio to listen to music, which kept them popular. I can relate to this because I usually listen to music on the radio in the car and in my room. 

Overall, I personally use radios a lot and I know most people my age do as well. I really understand why radios are still around today, because I am a part of the niche audience. I was really fascinated by the history of radios and I wished we had more time to talk about them during the World War II time period.