As I previously stated in a past post, the radio was brought to the world by Guglielmo Marconi in 1896, that won him the Nobel Prize for Physics. This was honestly a really cool invention that allowed many people to listen to news, important information, gossip and folk stories. But Hans Christian Oersted was the first to proclaim, in 1820, that a magnetic field is created around a wire that has a current running through it. In 1830, English physicist Michael Faraday confirmed Oersted’s theory and established the principle of electromagnetic induction. Then Marconi’s invention came to be. Before, the radio was a means for sending Morse code through the air and this was the first practical use of radio.
In Barbados, a British company Radio Distribution Ltd. commenced a wired radio service in Barbados in 1934. In 1951 Rediffusion Ltd acquired Radio Distribution Ltd. In 1958 it moved from its location in Trafalgar Square to River Road. In 1953 Caribbean Broadcasting Corporation launched CBC Radio 900 AM. It was the first wireless radio station in Barbados. Soon after Voice of Barbados was brought to the ears of Barbadians on the radio station Gospel 790 AM.
There are different forms of radio such as terrestrial radio, community radio, internet radio and satellite radio.
The Terrestrial Radio Stations in Barbados that I listen to are:
○ Hott 95.3 FM
○ The Beat 104.1 FM
○ Life 97.5 FM
● Caribbean Broadcasting Corporation ○ 98.1 The One
● CITA Radio 90.1 FM
● Capital Media HD 99.3
● SLAM 101.1 FM
The people who make these various radio stations run, is tied to how information goes from them to you. These brilliant people are Radio Announcers, Disc Jockeys (DJ), Traffic Manager, Programming Director, News Director/News Producer, Producers and Chief Engineer.
A radio announcer reads scripts that have been prepared for them. They introduce songs, occasional station breaks and radio shows. In some places, announcers sell commercial time to advertisers, write new scripts and commercials even run broadcasting equipment.
A disc jockey, also known as a DJ, plays music and makes music selections. Often times they manage contests and take requests from listeners through call-in programs. Disc jockeys are well known radio personalities and make promotional appearances and remote broadcasts for their particular stations. They also work with radio announcers.
Traffic managers have a lot to do within the radio station. They review the on-air time of sales orders and public-service announcements to ensure the completeness of data required for log. Traffic managers enter information, such as sponsor identity, date, maximum amount of time and frequency of commercials. They also enter information into the computer to compose, print and distribute a daily log to operations personnel and on-air talent. Traffic managers then review the daily log after use for authorized changes made during the broadcast.
A programming director (PD) is responsible for the programming content at more than one station. They work closely with talent and are involved in developing shows that promote the programming formats of the station.
The news director/news producer defines the journalistic standards for the station and manages the reporting staff at news/talk stations. In a small station, they may be a part of an on-air team, giving radio reports at scheduled news breaks.
An amazing producer is right behind every great radio personality. Producers work with DJs, announcers and program hosts to put a show on the air. They are responsible for bringing all the show’s elements together, including scripting, music, sound effects, guests, prizes and promotions.
Chief engineers have a direct responsibility for technical administration, staffing, maintenance and repair of broadcast systems and equipment. They also update technical credentials and have the ability to keep pace with the technological advancements are crucial to this job.
Some challenges the the radio industry is facing are mainlyIt’s sad a decline in listeners and the younger generation finding no interest in listening to radio.
With some threats to the radio industry our podcast portable devices that play audio and visual files and streaming services that offer subscription to on-demand service.
In researching about this medium of radio I have learned that it is a lot more complicated than people believe. Some people assume radio is just about people talking and reading things that they just so happened to be given through magic, but learning about the different people and jobs that are behind the scenes it is not that simple. The radio industry is interesting, and I might take up an interest in it and since the youth demographic is going down, I would definitely be tuning in more.
References
Radio on table https://www.sangean.com/en/
Car radio image https://www.captoyota.com/service/information/5-reasons-your-car-radio-stopped-working.htm
School Vibe 