RADIO

Radio is one of our most important means of communication. It enables people to send words, music, codes, and other signals to any part of the world. People also use radio to communicate far into space.

The most widespread and familiar use of radio is broadcasting. Radio broadcasts feature music, news, interviews, descriptions of sports events, and advertising. People wake up to clock radios and ride to their jobs listening to automobile radios. They also spend leisure hours hearing their favorite programs on radio.

Radio broadcasting once had the same role as television has today. From the 1920'stothe 1950's, millions of families gathered around their radios every night. This period, which is sometimes called the Golden Age of Broadcasting, ended with the rise of television during the 1950's.

Radio has many uses in addition to broadcasting. Airplane pilots, cosmonauts, construction workers, police officers, sailors, soldiers, taxi drivers, and others use radio for quick communication. Scientists send radio waves into the sky to learn about the weather. Telephone and telegraph companies send messages by radio. Some people operate amateur radio stations.

Many people contributed to the development of radio, so no one can be called radio's inventor. Guglielmo Marconi of Italy sent the first radio signals in 1895. Another great inventor, Alexander Popov of Russia, demonstrated radiograms in St. Petersburg in 1896.

Now, millions of people throughout the world listen to radio programs, which vary from country to country. But in all countries they provide entertainment and information.

Recorded music is the chief kind of radio entertainment. Some stations also broadcast dramas.

Programs that provide information include newscasts, talk shows, and play-by-play descriptions of sports events.

Newscasts come on the air at regular times - every hour on most stations. Talk shows present discussions on a variety of topics and interviews with people from many professions. The subject of a program may be a current political topic, or it may deal with a social issue. Many talk shows allow listeners to take part in the program. Listeners are invited to telephone the station to ask questions or give their opinions about the topic. Sports events, like news, have always been an important part of radio programming.

The rise of television in the 1950's ended the Golden Age of radio broadcasting. But radio's audience has continued to grow, in spite of competition from television. There are several reasons for this. Music became the major form of radio entertainment. Moreover, there are stations that broadcast only news. Another reason why radio broadcasting has continued to grow is the increased popularity of portable radios. Still another aid to radio's growth has been the development of stereophonic broadcasting. Stereo broadcasts are preferred by people who want to listen to music that sounds almost the same as live performances.

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