Chapter 4

The book points out a recurring theme about mass media: "Older media forms do not generally disappear when confronted by newer forms. Instead, they adapt" (124). We see it all the time, from recorded music to radio, radio to TV, and on and on. Radio is now even taking a big hit from iPods, and satellite stations. So, how do they adapt? They come up with things such as HD radio. High definition radios that allow you to not only hear your favorite stations more clearly, but also allow you to find stations you never could. This is how the world is, when we are faced with diversity we adapt and live on. Even though radio can annoy me sometimes with commercials, there is really no substitute to listening to radio. Music just sounds better on the radio in my opinion, plus it plays everything, and new music that I don't have yet as well.

          With radio being one of the most used mass media, it attracts a lot of interest from many different groups. “…advertisers, who want to reach people in and out of their homes; for record labels, who want their songs played; and for radio station owners, who want to create large radio groups to dominate multiple markets” (136). I’ve noticed that lately ads have been more and more creative. They have to be because with listeners having more and more options, such as iPods and satellite radio. Instead of just a regular old ad about satisfied customers it’s more fun. I can remember one when a mom is stuck in traffic and her kid is in the back seat acting like a GPS telling her to go to a water park. It uses great imagery and a bit of comedy, everything that Americans love.  is also the problem with payola. Record companies will give money or other gifts to record companies to play their music. Payola is unfair to independent or small record companies because they cannot pay like bigger companies can. Thus it is illegal, and it should be.

It’s interesting to read about the Golden Age of Radio and see what people used to do instead of watch the programs we watch today. It was actually quite similar if you think about it. On page 121, where it talks about early radio programming, it notes shows like Amos n Andy, and The Lone Ranger. What interests me more is the quiz shows that were on in the 1930’s. Those kind of shows are prime time shows nowadays. You see shows like Deal or No Deal, 1 vs. 100 and Minute to Win It. They say that culture is cyclical, and now that you see these shows coming back maybe “they” are right.