COM62704 INTRODUCTION

TO
MASS COMMUNICATION

WEEK 6 – RECORDING AND RADIO

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

1. Outline the history and development of the radio and sound recording
industries and radio and sound recording themselves as media.

2. Identify new and converging radio and recording technologies and their
potential impact on music, the industries themselves, and listeners.

3. To differentiate between live radio and podcasting and ways on

creating own podcast platform.
 HISTORY

From about 1920 to 1945, radio developed into the first electronic
mass medium, monopolizing “the airwaves” and defining, along
with newspapers, magazines, and motion pictures, an entire
generation of mass culture.
 RADIO

Radio is a personal medium

RADIO Radio is mobile. It travels with us in the

car, and we take it everywhere with our
smartphones.

Radio is specific as well. Stations aim their

content at very narrowly defined
audiences.
 HISTORY

Guglielmo Marconi - radio as a device for point-to-

point communication

DeForest - radio as a means of broadcasting

DEVELOPMEN
T OF RADIO
Countless “broadcasters” went on the air and created
havoc.

World War I - U.S. government ordered “the

immediate closing of all stations for radio
communications, both transmitting and receiving.”
Do kids these days even know what this is?
 HISTORY OF RECORDING

The History of Audio Recording

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Pl2rsLhhwQ
 HISTORY OF RECORDING
1860 - Edouard-Leon Scott de Martinville
recorded a folk song on a device he called a
phonautograph

1877 - Thomas Edison patented his “talking

machine,” a device for replicating sound that used
a hand-cranked grooved cylinder and a needle.

The mechanical movement caused by the needle

passing along the groove of the rotating cylinder
and hitting bumps was converted into electrical
energy that activated a diaphragm in a
loudspeaker and produced sound
The drawback was that only one “recording” could
be made of any given sound; the cylinder could
not be duplicated
HISTORY OF RADIO AND RECORDING

The parallel development and diffusion of radio and sound

recording is significant.

Radio allowed people to hear the words and music of others

who were not in their presence.

On recordings they could hear words and music that may

have been created days, months, or even years before.
 People’s relationship with these mediums changed

individual pieces of music became shorter to fit onto

records;

on-demand listening, rather than attending scheduled

HISTORY OF performances, became the norm;

RADIO AND
RECORDING listening alone rather than in groups became common;

people began defining themselves by their favoured

genre of music;

a burst of interest in playing music as listeners were

inspired by what they were hearing .
 RADIO
NETWORKS AND
ADVERTISING
 1929 – 1939 Great Depression helped
boost radio.

The number of homes with radios grew

from 12 million in 1930 to 30 million in
1940, and half of them had not one but
two receivers.
THE GOLDEN
AGE OF RADIO
Ad revenues rose from $40 million to
$155 million over the same period.

Between them, the four national networks

broadcast 156 hours of network-
originated programming a week.
 Radio And Sound Recording In World War II -
Radio was used to sell war bonds, and much
content was aimed at boosting the nation’s
morale.

The war increased the desire for news, especially

from abroad.
THE GOLDEN
AGE OF RADIO
The conflict also caused a paper shortage,
reducing advertising space in newspapers.

No new stations were licensed during the war

years, and the 950 existing broadcasters reaped
all the broadcast advertising revenues, as well as
additional ad revenues that otherwise would have
gone to newspapers.
 When the war ended and radio licenses were granted
again, the number of stations grew rapidly to 2,000,
annual ad revenues reached $454 million in 1950.

When TV joined the broadcasting scene, network

affiliation dropped from 97% in 1945 to 50% by the
mid-1950s, as stations “went local” in the face of
THE ARRIVAL OF television’s national dominance.

TV & IMPACT TO
RADIO National radio advertising income dipped to $35
million in 1960, the year that television found its way
into 90% of U.S. homes.

If radio were to survive, it would have to find new

functions.
 SURVIVAL OF RADIO

Radio is local

Radio is fragmented

Radio is specialized

Radio is personal

Radio is mobile
SCOPE & NATURE OF RECORDING INDUSTRY

Teens loved the new sound,

DJs and Top 40 format
however, it became the
saved radio in the 1950s,
foundation of their own
changed for all time popular
subculture, as well as the
music and, by extension, the
basis for the explosion in
recording industry.
recorded music.
 MAJOR RECORDING COMPANIES

Three major recording companies control 63% of the global

recorded music market.
• Sony - controlling about 21% of the world music market, is a
Japanese-owned corporate group. Its labels include Columbia,
Epic, RCA, and Arista
• Warner Music Group - controlling about 15%, is owned by
billionaire Len Blavatnik’s Access Industries and several private
investors. Its labels include Atlantic, Asylum, and Warner Brothers.
• Universal Music Group - controlling about 27%, is owned by
French conglomerate Vivendi Universal and controls labels such as
EMI, MCA, Capitol, and Def Jam Records
 Cultural homogenization - the worrisome outcome of
virtually all the world’s influential recording being
controlled by a few profit-oriented giants. If bands or
artists cannot immediately deliver the goods, they aren’t
signed.

The dominance of profit over artistry - When a major label

ISSUES IN must spend millions to sign a bankable artist such as
RECORDING Michael Jackson ($250 million to his estate) or Jay Z
($150 million) or Adele ($130 million), it typically pares
INDUSTRY lesser-known, potentially more innovative artists from its
roster.

Promotion overshadows the music - If groups or artists

don’t come across well on television or are otherwise a
challenge to promote (for example, they do not fit an
easily recognizable niche), they aren’t signed.
 You and Radio

Which Radio station you tune in to? And Why?

Radio setting the trend from
studio to internet

Radio program being on air and live on social media

simultaneously
https://www.instagram.com/reel/CxVBBb9vagg/?igshid=M
zRlODBiNWFlZA%3D%3D
Differences 1. Schedule vs On-Demand
2. Mass Appeal vs Niche
Between Live 3. Live vs Pre-Recorded
Radio and 4. Ephemeral vs Evergreen
Podcasting
Local Podcasts in Malaysia
 How to Start a Podcast?
• Define your goals
• Pick a podcast theme or topic
• Make it specific
• Name your podcast
• Choose your podcast format
• Podcast publishing schedule
• Setup podcast recording equipment
The following graph shows the market share of the
best app for podcasts:
 Podcast Script and Storyboard

• Podcast script doesn’t need to be a word-for-word transcript – act

as an outline and general idea of what should take place in your
audio recording.
• How Long Is a Podcast Script?
• The length and detail of your podcast script will vary based on your style.
 Example: Components of podcast script

1. Podcast Intro (Including Music)

“Welcome to [podcast name], where we discuss [podcast topic or tagline].
I’m [host name], and with me is [co-host name]. Today, we’ll be talking
about [episode topic] with our special guest, [guest name]. Let’s get
started!”
2. Welcome / Guest Introduction
“Today on the show, we’re excited to have [guest name], [insert their
profession, role, or title]. She/he/they are going to share [their expertise
on ____, their story, some advice about ____, etc.]. Hi, [guest first name],
and welcome to [podcast name]!”
3. Message from a Sponsor
“[Podcast name] is brought to you by [sponsor name]. [Sponsor] is
[explain the product being sold, why it’s beneficial, and your positive
personal experience with it. Explain why your audience should consider
trying the product, and include your podcast’s discount or promo code, if
applicable].”
 Example: Components of podcast script

4. Outro and Call to Action

• Rate and review on Apple Podcasts
• Join the podcast’s Facebook group
• Call-in/get in touch with questions or feedback
• Sign up for your weekly newsletter

5. End Credit
“That brings us to the end of this episode! Thanks to [guest name] for
joining us during that [adjective] discussion of [topic(s)]. We hope [the
value brought to your audience by the episode] was beneficial to you. As
always, thanks for listening to [podcast name]
 Example: Components of podcast script

Conversation/Interview Show

Intro: Brief summary of the episode’s contents. Introduce yourself, your podcast, and any guests.
(Duration: _____ )
[Sponsor message]
[Theme music]
Guest introduction: include a guest bio, including their title, experience, and any relevant
accomplishments. Thank them for joining the podcast.
Question 1 (Duration: ____ )
Question 2 (Duration: ____ )
[Sponsor message]
Question 3 (Duration: ____ )
Outro: _____ (Duration: ____ )
Recap
Call to action
[Closing theme music]
Example: Podcast Storyboard
 Create the Topic Of Your Podcast

When picking a topic for your podcast, you should consider questions like
these to narrow down what most interests you and your target audiences.:

• Why does this topic matter?

• Is it something you can converse about naturally?
• Is it a subject that you can expand on to keep the podcast going?
• Is there enough controversy around the topic to generate good
conversation?
• Do you have enough information to discuss the subject intelligently?
 Summary
• Radio is a wireless communication technology that uses
electromagnetic waves to transmit information, typically in the form
of audio signals, over long distances. It has been a prominent
medium of communication and entertainment for over a century.

• Recording media refers to the various materials and technologies

used for capturing and storing audio and visual content. It has
undergone significant advancements over the years.

• In summary, radio and recording media have played pivotal roles in

communication, entertainment, and information dissemination
throughout history. While radio has evolved from analog to digital
and now includes internet radio, recording media has transitioned
from analog to digital formats, revolutionizing how we capture,
store, and share audio and visual content.
Further Reading
Buzzsprout. (2023, March 20). How to Start a Podcast: Complete Step-by-Step
Guide [2022]. Www.buzzsprout.com. https://www.buzzsprout.com/blog/how-
to-start-a-podcast

Podcast Script Template + 2023 Method to Improve It With AI. (n.d.).

Www.wordtune.com. Retrieved October 2, 2023, from
https://www.wordtune.com/blog/writing-podcast-scripts-free-templates

Podcast Episode Plan - Free Template & Example. (n.d.). Milanote. Retrieved
October 2, 2023, from https://milanote.com/templates/podcasting/podcast-
episode-plan
 Tutorial W7

TUTORIAL1.media
Select ONE product that is advertised in print
and in radio.
WORK 2.3. Compare the differences in the advertisement.
Which advertisement do you think is better?
Week 7 4.hours
Submit your work in myTiMES by end of tutorial
next week.
Question? Opinion?