Radio
has been the preferred mass medium of communication in Africa and other parts
of the world. For a long time to come, radio will remain to be the favoured
mass medium of communication. In the age of an abundance of media it might come
as a surprise to some that he oldest means of mass broadcasting – radio – is
not only holding its own but managing to increase its audience (Fleming, 2002,
p.5). Radio is endlessly adaptable. Even though there are challenges from other
media, radio continue to be popular because of its ability to adapt to changes
including technological advance and changes in the world. Stephen Bernard
(2002) notes, “radio’s ability to survive in a competitive media environment
has always depended on how well broadcasters tap into social, cultural and
technological changes” (p.17). It is a fact that improvement in technology has
made radio broadcasting simpler. This is to say that, getting items to air
using digital technology is quicker than the old analogue system and the sound
quality is better, but the advancement in the quest for technology cannot
question the transiency of radio. Radio is transient and no matter the age
within which we find ourselves, radio’s messages are fleeting.
Mass
media, including radio performs the basic function of educating, informing and
entertaining. Radio has its form and nature and that its characteristics. Among
the characteristics of radio are radio has speed and it is simple, radio makes
pictures, radio is person-to-person, radio is cheap, radio is transient or a
one chance medium, radio is selective, radio lack space and radio has music.
Some people think that due to the coming on of technology the transient character
of radio is no more, but that is not true. In the midst of technology the
transiency of radio cannot be questioned.
Radio
is the process of sending and receiving messages by electromagnetic waves, a
transmitter or a receiver is used for his sound broadcasting. According to Ul
Hassan (2010), radio is a technology that transmits data to a remote point
where a receiver detects that signal with the use of wire. Radio comes through
the process of radiation. Radio broadcasting is a wireless transmission over
radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Audio broadcasting can be done
through cable radio, local wire television networks, satellite radio and
internet radio through streaming media on the internet which is supported by
technology. Technology is the application of scientific knowledge for practical
purposes. It is also seen as the application of science to meet an objective or
solve a problem. Technology has affected every aspect of life including radio
but cannot stop the transiency of radio.
The
transiency of radio is the fact radio messages are “irredeemable”. This is to
say that, they are “irrepeatable” in the sense that once transmitted, the message
is gone, unless otherwise, a repeat broadcast is scheduled. Even then, the message
is so quickly changing fast that the listener is unable to re-play the message
the same time it is broadcast. Radio is said to be a one chance medium. The
listener has only one chance to listen and understand and technology has not
changed it in any way. On radio, what is being said does not exist any longer
unless you record it and even that when it is being played again, it is
fleeting because it is passing quickly and if you miss something and you want
to go back, to have to go through the problem of stopping it, rewinding it and
playing it again. Advancement in and the quest for technology, has not touch
the transient nature of radio. The words on radio have a momentary life. After
it is spoken, it disappears unlike newspaper or printed books that you can
always refer to.
Technology
has brought a lot of changes to radio but it cannot question the transient
nature of radio. Radio is still transient and the messages are fleeting.
Technology, without a doubt has brought so many good things to radio and even
made working on radio easy. Technologies such as, multi-track and digital
recording enhances this aural medium potential (Hilliard, 2008). There are some
computer programmes like Podcast, Hulkshare, Sound Cloud, YouTube, just to
mention a few of them, that are used to record radio programmes and played back
later. For example, a podcast is a type of digital media of an episodic series
of audio radio, video, PDF or ePud files subscribed to and downloaded through
the web syndication or stream online to a computer device. Some radio stations
and presenters rely on these technologies to record their programmes and put
them on their websites or on social media networks like Facebook, Twitter,
Flicker, and so on, to be played later. It is believed that for instance if you
miss the live show, you have a chance of listening to it again so its takes
away radios transiency but I personally do not think so. Even when you log on
which ever network and you decide to play the programme back, the messages are
still fleeting and they pass quickly and go and you will only have to rewind it
to get the part you did not get well. British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)
and some other big media houses do podcasting to cater for people who missed
the shows live but it does not question the transient nature of radio.
Kojo
Ampofo who is popularly known as DJ Black on Joy fm records all his on air
programmes and podcast them to be listened to later but if one goes to the
podcast plays it, it is still fleeting just like live radio. The only thing
here is that you can pause it, stop it, rewind it, play it but does not change
the fact that radio is transient.
I
would want to emphasis that, with the coming of technology which has brought a
lot of blessing than curses to radio, radio remain to be a transient medium.
BY:
DESMOND LAMPTEY
GRADUATE JOURNALIST
RADIO XYZ, 93.1FM
REFERENCE
Bernard,
S. (2000). Studying Radio. London : Arnold
Fleming,
C. (2002). The Radio Handbook. London and New Year : Routledge Taylor and
Francis Group.
Hilliard,
R.L. (2008). Writing for Television, Radio New Media. USA : Thomson Wadsworth
Boston.
Ul
Hassan, T.A. (2011). Brief History of
Radio
