Radio
The widespread use of radio as a broadcasting method has been around for many years. It's dated back to the late 1800's when Nikola Tesla patented its invention in the US in 1893. In the UK, Giglielmo Marconi patented the first wireless telegraph as well as becoming the first person to transmit radio signals across the Atlantic - a huge advancement in the world of communication compared with the traditional form of morse code.
During the early 1900's radio was primarily used for vessels at sea and then became increasingly used throughout the years of the war as a form of military communication. More and more people were buying radios for personal use and during a newspaper strike in the 1920's there was a surge in the use, making it the leading force for public communication. It also became a common source of entertainment across households worldwide.
To this day the ease of access to a variety of platforms of communication has blurred the lines between radio and connectivity. With the traditional AM/FM to DAB radio and then now internet radio, it's quite easy to access your favourite station in a few clicks of a button. It's also very easy to get caught up in a network of online burrows that you end up forgetting what your mission was in the first place hence leading yourself on an adventure - sometimes better ...sometimes worse than you anticipated!
Arguably, the current and future generations of our time may have much lower levels of concentration than previous since there are endless choices, some would call distractions, to the task/s at hand. On the upside however access to information (and in our case music and entertainment) is vast.
Traditional radio programming would tend to fit in with the rat race 9-5 schedule with weekends being seen as 'down-time' but since the world has evolved, the standard operating schedule is no longer 'standard' and both people's listening and consumption habits have changed. This said, the demand for listen again/watch content again content has increased but the pure excitement of live broadcast and real-time engagement is second to none.
In the UK alone, the music and hospitality, as well as health care and emergency services dominate the night time industries making entertainment culture a valuable asset. Regardless of the time of day, we know the latter is the case however Night Time Industries Association (NTIA) is an organisation working heavily on ensuring the former is widely recognised and serving as a significant influence on the British and further country's economic structures and cultural necessity and should be receiving the same support inline with day-to-day operating services - a significant challenge which is being highlighted via their hard work.
As stated in previous blog posts, one being 'The Music Economy at A Glance', we encourage getting to know and understand the people behind the artwork and services provided. This is to further understand how you can best support their market position and career progression.
Whether it's a gig you buy tickets for, a radio channel you listen to or an artist you follow, there's so much work behind the scenes. From venues and logistics to event planning, safety and security as well as legal operating requirements, the ecosystem is vast and the responsibility for both service provider and consumer is to be aware of their choices and impact, whilst at the same time the Night Time Industries Association is working closely with government bodies to fight for equal opportunities across the board...
After all, without the music, entertainment and hospitality industries can you imagine where we would be?