Outline
In this essay I will explain the main reasons because of which pirate radio stations became popular and important in Great Britain, as well as the reasons for their manifestation. I will analyze the main features of this movement and the way they influenced radio broadcasting in general, its impact on a generation in need of fresh, new things in every aspect of their lives. Focusing on two decades of twentieth century Britain, as the most lucrative and important for pirate radio, I will explore the governments stances on this issue then, as well as now, and the importance of pirate radio stations today and the way they are represented in other popular media.
Introduction
From the 1920s most of Britain’s territory was covered by the signal and radio program of BBC which was providing quality informative and educational programs in accordance with Reithian principles. “...under the control of Lord Reith, the programmes shied away from being too popularist. Lord Reith felt that, whilst the public wanted popular entertainment, it was not necessarily what was good for them.”
The Continental Stations (http://radio.eric.tripod.com/the_continental_stations.htm) However, times were changing, and the BBC’s program did not meet all of the needs of the youth generation, especially when music programs are discussed. The BBC did not provide a regular output of popular music, the only radio program of that kind was “Hit Parade” which was on air once per week.
“The only real outlet for listeners to hear all the new records was Radio Luxembourg and many British listeners tuned into Radio Luxembourg (The Great 208), but that was only available in the evenings and the signal would often fade or become distorted as the nigh...
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...g offshore radio stations and supplying offshore radio stations from the coast of Britain. After this law was passed the government started enforcing the laws previously passed, banning pirate radio in the Thames’ Estuary. This was seemingly the end of offshore radio in Britain, because Radio Caroline disregarded it and continued to broadcast, even though they knew that they won’t be able to do it for long because of troubles with finances. Since they could not be supplied by Britain, they turned to the Dutch, where they accumulated a great debt and ended up impounded by the supplying firm.
Even though the new laws prevented ships from effectively transmitting their signals, the pirate radio would not disappear that easily. From ships and and decks, pirates moved to urban locations, although some stations still managed to transmit from ships during the 1970s.
American film and radio changed dramatically because the 1940s and everything that came with the time. Theatre got darker after the war also brought propaganda into radio and film. The radio was the way Americans connected to the world because it offered on the spot information. Everyone was tuned into the radio most for news other for entertainment and music. There was no television at the time so the radio was the best they ha...
-The American people were hungry for new music, so they accepted the independent stations of the majors.
Back in the day, music is not readily available online at the tip of your fingertips. Fifty years ago, you would listen to the radio and that’s how you knew what records to buy. Radio stations in large music cities such as Los Angeles, New York or Nashville normally set the standard for the most popular music. New music emerges in their city, than gets released on their local radio stations, and the music becomes a smash hit. This is not the case for the small town radio station of CKLW in Windsor, Ontario. As television was drastically changing the radio industry, CKLW had to change to keep up. This change is what resulted into CKLW- The Big 8, a radio station that created new standards of radio hosting as well as rock and roll music. CKLW influenced not only music throughout North America but the entire music industry such as Bill Drake's "Boss Radio” technique, and how this station influenced its home city of Windsor, Ontario. CKLW evolved from a small city radio station to become “The Big 8” a huge nationwide music icon that was responsible for not only changing the music industry but changing the face of radio forever.
Today, CKLW is a news and information station for the Windsor-Essex community. Now in Windsor, Detroit radio dominates once again. Now, 68% of Windsorites listen to Detroit radio stations. The Big 8 still had a tremendous influence in shaping the face of radio, in creating megahits in music industry, and held a huge community presence in its hometown of Windsor, Ontario. CKLW was a small town radio station that became one of the biggest radio sensations of the 1960’s and1970’s. The Big 8 developed into an icon for not only music and radio; but, also brought out the music fanatic in everyone.
and Allied troops at the front lines of the Italian campaign. As a newspaper around December 18, 1943 describes, “Radio history is being made in Naples, where the first complete mobile broadcasting station is at present being fitted out. It is to operate with easy listening distance of the front line troops of the Fifth Army and its
...cation and allowed them to see how media can be manipulative. Analyzing the results of this piece of media, we can say that the War of the Worlds radio broadcast had revolutionized mass communication and started a new era where the media was forced to focus on the public’s demand. In the days following the adaptation, however, there was widespread outrage in the media. The program's news-bulletin format described as cruelly deceptive by newspapers (which were losing their revenue to the new radio shows) and public figures, leading to an outcry against the perpetrators of the broadcast and calls for regulation by the Federal Communications Commission. Overall, listening to this old radio show made me realize how dangerous one-way communication can be, hence if today’s media outlets want to be successful, they should try to be non-manipulative and honest to the public.
Forman, Murray. "'One Night on TV is Worth Weeks at the Paramount': Musicians and Opportunity in Early Television, 1948-55." Popular Music 21.3 (2002): 249. ProQuest. Web. 19 Feb. 2014.
The 1920's brought many advancements in technology which allowed Americans to entertain themselves at home; the radio was one of them. The radio was actually developed before the 1920's; however, it was banned during World War I and allowed to reappear after the Prohibition ended in 1919 (Events 72). After the Prohibition ended, and radio broadcasting was being brought back to life, many people started up their first stations, like Frank Conrad (Events 72). Frank Conrad's first broadcast consisted of the Presidential Election results (Events 72). As Conrad was one of the first people to broadcast, KDKA was one of the first radio stations to appear in the Unite...
The “Golden Age of Radio”, as it was called, began in the early 1930s, a transformative time in the world. Radio broadcasting played a formidable role in the modification of world culture, and one of the key reasons this was possible was the fact that radio was made for everyone. After the initial purchase of about $75 in today's money for a receiver, radio was free to listen to (Radio Fever). There were broadcasts in every language, and of every genre, so everyone could find something that interested them. Immigrants could listen to radio to learn a new language and a new culture. Politicians from every country and every party used radio to connect with the people. Celebrities became well known to the entire world. When Charles Lindbergh’s son was kidnapped, the entire world heard news reports on the story. Radio had an acute ability to unite people no matter what they valued in
..., a print version of the broadcast, ready for purchase or to download. The sound quality is significantly worse than the original, and sounds like the radio has de-evolved fifty years. Our advances in technology have, unpredictably, given us a sound experience of the radio medium when it was king of the airwaves. Our new is old again.
Radio Free Europe Radio Liberty. Then and Now: Free Media in Unfree Societies. 14 December 2013. Web. 15 Dec. 2013
In conclusion, listening to both CBS FM and WNYC, I've come to appreciate the different types of radio programs, beside the ones that I normally listen to. While listening to these stations, I come to notice my constant interest and involvement in the programs that were being broadcast. I very much enjoyed listening and analyzing both of these stations.
...ility to read and therefore was available to everybody. Through radio, alternate “radio realities” were constructed in which everybody could participate in.14 Radio realities consisted of serialized stories and commentary which the general public could become engrossed in, but were also interspersed with advertisement. Advertising via radio created an early model of consumer culture and marked an economic shift which was increasingly reliant on credit.15 Scientific, medical and chemical research, moreover, led to the production of new drugs such as aspirin16 and an increasingly reliance on preventative care, but also led to the development of poisonous gases such as chlorine and mustard found in World War I.17 Scientific, medical and chemical advancements could be employed for entertainment and well being just as easily as they could be appropriated for warfare.
This will be done firstly by looking at the history of the BBC and the original intention of Public Service Broadcasting. It will discuss how by John Reith’s successful approach to broadcasting, the BBC became a National Institution creating popular culture and a National Identity. It will examine how these first steps and ideas have major role in the introduction of Digital Broadcasting today and whether the initial ‘Reithian’ values have any meaning in today’s society. It will finally conclude what effect if any, these changes will have on British life as a whole and whether the fear of change is justified.
For many years ago, nations used radio to transfer the messages around the world; World War I has seen some of these activities “as U.S. President Woodrow Wilson’s Fourteen Points (to bring an end to the war) and Vladimir Lenin’s messages to Czarist Russian soldiers on the front lines encouraging them to desert and return home were sent out across Europe” (Browne,2003). However, the vast majority of Europeans did not receive those messages because the standard radio receivers of those days were not for sale to the public (Browne,2003). Then the governments allowed for the public to use the radio which was the dominant form of broadcasting globally. Thus, the main reason for this broadcasting was serving the public interest also the broadcasters were free from commercial and political pressure and strived to inform and educate the audience via quality programs such as the BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) (Tracey2015). However, radio one of the most weapons used in cold war, referring to (Rene,2010) they used radio to transfer the reportage of major war-crimes trials of the time for instance in Germany of the 1960s. Finally, the world's governments could use the space in a new way to enhance