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The Dengler Domain: Radio

Today’s media world is an F-16 compared to the single engine plane of the 20thcentury media world. While the internet, television, and apps presently dominate the media field, radio was the dominant force of the past. It was the first type of media which reached many people over a large expanse of land. Radio held a unique place in the world until the other media technologies caught up. For a time, it was a radio’s world.

A world with only radio would be different. Hearing only the audio and not seeing the visual story would be an interesting experience. The mind becomes more creative because of this difference. Listeners’ active imaginations would add more of a personal touch to a story than watching the story on television. The mind’s role is to fill in the blanks of the audio story.

Radio announcers would have to be very distinct. So many of them existed, each announcer would have a personality to set themselves apart. Capturing a listener’s attention during an advertisement or show would be hard. The talent a radio host must have possessed would have been incredible. One example is Ronald Reagan. He started as an announcer in Des Moines, and he creatively announced Chicago Cubs games by using the small amount of information wired to him. Without the advent of modern technology, announcers had to rely on their wit and genius.

News would be a lot different because creativity was used to convey an intriguing story. Every radio station had to do this to be different because this was the only media around. Radio stations had their own reporters go out and find the news. Unfortunately, this is missing from today’s society because radio stations are only a fraction of their past power. This creativity in news was lost due to less dollars being spent on this part of radio. While bigger cities might have a chance at having creative news stories, rural or small city radio stations have no chance. This hurts the populace in these regions.

With the lack of money, radio stations lose their hometown feel. This is another factor which was better in the past. Radio station shows were done with local personalities, and this allowed for the viewer to more easily relate to the station. With the advent of less money and the development of technology, radio stations have syndicated shows like Bob and Tom, Rush Limbaugh, and ESPN talk shows. These personalities are not local to most markets. This creates a dissonance between the listener and the personality. While it is important to hear views from other parts of the country, losing local views is not good.

Considering these factors, I would have loved to listen to radio without the presence of other media technologies. Sitting around the radio at night with family and friends would be a phenomenal experience. Instead of being visually captivated, listening to the news, stories, and radio shows would cause the listener to keep an active ear engaged to the radio. Captivating a listener by telling a creative story would be an enjoyable experience. The power of the radio’s influence was vaster in the past. This would be profound to experience. Radio had its time as the F-16 of the media field, but it will never retain this foothold. While radio will never die, radio will only be a single engine plane.

Email Sean with your thoughts and ideas for future columns at: sean.h.dengler@gmail.com

The Dengler Domain: Radio

Today’s media world is an F-16 compared to the single engine plane of the 20thcentury media world. While the internet, television, and apps presently dominate the media field, radio was the dominant force of the past. It was the first type of media which reached many people over a large expanse of land. Radio held a unique place in the world until the other media technologies caught up. For a time, it was a radio’s world.

A world with only radio would be different. Hearing only the audio and not seeing the visual story would be an interesting experience. The mind becomes more creative because of this difference. Listeners’ active imaginations would add more of a personal touch to a story than watching the story on television. The mind’s role is to fill in the blanks of the audio story.

Radio announcers would have to be very distinct. So many of them existed, each announcer would have a personality to set themselves apart. Capturing a listener’s attention during an advertisement or show would be hard. The talent a radio host must have possessed would have been incredible. One example is Ronald Reagan. He started as an announcer in Des Moines, and he creatively announced Chicago Cubs games by using the small amount of information wired to him. Without the advent of modern technology, announcers had to rely on their wit and genius.

News would be a lot different because creativity was used to convey an intriguing story. Every radio station had to do this to be different because this was the only media around. Radio stations had their own reporters go out and find the news. Unfortunately, this is missing from today’s society because radio stations are only a fraction of their past power. This creativity in news was lost due to less dollars being spent on this part of radio. While bigger cities might have a chance at having creative news stories, rural or small city radio stations have no chance. This hurts the populace in these regions.

With the lack of money, radio stations lose their hometown feel. This is another factor which was better in the past. Radio station shows were done with local personalities, and this allowed for the viewer to more easily relate to the station. With the advent of less money and the development of technology, radio stations have syndicated shows like Bob and Tom, Rush Limbaugh, and ESPN talk shows. These personalities are not local to most markets. This creates a dissonance between the listener and the personality. While it is important to hear views from other parts of the country, losing local views is not good.

Considering these factors, I would have loved to listen to radio without the presence of other media technologies. Sitting around the radio at night with family and friends would be a phenomenal experience. Instead of being visually captivated, listening to the news, stories, and radio shows would cause the listener to keep an active ear engaged to the radio. Captivating a listener by telling a creative story would be an enjoyable experience. The power of the radio’s influence was vaster in the past. This would be profound to experience. Radio had its time as the F-16 of the media field, but it will never retain this foothold. While radio will never die, radio will only be a single engine plane.

Email Sean with your thoughts and ideas for future columns at: sean.h.dengler@gmail.com