Why should we care about the concentration of radio ownership?

With the Telecommunications Act of 1996, many corporate giants saw the opportunity to buy more radio stations now that the limit was lifted by said Act. This is a big concern, because diversity is greatly reduced. Fewer people own the stations, so that means fewer input of ideas and variety for radio shows. Another concern is that fewer stations are programmed locally because group owners often supply programming from a central source. Fewer radio station owners than ever are local residents of the areas their stations serve. which limits their ability to understand local interests. News and information content lack genuine local input or diversity.Finally local stations are now automated and play just the prerecorded programming. These are all reasons why we should care about the concentration of radio ownership.

What are some of the advantages and disadvantages of satellite radio?

Satellite radio has revolutionized the way people listen to radio. Satellite radio gives clearer sound quality which is a great advantage. Also satellite radio has more frequencies, which means more stations and a greater variety. Satellite radio also has no censorship due to the fact that members have to pay a subscription fee. Paying a subscription fee is a disadvantage because not every radio consumer can afford to pay a subscription just to listen to radio. The fact that satellite has no censorship, can be looked as an advantage but at the same time as a disadvantage. No censorship means people can speak their minds and communicate their beliefs without repercussions. At the same time no censorship can also mean that certain radio celebrities can just communicate without any facts or logical reasoning to back his arguments.

How did advertising come to support radio economics?

The idea of entertainment supported by advertising came from AT&T's radio station WEAF, which started in 1922 in New Jersey. AT&T charged content providers a fee for the use of its radio stations. The fee was based on how much airtime they used. This evolved into letting manufacturers sponsor programs to advertise their goods, then into advertisers paying to have their ads carried on programs. WEAF broadcast the first commercial. By 1927, radio had attained a different shape. Privately owned stations focused on popular entertainment, heavily tilted toward music, and supported by commercial advertising , a model it retains today. Radio stations and radio networks discovered a way to make a great deal of money selling advertising. Networks arose to supply stations with the most popular entertainment in a way that spread cost across a number of stations. Advertisers saw a way to help create and then reach a mass consumer public, turning people first and foremost into consumers by promoting their goods on the airwaves.

Reactions to Guest Speaker

Guest speaker Ned Sublette was an interesting speaker, with much experience in the communications and media field. He has changed careers or professions a couple of time, which throughout his lifetime has given him much experience and anecdotes. His subjects throughout the presentation ranged from his experience working in public radio, producing political, music and talk radio, writing books, and his experience in New Orleans before, during, and after the occurrences of hurricane Katrina. Out of all the subjects that he talked about, the fact of how many people in New Orleans did not know that hurricane Katrina was approaching and the intensity which it possessed. Mr. Sublette used the example of how Cuba, a communist totalitarian nation, is very well prepared for hurricanes, which hit their coast every year in more than one occasion. He stated that due to Cuba's restrictions in media, all of Cuba just has a couple of stations in both radio and television. Though oppressive, this allows the government to issue warnings well before the hurricane is approaching, allowing citizens to take precautions and aiding the government in evacuating, thereby avoiding many casualties.