Tag: Radio History

Radio becomes visual – why “bi-media” is an eternal dream in the industry

A bit later on I’ve got a treat from the 1930s - a non-CGI, analogue recreation of a wireless set. That’s strangely important in this context. But first, I’ve written about how the word “visualisation” is being used in recent times in connection with the radio. Read more here… https://prefadelisten.com/2025/06/14/is-radio-just-all-about-the-sound/ Indeed, putting the visual into … Continue reading Radio becomes visual – why “bi-media” is an eternal dream in the industry →

Radio: It’s all about “The Sound” …isn’t it?

Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers sang about the blood-pumping thrill of "the pine trees in the dark / with 50,000 watts of power / [as] we go by faster miles-an-hour". Listen carefully and you can hear the visceral hum that comes from a high power AM transmitter. Or at least, you could when radio … Continue reading Radio: It’s all about “The Sound” …isn’t it? →

The story so far. Radio and its cultural places in British life…

I’ve written over the years here about how important radio has been in Britain during the past century. Radio Culture is the central theme of this website resource. Here’s some reflections based on my research. In this piece there’s memories of Wogan, the pirates, the joys of AM and FM, and modern tech stuff too, … Continue reading The story so far. Radio and its cultural places in British life… →

The power of international radio. You won’t miss it ’til it’s gone.

Or to use the accurate quote by Joni Mitchell from 1970, “Don't it always seem to go / That you don't know what you've got 'til it's gone”. Well, now something’s gone. And it hurts. The late winter and early spring of 2025 have seen some seismic changes to international radio from the USA. My … Continue reading The power of international radio. You won’t miss it ’til it’s gone. →

Radio time | The art of subtracting-base-60 to keep the live show on the road…

Time is a key element to radio. Live radio that is. You will have noticed how podcasts – because they’re “listen on demand” – just seem to go on and on. On the other hand, live radio has to conform to the hour. I’ve worked for the BBC World Service and know first hand the … Continue reading Radio time | The art of subtracting-base-60 to keep the live show on the road… →

When you miss the local voices from home. Why we used to listen to radio… and why we still do…

Poets, pop singers and radio listeners tuning in to home across the airwaves. But first, the joys of reading a newspaper... I’m of the generation that still enjoys a good print version. It’s the feeling of it between the fingers, the rustle of the pages, the ease of turning it back and creasing the page … Continue reading When you miss the local voices from home. Why we used to listen to radio… and why we still do… →

Radio jokes – can podcasting ever be funny?

The point is this: having shared some dubious jokes about the radio industry, the time has now come to poke fun at podcasting. I'll reveal in a moment why I remain sceptical about "podcasting" (and I'm the one who just put that in quote marks. Feel free to do air-quotes, but don't drop your phone). … Continue reading Radio jokes – can podcasting ever be funny? →

Lies, radio news, and a pub lunch | part 5 of 5

This is the last in a series of pieces about four decades of metro-media life in Britain: in which I come to some conclusions about Ian McEwan and Richard Eyre’s film The Ploughman’s Lunch – set in 1982 but cringingly relevant to the 2020s. Do take a look at pages around this site, and consider … Continue reading Lies, radio news, and a pub lunch | part 5 of 5 →

Listening in – how Jesus gets on the radio. More about the work of the Christian missionary organisation Reach Beyond

For the last three months of 2024, from October to December, we’ve been broadcasting a 13-part radio series on TWR-UK called Voice and Hands with Reach Beyond. In the most recent episodes, we’ve heard about Christian radio around the world – crossing the continents. We’ve travelled to Africa, to Southern Europe, North Africa and the … Continue reading Listening in – how Jesus gets on the radio. More about the work of the Christian missionary organisation Reach Beyond →