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Radio Broadcasting: A History of the Airwaves
2020 marks the centenary of Marconi’s experimental transmissions and this book seeks to commemorate this anniversary. The book examines the history of radio and traces its development from theories advanced by James Clerk Maxwell and Heinrich Hertz to the first practical demonstrations by Guglielmo Marconi. It looks back to the pioneering broadcasts of the BBC, examines the development of broadcast networks in North America and around the world. It spotlights radio's role in the Second World War.
The book also features the radio programs and radio personalities that made a considerable impact on the listeners during the ‘Golden Era’. It also examines how radio, faced by competition from its electronic progenitor – television, adapted and survived. Indeed radio has continued to thrive despite increased competition from mobile phones, computers, mp3 players and smart speakers. The book looks to the future and speculates how radio will fare in a multi-platform future.
The book also features the radio programs and radio personalities that made a considerable impact on the listeners during the ‘Golden Era’. It also examines how radio, faced by competition from its electronic progenitor – television, adapted and survived. Indeed radio has continued to thrive despite increased competition from mobile phones, computers, mp3 players and smart speakers. The book looks to the future and speculates how radio will fare in a multi-platform future.
224 pages, Paperback
Published November 23, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
October 6, 2020
This is actually two different books, the first is the history of radio, the inventors and producers, the second half is the history of radio broadcasting. The first half is 4 star, the second is 2 star. So 3 star.
Bathgate spends a good amount of time at the beginning of the book trying to document who is the 'father' of radio. Going over the many men who worked on the idea in the late nineteenth century, he comes to the conclusion that like victory, it had many fathers. Some ideas for radio were invented on parallel lines without the inventors having any interaction, and in some other cases the inventors were building on each other work, it depended on who had the better capitalization.
The first stations began to get audiences at a slow rate due to the lack of receivers (listeners) and for programs that would interest people. Once radios (the appliance) became readily available more and more programs were broadcast through the air. Many early stations were government owned and showed produced by government agencies. The first independent stations would have commercials and so finding advertisers would make or break these stations.
Once radio became a quotidian manner of people getting their news, there was much interference from newspaper and magazine publishers. This is where the book changes over to a listing (almost an index) of radio stations coming onto the air. It very straight forward like a timeline, but not very interesting, actually kind of boring. So you can skim this part, except for the discussion of early television.
Bathgate spends a good amount of time at the beginning of the book trying to document who is the 'father' of radio. Going over the many men who worked on the idea in the late nineteenth century, he comes to the conclusion that like victory, it had many fathers. Some ideas for radio were invented on parallel lines without the inventors having any interaction, and in some other cases the inventors were building on each other work, it depended on who had the better capitalization.
The first stations began to get audiences at a slow rate due to the lack of receivers (listeners) and for programs that would interest people. Once radios (the appliance) became readily available more and more programs were broadcast through the air. Many early stations were government owned and showed produced by government agencies. The first independent stations would have commercials and so finding advertisers would make or break these stations.
Once radio became a quotidian manner of people getting their news, there was much interference from newspaper and magazine publishers. This is where the book changes over to a listing (almost an index) of radio stations coming onto the air. It very straight forward like a timeline, but not very interesting, actually kind of boring. So you can skim this part, except for the discussion of early television.
September 14, 2020
Radio Broadcasting: A History of the Airwaves by Gordon Bathgate is a fact-filled account of radio history from invention through to speculation about what the future holds for radio.
While I found the writing interesting I also felt it was just a tad on the side of too little narrative and too much simply recitation of dates and names. That said, it was not too far to that side. I have to say a book that includes an extramarital affair, the fallout and subsequent career, as well as an understanding of how those personalities played a role in the expansion of radio in the UK is not simply a "stating of the facts." What was interesting is that the incident deserves to be part of this history, it is not just to liven things up.
On the flip side, because so much information is covered it has stretches that can be less than scintillating. If, however, you really want to know about the history and development of broadcasting, you will be richly rewarded for reading this book. I learned a lot of information and even had some myths dispelled for me ("BBC English" not being mandated, for example).
Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.
While I found the writing interesting I also felt it was just a tad on the side of too little narrative and too much simply recitation of dates and names. That said, it was not too far to that side. I have to say a book that includes an extramarital affair, the fallout and subsequent career, as well as an understanding of how those personalities played a role in the expansion of radio in the UK is not simply a "stating of the facts." What was interesting is that the incident deserves to be part of this history, it is not just to liven things up.
On the flip side, because so much information is covered it has stretches that can be less than scintillating. If, however, you really want to know about the history and development of broadcasting, you will be richly rewarded for reading this book. I learned a lot of information and even had some myths dispelled for me ("BBC English" not being mandated, for example).
Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.
August 20, 2020
Thank you for allowing me to review. #Netgalley
Radio Broadcasting tells the story of the birth of Radio and TV. Unfortunately it is less of a story, but a concatenation of a lot of facts and events in a fairly monotone voice. While the information is very complete and detailed, it may be a great piece of reference for the scholar of the topic, but it is not very entertaining for the average non-fiction reader. The book would do better with omitting some of the rather insignificant events and share more funny and entertaining stories. The author tries at times, but comes in a short of the goal line.
But if you need to study the history of Radio and TV for College, because you seek a career in the field, this may still be your best bet. The book seems to be thoroughly researched.
Radio Broadcasting tells the story of the birth of Radio and TV. Unfortunately it is less of a story, but a concatenation of a lot of facts and events in a fairly monotone voice. While the information is very complete and detailed, it may be a great piece of reference for the scholar of the topic, but it is not very entertaining for the average non-fiction reader. The book would do better with omitting some of the rather insignificant events and share more funny and entertaining stories. The author tries at times, but comes in a short of the goal line.
But if you need to study the history of Radio and TV for College, because you seek a career in the field, this may still be your best bet. The book seems to be thoroughly researched.
August 12, 2020
A fascinating book which is a mixture of technical detail, history, biography and the story of the development of radio broadcasting from early experimentation via two world wars to the current digital age.
Whilst I found some of the technical information at the beginning of the book a bit heavy it soon grabbed me with the stories of the pioneering companies and characters from the early 20th Century that brought radio broadcasts into peoples homes.
From local radio to network broadcasters and pirates everything is here for the radio buff including interesting facts about the programmes and people that led the way in the 'Golden Age' of radio
Whilst I found some of the technical information at the beginning of the book a bit heavy it soon grabbed me with the stories of the pioneering companies and characters from the early 20th Century that brought radio broadcasts into peoples homes.
From local radio to network broadcasters and pirates everything is here for the radio buff including interesting facts about the programmes and people that led the way in the 'Golden Age' of radio
August 17, 2020
Good on broader issues; too detailed otherwise
I liked some parts of the book, especially some of the funny anecdotes about the early days of radio, and the sections on broader issues such as streaming, digital radio, piracy, and the effects of television. I found the introduction a little technical and I thought that many of the country-by-country discussions were by far too detailed. Overall, the book left me feeling rather neutral.
Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book via Netgalley for review purposes.
I liked some parts of the book, especially some of the funny anecdotes about the early days of radio, and the sections on broader issues such as streaming, digital radio, piracy, and the effects of television. I found the introduction a little technical and I thought that many of the country-by-country discussions were by far too detailed. Overall, the book left me feeling rather neutral.
Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book via Netgalley for review purposes.
September 13, 2022
Interesting history of international broadcasting.
Overall an interesting short history of radio from its inception through the 21st century. Gods for a general history of free world broadcasting.
Overall an interesting short history of radio from its inception through the 21st century. Gods for a general history of free world broadcasting.
March 2, 2025
While it has some good sections, the style is mostly like Wikipedia articles. It’s informative in the sense of dumping tedious amounts of minutiae.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews