International Encyclopedia of Communication Online

Extract

A traditional →  radio network consists of a series of radio broadcasting stations connected in some way (typically by broadcast, landline, microwave, or satellite; →  Radio Technology ) so that each of the stations can carry the same programs or advertisements (→  Advertising ). Often, the stations will carry the programs simultaneously, but under some circumstances (e.g., stations in differing time zones), a program or set of programs may be delayed for a given length of time. In both cases, the network serves to extend the audience beyond that which would have been available without the network. The linkage between stations may take the form of very different stations linked for the convenience of sharing particular content, or may take the form of one primary station linked to multiple “repeater” stations in which the repeater simply rebroadcasts whatever it receives from the primary station. More recently, with the advent of satellite channels and the →  Internet , the radio network label has been applied to describe any audio service involving a large number of receivers, rather than stations, although it is questionable whether a system involving only one transmission device should be considered a network. The idea of program origination in one location and an audience for the program in multiple other locations is somewhat older than radio itself, having been demonstrated ... log in or subscribe to read full text