Internet Radio’s Two-way Communicative Emergence
Radio for centuries has been a form of communication. However, prior to the evolution of the world wide web, radio as per Sabine Breitsameter was viewed as a one way communicated practice. As “one sends and many receive” this was also known as broadcasting and if individuals didn’t have access to a radio station depending on a variety of factors, they could miss out on important news items, world updates and political views.
The internet has now revolutionized that creating a realm which radio can be viewed as a multi-user space. Where “many communicate with many” as a form of a two-way median according to Breitsameter. Streaming radio online has opened the door to anyone, anywhere with simply the proper headwear and software to create a podcast of their own. Essentially anyone with a creative mind and the proper tools can have a radio station which publishes audio content online.
What I found most interesting about online podcasts and their popularity is that compared to stereotypically radio there really is no format. When I think of the radio I think of the news and a one-way directed news source based on the radio station one prefers to listen to. Take a look at this link which Time.com published about the top 10 podcasts of 2021. https://time.com/6107375/best-podcasts-2021/
What I see here from this website is 10 podcast which open the door for communication, individuals who are passionate about the topic they are speaking about. They aren’t necessarily following a script which a news outlet has provided them, they speak freely and provide insight on everyday practices through a communicative platform. I believe that this really reflects Andrew Bottomley’s notion in his reading “Radio on the Internet” that the internet transformed the century old median of radio, opening up to new voices and practices”. He also alludes to how the Internet radio is a significant breakthrough in terms of technology, the development of a new streaming industry and a representation of a new culturally phenomena.
I would agree have to agree with him, I know personally speaking I listen to podcasts daily and prefer it over music at times. After reading both Bottomley’s and Breitsameter readings I have come to conclusion that I’m a big supporter of individuals speaking freely about subjects they enjoy creating a two communicative median where everyone can interact with one another.
Discussion Questions
1. Do you prefer to listen to the radio or podcasts? and Why?
2. Analyze your favourite podcast and explain why you believe it’s a popular form of internet radio from a cultural perspective?
Hey Anthony! Great post. To answer your first question, I certainly prefer podcasts over radio. Personally, I find radio to be quite annoying; we virtually have no control over the music that is played, the topics that are discussed, and most often, radio stations have a very commercial aim in terms of the content they broadcast. For example, Top 40 radio stations play the same pop songs on repeat, the same commercials, and filter their DJ discussions based on their commercial partners and sponsors. In general, mainstream radio tends to keep things "light and polite" as I would describe it. Of course alt-radio stations may challenge this, I find most dominant stations fall into the category I just described. In contrast, although most successful podcasts also have sponsors and commercial interests, podcasters can be much more explicit and unfiltered; in fact, I would argue that is why most people listen to them. For example, Joe Rogan arguably has one of the most successful podcasts in the world, and his entire brand is about bringing in random guests with bold opinions, a variety of educational backgrounds, lived experiences, and so forth. He actively chooses to make sure his podcast does not fit into a neat box, and instead, expands the conversation beyond something like highly curated and filtered radio discussions. In this way, I think podcasts welcome critical thinking, new discussions, and resultantly, are far more impactful, even if it's solely for entertainment purposes.
ReplyDeleteTo answer your second question, my favourite podcast is the Joel Osteen podcast. Joel Osteen is a Christian pastor who preaches at Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas; the largest church in America bringing an average weekly attendance of 43,500+ (which is absolutely insane to me might I add). Joel records and broadcasts each of his services on multiple digital platforms (YouTube, his website, Spotify, Apple Music, etc.) so people like myself that can't attend his services in person, can still listen in live or listen to the recorded service later. His podcast does extremely well, with millions of monthly listeners on Spotify. I believe from a cultural perspective, his podcast does extremely well because it brings a sense of unity within the Christian community who enjoy listening to his services and messages. Pre-internet, Joel would have had to physically tour to different churches to build his following and his message would be limited to those in physical attendance. However, through contemporary digital platforms, Joel can reach millions of people on a daily basis and create a sense of unity and shared faith as a result.
Great post Anthony.
ReplyDeleteI guess I am playing the role of devil's advocate here because I prefer radio to podcasts for multiple reasons, one of which being exactly what you said - "Streaming radio online has opened the door to anyone, anywhere with simply the proper headwear and software to create a podcast of their own". I personally do not think that everyone having the ability to speak on a platform is a good thing. For example: someone with an office job who likes to talk, speaking on things like Covid 19 and the vaccine. Popularity increases influence and I don't think the power of influence should be given to anyone (this topic of course spans into social media). Don't get me wrong I love it when it is used as a platform to voice opinions and share perspectives. I rather radio because I enjoy listening in real time. I like to feel like I am experiencing events as they happen, as Bottomley explains in his 'Radio on The Internet' chapter - the liveness and spontaneity of radio. I also enjoy it because I like to listen to new music, learn about upcoming artistes, without me having to do the work to find this new material.
However, I do listen to podcasts occasionally and my favourite is the Bwoy A Tingz podcast by a Jamaican party promoter and influencer - Kareem Bwoyatingz Weathers. His podcast episodes are set up like conversational interviews and are most times about taboo topics. For example: polyamorous relationships are shunned in Jamaica so he found three people in a polyamorous relationship and had then open up about their lives. On his show he also had a former media personality by the name of Milk. Some sexually explicit photos of her with a popular man on the dancehall scene surfaced which ended her career. Kareem's show is the first time I've heard certain topics, issues and events being discussed and that is what got me on boarding to listening to all of his podcast episodes. From a Jamaica cultural perspective, Kareem's show does not fit the box that has been set for Jamaican media - talking about taboo topics, having societal rejects guest starring every episode, Kareem himself speaking about mental illness on the show, all of which go against Jamaican societal norms. While he has supporters, his podcast faces continuous backlash, mostly from the older generations. However , this podcast is the reason Kareem now has his own radio show.
Here is the link to one of Kareem's podcast episodes where he sits down with a lady living with HIV: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDzR8Eoa-P8&t=533s
Podcasting is still a relatively new concept on the Jamaican media scene, more prominent amongst the middle and upper class. I highly doubt the podcasting culture will make its way into the lower class.