The early 1900s was the beginning of a new era in many senses. The commercial radio broadcast was just making its introduction in the United States. This wireless transmission allowed people within a certain radius to hear music, newscasts and announcements via a process called amplitude modulation, more commonly known as AM. As progress was made in the field of radio broadcast, frequency modulation—or FM—became available for commercial use.

Free Radio
The commercial use of radio broadcast also led to advances in the fields of advertising and product marketing; hence, the reason you may hear an advertisement for auto insurance while listening to your favorite station on the way to work in the morning. These advertisements may seem like an interruption of your favorite songs but in reality, they are the reason you are able to listen to the programming at no charge. Businesses pay good money to put their advertisements on the radio. The only cost to listeners is the several minutes, out of the hours of programming, in which music is paused for a commercial break. This allows the listener to find out who is sponsoring local radio shows, while the sponsor can relay their message to thousands of ears. It is their hope that in return they will gain new customers.

Satellite Radio
For the consumers that do not mind paying to hear music, satellite radio is now available with a subscription. This permits the listener to avoid hearing advertisements while listening to music. Subscribers also have access to crisp-sounding sports broadcasts, news shows and a multitude of talk shows. Consequently, the cost comes in the form of money as opposed to time.

Whether you choose to listen to radio broadcast via satellite subscription or free radio programming, you can thank ever-changing technology for the luxury of being able to listen to music virtually anywhere, anytime.

FM radio frequencies are being bombarded with advertisements for HD radios. After all, many of the stations broadcasting these ads have invested in expensive new HD radio equipment that allows them to send these advanced digital signals. Still, the price for the upgrade isn’t non-existent, so many consumers are wary about making the shift. To help you determine whether or not the upgrade is worthwhile for you, this entry will provide a list of the benefits you’ll receive if you choose to upgrade to HD.

Your FM radio quality increases.

The digital signal being used by most FM broadcasting groups is simply a higher quality signal. It’s the exact same radio wave, it’s just got more data to it, which means that the bit rate for all the music your hear is noticeably higher.

Your AM radio quality increases, too.

AM radio broadcasts won’t suddenly be sending out high quality stereo sound, but using the HD radio receiver you will receive increased clarity in sound and a higher general quality.

Distortion will disappear.

While it’s still possible to interfere with your new digital signal, it’s very hard to do. This is because the high quality signal is compressed and then extracted from the transmitter and your receiver. That, plus the fact that it’s not working on modular frequencies, means that you won’t have to worry about any of the following:

-Distance
-Weather
-Buildings
-Geographic features

This means that you get the high quality sound you’ve invested in more clearly than ever before. The overall range on your signal will also see a significant boost.

You get a third stream of data.

FM has two for stereo sound, while AM’s mono is just one stream, but HD radio has three full streams of data. Beyond the left and right speaker data, HD provides a “text” data stream that can be used in conjunction with HD radio iPod tuners and other new technologies. This gives you the opportunity to do some unique things with your music, in addition to keeping up on things like traffic updates without your music being disrupted.

AM radios, the simplest version of modern radio transmission, is based on concepts from the 1890s which have seen more fine tuning than actual change. Here is a brief rundown of the parts of an AM radio, and how they make it function.

Here is your AM radio receiver shopping list: a two-terminal diode, two lengths of wire (both about ten meters long), a metal pole or stake, a crystal earphone, and a tuner. To make all these parts work together to receive AM radio signals, you need to get up close to a transmission tower, secure the stake or rod in the ground, run one of the lines of wire to another metal object, attach one end of the diode to the end of this wire, and attach the other wire to the other end of the diode and to the tuner. Then, simply tune the radio transmission to receive the radio signal and pop the crystal ear piece in. You should hear everything just fine!

So, now you know how to create your own makeshift AM radio transmitter, which might just save you during a zombie apocalypse. However, it doesn’t do much to explain how the science behind it works. Here is the brief rundown of those details.

When a radio tower transmits radio waves, they are sent out at various electromagnetic frequencies. By either being close to a major signal or using a tuner you can determine which frequency you’re receiving. The diode you’re using detects the AM signals being shot out over the airwaves, and the electrical current being sent out is channeled through the antenna. The channeled signal sends reverberations which are being picked up by your crystal ear piece.

In the case of actual radios, we have two major additional pieces: the amplifier and improved antennas. The amplifier will take these sonic reverberations and magnify them dramatically in order to create the level of sound that we are used to in our modern systems. The improved antenna picks up signals more clearly and from further away. Otherwise, the concept is identical!

In order to become a radio personality on a major syndicated network, you usually have to have a full four-year education on the subject, as well as years of experience at the intern level. Like acting, however, a degree in the subject does not actually guarantee that you will have the appropriate talents. Luckily, the internet has provided a way for those without years of education to put their voice and skills to the test.

The first thing you need to do in order to determine your online radio path is decide how serious you are about this endeavor. If you are intending to make big bucks by having a highly successful web broadcast, then you will need to make some early decisions that maximize your opportunities in that area. If you just want to experiment or get your show out there, then you have some less complicated alternatives.

Once you’ve decided this, you’ll need to get your hardware and software. There are many options for both. When it comes to hardware, a headset and mic can be purchased for just twenty dollars or so if you’re not concerned about quality, while a top notch version will require a couple hundred dollars. For software, you simply need something that lets you edit and create MP3s. For casual users, free software like Audacity is fine, while advanced users should turn to software like Adobe Soundbooth.

Then you’ll need to create your station and have it hosted. For either casual broadcasters or would be professionals, it’s a good idea to start with third party alternatives. For beginning users, sites like Live365 and UBroadcast offer packages starting at just six dollars a month, and casual DJs can even earn money thanks to profit sharing for ads built into the site. Professionals can take advantage of higher amounts of bandwidth, more freedom for their own commercialization, broader reach for their advertisements, and synchronization with a number of popular audio players. While it’s possible to host your own show, this is far more complicated and expensive, and advantages for new users are minimal.

The term “grass roots movement” is thrown around a lot in politics. It comes with a certain allure, and a pure rendition of the idea “by the people, of the people, for the people.” However, real grass roots movements are very uncommon for a number of reasons. One of the primary reasons is the lack of media exposure that movements of this nature can achieve, when compared and contrasted with major media outlets.

Most people get their news and information from a media source of some kind. In past years, that has been almost exclusively the territory of television and radio. Today, the internet provides another alternative with its own complexities. The reality is, media organizations are for profit groups that have investors and owners, and their interests to protect. This means that mainstream media is limited in what it can present and how it can present it.

This is certainly true of radio. Syndicated radio hosts and major media outlets must walk a fine line for politics and other issues discussed. Many of these things must be approved by the station, and radio hosts must spend some portion of their time advertising for sponsors. Beyond that, legal restrictions on who can broadcasts, the costs for licensing, and so forth, are highly restrictive for smaller groups.

One of the proposed solutions to the dilemma is the free radio movement. The free radio movement is comprised of a number of groups who are fighting to make the radio more accessible to individuals, small groups, and real grass roots movements. They do this through two major tactics.

The first important tactic is to open up the media to common users. This is done through providing a number of legally licensed radio stations that allow guest speakers to have some radio talk time. In addition, fighting for more lenient laws on radio broadcasts is part of the agenda. The second method used is media education. These groups spread word about media sources, their interests, and alternative, not-for-profit media alternatives that people can use. This education goes primarily to schools.

In a previous entry, we discussed the history of the radio and the controversy over who actually invented it. We mentioned five important names of potential inventors, but there are actually more names to go into. In this entry, we will discuss all the potential inventors of the radio, as well as their contributions to this popular media approach. Our different inventors are David E. Hughes, Heinrich Hertz, Nikola Tesla, J.C. Bose, Ferdinand Braun, Alexander Popov, and Gugliemo Marconi. That’s seven different people hunting for the title, in case you didn’t want to tally them yourself.

David E. Hughes

Hughes hit the scene in 1879, making the claim of transmitting electromagnetic waves several hundred yards. While not verified, if accurate, this means that Hughes successfully transmitting radio waves a decade before anyone else.

Heinrich Hertz

Hertz was the physicist who confirmed that electromagnetic waves were possible, at least to the public eye. He transmitted radio waves over short distances, and sent nothing complex. He did this in 1888.

Nikola Tesla

In 1891, Tesla started doing research in, and giving lectures on, how electromagnetic waves might be used to send signals and communicate over a long distance. By his own claims, he successfully sent radio waves in 1895. No confirmed or third party witnessed experiments validate this, however.

J.C. Bose

Bose was a physicist residing in India who gave public demonstrations on radio waves in 1894, showing people that he could light fires and ring bells using this long distance communication. He didn’t want to patent his work, and it was only when pressured by friends that he did so, well after similar work was already patented by others.

Ferdinand Braun

Braun successfully adapted the invention of the short wave radio in 1899 by using inductive coupling and close tuned circuits. Without these inventions, modern radio would likely not exist.

Alexander Popov

The Russian Alexander Popov began using Hertz’s experiments as the basis for radio devices in the 1890s. While functional, his 1895 device worked more as a wireless telegraph than a radio.

Gugliemo Marconi

Marconi first transmitted signals in 1895, and was the first to patent his work internationally.

Radio broadcasts were first invented in the 1890s, and by the first decade of the 1900s people were using the technology to broadcast frequencies over the airwaves. As a result, in 1912, the United States passed a law that made licensing for a radio station mandatory. While there were many legal motivations for this, it was nonetheless restrictive for a population eager to get their voice into other people’s radios. In this early stage, people could get licensing at affordable prices with very little trouble. However, over time, radio laws became far more strict. That’s when pirate radio came to be.

Pirate radio was unlicensed radio that was sent out over the air. Sometimes this would be from a person who simply wanted a station of their own, and who broadcast from their own home. These people were usually shut down quickly if they had too much actual exposure. The more long term pirate radio stations were broadcast from boats located in international waters. These stations were far more difficult to shut down.

In different regions of the world, at different times throughout history, pirate radio has seen spikes in popularity and political use. In the modern era, however, when radio licensing is even more difficult, pirate radio has taken on a new form: internet radio.

Internet radio stations are far more accessible than off-shores boat based radio stations ever were. An individual interested in running their own station can purchase the needed bandwidth and software to create their own program, and begin their journey into the web broadcasting world within a few hours. While they may not have listeners stumbling across their voice when browsing channels, a number of promotional methods unique to the internet exist.

There are still legal restrictions on what can be broadcast, but most of these have to do with licensing for music being played or similar. Modern pirates eager to share political views, opinions, and more have found a regular pirate’s bounty in the world wide web.

Free radio, the term at the head of the free radio movement, and frequently a synonym of pirated radio, has seen much evolution since its introduction in 1960. To get the full story, however, we will begin at free radio’s origins.

Free radio’s predecessor was pirate radio. Any station that wasn’t licensed by the laws presented in 1912 was declared a pirate station, and most of them were shut down. However, a hand full of broadcasters around the globe continued their air wave efforts from transmitter equipped ships in international waters. Sometimes the motivations were political, sometimes they commercial, but in any case they were difficult to prosecute.

It was in San Francisco in 1960 that the “free radio” variety of pirate radio came into being. At the time, directly following the famous “Summer of Love,” a number of small time broadcasters courageously began transmitting from land based locations. While many were shut down, protesters were vocal about this decision. Both listeners and broadcasters declared that the media should be free, and not merely accessible to the large stations who were able to gain monopolistic control over the radio frequencies.

The phrase “pirate radio” had come to describe the groups known as border blaster who, although less commonly by that point, still sent signals from off shore. Listeners, legal groups, and transmitters of these illegal inland stations dubbed the broadcasts “free radio,” both to differentiate it from ocean based transmissions and to tie it with its political motivations.

From that point forward, a number of free radio stations have sprung up. Radio technology has become more affordable and accessible for amateurs, so group expression through this medium has become more common. Many of the advocates of free radio fight for legal rights to broadcast in this way.

Other modern radio brought about in part by the free radio movement include web broadcasts (which are legal if they license any music correctly), collective radio stations that allow individuals or small groups to have their own show on a licensed frequency, and the continuation of both land and sea based illegal transmissions.

The current generation of tech obsessed music fanatics knows little beyond FM radio. More and more people are even turning toward alternatives such as HD radio and satellite (sometimes known as XM) radio. However, AM radio still holds clear signals and features a number of programs with a wide and dedicated listener base. But what, exactly, is the difference between AM and FM, and why are some many younger people tuning in to FM?

Let’s begin with scientific terminology. The “M” in both words stands for modulation, or variation in aspects of the electromagnetic frequency being send out over the airwaves. The “A” in AM stands for “amplitude,” which refers to the actual magnitude of the signal being sent out. The “F” in FM stands for “frequency,” referring to the volume of modulations as opposed to their strength.

So, how does that make these two alternatives different? Well, first off, AM is a much simpler technology. You can even build your own back yard AM receiver with about ten dollars of parts. The problem is that this cheaper and simpler technology is also prone to distortion. Distortion can happen because of weather conditions which impact the way that amplitude transmits, distance from transmitters, and other minor factors. AM also broadcasts on “one channel,” meaning that anything it shoots out will be heard in mono rather than stereo. This means it’s fine for things like newscasts and interviews, but poor for music. However, on the other hand, AM is more powerful because of its use of amplitude, and can be heard at much greater ranges.

FM, on the other hand, offers a broadcast which can’t be heard more than about fifty miles from the transmitter sending it. That’s because the signal itself is based on frequency, which dies out more rapidly over long distances. This radio form is higher quality when you’re in range, doesn’t experience interference from weather conditions, and can broadcast in stereo. While price was once a big factor in choosing AM or FM, the advancement of technology has led to FM radio becoming negligibly more pricey.

It’s easy to know where to start the story of the radio. The discovery and experimentation with electromagnetic waves, combined with previous technology used for telephones, created the building blocks for radio waves and radio communication. What is more difficult is knowing how to proceed. The main issue is that a number of different people allegedly invented the radio.

There are various inventors who vie for this title, and they include James Clerk Maxwell, Heinrich Hertz, Guglielmo Marconi, J.C. Bose, and Nikola Tesla. The first two mentioned in this list are credited with inventing radio due to their discovery of foundational concepts which allowed radio to be invented. The third, fourth, and fifth of these names are inventors who actually worked at inventing functional radio systems.

While Tesla earned recognition as the original inventor, the truth is that he never completed a full working model. Marconi, on the other hand, created both “wireless telegraphs,” transmitting electronic signals over with radio waves, and then shortwave radio, successfully transmitting voice. Bose did some successful demonstrations in India at around the same time as Marconi demonstrating how radio waves could transmit data. Modern versions of the technology stem from both Marconi’s and Bose’s prototypes. It should also be noted that a portion of Marconi’s hardware was likely based on Bose’s.

After its initial introduction, radio waves pushed their boundaries further and further. In 1901, Marconi’s team succeeded in sending a signal all the way across the Atlantic Ocean. The technology was initially used as a better form of the telegraph for ships to use in case of emergencies. Many investors came out of the woodwork, seeing great potential, both military and otherwise, in the idea.

At this time, early radio listeners got receivers from the local Post Office, which was also where individuals could license transmitters. Since that time, radio has exploded as a means of communication. As of the time of this writing, more than thirty thousand radio stations exist, broadcasting to over a billion different radio sets across the globe.