abstract
| - Occasionally I like to think of myself as a bit of an anachronism. My interest in radio is one of the aspects of my character which I have considered as anomalous among my peers. This is not at all because I do not believe radio has played a role in their lives, but rather because I believe it has played an enormous, perhaps even overly large, role in mine. Radio serves not only as a means of entertainment for me, it also serves to inform and even as a form of catharsis. I listen to regular FM radio, Sirius radio on the rare occasions I can, online streaming, and National Public Radio. I work at a radio station performing multiple functions as a music director, webmaster, and disc jockey. Without a doubt, radio is important to me. Despite its importance in my life, I have always acknowledged that with most of the people I speak with on a daily basis, it serves as nothing more than another form of entertainment. That was how I felt prior to going to London. While in London listening to the journalists, it seemed as though so many of them stated radio as a primary source for their news information. Statements like this make an impression on me. After hearing it the first time, I began to listen for more people commenting on their use of the radio as an informational outlet. Sure enough, they were there, hiding among the journos and the tube passengers. Curiosity got the best of me, and I decided to explore the differences between radio usage and technology in the United States and Great Britain. In order to begin to understand the relationship between these technologies and the two countries, one must first comprehend the complex history of radio.
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