NCOM
3246

Listening In: The History of Radio

Schools of Public Engagement: Media

Liberal Arts
Undergraduate Course
Degree Students
History of Radio
Spring 2024
Taught By: Joan Schuman
Section: A

CRN: 3616

Credits: 3

Radio not only shapes culture, it is also shaped by it. This course examines 100 years of radio technology and the culture it has made possible. Students consider audiences, programming styles and media ownership issues across numerous platforms. Explorations include the early years of amateur broadcasts and radio drama; war correspondents and partisan talk radio; public and community broadcasting and corporate monopolies; satellite radio and online streaming services; low-power narrow-casting (LPFM) and unlicensed micro-radio (pirate). Of particular focus is a contrast of these early and ongoing developments with current competition of public media and commercial podcasting. Specific themes are contrasted to early radio via contemporary broadcasts themes covering wars, social justice, community responses to climate collapse and global networks. We investigate the relationships of producers and listeners to the evolving medium, how radio voices have challenged dominant cultural modes of speaking, and radio art and broadcasting experiments. Students gain understanding of mainstream and alternative radio by listening to different production techniques, researching and comparing programming styles, and exploring selected aspects of radio history in depth.

College: Schools of Public Engagement (NS)

Department: Media (MED)

Campus: New York City (GV)

Course Format: Seminar (R)

Modality: Online - Asynchronous

Max Enrollment: 18

Add/Drop Deadline: February 4, 2024 (Sunday)

Online Withdrawal Deadline: April 16, 2024 (Tuesday)

Seats Available: Yes

Status: Closed*

* Status information is updated every few minutes. The status of this course may have changed since the last update. Open seats may have restrictions that will prevent some students from registering. Updated: 1:34am EDT 3/29/2024

Meeting Info:
Building: Online Course
Room: 999
Date Range: 1/22/2024 - 5/15/2024