Escape into the realm of sound, as Breathe takes a quick spin through broadcasting history

‘TV gives ever yone an image, but radio gives birth to a million images in a million brains’

PEGGY NOONAN

There’s something familiar and reassuring about tuning into a favourite radio show. In an age of almost limitless entertainment choices, it’s a medium that continues to captivate listeners with music, drama, comedy, news and discussion. For some people, radio is a lifeline. For others, it’s background noise. The listener can enjoy a presenter’s dulcet tones while engaged in other activities, such as cleaning, creating, cooking dinner or travelling. As long as there’s a receiving device, there’s a ready stream of sound to tickle the ears and entice the mind.

Since the earliest broadcasts, radio has consistently delivered a means of communication and a rich soundscape into listeners’ homes, workplaces and vehicles. Who hasn’t chuckled at a DJ’s spontaneous remark, sung along to a much-loved tune or imagined being cast away as a guest shares their desert island discs? It’s astounding to consider that all this (and more) is available at the flick of a switch.

Making waves

Radio technology emerged out of the 1800s. Although many people played a role in its development, the invention is largely attributed to Nikola Tesla and Guglielmo Marconi. Initially, it was used for ship-to-ship and ship-to-shore communications, but it wasn’t long before radio trailblazers expanded their vision to ensure that everyone could enjoy the wonders of this exciting technology. Lee de Forest, who pioneered wireless audio transmission, is regarded as one of the fathers of radio broadcasting. In 1908, while on his honeymoon in Paris, he made one of the first public radio broadcasts from the Eiffel Tower. A few years later, Marconi opened a radio factory in Chelmsford, England, and the rise of popular radio began.