Paper 2 - Suggested Topics

• Discuss the radio recordings heard at last week's lab session in relation to one of the study questions about the recordings listed on the Lab 2 Instructions: Early Radio Shows.

Or choose one of the following:

• Write a report on the current state of either AM or FM waveband radio in the Boston area. Produce a list of the stations currently available, briefly identifying the station name and type of programming. Then discuss what you've found in relation to some of the following questions: national vs. local broadcasting; station/program audience(s); college radio stations and differences between them; forms of advertising and sponsorship; minority, foreign-language, or other non-American programmig; continuities with the historical development of radio in the US (e.g. program formats, scheduling). Are your overall conclusions positive or negative, and why?

• If you have a short-wave (SW) radio, do a scan on the SW radio band at a particular time of day (morning/afternoon/evening/night--choose a time when you find plenty of stations) and write a report on what you find. Try to identify as many stations as you can, and produce a list of those you identify. What kind of stations and programming are available? What aspects of these stations/programs do you find most interesting/surprising/disturbing, and why?

• If you're familiar with net-radio, discuss the current state of net-radio in relation either to this week's readings or the lecture. What possibilities for innovative radio programming are currently offered by the web? Are web-broadcasters making the most of the medium's potential for radio, or could more be done, and if so, what?

• Write an in-depth analysis of one particular radio show broadcast locally in the Boston area which you listen to regularly, paying attention to some of the following areas: range (local/national/global), scheduling (time-slot, regularity, duration), format (music, phone-in, etc.), content, audience. Why do you listen to this program? Why should we?

• If you're a DJ or amateur radio hobbyist, discuss your experience in relation either to this week's readings or the lecture.

In addition to the above suggestions, you are also feel free to choose a topic that reflects your own interests and provides a point of entry into the course material about radio.

mehopper@mit.edu