RadioLab has emerged in an era of blind media consumption. It's unusual for a one hour program which demands conscious consumption to be so successful in the radio business during these times where most turn on their radios simply for background noise.
So why is it that Radiolab has been so successful in engaging such a large audience with their "unconventional approach to both the medium and the message of radio?" Radiolab through their productions aspire to create thoughtful, timeless shows that that acoustically seduce the listener. Their productions actually stimulate and move the listener in ways that others don't. And this is what separates them from conventional radio. They don't simply provide programs for revenue, for a large audience to hear, and then be forgotten about; they aim to create a product that transcends time. They thoroughly believe that "the value of a media product does not come from being fast. It comes from being timeless."
The concept behind their production changes their listeners consumption of their media. "This approach — a smaller number of shows, painstakingly assembled and treated more like small movies than like regularly scheduled programs — addresses a different tension, around new habits of media consumption." Since Radiolab programs require attention, require the listener to thoughtfully process information, it is more commonly consumed in the form of podcasts rather than on aired radio shows. In this form, the listeners can more attentively listen to quality productions full of ideas and concepts that generate a greater understanding of the world and oneself.
On ‘Radiolab,’ the Sound of Science
Walker, R. (2011, April 9). On ‘Radiolab,’ the Sound of Science. Retrieved January 9, 2015, from http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/10/magazine/mag-10Radiolab-t.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0
So why is it that Radiolab has been so successful in engaging such a large audience with their "unconventional approach to both the medium and the message of radio?" Radiolab through their productions aspire to create thoughtful, timeless shows that that acoustically seduce the listener. Their productions actually stimulate and move the listener in ways that others don't. And this is what separates them from conventional radio. They don't simply provide programs for revenue, for a large audience to hear, and then be forgotten about; they aim to create a product that transcends time. They thoroughly believe that "the value of a media product does not come from being fast. It comes from being timeless."
The concept behind their production changes their listeners consumption of their media. "This approach — a smaller number of shows, painstakingly assembled and treated more like small movies than like regularly scheduled programs — addresses a different tension, around new habits of media consumption." Since Radiolab programs require attention, require the listener to thoughtfully process information, it is more commonly consumed in the form of podcasts rather than on aired radio shows. In this form, the listeners can more attentively listen to quality productions full of ideas and concepts that generate a greater understanding of the world and oneself.
Yes, radio drifts by or washes over you when it comes out of a box on the other side of the room — but remember, a majority of “Radiolab” listeners actually take in the show via podcast, and there’s something different going on when it enters your head through earbuds at the exact moment you have chosen to hear it, while you’re commuting with nothing else to think about, or cleaning the kitchen, or lying down for the night.
On ‘Radiolab,’ the Sound of Science
Walker, R. (2011, April 9). On ‘Radiolab,’ the Sound of Science. Retrieved January 9, 2015, from http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/10/magazine/mag-10Radiolab-t.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0
Radio Lab should be highly marketed due to its difference in what they chose to play and air. This is the first time that I've personally even heard the term radio lab. The only reason that there are rarely stations like this really shouldn't be blamed on the owners of large cooperations that own all these radio stations. Society as a whole chooses to stay ignorant because finding music or news that actually has importance and relevance takes too much time and effort. There still are still radio stations that promote unknown artists, and there are still stations that give actual news such as NPR. The only reason that these stations aren't commonly aired, although partially relied on marketing strategies heavily relies on the demands of the public. If the public doesn't ask for a change, then stations such as "radio lab" won't reach a wide audience eventually disappearing as a whole.
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