Introduction

Abstract

This introduction starts by reflecting on how important radio still is in our culture. It is still a medium that most of us listen to at some stage in the week, whether intentionally or not. However, it is a medium we often forget, focusing more on what we hear, whether news or music, than how. This has led, as some writers have argued, to a lack of scholarly work on radio compared to other areas such as television. Echoing this lack of interest in radio there has been little interest or research on the role of radio critics or radio criticism. However, radio criticism and radio coverage by the newspapers is important as it has, overtime, helped position radio within public debates and within our shared culture, it has been one of the main ways we, the listening public, know what is on, what is worth listening to and how others think about radio. This book is an attempt to fill this gap in our understanding.