Editor’s Remarks: Radio, Audio and Podcasting in Dynamic Times

Abstract

Research in the areas of audio and radio is as dynamic as ever, and we’re excited to continue to receive and publish new and relevant studies from scholars uncovering new information about radio, podcasting and other forms of audio communication, allowing the Journal of Radio and Audio Media (JRAM) to be a premiere international publisher of radio and audio research. We’re also excited to announce that we are beginning a process in this issue of the journal of ‘catching up’ on articles recently published online with which we were a bit behind in getting into a print edition. As you may know, we focus on publishing articles connected to symposium issues in print at the same time they are available online, but for regular articles, we usually publish online first. With so much good research being submitted to JRAM, that procedure has given authors a bit longer than we wanted before the article went into a print edition. With this and upcoming issues, we will work to remedy this situation. The silver lining benefit for the reader is a bigger article count in this outstanding issue, including some podcastrelated studies, some insights into college radio and a continued number of international studies. We start this issue with Joshua M. Bentley’s Analysis of Public Radio Fundraising (Bentley, 2022). It is likely that many professors who read JRAM also work in an academic environment where a public radio station is operated, making this study relevant and useful in multiple ways. Bentley’s study focuses on reasons for listener financial support and finds that the dominant appeal for supporting the station was self-interest. Hirschmeier, Beule, and Tilly (2022) follow with an intriguing analysis of streamed radio content designed to identify sequences using pattern mining techniques. How people listen to ‘radio’ has changed from a completely linear process to now a mostly nonlinear process. As this research points out, however, this new model has not solved broadcasters’ problem of effectively matching content delivery style with audience reception preferences in a manner that keeps them engaged and makes the experience interactive. This study recognizes how current process changes are placing innovation pressure on radio broadcasters. Mary E. Myers provides a historical accounting of Dr. Clarence M. Morgan and his contributions to the broadcasting program at what is JOURNAL OF RADIO & AUDIO MEDIA 2022, VOL. 29, NO. 2, 181–185 https://doi.org/10.1080/19376529.2022.2125176