ABSTRACT
Radio is an important, yet often overlooked, part of the British media industries. This chapter is divided into two main sections. The first part focuses on the historical development of radio in Britain, with a particular focus on the formation of the BBC and development of public service broadcasting. The second part moves on to examine the commercialisation and expansion of radio in Britain since the 1970s and highlights some of the key features of the contemporary radio industry, including: concentration of ownership within the commercial sector; rivalry between the BBC and commercial radio broadcasters; and the impact of the growth of online delivery on the radio industry in Britain today.
