ABSTRACT
This chapter looks at how the operation, production, and distribution of electronic media programming has changed through the years, especially with the advent of cable, satellite, and Internet as program delivery systems. Radio stations changed their organizational charts and operations, and consolidating station jobs among group personnel became common. The general management of a radio station, sometimes one general manager in smaller stations but often a management team, is responsible for policy planning, hiring and firing, payroll and accounting, purchasing, contract administration and fulfillment, and the maintenance of offices, studios, and workplaces. The engineering department, which often includes information technology is responsible for the operation, care, and installation of technical broadcast equipment. Typically, a basic early radio production system consists of microphones to pick up sounds or phonograph records and magnetic recordings of prerecorded shows. The programming functions of early radio included securing programming from a network and creating enough programming to fill the rest of the broadcast transmission schedule.
