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This glossary of terms used in broadcasting is a list of definitions of terms and concepts related to both radio and television broadcasting, along with the industry in general.
A modulation technique used in electronic communication where the amplitude (signal strength) of the wave is varied in proportion to that of the message signal. Developed in the early 1900s, this technique is most commonly used for transmitting an audio signal via a radio wave measured in kilohertz (kHz). See AM broadcasting.
A broadcast clock is a diagram produced by a program director or a producer to illustrate where each programming element appears in a typical hour.
Authorization for a radio or television station within their respective country to operate, usually with specifications and restrictions on power input, antenna placement, interference mitigation, and in some cases, the specific hours a station can operate.
1. A specific interruption of regularly scheduled programming for coverage of a major news event.
1. A frequency designation for use by a radio or television station by a broadcasting regulator. More commonly associated with television, see television channel.
(North America) A city or town designation for a radio or television station by the terms of its broadcast license, e.g., "licensed to serve". In the United States, used in conjunction with a radio or television station's call sign for a station identification at regular intervals.
(North America) A former definition for high-powered AM stations with the maximum protection from interference by other stations that use the same frequency, arranged by international treaty. Defined by the FCC as Class I-A stations, this was retired in favor of Class A status in the 1980s.
A part of a program played before the title sequence, usually featuring a cliffhanger or prefiguring the plot of the episode to follow.
A radio antenna with two identical dipole antennas mounted at right angles to each other and fed in phase quadrature, resulting in the two currents applied being 90 degrees out of phase. Nicknamed a "turnstile antenna" as the antenna resembles a turnstile when viewed horizontally. Commonly used in FM broadcasting. [5]
Digital on-screen graphic: A common practice of displaying on-screen the logo of a television station, a network, a sponsoring company or the program itself. Commonly referred to as a "bug" because it looks like an insect is hanging out in the corner of the screen, typically as a translucent image in the right hand bottom corner. Controversial due to "screenburn" issues, found to be distracting, among other reasons.
Shorthand for "educational and informative", part of a series of regulations on children's television programming in the United States. [7] [8]
A news service based out of New York, New York, United States, with multiple international bureaus and features punditry programming with a largely conservative slant. Owned by Fox Corporation.
The number of occurrences of a repeating event per unit of time.
A modulation technique used in electronic communication where the instantaneous frequency of the wave is varied, with the instantaneous frequency deviation having a functional relation to the modulating signal amplitude. Invented by Edwin Howard Armstrong, this technique is most commonly used for transmitting an audio signal via a radio wave measured in megahertz (MHz). See FM broadcasting.
1. A radio or television station generally not linked to a major network.
Thousand cycles per second. Used electromagnetically to measure medium wave and short wave frequencies.
The appearance of black bars at the top and bottom of a picture when 16:9 or 14:9 widescreen material is shown on 4:3 sets.
A written record of broadcasting. There are typically three logs:
A specific spectrum of the medium frequency (MF) radio band allocated for AM radio broadcasting.
Million cycles per second. Used electromagnetically to measure FM broadcasts and television.
A former major radio network in the United States established in 1934 as a cooperative among affiliate stations.
A system which distributes programming to multiple stations simultaneously, or slightly delayed, for the purpose of extending total broadcast coverage beyond the limits of a single radio or television signal.
A scrolling ticker at the bottom of the display of television content. It is usually reserved for text headlines or numeric statistics (or both) depending upon the focus of the channel.
A radio or television station in the United States that does not accept any on-air advertising. Some early NCE stations were founded as extensions of area universities or school districts and offered (and in some cases, still offer) in-school educational programming.
1. A radio or television station that operates without legal authorization by their respective country's broadcasting regulator. Depending on the country, said regulators can enforce penalties on the operators and confiscate equipment. [11] In the United Kingdom, stations like Radio Caroline and Radio Atlanta proliferated in the 1960s via offshore transmissions as a challenge to the BBC's monopoly on radio broadcasting. [12] [13]
A form of electronic media outlets whose primary mission is public service. Usually funded by outside and diverse sources including licence fees, individual contributions, public financing and commercial financing. Can be operated on either a national level via a singular organization (e.g., the BBC), or on a local level via a network of affiliated stations.
The description of programming and content broadcast over a radio station. Can be defined by genre, musical selections, or other thematic elements. Sometimes employed to reach a specific age group or demographic.
1. The broadcast of the same program from multiple transmitters.
American satellite radio platform.
A small portion (usually one or two sentences) of an audio recording (often an interview) used to illustrate a news story in the words of the interviewee (c.f. a quotation from a politician).
A procedure commonly used on radio and television stations in the United States in which the respective station's call sign and city of license is read aloud on radio and displayed visually on television (and in some instances, read aloud). Typically done on an hourly basis.
1. Recording studio: a specialized facility used for sound recording, mixing and audio production.
A monopole antenna consisting of one or more horizontal wires suspended between two supports and insulated from them at the ends, resulting in a "T" shape. These supports can either be a radio mast or a building. Developed as an outgrowth of wireless telegraphy, it is still typically used for shortwave transmissions, amateur radio, and some medium wave AM stations. [19] [20]
An electronic device connected to an antenna that generates a radio frequency alternating current. When this current is applied to the antenna, it is excited and radiates radio waves. [21]
A television series in which two or more regular programs are rotated in the same time slot, sometimes with an umbrella title.
Defunct American satellite radio platform.
An unlicensed FM station (often run by an amateur radio operator) that manages to occupy a commercial or state-run FM band is an example of a pirate or "bootleg" radio station