Radio network

A Radio network is a network system which distributes radio programming to multiple radio stations. Most radio networks also produce much of their programming. Originally, radio networks owned some or all of the radio stations that broadcast the network's programming. Presently however, there are many networks that do not own any stations and only produce and/or distribute programing. Similarly station ownership does not always indicate network affiliation. A company might own stations in several different markets and purchase programing from a variety of networks.

Radio networks rose rapidly with the growth of regular broadcasting of radio to home listeners in the 1920s.

The growth took various paths in different places. In Britain the BBC was developed with government funding and a broadcasting monopoly in its early decades. In contrast in the United States of America various competing commercial networks arose funded by advertising revenue.

Early on programs were sent to affiliate stations by various methods, including over telephone lines, on pre-recorded gramophone records, and somewhat later via relay stations. Later on coaxial cable linking stations became the norm.

Many early radio networks evolved into Television networks.

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