Distribution of audio or audiovisual content to dispersed audiences

Broadcasting

Broadcasting

Broadcasting is the <a href="/en/Distribution_(business)" title="Distribution (business)" class="mw-redirect wl">distribution</a> of <a href="/en/Sound" title="Sound" class="wl">audio</a> or video content to a dispersed <a href="/en/Audience" title="Audience" class="wl">audience</a> via any electronic <a href="/en/Medium_(communication)" title="Medium (communication)" class="mw-redirect wl">mass communications medium</a>, but typically one using the <a href="/en/Electromagnetic_spectrum" title="Electromagnetic spectrum" class="wl">electromagnetic spectrum</a> (<a href="/en/Radio_wave" title="Radio wave" class="wl">radio waves</a>), in a <a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/one-to-many" title="wikt:one-to-many" class="extiw" target="_blank">one-to-many</a> model.<a href="#cite_note-peters-1" style="counter-reset: mw-Ref 1;">[1]</a> Broadcasting began with <a href="/en/AM_radio" title="AM radio" class="mw-redirect wl">AM radio</a>, which came into popular use around 1920 with the spread of <a href="/en/Vacuum_tube" title="Vacuum tube" class="wl">vacuum tube</a> <a href="/en/Radio_transmitter" title="Radio transmitter" class="mw-redirect wl">radio transmitters</a> and <a href="/en/Radio_receiver" title="Radio receiver" class="wl">receivers</a>. Before this, most implementations of electronic communication (early <a href="/en/Radio" title="Radio" class="wl">radio</a>, <a href="/en/Telephone" title="Telephone" class="wl">telephone</a>, and <a href="/en/Telegraph" title="Telegraph" class="mw-redirect wl">telegraph</a>) were <a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/one-to-one" title="wikt:one-to-one" class="extiw" target="_blank">one-to-one</a>, with the message intended for a single recipient. The term broadcasting evolved from its use as the agricultural method of sowing seeds in a field by casting them broadly about.<a href="#cite_note-douglas-2" style="counter-reset: mw-Ref 2;">[2]</a> It was later adopted for describing the widespread distribution of information by printed materials<a href="#cite_note-3" style="counter-reset: mw-Ref 3;">[3]</a> or by telegraph.<a href="#cite_note-4" style="counter-reset: mw-Ref 4;">[4]</a> Examples applying it to "one-to-many" radio transmissions of an individual station to multiple listeners appeared as early as 1898.<a href="#cite_note-5" style="counter-reset: mw-Ref 5;">[5]</a>

<div class="shortdescription nomobile noexcerpt noprint searchaux" style="display:none" about="#mwt1">Distribution of audio or audiovisual content to dispersed audiences</div>
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<figure class="mw-default-size wiki-thumb"><a href="/en/File:Broadcasting1.JPG" class="mw-file-description image media-thumb" data-hash="File:Broadcasting1.JPG"><img loading="lazy" alt="Broadcasting1.JPG" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f4/Broadcasting1.JPG/220px-Broadcasting1.JPG" decoding="async" data-file-width="2592" data-file-height="1944" data-file-type="bitmap" height="165" width="220" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f4/Broadcasting1.JPG/330px-Broadcasting1.JPG 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f4/Broadcasting1.JPG/440px-Broadcasting1.JPG 2x"></a><figcaption>A broadcasting antenna in <a href="/en/Stuttgart" title="Stuttgart" class="wl">Stuttgart</a></figcaption></figure>
Over the air broadcasting is usually associated with <a href="/en/Radio_broadcasting" title="Radio broadcasting" class="wl">radio</a> and <a href="/en/Terrestrial_television" title="Terrestrial television" class="wl">television</a>, though more recently, both radio and television transmissions have begun to be distributed by cable (<a href="/en/Cable_television" title="Cable television" class="wl">cable television</a>). The receiving parties may include the general public or a relatively small subset; the point is that anyone with the appropriate receiving technology and equipment (e.g., a radio or television set) can receive the signal. The field of broadcasting includes both government-managed services such as <a href="/en/Public_radio" title="Public radio" class="mw-redirect wl">public radio</a>, <a href="/en/Community_radio" title="Community radio" class="wl">community radio</a> and <a href="/en/Public_television" title="Public television" class="mw-redirect wl">public television</a>, and private <a href="/en/Commercial_radio" title="Commercial radio" class="mw-redirect wl">commercial radio</a> and <a href="/en/Commercial_television" title="Commercial television" class="mw-redirect wl">commercial television</a>. The U.S. Code of Federal Regulations, title 47, part 97 defines "broadcasting" as "transmissions intended for reception by the general public, either direct or relayed".<a href="#cite_note-6" style="counter-reset: mw-Ref 6;">[6]</a> Private or two-way <a href="/en/Telecommunication" title="Telecommunication" class="mw-redirect wl">telecommunications</a> transmissions do not qualify under this definition. For example, <a href="/en/Amateur_radio" title="Amateur radio" class="wl">amateur</a> ("ham") and <a href="/en/Citizens_band_radio" title="Citizens band radio" class="wl">citizens band</a> (CB) radio operators are not allowed to broadcast. As defined, "transmitting" and "broadcasting" are not the same.

Transmission of radio and television programs from a radio or television station to home receivers by <a href="/en/Radio_wave" title="Radio wave" class="wl">radio waves</a> is referred to as "over the air" (OTA) or <a href="/en/Terrestrial_television" title="Terrestrial television" class="wl">terrestrial</a> broadcasting and in most countries requires a <a href="/en/Broadcast_license" title="Broadcast license" class="wl">broadcasting license</a>. Transmissions using a wire or cable, like <a href="/en/Cable_television" title="Cable television" class="wl">cable television</a> (which also retransmits OTA stations with their <a href="/en/Retransmission_consent" title="Retransmission consent" class="wl">consent</a>), are also considered broadcasts but do not necessarily require a license (though in some countries, a license is required). In the 2000s, transmissions of television and radio programs via <a href="/en/Streaming_media" title="Streaming media" class="wl">streaming</a> digital technology have increasingly been referred to as broadcasting as well.<a href="#cite_note-7" style="counter-reset: mw-Ref 7;">[7]</a>

Broadcasting is the distribution of audio or video content to a dispersed audience via any electronic mass communications medium, but typically one using the electromagnetic spectrum , in a one-to-many model. Over the air broadcasting is usually associated with radio and television, though more recently, both radio and television transmissions have begun to be distributed by cable . The receiving parties may include the general public or a relatively small subset; the point is that anyone with the appropriate receiving technology and equipment can receive the signal. The field of broadcasting includes both government-managed services such as public radio, community radio and public television, and private commercial radio and commercial television. The U.S. Code of Federal Regulations, title 47, part 97 defines "broadcasting" as "transmissions intended for reception by the general public, either direct or relayed".  Private or two-way telecommunications transmissions do not qualify under this definition. For example, amateur and citizens band radio operators are not allowed to broadcast. As defined, "transmitting" and "broadcasting" are not the same. Transmission of radio and television programs from a radio or television station to home receivers by radio waves is referred to as "over the air" or terrestrial broadcasting and in most countries requires a broadcasting license.  Transmissions using a wire or cable, like cable television , are also considered broadcasts but do not necessarily require a license .  In the 2000s, transmissions of television and radio programs via streaming digital technology have increasingly been referred to as broadcasting as well. 