The Media School

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Prof. Sean Street launches third book
A history of pre-war commercial radio stations

Ten years of research by Professor Sean Street will culminate in the publication of the lecturer's third book on radio history next month.

The book, Crossing the Ether: Pre-War Public Service Radio and Commercial Competition in the UK, documents the history of the pioneering pre-war commercial radio stations.

Prof. Street said, "If you read the major histories of broadcasting in this country, you would be forgiven for believing that the history of pre-war radio is actually the history of the BBC, but in fact there was this whole other structure of commercial radio from Europe."

Prof. Street spent ten years searching the BBC archives, and interviewing those who were involved in commercial radio from that period. He said that the topic is of importance because it's an area of broadcasting history that's never before been investigated. He added, "We live in a constant present - always looking for some new technology or innovation. There's a real danger that we will cease to look back at the past and think about where the things we have today (commercial radio, podcasts etc) really come from."

Crossing the Ether will be published in June, and contains a CD with examples of early 20th century radio broadcasts.His following book, the Historical Dictionary of British Radio, will be published in August.

Prof. Street teaches students on the MA Radio Production course, and is Director of the Centre for Broadcasting History Research at Bournemouth University.

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