Radio

Radio (Latin radius 'ray') as a short word for radio or broadcast receiver refers to an apparatus for receiving radio broadcasts. In conventional radios, these are transmitted by a broadcasting transmitter by means of terrestrial transmission (such as antenna television) via electromagnetic waves or as high-frequency electrical signals via broadband cable (such as cable television). The received information is essentially converted into sound; to a small extent, the broadcast signal may additionally contain data and information, such as the RDS data which, for example, enables the station name to be transmitted.

In addition to a radio receiver, radio can be received with special extensions, additional devices, USB sticks, computer programs or suitable model series, for example from:

• computers (streaming audio, Internet radio),
• audiovisual players (tape recorders, CD and DVD players) and television sets
• Mobile phones,
• Watches and
• Toys

and with

• analogue and digital satellite or cable television reception equipment, and
• digital receivers of various reception technologies such as SDR or Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM), DAB, HD Radio and other DVB processes

be received.

Language

Historically, the terms "radio", "Rundfunk" and "broadcasting" competed at the beginning of broadcasting in Germany. In 1924, "broadcasting" was written in brackets after "Rundfunk" in letters from Austrian authorities. The Reichspostverwaltung in Berlin rejected the buzzword "radio". Radio, they said, was nothing more than a beam. At that time, the Reichspost acted as a guardian of language. For example, it banned the words "poste restante" and "recommanded letter" from its correspondence. So their vote against the word radio carried weight.

In common German it means the radio, derived from the radio set. In Central and Northern Germany it is always a neuter. In Southern Germany, Austrian German and Swiss High German, the radio is also common, derived from the radio apparatus.

Furthermore, both in German-speaking countries and in global usage, the word "radio" denotes a radio or radio station or a chain of stations such as Radio Bremen, Swiss Radio and Television or Radio Canada International. The short form "radio" is always neuter in this meaning, unless a compound noun is formed that requires otherwise (such as "the radio station").

Classification as a radio receiver

In Germany, a radio is a radio receiver within the meaning of the German Interstate Broadcasting Treaty, i.e. a 'technical device which is suitable for the wireless or wire-bound, non-time-delayed listening or viewing or recording of radio broadcasts (radio and television)'.