This was a very interesting lecture about radio. Starting with some historical facts and outline the importance of that medium through the decades, Schlag also pointed on the medium’s importance for the future.
The radio has already been around since the 20s and even in Austria as early in 1924. The Nazis did already take over the Austrian RAVAG station in 1938, which shows the importance of the medium already in its early days. Interestingly somewhat of the same happened in 2000, when people from the right-wing parties overtook a radio station in Klagenfurt. An interesting fact was that the short news messages were developed under the second world war, to quickly be able to inform people about the latest events; A format that is quite essential today.
In the 60s the Ö-channels were established and were like fresh breath in the Austrian radio scene. Ö1 was mostly for the “establishment” playing classical music and having a wish to educate their audience. On the contrary the Ö3 played a lot more POP music, with influences from other continents as well. MusicBox was a part of this, and that was a format that tried to bring some really new stuff onto the table, often in a somewhat rudimentary style. Schlag joined the format in 86 and stayed there onto the 90s. His key interest was on features and played a key role in bringing this format to the station. After some years in television, Schlag returned to radio where he still is today. Now he is mostly involved in Ö1, which fosters a potpourri of entertainment, education and political knowledge.
Even if the internet has “intruded” our lives, Schlag is sure that the radio still will be around in the future. Especially in these times where a lot of fake news are around, which in worst cases are trying to destabilize Europe, the need for an educational and well-reflected voice is as important as ever before. That makes the radio still a very important medium, and it will be for the future.
