Every broadcaster has an off day or two. This job isn't easy! Between trying to build an audience, making sure your selection of songs are great, and praying no tech problems occur during your broadcasts, being a radio person takes a lot of work. It's natural to feel like giving up sometimes.
Whenever we're feeling down over here at Live365, one thing that cheers us up is absorbing nuggets of advice from sage leaders. More specifically - taking a look at inspirational quotes! We love quotes because they are little memorable sayings packed with motivation. Not only can learning them improve your morale, reciting them for others can boost their enthusiasm, too!
Even if you're doing well in your radio career right now, we feel these 15 quotes are great ways to express gratitude for the medium. If you're a radio fanatic, you'll appreciate them. Plus, you know what's a great party trick? Reciting lots of quotes for others! People will think you have a fantastic memory. Or maybe they'll think you're very wise.
Without further ado, here are the best quotes about radio bound to make you smile!
"With radio, the listener absorbs everything."
-Bob Edwards
Legendary American broadcaster Bob Edwards has a point. Scientifically, he's not wrong: even if a person has the radio on but isn't paying attention, radio waves are able to penetrate through biological tissue. So yes, listeners literally absorb everything!
"In radio, you have two tools. Sound and silence."
-Ira Glass
Ira Glass began working on radio as a teenager. He is now the host and producer of the radio and television series This American Life and has participated in other NPR programs, including Morning Edition, All Things Considered, and Talk of the Nation. We think this is a great quote to remember whenever broadcasting work gets a bit too stressful. It breaks the complicated labor down into two simple elements. It also emphasizes that silence isn't your enemy - it can also be your friend. Just take a deep breath, and remember: all you're working with is sound and silence.
"It's not true I had nothing on, I had the radio on."
-Marilyn Monroe
Yes, even legendary movie star Marilyn Monroe enjoyed listening to radio! This is actually a cheeky quote from Monroe that, according to Quote Investigator, came from Sheilah Graham's gossip column in 1952. The column read: "A pompous visitor asked Marilyn Monroe at Niagara— 'Is it true that when you posed for that famous calendar photograph, Miss Monroe, you had nothing on?' 'No,' said our Marilyn, 'I had the radio on.'" We love a clever lady who knows how to dodge an intrusive question with grace.
"TV gives everyone an image, but radio gives birth to a million images in a million brains."
-Peggy Noonan
People say video killed the radio star, but Wall Street Journal columnist Peggy Noonan proves why radio has survived for dozens of years: it allows listeners to use their imaginations in a way TV can't do. This quote comes from Noonan's memoir, What I Saw at the Revolution: A Political Life in the Reagan Era.
"Radio is the most intimate and socially personal medium in the world."
-Harry Von Zell
We wholeheartedly agree with Harry. If radio wasn't intimate and socially personal, we wouldn't have the Golden Age of Radio, nor would talk radio's modern iteration, podcasts, be so popular today. Von Zell would know all about radio's ability to reach out to people: he was an American radio announcer between 1925 to 1975.
"Our blessed radio. It gives us eyes and ears into the world. We listen to the German station only for good music. And we listen to the BBC for hope."
-Anne Frank
This quote, written by the beloved Anne Frank in her famous diary, shows just how life-saving radio can be. Radio is typically used for pleasure, but can also be used for critical matters, too. As Anne communicates, both modes of radio are important for mankind's wellbeing.
"Surround yourself with music. Just be sure to turn the radio on."
-Lisa M
Lisa M is a Puerto Rican singer/songwriter who is regarded as the queen of Spanish rap in the 90s. She's also considered the first female rapper to debut in Latin America. Lisa's legacy has never failed to inspire, and this quote just proves how moving her words can be. Maybe on a deeper level, this quote has something to do with work ethic and having to "turn on" opportunities. But on the surface level, we love what this quote has to say about radio's legitimacy, especially in the music business.
"Radio is the playground of coincidence."
-Sarah Vowell
A more abstract quote by American author Sarah Vowell. We're not 100% sure what it means, but we do understand how listening to radio can lead to awesome discoveries. Whether you find new artists to enjoy, entertaining talk shows to tune in to, or a station that plays everything you like, radio can definitely feel like a playground of findings. And hey, maybe it can lead to some coincidences for your listeners, too!
"Radio affects most intimately, person-to-person, offering a world of unspoken communication between writer-speaker and the listener."
-Marshall McLuhan
A beautiful saying by Canadian philosopher and media theorist Marshall McLuhan. Back then, old-time radio dramas and specials left audiences full of wonder. Now, it's peppy DJs and welcoming radio show personalities that keep people coming back to the medium.
"I prefer radio to TV because the pictures are better."
-Alistair Cooke
This is a snappier version of Peggy Noonan's quote about TV and radio. Alistair Cooke was a British-American writer whose work as a journalist, television personality, and radio broadcaster was done primarily in the United States. Even with the excitement surrounding the dawn of TV during his time, it's pretty notable Cooke still picks radio over a screen.
"Radio was supposed to die in 1945, when TV came along. It turns out that radio grew and grew, and it's a bigger business today than it has ever been."
-Alex Blumberg
Blumberg sure is right! For those who don't know, he's an American radio journalist and former producer for public radio and television. He's best known for his work on This American Life and Planet Money. He's also the co-founder and CEO of the podcast network Gimlet Media. Clearly, Blumberg is still profiting off of radio despite its apparent "death" in 1945, and so can you. Whether you choose broadcasting, podcasting, or another related field, the world of audio has so much in store for anyone who chooses to pursue it.
"Anytime in radio that you can reach somebody on an emotional level, you're really connecting."
-Casey Kasem
Treasured American DJ Casey Kasem highlights the beauty of radio in this quote. Kasem managed to reach many audience members on an emotional level thanks to his warm personality on American Top 40. Sometimes, connecting with someone through radio can be even more impactful than face-to-face conversations. It's just as legitimate, too. Try to find ways to emotionally connect with your listeners during your next broadcast!
"The great improvement of the radio over the telephone is that it may be turned off without offending the speaker."
-Richard Armour
Ever worried your listeners are absolutely hating what you're programming? American poet Richard Armour points out that with radio, someone turning off your work isn't such a big deal. It's not like you're directly engaging with one person: you're communicating with the public over audio. One person doesn't like your broadcasting, they can just shut it off and you'll still have more people to delight. Even if your station isn't getting a lot of traffic, at least the possibility of more listeners is out there.
"Radio... that wonderful invention by which I can reach millions of people... who fortunately can't reach me."
-Milton Berle
This quote and Armour's go together, in a sense. Comedian Milton Berle points out that there's no reason to be embarrassed by your broadcasting personality because at least nobody can make rude remarks at you while you're trying to entertain the masses. That's the advantage radio has over stand-up comedy: no hecklers! In our opinion, it's what makes radio so peaceful.
"On some nights, I still believe that a car with the gas needle on empty can run about fifty more miles if you have the right music very loud on the radio."
-Hunter S. Thompson
We can't tell you how much we adore this gorgeous, poetic quote. Journalist Hunter S. Thompson reminds us of radio's power, its magic, through a road metaphor. It reminds us why we love radio so much in the first place, and inspires us to keep programming in the hopes it will give energy to someone who desperately needs it. Who knows: your broadcasting may even fuel an empty gas tank!
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Article Image: A woman holds a radio up in the air while smiling. (stockimagefactory.com via DepositPhotos.)
