Ninety Years of Radio 2 Expanding to Lifelong Learning Broadcasting and Internet Radio

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  • ラジオ第2放送90年 生涯学習波への広がりとインターネット展開
  • ラジオ ダイ2 ホウソウ 90ネン ショウガイ ガクシュウハ エ ノ ヒロガリ ト インターネット テンカイ

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Abstract

NHK's Radio 2 commenced in 1931 and are celebrating its 90th anniversary in 2021. It was established as NHK's second radio service, in addition to the later called Radio 1, and its primary purpose was to provide educational programs. Radio 2 was nicknamed “niju hoso,” or “dual broadcasting” (strictly speaking, the second one of dual broadcasting), as it aired different programs simultaneously with the main service, which tells NHK also had a clear intention of giving the audience a wider selection of content with two services; not interrupting live baseball coverage for market reports was one example. Radio 2 was also called “city broadcasting” because the service was limited to Tokyo, Osaka, and Nagoya in the pre-war period, in comparison with the national broadcasting service of Radio 1. In the post-war period, initially Radio 2 aired many live sports and music programs, but as live sports coverage was later moved to Radio 1, and music programs to NHK FM, which was launched in 1969, Radio 2 gradually established its status as educational broadcasting service. Its main educational content consisted of NHK School Broadcasts, NHK High School Courses, and language programs, but School Broadcasts programs were increasingly shifted to television, and culture programs and welfare programs were added instead. With culture and welfare programs as well as language programs that had been aired since the launch of the service and NHK High School Courses (since 1953), Radio 2 started to play a role of broadcasting service for lifelong learning in the 1980s. According to NHK Corporate Plan (FY 2021-2023), NHK will start discussion on re-organizing radio broadcasting services and reduce channels from three (R1, R2, and FM) to two (AM and FM), taking account of audience preferences. While the ratings of radio broadcasting are falling, internet radio services and audio media are attracting more attention under the COVID-19 pandemic. Following the studies on Radio 2 broadcasting that were reported on the occasion of its 70th anniversary in 2001, this paper reviews the service anew as it reached the 90th anniversary milestone, centering on its internet strategies since the 2000th as well as the history of language programs and NHK High School Courses.

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