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Thanks to the combination of music and radio, songs fill today's modern society and radio music lingers in the streets, stores, residences, cars and workshops. Tony Schwartxzs, an American celebrity engaged in media, after investigating the influence of religious programs and media on people and their life styles, thought that man has a similar attitude towards God and media and reached the conclusion that the second God is media. He also held a view that "media are so omniscient that they provide the public with plenty of information which is usually presented in the form of entertainment." In fact, despite the differences in region, function and serving target, all the radio stations look on music as important method to be widely applied to the production of radio programs. Where there is a radio, there is music.

Being one type of mass culture and transmitted by waves, radio music possesses the characteristics of the mass media. The rapid development of modern electronic technology enables radio music to spread so directly and extensively that it penetrates into human social life and takes root among the masses. More and more new comers take part in musical activities, through which music deeply influences people's ideology and behavior since the whole society is accessible to radio music. Music has become indispensable in people's lives. As a kind of auditory art beyond time and space, it is a language with a great strength that knows no boundaries, ideological gaps and linguistic words but is understood all over the world-hence being reputed to be a world language and popular with the audience. With the trend towards cultural integration, mass involvement of radio music will become a world fashion. Either classical or pop music will approach the public in different forms so as to locate itself properly. However, the audience has a large variety of levels. For example, in Guangdong proving which has great economic achievements, the 1990 census shows that the population who had at least finished senior middle school only accounts for 11.8%. This means majority of the audience have middle and low cultural levels. There are five billion people in the world, among whom nearly one billion are illiterate and least developed in music. Therefore they take the first step of looking for a music dynamic and acquiring music perception for the purpose of relaxation, entertainment and amusement. To adapt themselves to the different levels of the audience, a large majority of China's radio stations mainly deal with popular programs whose content is suitable for mass levels and needs, That is it's easy to be understood and accepted. Because the popular radio programs are inevitably linked with pop music, there are grounds to believe that radio music in the 21st century with its priority on pop music will appeal to both refined and popular taste. Characterized by mass involvement, it will fully evince its popularization, entertainment, relaxation and emotionalism.

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This century witnessed the technological revolution in media, the biggest and most significant social reform which was considered on a par with the industrial revolution in Europe in the 18th century. Just as Canadian scholar Marshall Mcluhan pointed out, "medium is information" and it has unprecedented influence on the society. Being one type of media that has undergone oral, written, printing and electronic stages, radio becomes attached to music from the beginning. Technological progress also has had marked influence on music's role and status in the society. The recording invented by Edison created a prerequisite for the reform in music transmission, which subsequently underwent drastic changes, due to a series of technological inventions. Namely, microphones, transistor amplifiers, magnetic tapes, slow-revolving discs, stereos etc. as well as the establishment of short-wave radio stations in the 1950s. Thanks to the rapid development of the technological media, electro-acoustical equipment is exploited not only to spread music, but also to produce music. For instance, electronic music which was a hit in the 1950s has long been influencing pop music. Following the success of amplitude modulation (AM) and frequency modulation (FM), hi-tech digital audio broadcast (DAB) came into being at the end of this century, It's extensive application will popularize radio music globe-wide and guarantee its quality and efficiency. Nevertheless, radio music is not perfect. In the multi-media era, various media compete with each other with more and more novel means to obtain optimum diffusion effect. MTV appeals to the masses taking advantage of its form whereas newspaper, "solidified carrier", although it doesn't produce sound, illustrates music in such a way that "it remains everlasting and will not fade away with the passage of time". In addition, such new consumption items as video, computer, hi-fis and so on have already squeezed radio stations out of the golden hours. No wonder the relevant statistical data shows that compared to other media, radio tends to decline as a whole. With the cultural consumption of the whole society moving towards unprecedented equality, radio faces challenge and competition. In order to regain its great strength, it has to be fully aware of its features of audibility and adaptability and its advantages of being extensive, direct, prompt, affordable and portable. Moreover pluralist programs with good tastes and high standards and quality have to be produced.

In a broad sense, the radio music audience includes all the people who are interested in music and listen to the radio. As a carrier of music, man is the basic and active element in the social structure while the sub-structure is made up of those who differ in age, profession and cultural level-hence resulting in "a variety of interests and tastes". That is, different inner needs for music and disparities in preference. The audience has already changed with China's economic transformation. Apart from providing the programs suitable for all people, radio stations must satisfy the pluralist demands of different listeners. As a result, nearly 1,200 professional radio stations have been established recently in China.

As far as programs are concerned, two problems exist in China's radio music. First, there are few varieties of music while pop music dominates too much. Second, there are few programs with high standards. Indisputably pop music is a cultural phenomenon. Today's mainstream is compatible and applicable in different countries, regions and social systems. As the market economy is introduced in China, the culture form which used to be dominated by ideology now depends on people because they are God. To follow the fashion, a large majority of radio stations favor thriving pop music and mass involvement. Under these circumstances, some vulgar music mingling with the good produces a negative effect on the society. Advocating high-taste radio music requires radio stations to take a proper orientation towards economy, ideology,intelligence, aesthetic judgment and entertainment. In addition, self-discipline must be conducted to overcome commercial barrier, eliminate vulgarity and promote positive civilization. Only thus can the programs become a galaxy of value. This preeminent realm is a kind of "elite culture", which is of a concern for the society, the times, the nation and civilization, rather than a type of superiority.

While radio music favors mass culture, the problem of insufficiently tasteful programs needs to be solved so as to satisfy the needs of high-level recipients. Actually pop music and its listeners just occupy one part in a big radio station which should have diversified programs in form, taste and content in order to satisfy all people. And it's very important for the professionals to acquire musicianship. As a famous quotation goes, "life of radio depends on research". The prerequisite to implement reform full of creativity is that music producers should keep on conducting research on the audience's requirements and program arrangement. The programs with good taste and high quality depend on the producers' experience, creativity and sustainable enthusiasm. The content of programs together with the unique style and dexterity of radio stations, play a vital role in deciding whether radio music is beloved by the masses.

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The reality created by mass media in the 21st century ushered in mass society and a fundamentally new radio culture. As a cultural phenomenon with a feature of mass involvement, radio music has potential and realistic value. In essence, radio music, which consists of image and consciousness, is a unity of spirit and material, as well as initial musical forms and its social functions. Music produces various primitive functions and helps people constantly attain the best "peak experience" (Maslow, Abraham). Therefore the initial musical forms can satisfy the people's needs for the true, the good and the beautiful. And music helps people gain momentum for self-fulfillment. Making entertainment as a medium of education, radio music excels in one of its functions, that is, aesthetic cognition. The musical behavior depends on a series of objective and subjective factors. Although radio music is a kind of consumption which obtains enjoyment and entertainment from music, it also improves and develops people's wisdom, morality, knowledge, ideology and personality, through delightful education and encouragement. The beauty of music has a special value and role in the growth of a person with a view to the positive "aesthetic mental orientation which should be possessed by the individual, the group and the society because it will better the individual, bring the group into full play and create a more suitable social environment for people's advancement." ("PSYCHOLOGY OF MUSIC" by Luo Xiaoping and Huang Hong, Page 88) However, aesthetic cognition is not innate; instead it results from conscious education and unconscious edification. Compared to aesthetic education at school, radio music has broader scope with its eyes on the whole society. Meanwhile radio music should create chances for the audience, to have access accessible to all kinds of music, and to learn to be aesthetic and meditative while entertaining themselves, thus genuinely attaining "lofty enjoyment" (Aristotle).

The 21st century will witness has witnessed a society with high technology, rapid development and frequent cultural exchange. Despite differences in political system, ideology, cultural tradition, social development and surviving space, modern countries have something in common, that is, music bringing them close together. As a carrier of information and an important Method of for cultural exchange and construction, radio music will have more attention paid to it all over the world. Influenced by lucid world-consciousness, China's radio music will integrate with the world fever for culture in terms of cultural spirit, open cultural stance, ideology, social psychology, aesthetic taste and behavior. As a result, China will take in the quintessence of human civilization and go to the world arena. Moreover more efforts will be put on the noblest musical thought and artistic standard so as to gain the most impressive currency and influence. The unity of mass involvement and social benefits is one of the most important characteristics of socialist radio music in China.