8. Conclusion

In the conclusion I reflect on what this historical overview of the role of radio critics and the development of radio criticism has told us about the changing relationship between radio broadcasting, the press and the wider dominant culture. I begin by returning to the conceptual framework introduced at the start of the book, including the linked concepts of frames, expertise and impact, and how these help us to understand and explore how radio critics play an important role as cultural intermediaries. In particular I reflect on how they have come to position radio for the public, playing an important role in defining what is good or popular radio, helping us to collectively understand and appreciate radio. However, I also reflect on how their various approaches raise concerns about the dominance of a textual focus within their work, which has meant the mass media nature of radio has often been forgotten. This has also meant that their work, mostly, has failed to develop a form of critical reflection more attuned to the aural nature of radio. I end by suggesting that while in the digital age there is still a need for a media-based or public-created radio critic, there needs to be more cross fertilisation between radio scholars and media critics to create a more robust and adequate critical approach to radio.