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A Radio network is a network system which distributes radio programming to multiple radio stations. Most radio networks also produce much of their programming. Originally, radio networks owned some or all of the radio stations that broadcast the network's programming. Presently however, there are many networks that do not own any stations and only produce and/or distribute programing. Similarly station ownership does not always indicate network affiliation. A company might own stations in several different markets and purchase programing from a variety of networks.

Radio networks rose rapidly with the growth of regular broadcasting of radio to home listeners in the 1920s.

The growth took various paths in different places. In Britain the BBC was developed with government funding and a broadcasting monopoly in its early decades. In contrast in the United States of America various competing commercial networks arose funded by advertising revenue.

Early on programs were sent to affiliate stations by various methods, including over telephone lines, on pre-recorded gramophone records, and somewhat later via relay stations. Later on coaxial cable linking stations became the norm.

Many early radio networks evolved into Television networks.

1 Radio Networks in various nations

1.1 Canada

• Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
• CBC Radio One
• CBC Radio Two
• CBC Radio ThreeCBC Radio Three is a website devoted to Canadian arts and music. Operated by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Radio Three had its genesis in a 1997 plan to open a third radio network, complementing CBC Radio One and CBC Radio Two, devoted to youth c

1.2 IndiaThe Republic of India is a large multicultural country in South Asia, with a population of over one billion. The Indian economy is the fourth largest in the world, in terms of purchasing power parity, and is the world's second-fastest growing economy.

• All India RadioFor the electronica band, see All India Radio (band All India Radio is a radio broadcaster operated by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting in India. Radio broadcasting began in India in 1927, with two privately-owned transmitters at Mumbai and Ca (AIR)

1.3 IndonesiaThe Republic of Indonesia the world's largest archipelago, is located between the Southeast Asian peninsula and Australia, between the Indian and Pacific Oceans. Indonesia borders Malaysia on the island of Borneo ( Kalimantan in Bahasa Indonesia), Papua N

• Radio Republik Indonesia (RRI)

1.4 IrelandThe island of Ireland ire in Irish, Airlann in Ulster Scots) is the third-largest island in Europe. It lies on the west side of the Irish Sea, close to the island of Great Britain. It is composed of the Republic of Ireland in the south and Northern Irelan

• RTÉ Radio 1RTE Radio 1 dates back to January 1st 1926, when the Dublin radio station 2RN began broadcasting on a regular basis. A relay of 2RN in Cork, known as 6CK, opened in 1927. A high power transmitter at Athlone in County Westmeath, opened in 1932. From then o
• 2FMRTE 2FM or 2FM as it is commonly referred to, is RTE's second national radio station. It broadcasts popular music programming and youth-programmes. RTE Radio 2, as it was originally originally known, began broadcasts in 1979. Like Clockwork" by the Boomto
• RTÉ Lyric FMRTE Lyric FM part of Radio Telefis Eireann, is an Irish radio station. It plays mainly classical music and jazz music. The station, which is based in Limerick, was launched in 1999 and is available via the Internet. RTE Lyric FM grew out of an earlier sta
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