Historically, there have been several methods used for broadcasting electronic media audio and video to the general public –

• Telephone broadcasting (1881-1932)

The earliest form of electronic broadcasting (not counting data services offered by stock telegraph companies from 1867, if ticker- tapes are excluded from the definition). Telephone broadcasting began with the advent of Théâtrophone (“Theatre Phone”) systems, which were telephone-based distribution systems allowing subscribers to listen to live opera and theatre performances over telephone lines, created by French inventor Clément Ader in 1881. Telephone broadcasting also grew to include telephone newspaper services for news and entertainment programming which were introduced in the 1890s, primarily located in large European cities.

These telephone-based subscription services were the first examples of electrical/electronic broadcasting and offered a wide variety of programming. [citation needed]

• Radio broadcasting

Radio broadcasting (experimentally from 1906, commercially from 1920); audio signals sent through the air as radio waves from a transmitter, picked up by an antenna and sent to a receiver. Radio stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast common radio programs, either in broadcast syndication, simulcast subchannels. 

• Television broadcasting

Television broadcasting (telecast), experimentally from 1925, commercially from the 1930s: an extension of radio to include video signals.

• Cable radio

Cable radio (also called “cable FM”, from 1928) and cable television (from 1932): both via coaxial cable, originally serving principally as transmission media for programming produced at either radio or television stations, but later expanding into a broad universe of cable-originated channels.

• Direct-broadcast satellite

Direct-broadcast satellite (DBS) (from c. 1974) and satellite radio (from c. 1990): meant for direct-to-home broadcast programming (as opposed to studio network uplinks and downlinks), provides a mix of traditional radio or television broadcast programming, or both, with dedicated satellite radio programming.

• Webcasting

Webcasting of video/television (from c. 1993) and audio/radio (from c. 1994) streams: offers a mix of traditional radio and television station broadcast programming with dedicated Internet radio and Internet television.