Nope - "carrier" actually is a physics term. When you need to transmit some sort of signal via airwave, you're on a certain frequency, which is how fast the wave "wiggles". But if its a constant frequency, how can you transmit information, which is constantly changing (like voices)? Thats done by "modulating" (changing) the carrier wave.
The most simple way to think about it is take a wave whose peaks are always spread equally apart, no matter what. Equally spaced wiggles. Then, take one peak and make it bigger. Take the peak after that and make it even bigger. Then, make the next one smaller, the next one smaller, smaller, bigger, bigger and so on, going higher and lower as you move along the peaks.
The spacing is still the same, but now if you draw a curve connecting those peaks and remove the original wave, you'll have drawn a new wave. That small, always wiggling wave is the carrier, and the wave riding from peak to peak is the modulation.
Thats how AM radio stations can transmit different frequency sounds on a single frequency/ carrier channel.
The carrier itself carries no information unless its modulated, and just steps on other carrier waves that do have information (like other planes). So he doesn't necessarily have an open mic, just an open carrier signal...it sounds like static only.
hope that made sense...i'm an engineering student...
