Blog 6: Radio (EOTO)

For my EOTO project, I chose the radio, which is “sound communication by radio waves, usually through the transmission of music, news, and other types of programs from single broadcast stations to multitudes of individual listeners equipped with radio receivers.” (Sterling) The radio was invented by a man named Guglielmo Marconi. In 1894, he began experimenting with radio waves as a student at the Livorno Technical Institute. He later created the Marconi Telegraph Company in 1899 and he successfully sent wireless signals across the Atlantic Ocean in 1901. 

The first radio with a tuner was in 1916. The tuner models were designed to receive AM broadcast bands. As FM became more popular and the primary listening focus, AM's limitations of distances caused more radios to be manufactured with both.

Radio continued to spread across the world and blossomed in the 1920s and 30s. This was the beginning of live broadcasting in America. By 922, many companies began to grow with over 550 news stations. Some did not last very long due to the expensive costs of equipment and production. The Golden Age of American radio was from 1930 to 1955. From 1933 to 1944 many Americans would sit around their radio and listen to President Roosevelt’s “Fire Side Chats” which would update the public on government decisions and connect with them. Radio became the main way for entertainment by using storytelling and talk shows. From comedy with Ed Wynn to horror with Richard Widmark, radio a variety for any person.  Although radio is still used today, television took a toll on its popularity by gets its news and entertainment on a screen. 

Radio sparked an increase in advertising, encouraging people to buy products presented between segments and music. The American Telephone and Telegraph Company (AT&T) brought advertising to American radio when their radio station in New York City (WEAF) began selling time slots for “toll broadcasting.” The first commercial ever aired was a real-estate ad offering apartments in Jackson Heights, Queens. This fifteen-minute-long commercial was only the beginning of radio advertising which very soon began the advertising medium. 

Today, the popularity of radio for the purpose of music has become used less often due to music streaming services. However, the radio allowed people to listen to a variety of music from different locations easily. It encouraged the exploration of different genres and brought musicians more fame by spreading their music farther. It brought rock n’ roll in the 1950s, inventing “Top 40” programming. This radio show played the most popular songs as well as had different “disc jockeys” per time of the day. This went away the programs and storytelling and more of an announcer and light-hearted jokes.

Citations:

Skretvedt, Randy, and Christopher H. Sterling. “Radio.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 15 Nov. 2018, www.britannica.com/topic/radio.

“Guglielmo Marconi.” Biography.com, A&E Networks Television, 25 June 2020, www.biography.com/inventor/guglielmo-marconi.

(Photo)

Wilson, Sarah. “How to Start an Internet Radio Station From Home: A Step-By-Step Guide.” Airtime Pro, 2 June 2020, www.airtime.pro/how-to-start-an-internet-radio-station-a-step-by-step-guide/.

Contributor, Honey Good, et al. “From The Radio Days to The Present - How to Deal With a Pandemic.” Honey Good®, 31 May 2020, www.honeygood.com/from-the-radio-days-to-the-present-dealing-with-a-pandemic/.