COM 107.3, Lecture 4/17: The Story of Radio
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This document summarizes the origins and evolution of radio broadcasting from the 1840s to modern times. It describes key inventors and innovations like Morse code, Maxwell's electromagnetic theory, and Marconi's work on wireless telegraphy that led to the development of radio. It then discusses the early commercialization of radio in the US starting in the 1920s, the growth of networks like NBC and CBS, and the development of regulations. The document also outlines the growth of radio formats and the transition to digital radio technologies.
COM 107.3, Lecture 4/17: The Story of Radio
- 1. “Am I Caller 100?” The Origins of Broadcast
- 2. Inventing Radio Morse’s Telegraph (1840s) Allowed message transmission across distance Morse code (1844) Radio waves 1867: James Maxwell’s theory of electromagnetic radiation 1887: Heinrich Hertz discovers “Hertzian Waves”
- 3. The Original “Wireless” Narrrowcasting = point-to-point Broadcasting = point-to-many Guglielmo Marconi (1894) Wireless telegraphy wireless telephony radio Marconi Company makes commercial success
- 4. Radio Starts Reginald Fessenden (1890s) Created “one-to-many” transmission Christmas Eve, 1906 – “O Holy Night” broadcast From Brant Rock, Mass. to ships off Atlantic Coast Lee De Forest – “Father of modern electronics” Audion vacuum tube (1906) Picked up & amplified radio signals
- 5. Early Regulation 1910 – Wireless Ship Act All ships carrying >50 passengers & traveling >200 mi. off the coast MUST have wireless technology Radio Act of 1912 After Titanic sinking All radio stations must have licensed call letters & trained operators Formally adopted SOS distress signal
- 6. The Business of Radio 1919 - RCA (Radio Corporation of America) GE’s private sector, government-run monopoly Created in part due to security concerns of WWI KDKA: 1st Commercial Station (1920) Frank Conrad’s amateur station, 8XK Music & news 2x / week 5 stations in 1921 >600 by 1923
- 7. Business of Radio Revenue Advertising (8% of media ads) Pay-for-play: Up-front pay from record companies to play songs Payola Promoters pay deejays to play records (1950s) Guaranteed sales Ongoing?
- 8. Radio Networks AT&T’s power grab Opposed RCA’s monopoly (but had own!) Made & sold own receivers Began selling ads – “toll broadcasting” 1926 - NBC (National Broadcasting Company) RCA (50%), GE (30%), Westinghouse (20%) 1928 - CBS (Columbia Broadcasting System) William Paley Paid affiliates $50/hr to carry programs
- 9. Radio Act of 1927 Problems Growing power concentration Channel interference Frequency usage Licensees did not own channels, but could use for “public interest, convenience or necessity” Federal Radio Commission (FRC) Dictate stations & frequencies Later FCC (Fed. Comm. Act of 1934)
- 10. Radio’s Golden Age Immediate News Live Music Evening Programming Variety Shows Quiz, etc. Genre Shows Mystery, Comedy, Western Sponsorship Usually one company Cultural Mirror? Reflects the times
- 11. The Power of Radio War of the Worlds (1938)
- 12. Evolution of Radio AM FM Transistors = Portability Format Radio Formula-driven Use rotation Management controlled
- 13. Radio Formats News/Talk Adult contemporary Top 40 Country Urban Spanish-language Not-for-profit
- 14. Evolution of Radio Digital Internet radio On-demand radio apps Satellite radio Podcasts iTunes Radio
- 15. Modern Radio Resistance to Top 40 Experimental radio “Background noise” Media multi-tasking Drive Time over Prime Time Specialization
Editor's Notes
- #3: Used in reporting, communication during Civil War. Used electromagnet to send electrical impulsesSamuel Morse…series of short and long beeps to forms words/phrases – first message chosen by niece; quote from bibleHetzian waves = electromagnetic waves = radio waves
- #4: Marconi transmitted first radio signal across Atlantic using electromagnetic waves (first long-distance radio)
- #5: Fess. Worked for EdisonU.S. Navy & GE sponsored research
- #7: Used to use a lot of technology from Europe, telegraphyConrad worked for GE competitor and got found out! Had to make official
- #8: Payola - 2007 FCC investigationRevenue dropped over years (ads, not as popular form of media), but # of stations keep growing
- #9: After ATT - GE, RCA, Westinghouse followed
- #11: 15-min night programsSponsorship = “be sure to drink your ovaltine?!”Lots of stereotypes: racial, gender Amos and andy = one of most pop radio progs of 20s-40s: “The first sustained protest against the program found its inspiration in the December 1930 issue of Abbott's Monthly, when Bishop W.J. Walls of the African Methodist Church wrote an article sharply denouncing Amos 'n' Andy, singling out the lower-class characterizations and the "crude, repetitious, and moronic" dialogue. The Pittsburgh Courier was the second largest African-American newspaper at the time, and publisher Robert Vann expanded Walls' criticism into a full-fledged crusade during a six-month period in 1931.The paper, among other publicly stated efforts, published a petition to get the program pulled from the air, with a stated goal of one million signatures. The NAACP national office declined to endorse the protest, although some of their local chapters stood behind the effort. Before the campaign was dropped.”
- #12: H.G. Welles~1 million people panicked: “The Panic Broadcast”1 person died of heart attack**Orson lied…was interrupted by boss mid-broadcast & told to stop due to people panicking. He refused to let it be interrupted, and claimed he would announce at end
- #13: FM radio works the same way that AM radio works. The difference is in how the carrier wave is modulated, or altered. With AM radio, the amplitude, or overall strength, of the signal is varied to incorporate the sound information. With FM, the frequency (the number of times each second that the current changes direction) of the carrier signal is varied. FM signals have a great advantage over AM signals. Both signals are susceptible to slight changes in amplitude. With an AM broadcast, these changes result in static. With an FM broadcast, slight changes in amplitude don't matter -- since the audio signal is conveyed through changes in frequency, the FM receiver can just ignore changes in amplitude. The result: no static at all. Transister=semiconductor of electric signal/frequencyFav radio station? Format?
- #15: Personalization, customization (semantic web)Pandora chooses songs based on >400 variables (when “liking”)Siruisxm merger – 2008 (both came out in early 2000s)
- #16: When do you guys listen to radio?