The Birth of Radio Broadcasting

While there were many people involved with the invention of the radio in the late 1800s and early 1900s, the first actual licensed broadcast is credited to KDKA in Pittsburgh, PA, in 1920. Three years after the first broadcast, between the years of 1923-1930, over 60% of American households purchased radios, and there were over 600 radio stations operating nationwide. The radio is widely considered one of the first technological crazes of the modern era and allowed for instantaneous communication across the globe.

Radio essentially built upon the idea of mass communication that was created by the printing press and increased it tenfold. It also became the printed-book's communication successor due to it being easier to obtain and use, as buying a radio was a one time purchase, which then allowed the free transmission of radio stations in the comfort of your own home. There were also instances of people making their own radios called "Crystal sets," which were radio recievers made with a piece of wire, a capacitor, and a crystal detector, all for extremely cheap. At its initial conception, radio was widely considered as a public service instead of a source of pop culture and entertainment.

However, the idea of radio being only a public service changed drastically in 1922, when the first ever radio advertisement ran on New York radio station WEAF. It was this advertisement that kickstarted the idea of radio being a completely self-sufficient form of entertainment and income.

Social Impact of the Radio

The invention of the radio had a profound effect on the way society could interact with eachother. Whether it be a family sitting down at the end of the day to listen to a radio drama, or an entire restaurant gathering around the radio to listen to updates about the war, the radio brought the nation together like never before. As McLuhan says in "The Medium is the Message," time and space has seized, we now live in a global village. The radio once again allowed for the transition back to acoustic space, and information pours upon us, instantaneously and continuously.

By the 1930s, there were many different uses for radio technology and radio broadcasting. It filled homes with drama, entertainment, news, and politics, and music. Also, those who may not be literate enough to read newspapers, now had access to the same important information that was available during this time. The invention of the radio essentially brought America together and has even been credited with helping Calvin Coolidge win the presidential election in 1924. This is thanks to his presidential address that radio helped reach more people than ever before.

The Golden Age of Radio

The golden age of radio took place between 1930 and 1950, and was named this because radio was Americas most dominant form of home entertainment during these two decades. In a 1947 survey, it was reported that 82 out of 100 Americans listened to the radio religiously. Also, as radio was the first traditional broadcast medium, it gave birth to genres such as radio dramas, radio mysteries, soap operas, talent shows, comedy hours, and even sports broadcasts. These eventually all migrated to television but were considered staples of golden era radio.

Radio was also home to one of the most famous broadcasts of its time, with an acoustic rendition of H.G. Wells' "The War of the Worlds." "The War of the Worlds" was broadcasted on October 30th, 1938, and aired on Columbia Broadcasting System's (CBS) radio networks.