#4

The First Radio

In today's society, most people simply think of "the radio" as a way to listen to music in the car. However, throughout history, the radio has ushered in many eras of media advancement, each with different implications.

The first radio was invented thanks to the discovery of electromagnetic waves. In the 1880s, the theory that these waves could travel at the speed of light and be received at a great distance was proven. After this scientific breakthrough, Italian inventor Guglielmo Marconi successfully broadcast the first transatlantic signal by the end of 1901. Now, this signal was only dots and dashes, and it remained Morse code for 5 years until physicist Reginald Fessenden sent the first long-distance transmission of human voice from his station in Massachusetts.

From there, the radio took off. It served as a novel mass communications medium, making it easier to reach large populations without the use of newspapers. This revolutionized the entertainment industry as hundreds of radio shows were created. There were comedies, dramas, world-events coverage - really everything that we see on TV today. In fact, big names like David Letterman, Oprah Winfrey, and Jimmy Kimmel all began their careers in broadcast radio.

With this incredible new way of reaching others, the commercial industry was revolutionized as well. Along with products being advertised on radio stations, those who ran stations had to navigate how to hold an audience through a digital channel. They had to consider who would want to listen to each particular genre. They also had to consider when most people would listen so they could determine when it was best to air content. It was even discovered that certain features of a broadcast - such as the use of music - tended to attract listeners more effectively than other features. All of these ideas influenced the foundations for modern marketing strategies that we have today.

The years that the radio boomed were from around 1930 to 1955. These decades were referred to as the Golden Age of Radio. While there were many positive effects that the radio had on society, there were many concerns that had to be addressed with them. One of the most significant was the need for regulation. Radio was a business and with any business comes government policy on what it can or cannot do. This was especially a prominent concern in the US because early acceptance of radio was occurring right around WWI, meaning there were political factors at play. Congress eventually passed the Radio Act of 1927, which set standards for government licensing of frequencies and emphasized that broadcasts should be in "the public interest, convenience or necessity." The specifics of this act were better laid out by the Federal Radio Commission in the years to come. The Federal Radio Commission later turned into the Federal Communications Commission, applying rules to phones and TV.

Ultimately, we wouldn't have most of the technology that we have today if not for the radio. More importantly is we wouldn't utilize technology the way we do if not for the integral part the radio played in the entertainment and commercial industries.