-
Broadcasting Began
Reginald Fessenden invents wireless telephony, which was a way for radio waves to carry signals. -
First Broadcast
KDKA transmited the first commercial radio broadcast. -
live music broadcast
Reacting to problems posed by the Radio Act of 1912, the Commerce Department allows powerful stations to use the 400m wavelength as long as they only broadcast live music. -
Establishment of NBC
General Electric and Westinghouse establish NBC, which operates two national radio networks -
Philo Farnsworth
Philo Farnsworth transmits the first all-electronic television image. -
radio rating system
Crossley Inc, the first formal radio ratings system. -
CBS
CBS demonstrates color television in New York.
WNBT, the first regularly operating television station, debuts in New York with an estimated 10,000 viewers.
It's a bird! It's a plane! It's Superman! The radio show debuts.
The first Bugs Bunny cartoon. -
color tv
Color television introduced in the U.S.
For the first time, a nationwide program airs. Edward R. Murrow, in the first broadcast of his See It Now series, tells viewers, as he looks into the split-screen image of the Golden Gate and Brooklyn bridges, that they for the first time are able to see the Atlantic and Pacific oceans simultaneously -
Bill Clinton
President Bill Clinton signs legislation that significantly deregulates telecommunications, creating almost limitless opportunities for broadcasters and cable companies -
Reality tv
Reality TV continues to dominate the airwaves. For the first time in eight years, NBC's “Must-See” Thursday night lineup does not reign in the ratings. Survivor II: The Australian Outback consistently beats Friends.