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British Marconi
Guglielmo Marconi created a wireless system that was capable of sending and detecting a signal.
In 1897, he founded British Marconi.
By WWII, the American Marconi Company, a subsidiary of British Marconi, dominated the radio market in the US. "Radio Broadcasting, History of ." Encyclopedia of
Communication and Information. From
Encyclopedia.com: https://www.encyclopedia.com/
media/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-
maps/radio-broadcasting-history -
Radio Act of 1912: Creates Licensing System
After radio interference was found to contribute to rescue delays in the Titanic, the Radio Act of 1912 was declared to regulate transmissions (as well as Wireless Ship Act of 1910 amendments). Radio operators were now required to be licensed and ships had to be constantly on the radio.
An Act to Regulate Radio Communication (Radio Act of
1912), S. 6412, May 20, 1912. https://www.visitthecapi
tol.gov/artifact/s-6412-act-regulate-radio-
communication-radio-act-1912-may-20-1912 -
US Navy Takes Control of Radio at Start of WW1
Radio for amateur and commercial use temporarily ceased at the start of WWI. Through an order by the President, radio stations in the US had to either shut down or be taken over by the government. During WWI, having a transmitter or receiver as a private US citizen was illegal. White, T. H. (n.d.). Radio During World War One (1914-
1919). United States Early Radio History.
https://earlyradiohistory.us/sec013.htm Photo: SS Majestic Radio Room, c. 1918 (MWT) -
Formation of RCA: Radio Corporation of America
Post WWI, the government supports a monopoly in order to maintain control of the radio.
A patent pool where US owned and operated companies share patents in exchange for controlling specific hardware technology.
These partners include:
Receivers: GE & Westinghouse
Transmitters/Phone Lines: AT&T & Western Electric
Also United Fruit Company Britannica, T. Editors of Encyclopaedia (2023, May 30).
RCA Corporation. Encyclopedia Britannica.
https://www.britannica.com/topic/RCA-Corporation -
WEAF New York: First Radio Advertisement
A commercial for Hawthorne Court Apartments was the first paid advertisement on radio. McDonough, J. (2012, August 29). First Radio
Commercial hit Airwaves 90 years ago. NPR.
https://www.npr.org/2012/08/29/160265990/first-radio-
commercial-hit-airwaves-90-years-ago -
Radio Act of 1927: Creates Federal Radio Commission (FCC)
Increased radio regulations through the FCC.
For radio stations to get a license, they now had to show that they were "in the public interest, convenience, or necessity" (PICAN standard). The Radio Act of 1927. (1927). Columbia Law Review,
27(6), 726–733. https://doi.org/10.2307/1113354 -
Period: to
The Golden Age of Television
Popular radio dramas, such as Dragnet, transferred to television.
Almost all TV in the Golden Age was broadcast live.
In the hopes of reaching a mass market, companies started going to ad agencies to have their products included on popular TV programs.
TV essentially served as vehicles for commercials. Román, I. (2021, July 16). The Most Influential Classic
Shows from TV’s ‘Golden Age.’ History. https://www.h
istory.com/news/classic-tv-shows-1950s-i-love-lucy-
milton-berle