-
Father of Radio
Guglielmo Marconi sent te first radio signal in 1895. He sent a morse code message across the Atlantic Ocean. -
Audion Tube
The Audion Tube, invented by Lee De Forest, is the first amplifier. This device takes a signal of radio and makes it a louder signal. It is rumored that Canadian inventor Reginald Fessenden is the true inventor. -
Music in Radio
When radio was introduced, music became a popular way to produce stations. Instead of having to go to a diner to listen to music or a concert, you could simply listen to music over the radio. -
Radio Stations
KDKA became the first radio station to have a nationwide commercial broadcast. The station was led by Frank Conrad. The day was chosen due to election day; they wanted people to hear the results of the election. -
College Radio
Michigan becomes the first university to use radio for education. A signal is transmitted through the radio to help teach in a lectrue hall. -
Advertising
WEAF aired the first commercial over a broadcast. THe commercial lasted 10 minutes and made the radio staion $50. It was for an apartment complex. This marked the dawn of advertising over radio. -
Call Letters
Call Letters established locations of radio stations. "K stations" were west of the Mississippi River, while "W stations" were est of the river. The call letters allowed people to know what station they were listening to. -
FRC
The FRC became essentially the lawyers of radio. They required "Uncle Charlie's" to have a licencse to transmit a signal. They assigned radio station frequencies, call letters, and power limits. -
Radio vs TV
When TV shows came out most people were against it. They grew up listening to their shows on the radio imgaining the characters. When TV came out, and they saw the real actors, it was not what they expected. -
AM vs FM
FM radio was invented by Edwin Armstrong. With stronger radio waves FM became the more popular radio choice. It was primarily used for music, while AM was used for talk shows. -
Radio Club
Colombia university creates the first ever "Radio Club". The club becomes the first station to have a regularly scheduled broadcast anywhere in the country. -
Golden Age
The Golden Age of radio was during the 1930's and 40's. During this time the Great Depression and World War 2 were taking place. Everyone wanted to know what was happening across the ocean. -
Mini Radio
The first handheld radio is invented. This allows people to take the radio set anywhere without having to plug it in. They can easily listen to a baseball game or music anywhere they want. -
Radio vs Downloadable Music
Over time technology grew, as did radio and the music industry. When iTunes was released, noone could help themselves from downloading new music. Musioc over the radio lessened as more people simply listened to anything they wanted on their iPods.
