The Beginning
The Radio was introduced to society because of the telegraph and the telephone. These inventions don’t do the same things but their similar branch of technology. “Radio technology began as “wireless telegraphy”. “It all started with the discovery of radio waves, electromagnetic waves that have the capacity to transmit music, speech, pictures and other data invisibly through air.” [Bellis] Majority of technology uses electromagnetic waves to send data information or TV broadcasts. During the 1860’s, Scottish physicist, James Clerk Maxwell predicted the existence of radio waves; and in 1886, German physicist, Heinrich Rudolph Hertz showed how fast the variation of electric current could be placed into space in the form of radio waves similar to light and heat. “Guglielmo Marconi, an Italian inventor, proved the feasibility of radio communication”. [Bellis]1 He sent and received his first radio signal in Italy in 1895. "By 1899 he flashed the wireless signal across the English Channel and two years later received the letter “S” telegraphed from England to Newfoundland.” This was just the beginning of something so popular that Marconi himself just wouldn’t believe. “Lee Deforest invented space telegraphy, the triode amplifier and the Audion.” In the early 1900’s, the great requirement for further development of radio was and efficient and delicate detector. This made it possible to amplify the radio frequency signal picked up by the antenna before application to the receiver detector; thus, much weaker signals could be utilized than had previously been possible. Deforest was also the person who first used the word “radio”. The result of Deforest’s work was the invention of amplitude-modulated or AM radio tha...
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The Result
From the beginning of the radio’s time it has significantly change slowly but surely. In reality, the radio owes its success to the Great Depression. Why? Well before it became as popular as it is today, only the “rich” were able to afford what they called a “wireless set”. Once they became more convenient everyone and their cousin owned one of these fantastic devices. Some can say this device may have created something so great for the future to come. In a time when the “average salary was $1,368 and a round steak ran about 42 cents a pound” [Sutton] , a radio was just a simple treasure, that graced the homes of so many. Whether it be for a great story or just to catch up on the day to day news, the radio played a very important role in the lives of so many who came to know just how depressing the Great Depression truly was.
Wireless begins with a brief discussion of the 1995 centennial of the invention of radio by Marconi and a rebuttal by the British historians who oppose this claim. Using underused or previously overlooked or perhaps ignored resources the author disproves the claims against the originality and ingenuity of Marconi's 1897 patent on wireless telegraphy. While credit is given to several British scientists and engineers and their scientific discoveries and inventions, it was Marconi, a practitioner, who made the first significant breakthrough in practical wireless telegraphy when he "connected one end of the plate of the receiver, and one end of the transmitter, to the earth" (p. 20). Marconi transformed these scientific effects into wireless technologies and then exploited them for commercial purposes. The focus of British scientists and engineers on optical analogies, scientific experimentation and demonstration, and the fear of British national interests becoming monopolized (particularly by a foreigner) are the primary reasons for the dispute surrounding Marconi's patent. (By 1897 it was clear how wireless telegraphy would impact military interests.) The author shows in great detail how British scientists and engineers, namely physicist Oliver Lodge, J. J. Thomson, Minchin, Rollo Appleyard, and Campbell Swinton, deliberately constructed false scientific and social claims to discredit the originality of Marconi's patent.
Radio waves were first discovered in 1887, but radio itself was initially invented by Italian Guglielmo Marconi in 1895 (1). His biggest mentioned success was in 1901, when he managed to broadcast the letter “S” across the Atlantic Ocean (1). However, he focused primarily on point-to-point transmissions, not large scale broadcasts from one point (F). As such, three American inventors - Lee De Forest, Edwin Howard Armstrong, and David Sarnoff - took credit for making radio as it is today a success (F). De Forest was born and raised in Alabama and he thought of everything in terms of patents and eventually held more than 300, but many claimed that he simply stole the inventions of others (2). In 1900, he patented a device to enhance weak signals and in 1902, he formed the De Forest Wireless Telegraph Company (1). In the same year. Reginald Fessenden, a Canadian, invented the “electrolytic detector”, which later became the spade detector that brought De Forest so much fame (F). In 1904, John Fleming invented the oscillation valve, which later became De Forest’s audion, and De Forest won the gold medal at the St. Louis World’s Fair for his “spade detector” (F). De Forest gained quite a bit of fame by broadcasting music live from the Eiffel Tower and from the Metropolitan Opera; however, many believed that this was a scam and that he had actually had the device broadcasting the signal only a few blocks away (F). In 1906, he envisioned bringing music and voices to all American households, but as it turns out Canadian inventor Fessenden had already broadcasted a Christmas greeting and music to the crew of a ship off the coast of Canada on Christmas Eve a year earlier (F). In 1912, Armstrong became prominent by inventing regeneration, wh...
The 1920's brought many advancements in technology which allowed Americans to entertain themselves at home; the radio was one of them. The radio was actually developed before the 1920's; however, it was banned during World War I and allowed to reappear after the Prohibition ended in 1919 (Events 72). After the Prohibition ended, and radio broadcasting was being brought back to life, many people started up their first stations, like Frank Conrad (Events 72). Frank Conrad's first broadcast consisted of the Presidential Election results (Events 72). As Conrad was one of the first people to broadcast, KDKA was one of the first radio stations to appear in the Unite...
"The Golden Age of Radio." CyberCollege Index Page for Free TV Production and Mass Media Course. Cyber College, 21 Feb. 2010. Web. 7 Mar. 2011. .
...e radio was invented during the era and found its way into broadcasting to every home in America. The era introduced the first movie made with sound, The Jazz Singer, which later makes movies more popular in demanding.
The radio has had a huge impact on bringing information to the public about war and other government issues. Advertising and broadcasting on the airwaves was a major step in bringing war propaganda to a level where people could be easily touched nationally. Broadcasting around the clock was being offered everywhere. Before there was television people relied on the radio as a way to be entertained, the means of finding out what was going on in the world, and much more. During the World War II time period, 90 percent of American families owned a radio, and it was a part of daily life. So it was an obvious means of spreading war propaganda. During this time period, propaganda was spread throughout the radio by means of news programs, public affairs broadcasts, as well as through Hollywood and the mainstream. The average person had not even graduated high school at the time, and the average reading level of the American was somewhat low. The radio made it possible for stories and news to be delivered to everyone in plain simple English. The radio served as a medium that provided a sense of national community. Although it took time, the radio eventually rallied people together to back up the American war effort.
The economy was booming during this time. There were more job opportunities than ever before because of new technologies and new industries, such as aluminum. The radio was develo...
Wireless communication across the country was something no one ever imagined. The creating of the commercial radio in 1920, created a feeling of belonging to many citizens of the United States. Starting off as a hobby for amateurs, radio quickly expanded. With the creation of NBC, and emerging radio stars like Ernie Hare and Billy Jones radio, families tuned in on a daily basis. Music was brought to lower income families who couldn’t afford to buy a piano. As well as streaming music, radio provided advertising outlets. Promotions regarding cigarettes, automobiles, and soap
When the United States entered the First World War, the government took over all radio operations and shut down both professional and amateur radio broadcasters. The use of radio was reserved exclusively for the war effort. In the air, radio was used for the first time between multiple planes and the ground to keep formations and lead the pilots to their targets. This was the beginning of air traffic control and walkie-talkies. In addition, soldiers who had been wounded were entertained in the hospital by news and music played over the radio. Although radio was not allowed back into public until 1919, it continued to be used by troops coming home to entertain each other and was even used for dances. All of radio’s uses from the war soon became prevalent in everyday life and radio has been used in these ways ever since. Our lives are filled with constant sound most of it coming from the radio being on all the time; whether in the car or at home, music, news, weather, and traffic are provided through radio. There is a station for everyone. Moreover, when we travel by plane, airports would be chaotic and have no way to tell who is taking off and landing if not for radio use to control the traffic and make everything run smoothly. Many jobs also have much use of radio needed to communicate with other workers in careers such as law enforcement and trucking.
After the First World War, many people were looking forward to good times. The 1920’s presented people with this time of fast-paced fun and adventure. Entertainment was the foremost part of everyday life during the 1920’s. Radio introduced a whole new practice of entertainment to people’s everyday lives. Likewise, through the utilization of the radio, people were able to experience a new medium to entertain themselves. Furthermore, the radio changed the face of society’s culture through its widespread use. In addition, radios provided people with a new, effective and efficient means of communication. Radio was a fundamental aspect in people’s lives during the 1920’s as it provided many people with news and entertainment in their day-to-day lives.
By the time the 20th century arrived, vacuum tubes were invented that could transmit weak electrical signals which led to the formation of electromagnetic waves that led to the invention of the radio broadcast system (750). These vacuum tubes were discovered to be able to transmit currents through solid material, which led to the creation of transistors in the 1960’s (750).
Many inventions have impacted the world throughout history but in my opinion one of the most impactful one’s was the invention of the radio . This invention provided society with many things which include entertainment, communication, and easier access to information. Radio is still a central part of the society today but just like any other invention radio has an interesting history of how it progressed through time.
During the increase in popularity of radio, Arthur Edwin Kennelly said (1926) "through radio I look forward to a United States of the World. Radio is standardizing the peoples of the Earth, English will become the universal language because it is predominantly the language of the ether. The most important aspect of radio is its sociological influence." Kennelly was foreseeing the potential power and impact that radio would soon come to have. By the late twenties, we would see radio become quite the sensation in the household, and this sensation would continue to prosper even through the Great Depression with aid of soap operas and popular programs such as the Lone Ranger. Radio would see a decrease in popularity during the rise of the television. Eventually, radio would find itself a niche in the media market, allowing it to continue to prosper. This would be due to the help of Frequency Modulation radio broadcasting and localization. Radio stations were now able to offer more local content than radio, touching on local news, weather, and advertisements for local businesses all at a higher sound quality. That joined with a symbiotic relationship with the recording industry and the start of formatted radio programs, the two industries were set to last for almost another fifty years (Adams, n.d.).
Impact of the Radio The invention of the radio had an immense impact, revolutionizing the unity of society. “I live in a strictly rural community, and people here speak of ‘The Radio’ in the large sense, with an over-meaning,” said E.B. White in 1933. “When they say ‘The Radio’ they don’t mean a cabinet, an electrical phenomenon, or a man in a studio, they refer to a pervading and somewhat godlike presence which has come into their lives and homes” (Lewis). The radio became a mighty weapon whose power involved spreading ideas to millions of listeners, who may otherwise never have heard those inspirational messages. Religious fanatics used to stand at the back of churches shouting radical nonsense, while others would ignore it.