A History of Radio
Radio isn’t making as much waves these days, not when most people have access to high speed internet and cable. However, back in its days, radio was very popular and it was truly revolutionary for its time.
Scientists
- Heinrech Hertz was a German physicist. In 1887, he made observations about something called the “photoelectric effect” which occurs when something like metal or other things emit electrons after they absorb energy from electromagnetic radiation. He also observed the reception of EM (electromagnetic waves) and published his findings. The apparatus that he used to deduce this was a receiver with a coil that had a spark gap, which gave off sparks when the receiver detected EM waves. In 1886, he invented the Hertz antenna, which was able to transmit UHF radio waves. The next year, he began experimenting with radio waves and proved that electromagnetic waves could travel over distances. His inventions were used to expand the field of radio transmission.
- Oliver Lodge was born in England. He transmitted some of the world’s first radio signals on August 4, 1894, at a meeting at Oxford University. On August 19, 1894, he transmitted Morse code using a coherer that he himself had modified by adding what he called a “trembler.” He received a patent for “electric telegraphy” which can be described as wireless signals using Tesla coils as a transmitter and a Branly coherer as the detector. It was the key to “syntonic tuning.” Later, Lodge sold the patent to Marchese Guglielmo Marconi who went on to invent the radiotelegraph system.
Inventors
- In the 19th century, Michael Faraday was the very first scientist to discover electromagnetic induction in his experiments. Faraday’s law, which describes the basics of electromagnetism, originated from him and became one of Maxwell’s equations, which describe how electric and magnetic fields relate to their sources.
- Guglielmo Marconi began experimenting in 1894. By 1895, he had built equipment capable of transmitting electric signals from his house all the way to his garden. This was truly the beginning of the radio. In the following years, he devoted all of his time to the radio and the company he founded in 1897, known then as the Wireless Telegraph & Signal Company which dominated the field of radio for a very long time.
- On November 28, 1875, Thomas Edison noted what he called “esthetic force” which is basically electromagnetic waves but he gave his research over to Elihu Thomson. Electromagnetic waves are what allow radios to receive signals.
- In 1884, an Italian named Temistocle Calzecchi-Onesti invented the very first device which could be considered a radio – an insulated tube filled with iron fillings that conducted electricity under the action of electromagnetic waves. Later inventors built off this work to develop the radio.
- In between 1884 and 1886, a French inventor named Edouard Branly produced an improved version of the coherer, which is a radio signal detector.
- In 1893, Nikola Tesla gave a demonstration of wireless radio communication. His “radio” used electromagnetic receivers that were much more sensitive than the coherers used previously. His demonstrations led to an explosion of research in the field. He also invented the tesla coil, which was used by many other inventors.
- In 1900, a Canadian named Reginald Fessenden successfully transmitted actual words over a very short distance. It was the first true “radio” broadcast that transmitted spoken words.
- Harold D. Arnold, working for AT&T at the time, developed an amplifying vacuum tube that allowed coast-to-coast broadcasting in 1913. Just two years later, transatlantic broadcasting became a reality.
Amateurs
- Using a “ham radio” system, Charles Herrold began broadcasting his own radio show in 1912 from his hometown of San Jose, Texas.
- Fred Christian began transmitting his own amateur radio show from his bedroom in Hollywood, California using a small 5-watt transmitter.
- William Scripps began broadcasting music – the staple of radio shows – from the office of the Detroit News on a station that would become the great WWJ station.
Government
- In 1912, after the Titanic’s disastrous sinking, lawmakers organized themselves and set about reforming shipboard wireless communications. What had happened was the Titanic sent out a distress call, but there was so much interference from air traffic that the message received ended up sounding like the ship was safely sailing to Halifax. As a result, the rescue mission for the ship was delayed and thousands died. The Radio Act of 1912 required radio operators to be fully licensed and barred them from broadcasting over military or commercial frequencies. All stations must also be run by two operators at a time.
Corporations
- The Radio Corporation of America, or RCA, was founded in 1919 by General Electric as a monopoly of radio technology. In 1926, RCA took hold of the commercial radio market and later, they shifted their focus to selling turntables and records. When David Sarnoff, the general manager, passed away, the company began to decline. The trademark has been owned by a French company since 1986.
- NBC, the National Broadcasting Company, was founded in 1926 by the RCA as the nation’s first major broadcast network. On April 5, 1927, NBC began broadcasting in the west for the first time. From 1930 to 1950, NBC was considered the golden child of radio. However, as the tide shifted towards television, NBC was left floundering. Its last major show, Monitor, began on June 12, 1955. GE bought NBC in 1986 and sold the radio part of the company to Westwood One in 1987.
- CBS, Columbia Broadcasting System, was once known as United Independent Broadcasters. Founded in 1927, the radio unit is the oldest part of CBS. It was purchased in 1928 by Columbia Records who were looking to invest in a radio system. William S. Paley was its president. Paley purchased a small Brooklyn WBAC station and Paramount Pictures invested in the company in 1928. The company became a real rival for NBC, especially when it began broadcasting H.G. Wells’ The War of The Worlds. In 1970s, CBS invested heavily in the television market which allowed it to grow into what it is today.
- One of CBS’s biggest rivals at one time was the Clear Channel Communications Company which purchased its first ratio station in 1972. The company added stations all over Texas, where CBS also had stations. CBS when began to focus more on the TV market, allowing Clear Channel to buy many different radio stations. The company is still going strong today.
Programs
- “Red, Red Robin” is a music show, aired in 1927.
- In 1927, a comedy show, “Amos and Andy,” aired.
- In 1935, “Major Bowes and His Original Amateur Hour,” a variety show, began airing.
In 1933, an adventure serial show known as “Jack Armstrong, the All-American Boy” began airing. - In 1926, a crime drama known as “Gangbusters” aired.
- In 1940, “Walter Winchell,” a comment show, began airing.
The reason there is cable and internet today is because radio was such a success before they came along.
