Nick Marshall
MAJ Sook Ha
CIS-270-WX
FEB 09 2016
The radio was a major stepping stone in facilitating widespread, mass communication among humans. The history of radio wave communication dates back to the late 19th century when Guglielmo Marconi is credited with its invention. One year after acquiring his wireless telegraphy patent in England, the American inventor Nikolai Tesla acquired a similar patent in the United States granting him a patent on the basic radio communication devices (Wood, “History of the Radio: From Inception to Modern Day”). This presented some early controversy regarding who deserved the title of the inventor of the radio. History largely gives credit to Marconi for the invention, however Tesla’s early demonstration of radio communication in St. Louis, Missouri similarly cements him as an integral component to the radio’s early success (Wyman, “The History of Communication Technology: Radio”). Ever since the late 19th century rivalry between Marconi and Tesla, radio communication has remained an integral part of how society communicates and disseminates information over wide areas that were previously unheard of. Its popularity and practicality fixed it as one of the most important unwritten communication methods of 20th and 21st century societies.
Prior to the World Wars, radio communication was largely limited to enabling communication with maritime vessels out at sea. If an emergency happened at sea, radio communications allowed for those on land to send aid wherever necessary (Wood). These early incarnations of radio communications did not incorporate vocal communication. Instead, all messages were sent as a Morse code which could be deciphered by the receiving end user. With an era of wars on the horizon for significant portions of the global community, the applications of radio communications began to shift even more. Radio communications adapted to serve as a tool for military forces to communicate with their troops on the ground. This was especially apparent in World Wars I and II (Wyman). But perhaps more importantly, radio communications gained their foothold as a go-to method of quickly getting information to the general public with the help of news outlets and journalists (Wood). Radios were becoming more commonplace in the American household, especially following widespread television production shutdowns around the time of World War II (“Early Electronic Television: Television During World War Two).
At this point in the history of the radio, we begin to see a shift toward what we would consider to be the ‘modern’ radio (Wyman). What this encompasses is the transformation from radio’s usage as a strictly wartime communication method be a more entertainment focused medium. The situation had changed, which required the applications of the technology to change. Following the era of World Wars, commercial radio stations had gained popularity. Notable stations included the British Broadcasting Company (BBC) in Great Britain and KDKA (founded by Westinghouse) in the United States (Wyman). The time period following the wars allowed these radio stations to fill the airwaves with more positive expressions of cultures. Popular mid-20th century radio broadcasts often included music, dramatic renditions of plays, discussions, and sports highlights (Wyman). More radio stations cropped up around the globe as the trend began to take off. As an entertainment medium, radio’s popularity further skyrocketed, along with the revenues of the companies facilitating the broadcasts. Popularity of radio broadcasts became so apparent that people began making their own receivers. To curb this issue, which was interfering with the market, the American government stepped in to sanction an agreement known as the Radio Corporation Agreements (RCA), which allowed for better management of patents on radio transmitters and receivers (Wyman). It was around this time period that radio advertising also became a popular method of collecting money for the effort put in by the stations. Revenue was accumulated by promoting goods and services. In Britain, government funding eventually overtook commercial advertising as a primary means of funding stations. In the United States, however, preference was given to commercials over government control of the radio (“The Early History of Radio”). Small instances like these illustrate the importance of radio to the evolving culture and economy of 20th century societies.
New music genres like Rock and Roll in the mid-20th century finally solidified radio’s form as what we think of today. Plays, discussions, sports, serial programming, and other radio broadcasts maintained popularity but largely took a backseat to the overwhelming popularity of musical broadcasts. At this point in history we mark the emergence of continuous back-to-back musical broadcasts, top 40 stations, and entirely new music genres catering to these changes. Music and radio became synonymous (Wood). We also begin to see FM radio overtake the dated AM stations. What we can derive from this information is that the mid-century evolution of radio reflected a larger cultural shift in the Americas and Europe. Around this time, we begin to see the beginnings of youth culture with entertainment targeted toward families, teens, and young adults (Wood). Furthermore, it reflected a growing Western middle class that was not evidently present when radio was a new technology. The radio was one of many mediums that spread and disseminated the culture (Wyman).
Radio communications was present for a significant portion of the cultural changes that shape contemporary western society. We can also assert that radio was, at least in no small part, responsible for facilitating these changes which offer a hard contrast to the culture that defined western society when radio was relatively new. Radio communications was an unwritten communication method that shaped a significant portion of 20th century societies. It allowed for cities to communicate over vast distances in record amounts of time and has evolved from a more simplistic Morse code to a sophisticated sonic entertainment platform. Radio communications embody multiple aspects of what many might perceive as the ideal form of unwritten communication among civilizations.
Works Cited
“Early Electronic Television.” Television During World War Two. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Feb. 2016. <http://www.earlytelevision.org/ww2_history.html>.
“The Early History of Radio.” The Early History of Radio. N.p., 1 Apr. 2013. Web. 09 Feb. 2016. <http://www.cybercollege.com/frtv/frtv016.htm>.
Wood, Joe. “History of the Radio: From Inception to Modern Day.” Tech Wholesale. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Feb. 2016. <http://www.techwholesale.com/history-of-the-radio.html>.
Wyman, Logan. “The History of Communication Technology: Radio.” The History of the Radio. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Feb. 2016. <http://www.personal.psu.edu/jtk187/art2/radio.htm>.