The Radio

Radio is the wireless transmission of signals through free by electromagnetic radiation of a frequency significantly below that of visible light, in the radio frequency range, from about 30 kHz to 300 GHz. These waves are called radio waves. Electromagnetic radiation travels by the means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through air and vacuum of space.

The key developments during the 1920's that helped shape modern radio were the starting of the first radio, the station KDKA, which was signed on in 1920 and is still on air, making it the country's oldest radio station. Since the KDCA was a big success, AT&T, GE and also RCA along with other private organizations, started radio stations like a new business. During the 19th century, radio listening and tuning became a national craze. By this discovery, companies realized that audience for the radio existed, making it a foreseeable future. In the year 1926 set manufacturers improved their product and made new fashionable radios which was like a fashionable piece of furniture. Between 1925 and 1930, 17 million radio sets were sold, which made this a form of mass media and communication. During these years the radio commercialized so that the radio companies could make a larger profit through advertisements. In 1922 the Queensboro Realty Company paid 300$ for five radio talks that spoke and benefited the living of the country. During these years of the 1920's the radio had made a mark in the mass communication world. Advertisers were spending nearly 27 million dollars a year on network radio. During these years there was the birth of the commercial radio and better receivers were made for sound quality. The Radio Act of 1927 was set up by the FRC to clean up all the chaos and corruption by standardizing channels, abolished portable stations and moved to minimum interference. By the end of the 1920's the framework for modern radio was in place.

If the radio was developed during the depression years of the 1930's instead of the roaring twenties then we wouldn't have the various options of radio like the HD or the internet radio. During the digital age radio stations set up websites to stream the audio through the internet from the actual radio station, something like Pandora. There are thousands of internet radio stations for all genres from house to rock or even classic. The HD radio wasn't a hit as it simply just offers the same sound with better quality. One of the latest development was the mobile radio, just recently with the apple software update of IOs came the Itunes Radio for the Apple users only, providing them with a variety of great podcasts and radio stations. In todays world, radio stations are using social media like Facebook and Twitter to increase their audience and becoming more popular and successful. They have pages that people follow or hashtag's that people popularize, just to increase the publicity of their station. If the radio was developed during the depression years, we wouldn't have these various features or improvements, that we have in todays radio sets. In the roaring twenties we got the Ipod and Iphones which would let us listen to the radio through these devices. If the radio was developed during the depression years, we wouldn't have such great technological advancements, but the radio did well during the World War II and the number of dollars spent on advertisements doubled in 5 years. But with the emergence of the television, the fortunes of the radio was affected and it was apparent that the television would take over  the mass entertainment.