3. The invention
of radio
• Telegraph: early
communication
technology
• By 1870s, telegraph
technology used to
develop telephones
4. Radio’s arrival
• Marconi popularized
wireless technology
• By 1912, regulations were
in place
• Radio networks rise in
1920s
5. Radio networks
• NBC, CBS, ABC
• Variety shows were
among innovations
• Networks are still
powerhouses today
6. Regulation
• Radio act of 1927
established Federal Radio
Commission
• Radio established as
largely commercial
enterprise
• Big networks: 70% market
share
7. Golden Age
of Radio
• Between 1930 and mid1950s
• Offerings included
daytime soap operas,
comedy variety shows,
prestige dramas
• News broadcasts
8. The FCC
• Federal Communications
Commission created by
Communications Act of
1934
• Stations limited to 50,000
watts of power
• 1949: Fairness Doctrine
9. Post-Golden Age
• TV ends radio’s
dominance
• Stations turn to Top 40
• FM grows
• Public radio emerges
• Radio industry
consolidates
10. Impact on culture
•
•
•
•
Rush Limbaugh
Political talk shows
Sports talk shows
Howard Stern, “shock”
jocks, controversies
11. Radio’s new future
• Satellite radio
• Internet/streaming radio
• Podcasting: 27% of
Internet users listened to
podcasts in 2013, up from
21% in 2010
