The Birth of Television
RTV 3007 • Intro to Television
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The rise and fall of the radio amateur
1920-1923
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The rise and fall of the radio amateur
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After World War 1, ham radio
exploded. Amateurs sent and
received broadcasts all over the
US.
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In 1920 an enthusiast in
Pittsburgh regularly broadcast
phonographic recordings under
the call letters 8XK. A Pittsburgh
department store picked up the
broadcast for its customers, and
sold radio kits for $10.
Amateur Radio, First Social Media: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MG-Ys16OYsU
The rise and fall of the radio amateur
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Westinghouse Corp. learned of
this and set up the first radio
station, KDKA. It debuted on
November 2 to broadcast the
1920 presidential election returns
from 8pm-12am.
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Success of KDKA led to
Westinghouse stations in Newark,
NJ; Springfield, MA; and Chicago.
General Electric started radio
stations in Schenectady, San
Francisco and Denver. RCA started
stations in Jersey City and
Washington, DC.
The Professionalization of Radio
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Broadcasting & Copyright
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In the early days of radio, actors, singers and other entertainers
performed for free to test out the new medium.
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For several years, broadcasters played phonographic recordings free of
charge.
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In 1923 ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers)
demanded payment for broadcasts of protected works.
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Courts upheld ASCAP’s claim. Stations paid $250 per year for rights to
broadcast copyrighted material.
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Today radio stations and Webcasting stations pay annual fees to ASCAP,
BMI, SoundExchange and SESAC (collectively called Performance Rights
Organizations).
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A Brief History of ASCAP:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wDI6w03YbTg
The Monetization Problem
 Early radio pioneers had to find a way to make radio
sustainable. To make enough money to keep the stations
going. Several schemes were proposed:
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Government financing (similar to roads and schools).
A tax on radio receivers. Taxes would be used to support ongoing
radio operations. (TV in the UK uses this model.)
Patronage by wealthy individuals who would sponsor radio
programming.
Toll broadcasting, where anyone could air any content, provided they
paid for the privilege.
The Radio Act of 1927
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The Radio Act enabled the creation of a national radio
broadcasting network
 Of stations on temporary licenses
 Linked by telephone lines
 Supported by advertising
 Managed by a regulatory system based
on “the public interest”
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The Radio Act of 1927 was written
to include television.
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The Radio Act helped propel the development
of television.
The Road to Television
1927-1939
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The Road to Television
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1927 - the Radio Act enabled the creation of a national radio
broadcasting network
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1927 - The Jazz Singer debuted as the first “talkie,” or talking
movie
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1927 - the Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) was born, the
first competitor to NBC.
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Radio, “talkie” movies and TV experiments boomed.
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NBC stock prices rose 600% between 1927 and 1929.
The Great Depression
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In November 1929, the Great Depression hit the US.
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RCA stock fell to 1/10th of its previous value.
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Average Americans stopped buying radio sets.
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Money for TV development slowed.
Radio Saves Television
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People who had radio sets before the
Depression kept them.
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Quality of radio programming increased.
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President Roosevelt broadcast Fireside
Chats.
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Vaudeville theater actors turned to radio as
live theaters closed down.
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Radio advertising increased.
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RCA’s David Sarnoff used radio ad revenue
to fund the development of television.
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Beginning 1938, CBS radio becomes a
competitive force by offering better
content than NBC: more news,
experimental drama, more entertainment.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:
Fireside_Chat_1_On_the_Banking_Crisis_
(March_12,_1933)_
Franklin_Delano_Roosevelt.ogg
The Communications Act of 1934
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Established the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to
regulate both broadcasting and telephony.
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FCC became responsible for allocating spectrum for wireless
communication.
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FCC set technical standards for telephony,
radio and the emerging television industry.
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In 1940 FCC forced the TV industry to use
FM radio technology for sound.
The World’s Fair of 1939
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RCA president David Sarnoff introduced
television to the world at the1939 World’s
Fair.
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RCA made a film of Sarnoff’s announcement.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U4hPX_P
LC-o
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NBC began regular TV broadcasts on April 30,
1939.