The History of the Radio
By: Justin Hill & LeShandra Townsel
Guglielmo Marconi
◇
In in 1895 Guglielmo Marconi began experimenting at his father’s country
estate.
◇
He successfully sent wireless signals over a distance of one and a half miles.
◇
In 1896 he moved his equipment to England where he was introduced to
William Preece Engineer-in-chief of the post office, and he was granted the
world’s first patent for a wireless system of telegraphy.
◇
In july 1897 he formed the wireless telegraph and signal company limited.
◇
In 1899 he established wireless communication between France and England
across the English channel.
◇ In December 1901 he set out to prove that wireless waves were not affected
by the curvature of the earth.
Frank Conrad
◇ Frank Conrad was born on May 4, 1874 in Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania.
◇ His education ended in 7th grade.
◇ Conrad constructed his own transmitter which led to his
receiving an amateur station license for 8XK.
◇ By 1916 8XK could be heard around the Pittsburgh area
and became very popular.
◇ When the U.S entered WWI all amatuer radio stations
were closed, but Conrad was allowed to stay on the air.
◇ In 1928 Conrad received an honorary degree of Doctor of
Science from the University of Pittsburgh.
◇ He played music
◇ Conrad retired from Westinghouse in 1940 after 51 years
with the company.
◇ Dr. Frank Conrad suffered a heart attack in November,
1941 and passed away on December 11 of that year.
◇
KDKA was the first station to be licensed by the U.S.
◇
On November 2, 1920, the Westinghouse Electric Company of
East Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania launched the world’s first
broadcast of delivering the 1920 election results to listeners.
◇
The election results were relayed to about a thousand listeners.
◇
KDKA became the first radio station to broadcast a major
league professional baseball game.
◇
It was the first to carry a remote broadcast.
◇
KDKA aired the first college football game.
◇
Is still around today. This October would make it 96 years for
KDKA.
KDKA
◇ The Federal Radio Commission was created as a result
of the passage of the Radio Act of 1927.
◇ In the Radio Act of 1927 Congress recognized
broadcasters' right to "free speech," meaning those
granted licenses to operate AM radio stations could do
so free of government censorship or programming.
◇ Signed by President Coolidge on February 23.
◇ The Act created a five member commission with each
member representing a different geographic region of
the country.
◇ The Radio Act of 1927 superseded the Radio Act of
1912, which had given regulatory powers over radio
communication to the Secretary of Commerce and
Labor.
Radio Act of 1927
Radio Corporation of America
◇
By the end of World War I, the Marconi Wireless Telegraph
Company of America was the only company in the U.S. that could
operate a transatlantic radio and telegraph communications.
◇
Marconi was entirely owned by a foreign company ( The British
Marconi Company).
◇ The U.S. felt it necessary to start a domestic company with the same
capabilities as Marconi.
◇
Under the command of Franklin D. Roosevelt, General Electric
formed a privately owned company to acquire the assets of American
Marconi.
◇
In 1919 the Radio Corporation of America was created and acquired
all of the assets of American Marconi.
National Broadcasting Company
◇
The National Broadcasting Company came into existence on
November 15, 1926.
◇ NBC was the combination of three mass communication pioneers
◇
NBC purchased a radio company called WEAF and WJZ
◇
They were separated into two semi- independent networks called the
red and blue networks.
◇
The creation of NBC was orchestrated by David Sarnoff.
◇
In 1943, under the pressure of Federal Communications Commission
(FCC), NBC sold the Blue network to Edward J. Noble
◇
It became the American Broadcasting Company or as we know it
today ABC.
http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/physics/laureates/1909/marconi-bio.html// Marconi info
http://www.pab.org/drfrankconrad.html//Conrad info
http://www.sparkmuseum.org/collections/radio-enters-the-home-(1920-1927)/the-first-radiodesigned-for-the-home///The Transmitter
http://www.scripps.ohiou.edu/mediahistory/mhmjour2-2.htm//Federal Radio Commission
http://www.library.hbs.edu/hc/lehman/company.html?company=rca_corporation//RCA
http://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/2015/10/12/kdka-memories-celebrating-95-years-of-kdka-radio/
//KDKA
http://www.britannica.com/topic/National-Broadcasting-Co-Inc//NBC
https://www.gilderlehrman.org/history-by-era/roaring-twenties/essays/roaring-twenties