Radio

1. Early History
   
   1. Marconi--wireless telegraph (1896)
      
      
   2. De Forest--"father of radio" (1906)
      
      
   3. Early uses of radio--wireless telephone
      
      
   4. First broadcasts
      1. Reginald Fessenden
      2. Doc Herrold
      3. KDKA
   
   
2. Growth of Broadcast Industry
   
   1. WWI and radio development
      
      
   2. Boom in industry
      
      
   3. AT&T, GE, and Westinghouse form RCA
      
      
   4. Different visions of radio
      1. Radio group--make money through radio sales
      2. Telephone group--make money through advertising
   
   
3. Radio and Advertising in 1920s and 30s
   1. Originally no advertising
   2. AT&T's "phone booths in the air" (WEAF)
   3. Sponsors control radio content
   
   
4. Radio Content (20s-30s)
   1. 1920s: music
      
      
   2. 1930s: variety of formats
      1. soap operas
      2. detective shows
      3. comedies
      4. children's shows
      5. quiz shows
      6. dramas
      
      Rise of Networks
      1. In 1926, AT&T gets our of broadcasting business
         
         
      2. RCA, GE, and Westinghouse established National Broadcasting Company--CBS comes in 1927
         
         
      3. *By mid-20s had basic broadcasting system have today
         1. Network controlled
         2. Advertising dominated
         
         
      4. Consequences of network control
         1. Reduces cost of production, squeezing out small independent stations
         2. Creates wider market for advertisers
         3. Must appeal to wide audience
            1. see standardization of content
            2. Programs non controversial
         4. Networks bring over stars
      
      
   3. Radio and Regulation
      1. Early chaos
         
         
      2. Proposals for controls
         
         
      3. Radio Act of 1927
         1. Creates FRC
         2. Radio operates in public interest
         3. Reduced # of channels
         4. Created clear channels
         5. Affirmed advertising
         
         
      4. Radio debate: 1927-1934
         1. Calls for reform
         2. Groups calling for reform
         
         
      5. Federal Communications Act--1934
         1. Equal Time rule
         
         
      6. Fairness Doctrine--1949
      
      Commerce Backers
      1. Hoover
      2. Coolidge
      3. Republicans who backed Hoover for president
      
      Independent Commission
      1. Democrats
      2. Republicans who opposed Hoover
      
      No Regulation
      1. Small radio stations
      2. Religious and educational stations
      
      
   4. Social Significance of Radio
      1. Radio is shared experience
         
         
      2. Radio as propaganda
         1. Fireside chats
         2. Father Charles Coughlin
         3. Huey "Kingfish" Long
         
         
      3. Recreation comes back to home
         
         
      4. Regionalism reduced
         
         
      5. Standardizes dialects