Radio

One of the most influential technological advances of the early twentieth century was the radio. Basic radio technology had been around for several decades, but it was not until the 1920s that people bought and kept radios in their homes just for entertainment purposes. In 1920 Frank Conrad (1874–1941), an engineer at the Westinghouse company, began broadcasting music from his home radio. This led to America's first radio station, KDKA.

By the end of 1922, more than five hundred radio stations were in operation. Consumers spent $400 million on radios in 1925, four times the amount spent on them in 1920. Radio broadcasting had a major impact on American culture.

Radio stations expanded their programs to include more than just music. Sports coverage was especially popular, as announcers brought play-by-play accounts of baseball games to listeners. Boxing was the other popular sport of the decade, and listeners received blow-by-blow reports of the matches as they happened.

As the public's interest in sports and music increased, so did interest in variety and comedy shows. Typical segments included the latest jazz tunes, opera selections, lectures, drama, and comedy skits. The comedy show Amos and Andy was particularly popular.

Radio became increasingly important to politics in the 1920s. For the first time, politicians were able to reach a wide segment of the population without having to travel to various cities and towns across the country. Calvin Coolidge (1872–1933; served 1923–29) was the first U.S. president to broadcast on the radio. By the time he left office, he had made sixteen well-received broadcasts. Evangelists (people who try to convert others to Christianity) also used the airwaves to address their followers and attract more converts.

Regulations

The phenomenal growth of the radio industry led to the founding of the Federal Radio Commission in 1927. The purpose of the agency was to develop and enforce broadcasting rules and regulations. By the end of the decade, one-third of the total U.S. population—about twelve million homes—reportedly listened to the radio on a regular basis. The Federal Radio Commission changed its name to the Federal Communications Commission in 1934. The new name reflected the fact that regulations now extended to the telephone industry.

Radio continued through the 1930s and 1940s primarily as an entertainment vehicle. But in 1948, network television came on strong, and many radio stars moved over to the new visual medium. Radio survived, however. By 1949, there were 80 million radios in the United States. In 1965 there were 228 million. The small, handy, inexpensive transistor radio was now popular.

In the 1960s, music began to take on a more prominent role on the radio. The most successful format was Top 40; stations played only the most popular records listed by Billboard magazine. Disc jockeys, or DJs, kept programs moving, identifying the station, letting listeners know what songs were playing, and making sure commercials ran so that radio stations maintained their revenues. Stations began catering to specific tastes, such as rock and roll , and different demographics, such as African Americans.

By the 1980s, 99 percent of American households owned radios, and each household had an average of 5.5 radios (not including car radios). Most programming was produced locally, as opposed to the more national feel of television. FM programming rose in the 1980s, due largely to its superior sound quality. Music stayed primarily on FM, while AM became known more for its news, sports, and call-in programs. This trend continued into the twenty-first century.