History of Radio Unit 1 Radio Lab Wired Telegraph • 1828 – 1st Telegraph is invented • 1835 – Samuel Morse invents Morse Code System o Series of Dots & Dashes used to communicate messages o Dots & Dashes are interruptions in the electric current o Current deflects electromagnet that moves a ink marker on paper • 1843 Congress funds Telegraph demonstration o Washington DC – Baltimore o “What Hath Gone Wrought” • 1861 Western Union builds transcontinental line • 1866 Transatlantic line from Newfoundland to Ireland o 6 word per minute • Becomes a standard channel of sending messages Wireless Technology • 1856 James Clerk Maxwell theorizes existence of electromagnetic waves o Radio, Microwave, Infrared, Visible, Ultraviolet, X-rays, Gamma-rays • 1887 Heinrich Hertz proves Maxwell’s theory o Oscillator powering an AC wire loop o Electric spark jumps between the gap of 2 metal balls o Separate wire loop also shows a spark jumping the gap • 1894 Marconi invents wireless telegraphy technology o Attaches a spark gap transmitter to a Morse Inker machine • 1896 - 2 Miles transmission • 1899 – English Channel transmission • 1901 – Transatlantic transmission Wireless Telegraphy Success • 1899 Marconi forms American Marconi • Advances the technology and discovers that transmission height and grounding the tower will allow for a longer and stronger signal • Sells technology to Navy and Commercial Shipping industry o Never had the ability to communicate from ship to shore o New wireless technology makes that possible • Other companies develop technology but Marconi is the standard End of Lesson 1 Broadcasting is Born • 1899 Lee De Forest writes dissertation on wireless technology o Predicts that voice messages can be sent in addition to dot/dash messages • 1901 Deforest and Marconi each showcase their wireless telegraphy devices in coverage of NY Yacht Race o Jam each other’s signals • 1902 Deforest forms Wireless Telephone Company • 1906 Reginald Fessenden performs 1st voice broadcast • 1907 Deforest broadcasts Metropolitan Opera performance Telegraphy v Telephony • Telegraphy (Point to Point / Dot & Dash) o Samuel Morse (Morse Code) o James Clerk Maxwell (Theory of Electromagnetic Waves) o Heinrich Hertz (Proof of Electromagnetic Waves) o Marconi/Tesla (Wireless Telegraphy) • Telephony (Point to Many / Voice) o Reginald Fessenden (Alexanderson Alternator, Liquid Barrater) • First radio broadcast (Christmas Eve 1906) o John Fleming (Diode) o Lee Deforest (Audion Tube) • Second radio broadcast (1907 NYC) o Edwin Armstrong (Regenerative Circuit) (Super heterodyne) Efficiency of Amplification • Diode - Fleming • Audion Tube - DeForest • Regeneration - Armstrong Legal Developments • Wireless Ship Act 1910 o All ships must be equipped with wireless technology • 50 passengers • 200 mile trip • 100 mile radius • Radio Act of 1912 o All wireless stations obtain a license for Commerce Department o Radio is a natural resource, not a military commodity o Regulated until 1927 o 1921 – 5 stations 1923 – 600 stations • World War I (1917) o Government pools all wireless technology patents o GE, Westinghouse, AT&T, American Marconi are at military mercy RCA Story • RCA (Radio Corporation of America) – 1919 o Marconi orders 24 new alternators from General Electric o GE breaks the deal, and future negotiations with European countries o RCA is founded (xenophobia) Roosevelt (Navy) / Wilson (President) o Private sector monopoly is created by pooling all major patents o AT&T makes transmitters, GE (Westinghouse) make receivers o RCA cannot manufacture equipment (standardize & control interference o No more than 20% of any broadcast facility can be foreign owned • Later raised to 25% • American Marconi’s role is diminished o USA has almost total control over broadcasting • Commercial, not military or government Commercial Radio • David Sarnoff – Radio Box Memo (Marconi) o Household utility o Music, Sports, News o Changeable frequency o Outlying Areas • Frank Conrad – 8xK/KDKA (Westinghouse) o Creates station to sell Armstrong’s super heterodyne receivers • $200K, and 60,000 shares in RCA o Music store donates records o Advertisement in newspaper to buy $10 receiver o 1920 Election Returns – First radio station • First Radio Commercial – WEAF (AT&T) o 10 minute promotion of apartment complex (Toll Broadcasting) End of Lesson 2 RCA Unravels • AT&T breaks off agreements – 1922 o Argue that radio is extension of telephones o Interconnects transmitters through long phone lines o 22 stations become affiliates and known as BCA (phone group) o RCA responds and uses Western Union lines (inferior) to interconnect • Government Intervention o AT&T only sells phone lines o BCA is sold to RCA for 1 million dollars Network Affiliation • Control of program costs • Avoid unnecessary duplication • Produce programs at one station and simultaneously broadcast them over a network of stations • Brings the best music, drama, and comedic talent to outlying areas • Affiliates will pay for programming Sarnoff the Visionary • As early as 1916 Sarnoff wrote the Radio Box Memo which predicted radio’s eventual role in the 1930s & 40s • In 1929 he negotiated manufacturing of Motorola car radios to be placed in all GM cars • Merged RCA with Victor talking Machine Company, giving him control over records and recording equipment Creation of NBC • David Sarnoff is named newly formed RCA’s commercial manager, then its GM, then president • After acquiring AT&T’s BCA network, Sarnoff forms a subsidiary named the National Broadcasting Company (NBC) in 1926 o RCA = 50%, GE = 30%, Westinghouse = 20% o BCA “phone group” becomes known as NBC-Red o RCA “radio group” becomes known as NBC-Blue • Independent stations become affiliates of NBC o Receive money to carry network programming, must reserve time slots for national advertising o 1933 NBC-Red = 28 stations, NBC-Blue = 24 stations Government Intervention • 1923 RCA is charged with violations of antitrust laws • 1930 RCA buys out GE/Westinghouse interest in NBC o Too much control on manufacturing/programming • Public was distrustful of big business as a result of stock market crash in 1929 • 1932 RCA monopoly status is revoked o RCA buys out GE/Westinghouse in RCA’s manufacturing, so competition would exist • 1941 FCC limits control of NBC • NBC Blue sold for $8 million, it becomes ABC Creation of CBS • United Independent Broadcasters with 12 affiliates tries to start up. o Cash poor, AT&T wouldn’t rent them long lines to connect • Columbia Phonograph Company, in response to RCA Victor deal, steps in to launch a 16 station network called CPBS in 1927 o Loses $100,000 in first month, drops the ‘P’ • Enter William Paley in 1928, 90 affiliates by 1933 o 28 year old son of cigar shop owner who bought controlling interest in CBS to sponsor his cigar brand o Polishes Image o Modifies Option of Time (any time they want) o Bigger payouts to stations o Develops (raids) talent Creation of MBS • WGN – Chicago, WOR – Newark, WLW – Cincinnati, WXYZ – Detroit band together to form Mutual Broadcasting System o Cooperative, not a regular network o Reached most of North America o Served smaller stations overlooked by NBC & CBS • “Lone Ranger”, “The Shadow”, “The Green Hornet”, “Sam and Henry”, “Adventures of Superman” • Indy 500, World Series, Notre Dame Football Government Jurisdiction • Radio Act of 1912 was not enough to regulate the airwaves • Radio Act of 1927 was passed o Licenses did not own their channels, but could license them o Must serve the “public interest, convenience, or necessity” o Creates Federal Radio Commission (FRC) • Members appointed by president • Federal Communications Act of 1934 o Creates the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) o Regulates radio, telephone, telegraph, (television, cable, internet) o 1941 FCC limits control of NBC/CBS • NBC Blue sold for $8 million, it becomes ABC • Option of Time eliminated Golden Age of Radio • 1930 – 1945, short lived • Great Depression, money/opportunities limited • Radio is piece of furniture, becomes a family affair • Syndication brings great talent to small areas • Jobs o Scripting, direction, acting, sound effects, operators, engineers • Advertising o Companies can get commercial message to masses at once o Sponsorships of programs, gets your product out there constantly Programming • News, Weather, Sports Politics o HV Kaltenborn, Lowell Thomas, Edward R Murrow, Roosevelt’s Fireside Chats, Mel Allen, Red Barber, Jack Brickhouse • Situational Comedy (Sitcom) o Amos ‘N Andy, Fibber McGee • Drama o The Shadow, Lone Ranger, Green Hornet,, War of Worlds • Variety Show o Eveready Hour • Quiz Shows o Professor Quiz, Old Time Spelling Bee, Information Please, Quiz Kids • Soap Opera o Clara, Lu, and Em, Guiding Light.