An article on the invention of the radio and the importance of radios back then, and the development of radios to modern day today.
Roaring 20’s: The Radio
One of the most important ability that humans have is the ability to communicate efficiently and clearly. Not only are humans able to speak face to face fluently, but are also able to speak at a distance as well, not just a few feet but as far as half way across the world. This power of communication greatly affects society as a whole, allowing people around the world to keep in touch, spread of essential information, and even for pure entertainment. In the early twenties, one of the best ways that this was possible was due to the invention of the radio. Radio made it possible for widespread distribution of entertainment as well as information during the Roaring Twenties and carrying on through modern society. Information was the first way that radio was used positively and effectively. The “first major use of radio was for navigation, where it greatly reduced the isolation of ships, saving thousands of lives” (5. Radio at Sea). The fact that one of the first uses of the radio was so effective and useful shows just how valuable it was during those times. The power to talk to a mass of people at a time without having to repeat information over and over, but instead transmit to everybody all at once was considered revolutionary. Talking is important and all, but that is not the only thing that radios are can and were allowed to do. Radios were also able to send “Morse Code transmissions” (5. Radio at Sea ), which would be very useful in emergency situations where regular speech is difficult or useless. Radios were “the grandstand for mass marketing” (Roaring Twenties), which meant that businesses were allowed to flourish given this ability of “mass marketing”. Using radios to communicate quickly and efficiently to a group of people in a business to coordinate efforts are one of the many successful characteristics in any business, which carries on in modern day society as well. Radios were not only used only for informational and professional purposes, they were also the “media of the masses” (Economy of the 1920s), giving entertainment due to the fact that they were “affordable and entertaining” (Economy of the 1920s) at the same time. Like in society today, people talk all day and night on the radio, “radio entertainment was as varied as programming in modern day” (Economy of the 1920s), with all kinds of ideas and opinions floating around everywhere on the radio. Considering all the things that you can do with the radio, there is one thing that people will always tune into, and that is for entertainment. Entertainment includes things such as dramas with many genres such as “adventure, comedy, drama, horror, mystery, musical variety, romance, thrillers” (Old-time radio), music, and sometimes for just the enjoyment of listening to people talk on the radio. To just be able to know what is going on in the world is also considered entertainment as well, even “the first Rose Bowl” (Old-time radio) was broadcasted on the radio. There were so many forms of entertainment for every kind of person, no matter what mood they were in. Through decades and decades of radio use, from the beginning of the roaring twenties to modern day, radio still plays a massively important role in society. Radio has improved through quality and quantity through its frequent use through history in military operations, broadcasting of information such as news and weather, communication in times of emergency and popular entertainment. All these choices of radio use have developed with time and in modern day, seem to be at its best. Radio has had a lasting impact on society from the very first broadcast to the thousands of transmissions being sent out today. We are so dependent on radios that we take it for granted, but the reassuring fact about radios is the fact that they are so easily and massively produced, are very efficient, and affordable as well, that there will always be a radio to tune into.
“5. Radio at Sea (1891-1916).” United States Early Radio History. Web. 19 Jan. 2010. <http://earlyradiohistory.us/sec005.htm>.
Robertson, Anna, Steve Garfinkel, and Elizabeth Eckstein. “Radio in the 1920s.” American Studies @ The University of Virginia. 1 May 2000. Web. 27 Jan. 2010. <http://xroads.virginia.edu/~ug00/3on1/radioshow/1920radio.htm>.
Schoenherr, Steven E. “Golden Age of Radio 1935-50.” Recording Technology History. 20 Mar. 2007. Web. 19 Jan. 2010. <http://history.sandiego.edu/gen/recording/radio2.html>.
Adams, Mike. “100 Years of Radio Broadcasting.” California Historical Radio Society. Web. 19 Jan. 2010. <http://www.californiahistoricalradio.com/100years.html>.
