Preview

Radio in the 1930's

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
446 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Radio in the 1930's
The 1930’s was a really hard time for many people; it was considered the Great Depression. But for radio it was the Golden Age. The radio was a great diversion from the terrible economy. Not only was radio a great source of entertainment, but it also provided relief from the depression and connected the home front with the war. There were many different “shows” broadcasted on the radio, there was a vast category of genres, such as drama (soap operas), action/adventure, and comedies. It wasn’t just entertainment, it was also educational. The radio was a great way to unite communities and give a little bit of peace to those who were struggling.
The first radio was technically invented in the 1860’s, but it became popular in the 1930’s. And as technology improved, so did radios. They became smaller and cheaper. Companies began manufacturing radios with buttons instead of dial. Radio in the 30’s consisted of mainly jazz live music, talk shows, and important political speeches. In the beginning of the 1930’s less that 10 million households had radio and by the end of 1930’s over 30 million households had one. They were the center of the average American home. Radio had a large range of live music, comedy, variety shows, and dramatic programming. There was so much entertainment on broadcasted on the radio, which is how it quickly became the center of so many average American homes. Even when people couldn’t make payments on their homes and couldn’t afford much, they still seemed to find some way to pay for their radios. Soap operas were a brand-new thing to America, and housewives everywhere absolutely loved them; they helped the radio grow in popularity. And the news broadcasts provided the public with knowledge about things that were happening at the time. It completely changed the way people discovered current events. The radio connected the nation with their president; FDR’s fireside chats made America feel closer to their president than ever.
Radios were an

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Happy Daze Film Question

    • 428 Words
    • 2 Pages

    4. The television brought families together (for dinner) and became rapidly affordable to most people. People wanted more programs and the radio was abandoned. It became what everyone should have.…

    • 428 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Daily Life in US 1920-1935

    • 1336 Words
    • 6 Pages

    The 1920s is an era remembered as the “Roaring Twenties”. The age of mass marketing had begun. With a model T in every driveway and the stock market soaring, the 1920s made more than a few men millionaires. The 1920s will always be remembered for its speakeasies, Babe Ruth, Amos and Andy, Charles Lindbergh, and the flapper. This must have been a very exciting time to be alive, without the knowledge of what was to come, to only live for today. The image of a cavalier nation with everyone visiting speakeasies and dancing the Charleston gives way to the 1930s. The 1930s was a decade of heart wrenching poverty, the Dust Bowl of the American south west and FDR’s New Deal.…

    • 1336 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Better Essays

    Glued to the Set

    • 1235 Words
    • 5 Pages

    In the forties television was a rarity, most people did not have one and thee where very few programs on it (T.V. in the forties). During this time most people had radio’s, if they wanted to be up to date on the most current news, or be just entertained they usually got it from radios (T.V. in the forties). This is most likely why the first TV show to ever become popular was “Meet the Press”. The author, Steven D. Stark talks about how the reason “Meet the Press” was so popular was because the show was basically used a radio broadcast with pictures. The other show that the author believes is a staple in 40’s TV is the show “Howdy Doody”. “Howdy Doody”, a children’s show is believed to have given birth to the counter culture movement (Encyclopedia of the Sixties). Essential it was the first show that parents hated and children worshiped.…

    • 1235 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Julia Audiffred American Literature-8 Walsh December 08 2016 Prohibition and the Roaring 20s The roaring 20s was a crazy time for all Americans. Many of them started moving out of their comfortable farms and into big, busy cities. “For the first time more Americans lived in cities than in farms (history.com Staff).” The whole nation's wealth was affected, mostly in a good way.…

    • 636 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    There were many choices of entertainment in the 1930's and 1960's. During the 1930's there were movies, and radio. Children watched Snow White or some super hero. In addition children found entertainment listening to the radio with "Little Orphan Annie" she was a brave detective child trying to…

    • 1103 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Most are still popular today. Listening to radio was a big part of life. People would listen to music, sports and entertainment. In the 20’s music was getting to be very popular. Jazz was the biggest influence. Baseball was the most popular sport. People would gather around the radio in their homes to listen and be entertained. (Leinwand) Today we listen to radio in our cars, while jogging, on airplanes, and even the old fashion way, at home. Radio has become so popular today; some people even pay for it. Another fad that was popular, was watching movies. The start of 3-D movies was in the twenties. In the 1920s, there was an average of 800 film releases. In the early twenties there were silent films and people like Charlie Chaplin became household names. In 1927, the first talkie movie, “The Jazz Singer”, was released. After this first movie, all the studios started making talkie movies and the silent films were history. (1920s Movie History Timeline) Movies today have changed because of the computer technology. Movies are being copied to DVD’s. Not only can you watch it in the movie theater but now were ever. Another fad in the twenties was smoking cigarettes. One reason it became popular, is that the cigarette companies began to put ads in newspapers and magazines. In their ads they would claim that the Camel man was more successful and handsome then anyone else. Camel would also advertise to get young women customers. They…

    • 1381 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    In the 1920s, there was a new sense of freedom after World War One. Popular culture became very relevant to almost every citizen in this period of time because they were constantly mulling over the high life. Technology became readily available for ordinary citizens. The 1920s had a burst of popular culture, movies became popular, radios were considered the device that, “knitted the nation together,” Women became more proactive in getting low paying jobs. Modeling also became very popular for publication of products. This era was very progressive in the working movement, a lot was…

    • 96 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    The radio in the 1920's.

    • 542 Words
    • 2 Pages

    During the 1920's, also known as "The Roaring 20's", Radio Broadcasting became one of America's favorite sources of entertainment. During this time period most Americans depended on radio for their source of communication, since television was not yet invented. The invention of radio had a major impact on Americans. Radio stations transmitted a variety of shows and programs that entertained many people through out the nation.…

    • 542 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    It is with these statistics that help support the idea that it seems almost impossible to even try to fathom a period of time when there were no such things as television sets in the American household, let alone there being no such thing as television. This time period seems to be primitive. Yet the issue at hand is that we fail to realize that television was not always around. Instead it was only first presented to the public less than 73 years ago in 1939. In fact to some, it is extremely surprising that television was not even popular among Americans until the 1950's. It was with this popularity that helped turn the spark, the effect that television had on Americans, into a wildfire that spread all over America. This very effect is one of the most…

    • 3030 Words
    • 13 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    The 1930s was a rough time for most Americans. Most people had a lot of their money either in the bank or invested in the stock markets. To start off these terribly hard times the stock market crashed. Many people lost quite a bit of money when that happened. With their money from the stock market gone America had what is called “Bank Runs”. A bank run was when everybody who had their money in the bank went and withdrew it. Eventually the banks went broke and not everyone was able to get their money out. To help them through these rough times many people looked to entertainment to help put them in a better mood. Entertainment has changed drastically since the 1930s; this is shown through the different forms of mass media, art, music, and dancing.…

    • 929 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    American Culture in 1920s

    • 417 Words
    • 2 Pages

    The entertainment of the 20's is completely different from the entertainment of today. The 20's were known as the "Jazz Age." This decade was known as the "Jazz Age" because jazz was very popular and just beginning to show off the talents. This could have also been known as the turning point in music. There were many different people who changed music and the way people look at it. These people included: Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, George Gershwin, and Bessie Smith. There was more than just popular music artists that kept the people of this time entertained. There were cartoons, movies, books, and radio programs. A cartoon character that came out in the 1920’s was Betty Boop. Also the first Mickey Mouse cartoon came out in 1928. A book that was published was Winnie the Pooh. Everybody enjoyed this book and fell in love with this cartoon character. Also, the first talking movie produced by Warner Brothers came out, called The Jazz Singer. Amos and Andy, two famous disc jockeys came on the radio. Many traditions of the twenties entertainment carry on today.…

    • 417 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Music In The 1930s Essay

    • 547 Words
    • 3 Pages

    “Music washes away the dust of everyday life.”- Art Blakey. Being around music develops an appreciation for many genres of music. Although our country was in the midst of WWII, the culture of music in America was thriving. The music of the 1930’s included popular genres such as Big Band and Jazz, Swing, and Country.…

    • 547 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Back then, when our grandparents were young life was simpler as they were able to interact with each other. Their leisure activities were just reading a book or going out for a walk, to name a few. As time went by, they started to see new ways of entertainment; when the radio was invented they were able to interact with a lot more people than before and could listen to their favorite artists and the latest news. Times went on, and our parents had the chance of seeing beyond where they lived. Television became the center of entertainment for those who could afford it. At that time, society was more dependent on their own but as they were striving, new ways of communication were also being discovered. As technology improved, Americans focused…

    • 925 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Another change within American society in the 20's is the development of the radio. The radio served as a link of communication to people across the country. Listeners were able to hear everything from music, literature readings, to presidential speeches. The radio provided a cheap and convenient way of conveying information and ideas for the American…

    • 785 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Jazz Age Essay

    • 1128 Words
    • 5 Pages

    With the radio, Americans could finally hear the president’s voice, the roaring of the crowds at the World Series baseball games, and the greatest musicians. In the rural areas, radios were powered by battery and sometimes by windmills. The “National Farm and Home Hour”, which was forty-five minutes of music, crop and weather forecasts, and information on soil improvements, debuted on National Broadcasting Company in 1928. In 1923, a farmer from Missouri said, “We hillbillies out in the sticks look upon radio as a blessing direct from God. We farmers are going broke anyway, but we like to have our radios to sort of ease the pain” (“Mass Culture: Radio, Music, and Movies”).…

    • 1128 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays