Radio: Then and Now

Radio: Then & Now Although it’s basic format has remained the same, radio decades ago has changed quite a bit compared to modern radio. The first culmination of “Wireless Communication” was primarily for times of War and the safety of seafaring vessels. Soon after, society began to use radio as an outlet for news broadcasting. The modern radio we listen to today still shares the same functionality of war communication and news reporting, but now it is valued more as a source of music and other entertainment. Italian inventor Guglielmo Marconi discovered that grounded antennas have potential to send radio signals farther than originally thought. The Japanese navy acquired this radio equipment from Marconi and used it to destroy a Russian fleet during the “Battle of Tsushima”. In 1912, ships responded to the distress signal of a sinking ship called the Titanic and saved only seven hundred and eleven passengers out of over two thousand. After this tragic incident, it was required or every seagoing vessels to have wireless operator listening constantly. This technology was proven to be very useful and sea and these safety procedures are still in use today. In the early 1900’s, World War I introduced the concept of using vacuum tubes with radio systems that would amplify the signal to far greater distances before. Many amateurs would set up “ham radios” and just start broadcasting. In response, the Government for the Federal Radio Commission (later reformed to the FCC that we have today). Radio had become so popular for communicating with the masses that the government began to regulate it as all media is regulated today. In !937, Orsen Welles used the radio to recite his fictional drama of an alien invasion titled “War of the World”. People just tuning in had mistaken this for a real alien invasion and began to panic.This shows the potential that radio had in communicating to society what they believed to be the truth. Engineer Frank Conrad gets credit for transmitting the first regular AM broadcast every Wednesday and Saturday from his garage in Pittsburgh. Like many modern radio stations today, he would talk about news, sports, and mostly play music. Conrad started a deal with a local record store to keep getting music from them as an exchange for a promotional segment for the store; this became the first known radio advertisement. Conrads broadcast became so popular that the FCC commissioned him to have the first licensed radio station called KDKA. Today, there are numerous radio stations all over the world. The majority of these stations play music, sports, talk, contests, plus many more. Radio broadcasting today is generally the same concept as it was decades ago but, the potential of what it can be used for has greatly increased. During the World Wars radio was vital in communicating with other Navy ships, today we have used the same technology to create radar. Before television and the internet became what it is today, Radio was one of the most important things for broadcasting the News to society. Now radio is one of the greatest forms of entertainment. Although radio isn’t the number one form of communication anymore because of the internet, it still holds a place in the hearts of many because of all the changes and advancements that it helped create.