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Guglielmo Marconi
Guglielmo Marconi, an Italian inventor, sent and received the first radio signal -
Audion Tube
Lee De Forest created a vacuum tube that amplified sound. Though, it is believed that a Canadian inventor, Reginald Fessenden, actually came up with the idea. Fessenden never gained credit for it however. -
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Frank Conrad
An amatuer radio broadcaster, Conrad became popular for accomplishing many firsts for the radio industry. He was the first to play music, advertise, and use a microphone to make communication faster and easier. He soon began working for the Westinghouse Electric Corporation on the KDKA -
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Golden Age of Radio
Before television began to surpass radio as a means of programming and entertainment, a large portion of people were found to be avid radio listeners. -
KDKA
The first commercial radio station, 8XK was later renamed KDKA. It was created by Westinghouse Electric Corporation in early November, 1920. This station was the fastest way to broadcast current events. -
First Advertisement
WEAF, a New York City radio station, aired on August 28, 1922. A ten to fifteen minute ad played during the broadcast, officially becoming the fist commercial radio advertisement. The station charged $100 dollars for the ad. -
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The Great Depression
During this infamous state of panic, the American population was given an important sense of immediacy. Radio was able to transmit information to the public much faster than print. This became an essential factor when it came to recovering the economy. -
Federal Communications Commission
To prevent the radio airways from becoming overwhelmed by "Uncle Charlies", the Congresional statute created the Federal Communications Commission. Their job was to regulate the interstate communications occurring through radio, television, satellite, and cable. Also, they assigned radio frequencies and organized the liscencing of transmitters.