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Radio Act of 1912
The Radio Act of 1912 was the first major law to regulate radio in the U.S. It created a system where people needed a license to broadcast and gave top priority to the military and big businesses. This law pushed amateur radio users to the side and showed how the government wanted to take control of radio early on (Douglas, 1987). -
Formation of RCA
After World War I, the U.S. wanted to make sure radio stayed under American control, so it helped create the Radio Corporation of America. RCA was a group of major companies like GE, Westinghouse, and ATT. They shared their patents to control how radio technology was used. This made RCA some of the most powerful groups in early broadcasting (Hilmes, 2013). -
Launch of KDKA Pittsburgh
Westinghouse launched KDKA in 1920 and it’s often called the first real commercial radio station in the U.S. The first broadcast covered the presidential election results and reached people in many different cities. It showed that radio can be used to reach large audiences and paved the way for broadcasting as a business (PBS). -
WEAF’s Toll Broadcasting
In 1922, ATT tried a new idea with its station WEAF in New York. They let businesses pay to talk on air. This was called toll broadcasting and was one of the first examples of advertising on the radio. It became the model for how radio and eventually TV can make money through ads (Douglas, 2004). -
FCC Television Freeze
From 1948 to 1951 the government stopped handing out new TV licenses. This period was known as the “Freeze.” This gave big networks time to grow without competition and made it harder for small or educational stations to get started. When the freeze ended, the major networks already had control of the best spots on the dial (Wirth, 2018). -
Rise of Anthology Dramas
Spanning from 1950-1960, there were shows called anthology dramas and they became very became popular. They were live, serious dramas that often dealt with real life problems that were relatable. They aired on networks like NBC. They gave TV a more artistic and respected image in the eyes of the public and helped show that television can be more than just entertainment (Boddy, 1990). -
The Quiz Show Scandal
In 1959 it was revealed that some popular quiz shows were being rigged by sponsors to get higher ratings. This upset a lot of people and led to government hearings. The scandal made networks change how they worked with sponsors and led to networks taking more control over what aired (Anderson, 1982).