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1920's: The Radio and its Impact

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Guglielmo Marconi sent the first radio signal in Italy in

1885

In 1899 the United States Army established wireless

communications with a lightship off Fire Island, New

York

o Two years later the Navy adopted a wireless system.

During WW1, the U.S. government controlled all radio

development

o these government restraints were released in 1919

The Radio: Its Beginning

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By 1923 there were about 3 million radio listeners in the

country

o that was about 37% of the country

With more than 1/3 of the country listening to radios,

information could travel faster to rural and isolated

areas

This caused the rise

of pop culture and

national experience

The Impact on Americans

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Created National

Heroes

Projected SportsEvents

Told PoliticalStories

Played Music

Uses of the Radio

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Charles Lindbergh- flew solo from New York to Paris in 1927o When he flew over Ireland, the news radioed both New York and

Paris!

National Heroes

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1920 - The Harding-Cox presidential results were aired over

Westinhouses Corporation's KDKA radio station in Pittsburgh

Many radio stations broadcasted murder cases and other scandals

o entertainment pieces

The News

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The Gene Tunney and Jack Dempsey boxing match sold more than

$90,000 worth of radios in one store! (1927)

The Yankees -

o By 1924, 576 radio stations nationwide broadcasted their games

o Babe Ruth, hit 60 homeruns in 154 games in 1927 - over fivemillions radios listened to this broadcast around the country (the

sportscasters giving a play by play of the game)

Before WW1, there were few golf and tennis courts around the

country

o by 1926 millions of sports fans listened to Bobby Jones win theU.S. and British Open

Sports

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Bobby Jones

at the British Open

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"He wasn't a baseball player. He was a worldwide celebrity, an

international star, the likes of which baseball has never seen

since."

Babe Ruth

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Harold Edward "Red" Grangeo 3-time All-American at University of Illinois

o scored a touchdown in every single college game except

for one

o named the greatest college football player of all-time byESPN

the "Galloping Ghost"

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In 1926, became the firstwoman to swim across the

English Channel

She swam it in 14 hours and

39 minutes

Gertrude Ederle

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Get in a group of 3-4 people and come up with your own

radio broadcast

Your broadcast must address these questions:

o Who will listen to your station?

o What will you broadcast (sports, news, music)?

Have fun and be creative!

Your Assignment