Broadcast Communication

Module 1 History of Broadcasting

Module Objectives

• Upon completion of this module, you should be able to:– Arrange the order of events in the history of

broadcasting– Identify the main inventors of the technologies

that contributed to the development of today’s modern broadcasting system

– Realize the important role of broadcast communication in history.

If you would understand anything, observe its beginning and its

development.Aristotle

• To look at the history of Broadcasting, or any industry for that matter, is to study the beginnings of both the technology and it’s impact to people’s lives and eventually to society.

• As Communication scholars, we should be more concerned about how communication is possible using a particular medium and how what is being communicated impacts society.

• We will look at the history in this context: the development of broadcasting technology and its impact to society.

• According to Prof. Irving Fang (The Six Information Revolutions):– “…for an information revolution to succeed, media

that will provide new means for communication must be disseminated within societies already undergoing change. Communication technologies by themselves are not enough. The media both aid and are aided by whatever has shaken the existing order…”

– Bold words are conditions for an information revolution

• Take the case of the RADIO, it had to go through many thinkers and inventors before people enjoyed “the radio” we enjoy (or perhaps take for granted?) today.

• It all started with a theory:

Theory of

invisible waves

In 1855, James Clerk Maxwell published his Theory of Invisible Waves which became the basis for the invention of radio.

• That Heinrich Hertz proved 31 years later in 1886.

• Which later became Guglielmo Marconi’s basis for his “wireless telegraphy”.

Electromagnetic waves do

exist!

Signals in the Air

• Guglielmo Marconi• 1901 founded the

Marconi Wireless Telegraph Company of America which later became Radio Corporation of America (RCA)

• He sent his first wireless radio broadcast in 1902.

But Marconi’s messages were still not voice messages, they were like morse-code tappings sent over the air.

• Note that there was no sole credit for the invention of radio. Same goes for the development of Television, which built up on the technology of radio. They wanted a radio with pictures.

• Following are slides that briefly outline the inventions that preceded Television and their inventors.

Television Technology: Beginnings

• Literally means “seeing at a distance”

• First appeared on the journal, Scientific American in June 1907

• Other names considered for TV: Visual wireless, visual radio, electric vision

Television Technology: Beginnings

1884Paul Gottlieb Nipkow

“Nipkow Disk”1st major technological

discovery to suggest that pictures could travel

Television Technology: Beginnings

1923Vladimir Zworykin

Developed an all-electronic system to transform a visual

image into an electrical signalthat could travel through air.

Television Technology: Beginnings1930

Philo FarnsworthImproved Nipkow’s

Mechanical scanning device:Cathode ray, reproduces

electronic images more clearly.

• Note that these are the only developments in the technology and we haven’t tackled their effects on society yet.

• Over the years, inventors and brave men would step out and come up with something brilliant that either 1) improved the existing technology or 2) used the technology in a different way and affected society.

• Go to http://www.greatachievements.org/?id=3659 for a comprehensive timeline on the invention of radio and television.

• More than the development of the technology, as Communication Arts scholars, we should focus more on how this medium has been used and how it affected lives, this is what we’ll pay attention to in the next slides.

Radio Broadcasting

• In Christmas of 1906, Reginald Fessenden’s voice was the 1st listeners heard as he did the his public transmission of human voice– Also the first radio

broadcast of entertainment and music

Radio Broadcasting

• In 1916, Frank Conrad started broadcasting songs and his voice via 8XK

• On November 2, 1920, he started the 1st commercial radio station.

Growth of Radio

•1923 •Audience of 2M•500 stations•500k sets

•1925•2million sets

•1926•One house in six had a radio

Early Radio

• Technology – brought the radio into the parlor

• Gave multitudes of people a new, inexpensive source of information & entertainment

• Commercialization of radio gave advertisers access to this audience at home

• Radio programming: comedy, music, serials, drama & news.

Television Technology: Beginnings

April 30, 1939NBC’s Commercial TV debut

1939 World’s Fair, NYPres. Franklin Roosevelt –

1st president to appear on TV

Early Television Programming

• Like radio with pictures: variety shows, sitcoms, drama, Westerns, detective stories, soap operas and quiz shows

Rise of Television News

November 22, 1963Assassination of JFK

More than 9 out 10 American watched the coverage

1968Anti-War Demonstrations and Vietnam War

Radio in the TV Era

1936Edwin Armstrong

introduces FM(frequency modulation)

radio

1935Martin Block

1st DJLicensed recordingslaunch disc jockeys

Gordon McLendonIntroduced format

radio- Standardized

- programs

Portable Radios

1928William Lear

Car Radio

“drive-time audiences”6-9 am; 4-7pm

Gerald Bartell 1957

Radio’s New Role• Once the leisure-time

“reward”• Now accompanies

almost every type of activity

• Radio as companion• Radio survived because it

adapted to fill a different need for its audience

• The previous notes gave you a quick run down of the history of Broadcasting.

• Some points to remember:– A society has to be ready for change, technology

can’t make it all happen.– Broadcast technologies underwent a lot of

revisions before it truly made an impact in society.– Older technologies adapt to newer technologies

as they come.

Quick Test: Arrange the following events chronologically.

• Establishment of the “drive time audience” in radio.

• Guglielmo Marconi sends the first wireless message.

• Families watched the Vietnam war from their living rooms.

• The word “television” appears on the journal Scientific American.

Ponder on it.

• Has radio really lost its popularity because of television? Do you see radio broadcasting totally discontinuing?

• What is the importance of Frank Conrad’s 1st radio broadcast from his home?

• What are the functions of radio in society?• What are the functions of TV in society?

See you in class.