The Story of Communication:
Radio—Fascinating Facts
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The inventor of radio, Guglielmo Marconi, began his invention
trail when he was 19.
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Marconi made one of his greatest radio discoveries when he
accidentally left part of his antenna on the ground.
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Marconi, an Italian, offered his invention of radio to the
Italian government. It was turned down as having no value.
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The emergency radio signal was not always “S.O.S.” It
started out as “C.Q.D.” (calling all stations,
disaster). “S.O.S.” was easier to remember.
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Japan won what may be the world’s most one-sided naval
battle in 1904 after the Russian fleet shut down its new-fangled
radio contact.
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Another ship was only 19 miles away when the Titanic signaled
distress, but its radio operator had shut down and gone to
sleep.
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The first radio law passed by Congress, in 1912, allowed anyone
who passed a competency test to get a license. That started
some fortunes.
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The self-styled “father of radio,” Lee De Forest,
did not understand all that the vacuum tube he invented could
do.
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The word “broadcasting” comes from the action of
a farmer broadly casting seeds over a field.
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Early radio hobbyists, including many teenagers, built “cat’s
whisker” radio receivers by wrapping wire around a Quaker
Oats box.
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When radio commercials began, some stations worried that toothpaste
might be too intimate a produce to advertise on air.
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Radio and TV compete with newspapers for ads, but programs
are listed free. Movie theaters don’t compete, but must
pay for listings.
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During the “Golden Age” of radio, announcers were
hired for their lack of regional accents.
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Most businesses shrank during the Depression of the 1930s.
Radio grew.
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Newspapers once tried to limit the amount of news that radio
stations could get. Radio won this “Press-Radio War.”
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Phonographs and radios were accepted into homes after manufacturers
disguised them with wood cabinets, just like pianos.
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In 1938 the radio drama, “War of the Worlds,” sent
people into the streets in panic, believing Martians had invaded.
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One company, Clear Channel, now owns about 1,200 radio stations.
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Two radio station owners sitting in a tavern noticed that a
few songs were played over and over on a jukebox. This led
to “Top 40 Radio.”
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Friendly truck drivers who once used radio CB rigs to warn
others of “smokies” waiting to pounce on drivers
now use cellphones.
Other Resources for Radio
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