During the 1920's, also known as "The Roaring 20's", Radio Broadcasting became one of America's favorite sources of entertainment. During this time period most Americans depended on radio for their source of communication, since television was not yet popular. The invention of radio had a major impact on Americans. Radio stations transmitted a variety of shows and programs that entertained many people through out the nation.
In the 1920’s only twenty-thousand people received wireless radio messages. As an experiment, Frank Conrad of the Westinghouse Company began to broadcast recorded music and baseball scores over the radio. He received such a great response that the company began broadcasting programs on a regular basis. By the fall of 1920, the country had its first commercially operated radio station, Pittsburgh’s KDKA. By 1922, over five hundred stations had formed with a quarter of them being controlled by newspapers. Networks such as the National Broadcasting Company (NBC) brought together many individual stations in order to play much of the same programming on different radio stations. Soon much of the country was able to hear the same jokes, commercials, and music at the same time.
“By 1922, over 500 stations had formed, with newspapers controlling about a quarter of them. Listeners can now hear music, news, sports events, and religious services over the air. To reach more people, networks such as the National Broadcasting Company (NBC) brought together many individual stations and each station in the network played the same programming. Soon much of the country was sharing the same jokes, commercials, and music.”
Creating a Shared Culture - America Pathways to the Present