Radio has laid the foundation for many modern forms of media and content. However, it wasn’t always this influential.
As a young girl, I was born into a period of rapid advancements in technology. I still remember getting my first TV and eventually the arrival of cell phones. These incredible machines made life so much easier, but of course, they had to have come from somewhere, right?
This is a question I asked myself when I stumbled across an old family radio that my father used to keep in the living room. As I sat around the radio all the memories of programs and music made me want to discover how such an important machine came to be.
Hey everybody, Stacy Smith here! I thought I would share what I learned with my readers. Perhaps learning about the past will help you appreciate what humankind has in the present.
With that being said, let’s get into it!
The Invention Of The Radio
Now, when was the radio invented? To understand the context of how it came to be, I will take you back a bit before its invention. The discovery of electromagnetic waves by Heinrich Hertz in 1887 was the basis of the eventual discovery of the radio.
These electromagnetic waves (also called radio waves) were not as widely recognized by inventors at the time. As a result, there were not many experiments being done to discover how these waves could be used. That is until a man by the name of Guglielmo Marconi came along.
At the age of 20, Marconi was interested in discovering how electromagnetic waves could be used. He was a pioneer in wireless telegraphy at the time, so this was not unfamiliar territory for him.
By 1896, Marconi had developed his first model radio, which had a radio transmitter and receiver. This model was designed for the British government and was simply a prototype. As he worked extensively on the design, the efficiency of the radio transmitter and receiver increased.
In December of 1909, the very first radio signal was sent by Marconi across the Atlantic Ocean. This was the first big step in the history of the radio, creating a bridge to bring the world together.
During the Second World War, the radio played a large role in broadcasting emergency messages to the public as well as troops on the ground. These messages were also used to stir morale and spread propaganda on both sides. As such, there was pressure from multiple entities to develop and utilize this form of instantaneous communication to the utmost potential.
After the war, people were left with many new advancements in communication and broadcasting. These built the basis of modern developments like the cell phone and Wi-Fi.
Evolution Of The Radio
After this discovery of real-time long-distance communication, there was a boom in developments and advancements. With every advancement made, there was another step taken to bridge the gap between people.
One important advancement of the radio was the introduction of a pocket-sized transistor radio by Sony in 1955. This radio was called the TR-55 and was the first mass-produced radio that anyone could carry around and listen to.
With the public now being able to access radio waves to listen in, companies and advertisers, as well as radio stations, began seeing the potential radio had. It allowed a message to be delivered instantly to thousands of people at a time.
By this time, radio as a medium was taking off despite new forms of media being introduced. The introduction of the television was seen as the end of the radio. An opinion made even more evident by the famous song “video killed the radio star.”
However, this was obviously not the case, as the radio remains relevant even today. Although it is not as prevalent and influential a medium as before, it has survived every significant development of media consumption.
FM radio and television were two of the most influential developments in the history of radio. FM waves are able to send clearer signals with minimal interference, opening up the radio to quality music broadcasts.
Similarly, television sets that received broadcasted analog signals became a staple in American houses. Programs to entertain and advertise were brought up by agencies, creating a new culture of media consumption.
It is hard to imagine the world today where having wireless connectivity has become a basic necessity.
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Influence Of Radio
Radio has vast influences in shaping the way citizens consume media today. The method of sending media over waves is a concept that is taken advantage of by almost every device people use.
Signals sent back and forth from satellites to the ground are a concept built from the work of Marconi. By exploring different types of waves to send and receive signals, there were numerous applications found for radio and other forms of media.
Beyond just expanding how media is transmitted, radio has also changed perceptions of media consumption. It can be said that the radio is the beginning of people having a constant source of media to consume.
As for the implications of having easy access to entertainment and media, that is a discussion for another day.
Summing Up
Radio can be said to be an outdated piece of technology, but that is not the case.
It is still just as relevant in maintaining the baseline of all other forms of communication. Besides opening up physical advancements and hardware, the radio has culturally brought the world closer.
People are able to hear events as it is happening on the other side of the world! A feat that I believe should not be taken for granted.
Also, without the development of the radio, humans would likely not have been as technologically advanced. In a way, it ushered in a new era in civilization and still remains a figure of longevity, a testament to humanity’s eternal march forward.