Virtual Album of Mass Communication Media on Stamps

Mass Communication Media on Stamps Radio
The first human voice was transmitted over the air on Christmas Eve 1906. Reginald Fessenden in Boston read from the Bible using a telephone mouthpiece as a microphone. Also in 1906, Lee De Forest invented the 3-element vacuum tube (audion) which made amplification of radio waves possible which lead to portable transmitters and receivers which played a big role in WWI. By 1918, pilots in the air could talk by radio to the ground. Still radio was a private medium, not a mass medium. After the war, amateur radio operators helped create a a broad interest in this new medium. In April 1920, Westinghouse Electric Corporation engineer Frank Conrad began experimenting with transmitting signals from a transmitter at his home. Later that year, the U.S. Dept. of Commerce issued the license for the nation's first radio station, KDKA at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. KDKA was the first government-licensed station to broadcast regularly scheduled and previously announced commercial programs to the general public. Established and owned by Westinghouse Electric Corporation, KDKA began broadcasting on November 2, 1920, and has been in continuous operation since. KDKA began its schedule of radio programming with the Harding-Cox Presidential election returns. KDKA's broadcast schedule included music, news and sports programs. During the year following the inauguration of KDKA broadcasts, Westinghouse began to sell radio receivers for $25. The first KDKA broadcast marked the beginning of the rapid growth of commercial radio broadcasts in the United States. Very soon there were hundreds of stations on the air. Congress passed the Radio Act of 1927 which established the first broadcasting regulatory agency – the Federal Radio Commission (FRC). The Federal Communications Act of 1934 replaced the FRC with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). AT&T inaugurated its first radio station, WEAF, in New York City in 1922. Shortly, WEAF broadcast the first paid commercial announcement. By the end of the 1920s, there were 14 milliion radio sets in homes. In 1926, the first network programming was transmitted by the National Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) which had been formed by the Radio Corporation of America (RCA). NBC became so successful, it had two separate chains, the NBC Red Network and the NBC Blue Network. Years later the two split into NBC and ABC in 1941. The Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) started in 1929. The Mutual Broadcasting System formed as a third national network in 1934. From the mid 1930s to 1950 is considered the Golden Age of radio. There was a great deal of variety: there were comedy shows and soap operas, sporting events, dance bands and news. During the Depression in the 1930s, radio was a popular source of free entertainment. During World War II, radio became an important sources of news about the war. By 1948, TV stations were on the air. Radio profits dropped as radio audiences followed their favorite shows to television. Radio adapted. There are more than 11,000 radio stations on the air today. Studies show 96 percent of the population above 12 listens to radio during an average week. TV viewing is only 90 percent and newspaper reading only 76 percent.

Mass Communication Media on Stamps
Radio

The first human voice was transmitted over the air on Christmas Eve 1906. Reginald Fessenden in Boston read from the Bible using a telephone mouthpiece as a microphone.

Also in 1906, Lee De Forest invented the 3-element vacuum tube (audion) which made amplification of radio waves possible which lead to portable transmitters and receivers which played a big role in WWI.

By 1918, pilots in the air could talk by radio to the ground. Still radio was a private medium, not a mass medium.

After the war, amateur radio operators helped create a a broad interest in this new medium.

In April 1920, Westinghouse Electric Corporation engineer Frank Conrad began experimenting with transmitting signals from a transmitter at his home. Later that year, the U.S. Dept. of Commerce issued the license for the nation's first radio station, KDKA at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

KDKA was the first government-licensed station to broadcast regularly scheduled and previously announced commercial programs to the general public.

Established and owned by Westinghouse Electric Corporation, KDKA began broadcasting on November 2, 1920, and has been in continuous operation since. KDKA began its schedule of radio programming with the Harding-Cox Presidential election returns.

KDKA's broadcast schedule included music, news and sports programs. During the year following the inauguration of KDKA broadcasts, Westinghouse began to sell radio receivers for $25.

The first KDKA broadcast marked the beginning of the rapid growth of commercial radio broadcasts in the United States.

Very soon there were hundreds of stations on the air.

Congress passed the Radio Act of 1927 which established the first broadcasting regulatory agency – the Federal Radio Commission (FRC).

The Federal Communications Act of 1934 replaced the FRC with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

AT&T inaugurated its first radio station, WEAF, in New York City in 1922. Shortly, WEAF broadcast the first paid commercial announcement.

By the end of the 1920s, there were 14 milliion radio sets in homes.

In 1926, the first network programming was transmitted by the National Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) which had been formed by the Radio Corporation of America (RCA). NBC became so successful, it had two separate chains, the NBC Red Network and the NBC Blue Network. Years later the two split into NBC and ABC in 1941.

The Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) started in 1929.

The Mutual Broadcasting System formed as a third national network in 1934.

From the mid 1930s to 1950 is considered the Golden Age of radio. There was a great deal of variety: there were comedy shows and soap operas, sporting events, dance bands and news.

During the Depression in the 1930s, radio was a popular source of free entertainment.

During World War II, radio became an important sources of news about the war.

By 1948, TV stations were on the air. Radio profits dropped as radio audiences followed their favorite shows to television.

Radio adapted. There are more than 11,000 radio stations on the air today. Studies show 96 percent of the population above 12 listens to radio during an average week. TV viewing is only 90 percent and newspaper reading only 76 percent.

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