7/10/20161 Radio History MIT2000

Early Radio: Main Themes 1. Wired/Wireless 2. Bi-directional: one to one 3. Uni-directional 1. Central transmitter to passive receivers 2. “broadcasting” 4. Public interest/commercial interest 7/10/20162

3 Radio/Technology 1. Radio waves 1. electro-magnetic energy, radiating in waves 2. Heinrich Hertz (1888) 1. lab experiments 2. ‘telegraph without wires’ (Hertzian waves)

7/10/20164 Guglielmo Marconi ( ) 1. Land-Ship 2. Trans-Atlantic signal (1901) 3. Marconi Wireless Telegraph & Signal Co 1. trans-Atlantic 2. first commercial service

7/10/20165 Reginald Fessenden ( ) 1. First voice transmission 1. “radiotelephone”(1900) 2. Shore-to-ship “broadcast,” 1906

7/10/20166 Early “Radio-Telegraph” 1. Morse Code 2. Shipping/distress calls 3. Titanic (1912) 4. Simultaneity of Experience 5. Worldwide Network

7/10/20167 Amateur Radio 1. Technical expertise 1. home-made radio sets 2. Exploratory listening- distance 3. Middle-class boys/men 4. Unregulated frequencies 5. Bi-directional

7/10/20168 Amateur Radio 1. Pranks 1. “All Titanic Passengers Safe” 2. Obscene/false messages 3. Lots of radio traffic 4. Radio Act of 1912 (US)

7/10/20169 World War I ( ) 1. Military control 1. Naval/ Shell- spotting 2. Ban citizen use 2. Post-1918, oppose: 1. amateur uses 2. foreign ownership

7/10/ Early Broadcast Radio 1. One-to-One: 1. DXing, Voice/sound 2. One-to-Many: Broadcasting 1. (Telephone “Broadcasters”) 3. Frank Conrad/KDKA, XWA, Montreal, RCA, 1921

7/10/ Early Radio : 2 radio stations : 100s in US/CDA 1. Dept stores; churches newspapers; universities 2. Non-commercial origins 3. Public Interest 4. “Limited Spectrum”

7/10/ Network Radio: AT&T (1925) station network 1. long distance lines 2. sell time on transmitters, “air time,” to advertisers 3. purchase blocks/ provide own programming

7/10/ Content/Culture: Commercial Radio NBC (1926-) public service high-brow non-sponsored programming Symphony theatre, etc. CBS (1928-) more advertising ad agencies produce shows soaps; crime dramas “lowest common denominator”

7/10/ Programming 1. Music: classical & dance bands (Tommy Dorsey) 2. Variety Shows: (Bob Hope) 3. Drama 1. daytime serial –”Guiding Light” 2. evening anthology: “Mercury Theater on the Air” 4. Children’s Shows 5. Comedy: “Li'l Abner”; “Amos ‘n’ Andy”

7/10/ Radio as Mass Medium, ca US Private ownership (NBC, CBS) Advertising- supported Popular fare UK BBC: government- run monopoly Taxes, license fees High-brow/cultural uplift

7/10/ Radio in Canada 1. Radio-Telegraph Act, Dept. Marine & Fisheries 3. XWA, first license (1919) 4. $1 licence fee per set

7/10/ CDN Radio : 60 stations 2. Low power; intermittent service 3. Roy Thomson, CFCH 4. Minimal regulations 5. Diverse ownership 6. Selling radio sets 1. Edward S. Rogers 7. Entertainment/Commercial

7/10/ Networking: CNR Radio Dept 1. first network, mid- 1920s 2. concerts, operas, plays, health talks, grain price reports 3. 3 hours weekly, 1929

7/10/ US Radio in CDA 1. Radio-wave interference 2. US listening (80%) 1. NBC w/Montreal affiliate 3. Can CDN radio compete?

Aird Commission 1. Royal Commission on Broadcasting, John Aird 2. State broadcasting organization, (BBC model) 3. Foster national spirit/citizenship 4. Nationalize private radio stations 5. “Defensive expansionism” 7/10/201620

7/10/ Road to Public Ownership 1. Canadian Radio League, Graham Spry 3. “The State or the United States”

Canadian Radio Broadcasting Commission, State monopoly on network broadcasting 2. Extend radio coverage 3. Produce/transmit programs 4. Purchase/construct stations/transmitters 5. CRBC stations/private stations 6. Partisanship 7/10/201622

Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, More autonomy 2. Assured funding 1. License fees 3. Dual function 1. Broadcast/programs 2. Regulate Private radio 7/10/201623

7/10/ CBC: Carrier/Content 1. 8 stations; 16 private affiliates 2. Strong transmitters 3. US/UK shows (entertainment, talk) 4. Canadian Content 1. “The Happy Gang”; NHL;

7/10/ “Peculiar Hybrid” of CDN Radio Commercial Interest  Corporate power  NBC/CBS Low-Brow Culture Entertainment Advertising- supported Public Interest  “The State”  BBC/CBC High-Brow Culture Educational Tax/license fee supported

7/10/ Midterm Exam: Oct 28 2:30- 4:30 pm Section 1 (5X5 =25 points)  Identify/Significance of 5 of 8 terms, concepts Section 2 (15 points)  Matching 10 items in columns  5-10 multiple choice questions Duration: 1 hour and 50 minutes Closed Book Covers Lectures and Readings

7/10/ Sample Question: “The State or the United States” Graham Spry; chairman Canadian Radio League early 1930s lobby for Aird Commission recommendations re: public broadcasting McChesney article culminate in 1932; est. of Canadian Radio Broadcasting Commission

7/10/ “ The State or the United States” State: government as bulwark against US broadcasting which predated broadcasting in Canada high culture/ low culture Canadian sovereignty /US cultural/economic imperialism