The Birth of Television RTV 3007 • Intro to Television

The rise and fall of the radio amateur 1920-1923

The rise and fall of the radio amateur After World War 1, ham radio exploded. Amateurs sent and received broadcasts all over the US. In 1920 an enthusiast in Pittsburgh regularly broadcast phonographic recordings under the call letters 8XK. A Pittsburgh department store picked up the broadcast for its customers, and sold radio kits for $10.

The rise and fall of the radio amateur Westinghouse Corp. learned of this and set up the first radio station, KDKA. It debuted on November 2 to broadcast the 1920 presidential election returns from 8pm-12am. Success of KDKA led to Westinghouse stations in Newark, NJ; Springfield, MA; and Chicago. General Electric started radio stations in Schenectady, San Francisco and Denver. RCA started stations in Jersey City and Washington, DC.

Broadcasting & Copyright In the early days of radio, actors, singers and other entertainers performed for free to test out the new medium. For several years, broadcasters played phonographic recordings free of charge. In 1923 ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers) demanded payment for broadcasts of protected works. Courts upheld ASCAP’s claim. Stations paid $250 per year for rights to broadcast copyrighted material. Today radio stations and Webcasting stations pay annual fees to ASCAP, BMI, SoundExchange and SESAC (collectively called Performance Rights Organizations).

The Monetization Problem Early radio pioneers had to find a way to make radio sustainable. To make enough money to keep the stations going. Several schemes were proposed: Government financing (similar to roads and schools). A tax on radio receivers. Taxes would be used to support ongoing radio operations. (TV in the UK uses this model.) Patronage by wealthy individuals who would sponsor radio programming. Toll broadcasting, where anyone could air any content, provided they paid for the privilege.

The Radio Act of 1927 The Radio Act enabled the creation of a national radio broadcasting network Of stations on temporary licenses Linked by telephone lines Supported by advertising Managed by a regulatory system based on “the public interest” The Radio Act of 1927 was written to include television. The Radio Act helped propel the development of television.

The Road to Television 1927-1939

The Road to Television 1927 - the Radio Act enabled the creation of a national radio broadcasting network 1927 - The Jazz Singer debuted as the first “talkie,” or talking movie 1927 - the Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) was born, the first competitor to NBC. Radio, “talkie” movies and TV experiments boomed. NBC stock prices rose 600% between 1927 and 1929.

The Great Depression In November 1929, the Great Depression hit the US. RCA stock fell to 1/10th of its previous value. Average Americans stopped buying radio sets. Money for TV development slowed.

Radio Saves Television People who had radio sets before the Depression kept them. Quality of radio programming increased. President Roosevelt broadcast Fireside Chats. Vaudeville theater actors turned to radio as live theaters closed down. Radio advertising increased. RCA’s David Sarnoff used radio ad revenue to fund the development of television. Beginning 1938, CBS radio becomes a competitive force by offering better content than NBC: more news, experimental drama, more entertainment. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File: Fireside_Chat_1_On_the_Banking_Crisis_ (March_12,_1933)_ Franklin_Delano_Roosevelt.ogg

The Communications Act of 1934 Established the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to regulate both broadcasting and telephony. FCC became responsible for allocating spectrum for wireless communication. FCC set technical standards for telephony, radio and the emerging television industry. In 1940 FCC forced the TV industry to use FM radio technology for sound.

The World’s Fair of 1939 RCA president David Sarnoff introduced television to the world at the1939 World’s Fair. RCA made a film of Sarnoff’s announcement. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U4hPX_P LC-o NBC began regular TV broadcasts on April 30, 1939.