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1920's Radio Facts for kids: Fast Fact Sheet
Fast, fun facts and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's)
about the 1920's Radio.
What was America's first Radio Station? The
first station was KDKA who were issued with
the first ever license on Oct. 27, 1920
What was the first radio broadcast in 1920? The
first broadcast was an election night
broadcast made by KDKA from the Westinghouse
Electric buildings in East Pittsburgh which
began at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 2, 1920.
Leo Rosenberg, radio’s first announcer,
relayed the news to about 1,000 listeners
that Warren Harding had beaten James Cox in
the race for the White House.
What was the cost of a 1920's Radio?
In the mid-1920s, a typical set cost about
$150
1920's Radio
Facts for kids
The following fact
sheet contains interesting facts and information on 1920's Radio
for kids.
Facts
about the 1920's Radio for kids
1920s Radios 1:
The Radio Industry in America began in 1913 when American engineer,
Edwin Armstrong, invented a special circuit that made
long-range radio transmission of voice and music
practical.
1920s Radios 2:
The first systematic transmission of radio waves
was performed by Heinrich Rudolf Hertz. Guglielmo Marconi made
practical improvements to develop them into commercial system of
wireless telegraphy. In 1907 Reginald A. Fessenden became the first
to send audio (wireless telephony) by means of electromagnetic
waves. By 1910 these systems had come to be referred to by the
common name of "radio".
1920s Radios 3:
Amplifying vacuum tubes revolutionized radio
receivers and transmitters. Many famous scientists, including Thomas
Edison, Eugen Goldstein, Nikola Tesla, David E. Hughes and Johann Wilhelm Hittorf,
experimented with Vacuum tube technology. The groundwork laid by
these inventors and scientists and was critical to the development
of vacuum tube technology which led to the introduction of Vacuum
tube radio receivers.
1920s Radios 4:
Guglielmo Marconi Marconi invented of the first
practical radio signaling system in 1895 and is therefore generally
credited as being the inventor of the radio.
The Birth of public radio broadcasting is credited to
Lee de Forest. It was described as the "sound factory."
1920s Radios 5:
The idea of radio as entertainment took off in 1920,
with the opening of the first radio stations established
specifically for broadcast to the public such as KDKA in
Pittsburgh and WWJ in Detroit.
1920s Radios 6:
A crystal radio receiver was a very simple kind of
battery-less radio receiver that do not need a battery
or power source, except for the power that they receive
from radio waves using a long outdoor wire antenna.
1920s Radios 7:
Crystal radios required earphones so only one person
could listen at a time.
● The small radio is
pictured on the table
● Crystal sets work off the
power received from radio waves, so they were not strong enough
to power loudspeakers
● The family members are
shown wearing earphones
● Crystal sets were the most
widely used type of radio until the 1920s, when they were
gradually replaced by vacuum tube radios.
1920s Radios 8:
The line-operated vacuum tube radio receiver was
invented in 1925 by Edward S. Rogers, Sr. Vacuum tube radio
receivers could drive loudspeakers, which allowed the whole family
to listen to the radio together
1920s Radios 9:
Early radio receivers used horn loudspeakers, as shown
in the top left of the picture at the top of the page, were used to get
adequate volume from the low gain early tubes.
1920s Radios
10: The first commercial radio station, KDKA,
went on the air on November 2, 1920. The first ever
license was issued to KDKA, on Oct. 27, 1920. By 1922
there were 500 radio stations in America
1920s Radios 11:
Radio drew the nation together by breaking down
provincialism. The radio programs brought news,
music entertainment, and advertisements to millions of listeners.
Important sporting events were broadcast live across the
nation increasing the popularity of
Sports in the 1920's.
1920s Radios 12:
In 1926 the National Broadcasting
Company (NBC) established a network of stations distributing
programs on a daily basis. Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS)
established their rival network in 1928.
Continued...
Facts
about the 1920's Radio for kids
Facts
about the 1920's Radio for kids
The following fact
sheet continues with facts about 1920's Radio for kids.
Facts
about 1920's Radio for kids
1920s Radios 13:
By the end of the 1920s there were
over 100 million radios in use in America.
1920s Radios 14:
Sales of radio equipment skyrocketed from $12.2
million in 1921 to $842.5 million in 1929
1920s Radios 15:
At first the government, the public
and the emerging radio corporations viewed radio as a
means of public service. Only the industry manufacturers
were making real money.
1920s Radios 16:
Radio Advertising changed the public
service face of radio, to one of private enterprise and
profit and radio Advertising became big business in the
late 1920's.
1920s Radios 17:
NBC and CBS sold advertising time and
hired famous movie stars, musicians, singers and
comedians to advertise products and appear on their
shows.
1920s Radios 18:
In the 1928 presidential election
campaign networks sold more than $1 million in
advertising time to the Democratic and Republican
Parties.
1920s Radios 19:
Mass advertising promoted a vast
range of new products in the consumer society of America
and led to the general acceptance of buying by
installment plans as a way to finance consumption. 70%
of radios sold in the 1920's were purchased through
credit agreements. For more facts refer to
Consumerism in 1920's America.
1920s Radios 20:
Popular broadcasts included
newscasts, weather reports, popular classical and jazz
music, sporting events, lectures, stories, newscasts and
stock market updates. Comedy shows became a great
favorite of the nation's listeners especially Amos ‘n’
Andy.
1920s Radios 21:
Jazz music was introduced to the
whole nation due to the introduction of of large-scale
radio broadcasts in 1922. Americans could listen to the
new style of music without leaving their homes of going
to a jazz club in a big city.
1920s Radios 22:
The US Government began to pass laws
to govern the radio. The Federal Radio Commission was
set up in 1926 and the Radio Act of 1927 organized the
Federal Radio Commission
1920s Radios 23:
The Federal Radio Commission (FRC)
was given the power to grant and deny licenses and
ensured programs could not include "obscene, indecent,
or profane language." The FRC was not given the
authority to make any rules regulating advertising
1920s Radios
24: In just a few short years the radio
became a part of virtually every home in America. It
supported the growing consumer culture and brought about
many other cultural and social changes to America
Facts
about 1920's Radio for kids
Facts
about
American Consumerism
in the 1920s for kids
For visitors interested in the history of
American Consumerism in the 1920's refer to the following articles:
1920's Radio - President Warren Harding Video
The article on 1920's Radios provides detailed facts and a summary of one of the important events during his presidential term in office. The following
Warren Harding video will
give you additional important facts and dates about the political events experienced by the 29th American President whose presidency spanned from March 4, 1921 to August 2, 1923.
1920's Radio
●
Interesting Facts about 1920's Radio for kids and schools
●
Key events
and 1920's Radio for kids
●
The 1920's Radio, a major
event in US history
●
Warren Harding Presidency from March 4, 1921 to August 2, 1923
●
Fast, fun facts about the 1920's Radio
●
Foreign & Domestic
policies of President Woodrow Wilson
●
Warren Harding Presidency and
1920's Radio for schools,
homework, kids and children
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