CHAPTER 6 TIMELINE

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CHAPTER 6 // TIMELINE
  • 1844 Samuel Morse
 First telegraph line is set up between Washington, D.C., and Baltimore, Maryland.
  • 1894 Guglielmo Marconi
 The Italian inventor begins experiments on wireless telegraphy, seeing his invention as a means for point-to-point communication.
  • 1906 Lee De Forest
 American inventor develops the Audion vacuum tube for amplifying radio sound.
  • 1910 Wireless Ship Act
 Congress passes this act, requiring that all major ships be equipped with wireless radio.
  • 1917 Amateur Radio Shutdown
 The navy closes down all amateur radio stations to ensure military security as the United States enters World War I.
  • 1922 Commercial Radio
 The first radio advertisements cause an uproar as people question the right to pollute the public airwaves with commercial messages.
  • 1926 David Sarnoff
 NBC is created, the first lasting network of radio stations; connected by AT&T long lines, the network broadcasts nationally and plays a prominent role in unifying the country.
  • 1927 Radio Act of 1927
 Radio stations are required to operate in the “public interest, convenience, or necessity.”
  • 1928 William Paley
 CBS is founded and becomes a competitor to NBC.
  • 1930s The Golden Age of Radio
 Living rooms are filled with music, drama, comedy, variety and quiz shows, and news.
  • 1934 Federal Communications Act of 1934
 This act allows commercial interests to control the airwaves.
  • 1941 ABC
 ABC is formed when RCA is forced to sell NBC-Blue.
  • 1950 Radio Suffers
 In the wake of TV’s popularity, radio suffers but is resurrected via rock-and-roll music formats and transistor radios.
  • 1960s FM
 Invented by Edwin Armstrong in the 1920s and 1930s, a new format finally gains national popularity.
  • 1990 Talk Radio
 Talk radio becomes the most popular format, especially on AM stations.
  • 1996 Telecommunications Act of 1996
 This law effects a rapid, unprecedented consolidation in radio ownership across the United States.
  • 1990s Internet Radio
 In the second half of the decade, Internet radio—either streaming the content of an on-air station or an exclusive Webcast—takes hold.
  • 2002 Satellite Radio
 A new format begins service.
  • 2004 Podcasts
 The combination of iPods and broadcasting creates podcasts, downloadable audio file programs posted to the Internet.
  • 2011 Streaming Advances
 The popular Spotify service comes to the United States.