How Did The Radio Impact The 1930's

The 1930’s was a time of rebirth for America. It was a start of a whole new era of art, music, technology, and so much more. American’s had a remarkable fresh sense of pride because of the modern innovations that changed the way of life for them. One of the most influential creation of the time was the radio. The invention of the radio was not only an outstanding innovation that impacted the 1930’s, but it also helped inspire the way we use technology 85 years later. Although the radio was in high demand in the 30’s, its popularity was gradual. The first known broadcast in America was a Christmas Eve program that played violin music, phonographic records, and various speeches. It was hosted in Brand Rock, Massachusetts with little to no audience.

The most common radio sold for $60 in 1920, which is equal to $600 today. Two years later, Crystal radio sets gained attention. They were sold with headphones, and only one person could listen at a time. Later, technology improved and multiple people could listen at once. Radio become a source of news and entertainment for Americans. Newspapers decreased in sales because of this. They refused to print radio ads or schedules because it was taking their business. Radio prospered by the financial support of advertisers that used to gain recognition for their products in the newspaper. Everyone was addicted to the new invention that influenced the nation. There were over 30 issued broadcasting licenses in 1920 and that soon multiplied to 600 in 1923. The most famous networks were AT&T, CBS, and NBC as of 1927.Another influential station was KDKA. It claimed many firsts for the radio. They were the first commercially licensed station, first to broadcast a national figure, and much more. KDKA was the station that first launched the radios popularity by introducing the new technology to the public. Everyone fought for airtime, which was $100 per 10 minutes, which would be $1000 in

Broadcasts were now used as conversation starters, and were something everyone could relate to nationwide. It enabled easy communication, which people enjoyed. Their broadcasts were based on what people liked to read about in the newspaper, and had music that interested every taste. With shows like music, comedy, drama, mystery, crime, news, gossip, documentaries, and children's programs, they had something that appealed to everyone. Some of the most popular broadcast genres were comedies, soap operas, and music. In comedy, Jack Benny and Fred Allen fought for the top broadcast. They both delivered their hilarious personalties that everyone was entertained by. Women everywhere reserved the radio for when their favorite soap opera aired, “Our Gal Sunday”. Week after week, they tuned in to hear what happens next for a small town girl and her english boyfriend. In the music genre, jazz became increasingly popular. Along with jazz, the nation loved to hear pop performers like the Andrews Sisters, Bing Crosby, and Shirley