Before politicians used radio to campaign and, as presidents, to reassure their constituencies, they used print (see last week's article), and phonographs to reach people they couldn't meet in person. People would listen to phonograph recordings at public meetings, and they could purchase these recorded speeches if they wanted to hear them at home. In 1920, KDKA Pittsburgh was the first radio station to air, and on November 2, 1920, this station broadcast the presidential election results.

Almost two-thousand people heard that broadcast, but they were mostly KDKA executives, their families, and friends. The winning president, Warren G. Harding, installed the first radio in the White House on February 28, 1922. That year, radio stations increased from eight to nearly six-hundred, and broadcasts began in the Soviet Union, France, and Britain. Two years later, Calvin Coolidge was the first president to use the radio for his campaign and, according to some scholars, his radio presentations were a huge part of his election success.

Radio began its big boom in 1924, but executives were worried about how to make this medium pay for itself. There were contests for ideas about this concern, and one winner suggested that listeners could pay like they would pay to watch a movie. That idea, fortunately, never caught on. But radio was in for an interesting ride, because in 1929 the stock market crashed and, although a lot of businesses crashed with the stock market, radio entered its era of glory.

People who responded to the 1930 U.S. census were asked if they owned a radio, and twelve million homes responded that they owned at least one radio. Usually, if someone could afford a radio they probably had a lot of guests, especially those who wanted to listen to news, dance orchestras, and - the big hit - Bing Crosby. Little Orphan Annie made her debut in 1931 along with Alka-Seltzer (the perfect medicine for depression-era heartburn?). Radio advertising, especially for larger broadcasting companies, beat out newspaper advertising figures that year. Obviously, radio was established by this time, even with approximately 16 million people unemployed.

By 1934, the Depression was still ongoing, but 60% of homes now had radios, and Broadcasting Magazine (which was first published in 1931) stated that there were 1.5 million car radios. This medium was gaining such popularity that a new piece of legislation called the Communications Act of 1934 was created that year, and as a result, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) was established. If you follow the link to this government organization, you and your child can discover how this legislation began, and exactly what this agency regulates today.

Although both political parties took advantage of radio for campaigns and speeches, the first president to maximize on this medium was Franklin D. Roosevelt. Roosevelt was elected in 1932 on his promise to restore American confidence and to bring the Great Depression to a halt. After his election, he instituted a series of radio programs called "Fireside Chats." These were informal, relaxed talks that made Americans feel he was talking directly to them. Through these talks, Roosevelt calmed anxieties and informed his listeners about new legislations. The radio was the medium to push his "New Deal," a program designed to create jobs for millions of unemployed Americans.

By the end of the 1930s, almost 80% of all Americans owned a radio. They heard about the tragic crash of the Hindenburg and they wondered where Amelia Earhart went. For comic relief, listeners heard W. C. Fields and Red Skelton. But, most of all, Americans enjoyed the talk shows, especially Roosevelt's chats. In 1941, while America was tuned in to their local stations, many voters were happy to learn their president was re-elected for an unprecedented fourth term.

That same year, radio listeners heard a disproportionate number of patriotic songs. America, so far, was not involved with the war in Europe, but on December 7, 1941, at 1:30 PM (central time), listeners were startled as news reporters interrupted their favorite shows. For twenty minutes, they listened to breathless and excited announcers report on the attack at Pearl Harbor. The next day, America joined the war.

For the next four years, radio listeners learned how they could ration their supplies through talk shows, while news about fighting on distant shores came to them via AM and FM radio stations. Paper production was limited, so magazines cut back on circulation. Television (TV) was still a few years away from gaining a foothold in American homes. The radio was the medium for the message, and in 1945 this is where listeners learned about Roosevelt's death, about Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and that - finally - the war was over.

Although TV was invented before 1935, most Americans could not afford one of these luxury items until after the Depression and WWII. Between 1947 and 1955, servicemen returned from wars, moved to suburbs, and their wives quit their factory jobs and stayed home to manufacture the twentieth-century baby boom (of which I am a product). TV was geared to mothers and their babies during the day and to news and family programs at night. Although the radio was still popular, especially in cars, this medium slowly faded from home use. Next week, we'll look at how TV changed our politics and our criteria for our future leaders.

Until then, if your child is desperately seeking a topic for a final school project, the radio is a good idea. Since the heyday for this medium lasted less than three decades, and so many major events occurred during that time, there are plenty of topics to explore. For instance, they could research this question: When was the first stock market report broadcast by radio waves? (Hint: the price quotes and exchange rates were sent by Morse code).

I'll answer that question next week!

Until then,
Linda Goin