How many US homes had a radio in 1940?
By the 1940 Census, 28 million households (82.8 percent of the U.S. population) reported radio ownership. At 96.2 percent, Massachusetts led the nation for the number of households owning a radio.
Golden Age of American radio, period lasting roughly from 1930 through the 1940s, when the medium of commercial broadcast radio grew into the fabric of daily life in the United States, providing news and entertainment to a country struggling with economic depression and war.
For the radio, the 1930s was a golden age. At the start of the decade 12 million American households owned a radio, and by 1939 this total had exploded to more than 28 million. But why was this 'talking telegram' so popular?
As a result, its popularity grew rapidly in the late 1920s and early 1930s, and by 1934, 60 percent of the nation's households had radios. One and a half million cars were also equipped with them.
The Golden Age of Radio, also known as the old-time radio (OTR) era, was an era of radio in the United States where it was the dominant electronic home entertainment medium.
Broadcasting stations neglected many of their radio stations and poured money into TV after the war. Soon many radio dramas, variety shows, and comedy programs were available on TV and radio was left with mostly music. For children, new shows like Kukla, Fran, and Ollie and The Howdy Doody Show offered laughs.
The first radios were sold in the United States for home use in 1920. By mid-decade, a decent radio could be purchased for about $35, with higher quality models being sold for up to $350. By the end of the decade, more than five million of the battery-powered radios were sold.
Foxhole radios
A foxhole radio is a simple crystal sets radio receiver cobbled together from whatever parts one could make (which were very few indeed) or scrounged from junked equipment.
In the late 1940s there were 98 commercial television stations in 50 large cities. By 1949, prices of TV sets had gone down. Americans were buying 100,000 sets every week.
Radio was the cheapest form of entertainment, and it was the most popular medium during World War II. The accessibility and availability meant it fueled propaganda and could reach a large number of citizens. Radio helped entertain and inform the population, encouraging citizens to join in the war effort.
When did Old Time Radio end?
Sept 30, 1962: Fifty Years Ago Radio Ended.
Radio, which had been America's favorite form of at-home amusem*nt, declined in importance in the 1950s. Variety, comedy, and dramatic shows left the airwaves for TV. Radio increasingly focused on news, talk shows, and sports broadcasting.
The FCC policy covering broadcasting stations limits them to call signs that start with a "K" or a "W", with "K" call signs generally reserved for stations west of the Mississippi River, and "W" limited to stations east of the river.
In 1920, the Westinghouse Company applied for and received a commercial radio license which allowed for the creation of KDKA. KDKA would then become the first radio station officially licensed by the government. It was also Westinghouse which first began advertising the sale of radios to the public.
Radio broadcasting in the United States has been used since the early 1920s to distribute news and entertainment to a national audience.
In the late 1940s local stations did broadcast TV. This was the hippest thing to hit the airwaves and TVs themselves cost a small fortune to buy. In 1948 the “big-picture” TV set from Magnavox cost $279.50, which would be $3,025 in today's money. Talk about a big purchase!
WPR decided to end production of "Old Time Radio Drama" and remove all episodes in June 2020. It was replaced by “PRX Remix.” To find out more about this decision along with a list of contemporary audio drama resources, visit this page.
Radio has adapted not only to the digital age by becoming available across multiple platforms and devices. It has also altered formats and responded to consumer demand for more than just music to listen to. Many people listen to the radio as much for the games, quizzes and chat as they do for the music.
Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) established their rival network in 1928. By the end of the 1920s there were over 100 million radios in use in America.
In 1923, 1 percent of U.S. households owned at least one radio receiver, while a majority did by 1931 and 75 percent did by 1937. It was the first electronic "mass medium" technology, and its introduction, along with the subsequent development of sound films, ended the print monopoly of mass media.
How many radios were sold in the 1920s?
The first radios were sold in the United States for home use in 1920. By mid-decade, a decent radio could be purchased for about $35, with higher quality models being sold for up to $350. By the end of the decade, more than five million of the battery-powered radios were sold.
The radio broadcasting of music and talk intended to reach a dispersed audience started experimentally around 1905–1906, and commercially around 1920 to 1923.
KDKA in Pittsburgh was one of the first radio station in the United States, broadcasting the winner of the Harding - Cox presidential election in 1920 [under the call letters 8ZZ]. By 1922 there were over 500 licensed stations operating in America, but less than 2 million homes equipped with radios.
In the mid 1920s, a radio cost around $150 dollars, which would be over $1,000 today. By the 1930s, the price had gone down drastically, and most homes in America had them. The radio quickly became a favorite family pastime, and it all began with the 1920s.
The year 1925 saw a number of significant events in radio broadcasting history.
