Technological change was most vital in shaping the formation of the radio industry in the 1920s because it provided the foundation on which the industry could grow and flourish in its future developments. Without the technology to produce the new concept of radio, industries, government regulation, and audience demand would not have been possible.
Technological change is a process, no new development magically and instantaneously is accepted, and that still holds true today. For radio, one of the first most notable developments came from Guglielmo Marconi with his creation of the wireless telegraph. Its true value was only fully acknowledged after its role in the Titanic rescue, which drew the military’s attention. The next important technological development was the use of FM (frequency modulation) radio, which broadened the radio horizon even more by providing more music at a better quality. These are just a few examples of how technological change progresses; it advances from one new development to the next, and once it moves forward, it can never return.
Technological change impacted the evolution of the US radio system in the 1920s by bringing about change with new inventions and practices. This evolution also provided the need for standards, and thus caused the Radio Act of 1927. This act created a Federal Radio Commission which defined the broadcast band, standardized frequency designations, and limited the number of stations operating at night. These changes were brought about by the invention of radio and the possibilities that came with it. Like any new invention, growth is accompanied by concern, and while technology allowed for radio to advance, this act is a good example of the limitations that the radio industry faced in the 1920s.
I can’t help but wonder if recent technology has actually reversed radio’s growth. Now, because of the Telecommunications Act of 1996, most radio stations are in the grips of just a few owners and syndication has replaced DJs. We are also being confronted with new types of radio: internet radio, satellite radio, personalized radio. It seems to me that the initial charm of radio, the relationship the listener had with the DJ and the control the DJ had over the program, has faded with the newer technological advances. The original-style radio station format is now limited to a few non-commercial stations who are at risk of extinction, and if we lose those then we will be puppets to what we hear on the radio.
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