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- Introduction to Electronic Media
- Class 4, Broadcast Radio and the "Golden Age"
- AT&T
- establishes WEAF radio station
- establishes revenue system based on toll broadcasting
- interconnects stations over own telephone wires
- creates radio network to
- spread coverage for national advertisers
- reduce programming production costs
- National Broadcasting Company
- AT&T sells broadcasting radio stations to RCA
- RCA establishes two networks
- NBC Red: WEAF and old AT&T stations
- NBC Blue: WJZ and stations RCA “radio group” interconnected
prior to 1926
- connected via AT&T telephone lines
- national radio networks would foster national mass culture
- RCA expanded into recording (transcription, as it was known)
- merged with Victor Company
- formed RCA-Victor
- managed talent
- performed on NBC radio stations
- recorded on RCA-Victor
- Columbia Broadcasting System
- Arthur Judson, talent agent who could not get his performers
booked on NBC stations
- Columbia Phonograph Company, resented dominance of RCA-Victor
- Columbia Phonograph Broadcast Company (1927)
- Since AT&T would not lease telephone wires
- interconnected stations over Western Union telegraph wires
- William Paley took helm in 1928
- signed stations unaffiliated
- often second or third most powerful
- paid local stations to carry network programs
- lured talent to CBS
- NBC and CBS Compared
- NBC
- AT&T Telephone Network
- charged affiliate stations for programming
- local stations sold advertising against network programming
- local affiliates could opt-out of airing programming
- CBS
- Western Union Telegraph Network
- paid affiliate stations to carry programming
- national advertising packaged with network programming
- local affiliates had to carry network programming
- Golden Age of Radio
- features
- not necessarily the best radio programming ever
- dominance of national radio networks
- national culture
- Amos and Andy
- originated as a local program in Chicago
- two white performers speaking in minstrel style dialog
- became a television show in the 1950s
- “Amos Reads a Law Book” (1929)
- FDR and Radio
- Great Depression
- World War II
- Fireside Chats
- “Bank Holiday of 1933”
- Clara Lu n Em
- aired between 1931–1945
- debuted on WGN Chicago then NBC Blue and finally CBS
- first soap opera: sponsored by Super Suds and then
Colgate-Palmolive-Peet
- Three Northwestern University students: Louise Starkey,
Isobel Carothers, Helen King
- three women who talked about their men, housekeeping,
recipes, and gossip
- “Men are the Weaker Sex” (1936)
- Edward R. Murrow
- CBS correspondent during the war
- reports from London
- “London After Dark” (August 1940)
- Burns and Allen
- started as a variety show
- became a situation comedy
- “George Goes to College” (1945)