An Audience's Demand for More Waves

Although technological change, industries or institutional factors, regulation and government intervention, and audience demands each aided in the shaping of what the radio industry is today, the demand of the audience is the key factor that has spurned the revolution from the beginning and until even today. As the idea of modern radio began to take flight with Mr. David Sarnoff just around 1920, many were critical of the abilities that Sarnoff attributed to the radio's potential, but many were also curious, and in turn, demanding of the evolution of this highly technologically advanced object of it's time. As the waves began to move into the lives and homes of family's every day lives an increased interest and pleasure that was found through the radio were only signaling towards an increased demand to hear more. More comedies, more actions, more music, more news, more about the lives of fellow Americans in general that others did not have previous knowledge of. This new insight into the lives of people all over that country guided any American who listened to the reports and programs on the radio, it became a gateway into other ideas and experiences, there was much to know about how people lived in New York City when you were a California resident. The textbook explains this in the quote: "This had enormous impact on culture as people became more aware of how those in other parts of the United States lived. It also increased awareness of national issues; the experience of being a national audience inspired a feeling of being more of a nation" (Media Now). Prior to this invention were only letters, newspapers, magazines, and other circulatory notes, all of which took quite a while to travel to other areas. There was also more code, but the average American family was not likely to own such a device for every day use. Moreover, there were telephones, but connections were not always reliable and many families would not have been likely to be able to afford this type of luxury.
A very important factor to consider is the timing of the invention of the radio, the twenties were a prosperous time in the American society, the themes of every day life were shaped around prosperity and the working class who found wealth but as the Great Depression hit a decade later money grew scarce and the necessities of health and well-being were hard to come by but those radios fueled the spirit and hope of families across the country. This era elaborated on the previous demand of the audience for music and entertainment and turned the media into a necessity, and society has hardly changed since. Although the television has in many ways taken the place of the radio in current society, it still plays an important role in our everyday lives. As many wake up early to drive to work they tune in to early morning talk shows to hear the news and a little music. The TV may have taken the role of the radio as the centerpiece of family time in the family room, it has only moved to dominate much of the populations vehicle experience. Audience's demand of the radio's ability to connect people from across the nation, and now the globe, has not died off but has only perpetuated the radio's existence.

A popular singer on the radio in the 1920's, and one of my personal favorites of all time, was Billie Holiday.