The Golden Age Of Radio

In the short story by John Cheever called "The Enormous Radio" it begins with Jim and Irene Westcotts appearing like the perfect American family. Cheever describes them as "the kind of people who seem to strike that satisfactory average of income, endeavor, and respectability" (Cheever 1). What is ironic about this story is the Westcotts are far from being the perfect family and the community they try to conform to is just as imperfect as the Westcotts themselves. A way the Westcotts try to live up to their society is by keeping secret the fact that they listen to the radio and attend musical events. This is because these activities were not something members of their community did. For example, Cheever says the "Westcotts differed

A very popular consumer item was the phonograph. It was first invented in 1877 but it was so expensive it took a while for the homes in america to get ahold of it , by the time of the 1920’s 7 million homes had their hands on one but they were still pretty expensive. The phonograph was a music recorder and to the people of america it was important because that's where most of their music came from either that other radio. It was referred to by many names like “talking machine” or “music machines” or its proper word “phonograph”. The most popular phonograph was called the “victor victrola”. Its inventors were Thomas Edison, Emile Berliner,Eldridge R. Johnson. The newer version of the phonograph that was produced in the 1920’s didn’t have

The movie “Radio” is the tale of a young African-American man who suffers from severe mental retardness and his journey to fame from football in the small South Carolinian town of Anderson. James “Radio” Kennedy is befriended by the T. L. Hanna High School head football coach, Coach Jones, and begins to help as an “assistant coach” of some sort. Eventually, James begins to attend Hanna High as an eleventh grade student due to the persistent efforts of Coach Jones.

After the economic turmoil the United States had been through for decades before the 1920’s, Americans were finally able to live not only for survival but for comfort. With the increased level of free time created by the five day work week and paid vacations, they finally had free time with which they had to fill. Sports and entertainment industries rose in popularity which included radio stations and motion picture films. The creation of radio stations left the companies with one major question- who would be fronting the cost for this free service? They began to turn

After the First World War, many people were looking forward to good times. The 1920’s presented people with this time of fast-paced fun and adventure. Entertainment was the foremost part of everyday life during the 1920’s. Radio introduced a whole new practice of entertainment to people’s everyday lives. Likewise, through the utilization of the radio, people were able to experience a new medium to entertain themselves. Furthermore, the radio changed the face of society’s culture through its widespread use. In addition, radios provided people with a new, effective and efficient means of communication. Radio was a fundamental aspect in people’s lives during the 1920’s as it provided many people with news and entertainment in their

In the story "A Lesson Before Dying" Grant gives Jefferson a radio. For Jefferson, a man who doesn't have anything, this is big. Despite his happiness due to the gift, the radio caused some problems for Jefferson. Evidence of this is when the author writes, "'That mean he ain't coming?' 'That's what he said,' the deputy told her," (Gaines 179). This dialogue shows that Jefferson is backtracking in his progress of being social and now he doesn't want to visit his nannan in the dayroom because he has his radio in his cell. This shows how important the radio is to Jefferson. I think that the radio is sort of a symbol for his last, small and sad, bit of freedom. Jefferson isn't the only one experiencing some negative effects because of the radio,

With the convenience of a radio, it was no longer necessary to leave the house when pondering upon the score of the local baseball game. Music also became a hit during the 20s. During this time period, people started becoming dubbed as “famous,” or in other words, universally known. In the sense of communication, the radio

Before the introduction of television and during World War 2, radio was Australia’s most popular form of entertainment. This is likely because at the end of the 1950s, radios became more accessible. In 1955, approximately 97% of Australian homes owned a radio set. In the evenings families would gather together to listen to many programs on the radio. The radio in this time consisted of many shows including music, drama, entertainment and quiz

At the beginning of the decade the nation was still groggy from waking up to a new decade after fighting in World War I. In 1921 President Harding took office and set the course for economic prosperity and a self-propelling nation. The decade of 1920 presented many national shifts of aspects in economy and culture that would include outrageous activity in the stock markets, the use of the radio as a mass media tool, the artistic movement known as the Harlem Renaissance and the age of prohibition. With such changes occurring on a national level the decade became known as the Roaring 20’s.

The music of the 1940’s was the Big Band sound like Tommy Dorsey, Glenn Miller, Duke Ellington and Benny Goodman. Popular singers were the Andrews Sisters, Kay Kaiser and many other famous ones. There were crooner style singers, including Bing Crosby, whose smooth voice made him one of the most popular singers. There was Frank Sinatra, Dinah Shore, Tony Bennett, Pat Boone, Nat King Cole, Kate Smith and Perry Como. All of these very popular singers led the hit parade. They sang the songs that went with the mood of the country in the early 50s. Many of these crooners became the idols of the decade’s later rock and roll stars, who used their influence to create a unique sound.

Radio organizations made artists such as Duke Ellington and Benny Goodman of the Swing era nationally acclaimed through their live performances. As for the genre of country, one of Nashville’s radio stations WSM birthed the weekly radio program titled The Grand Ole Opry. This program at one time in the 1930s aired for four hours in length, showcasing several varieties of country music. Artists such as Bill Monroe and Hank Williams became common household names because of this show. To this present day The Grand Ole Opry is still in operation, making it one of the longest running radio programs of all

Growing up, I never fit the mold of being the average kid. While most kids were playing outside and playing sports I was going to yard sales, antique shops, and auctions buying everything from coffee tins to 1940s tin toys. I always see kids who rebel against their parents for the most random and stupid reasons such as not taking them somewhere or because the parents did something the kid didn’t like. I however really never argued with my parents on any matter except when I wanted to buy something. I would nag them to let me buy something, they would tell me no, then I would continue on with the rest of my day without bringing it up again. However, that all changed when I decided to buy a 1940 floor radio. I was previously instructed not to

Radio broadcasting left a major social impact on Americans. It delivered news, advertising, and entertainment to the American household. The radio allowed Americans from across the United States to be up to date on the latest political news, sports, and radio shows. Companies used the radio to spread their product to the American living room. The radio left the greatest impact on society for the variety of content it contained and how popular it was.

For decades, National Public Radio has maintained a legacy as a successful worldwide news organization. However, the news produced tends to be consumed mainly by an older audience. It has a reputation among millennials as one of the less entertaining news outlets. It is essential for news to be exciting in order to capture the attention of this millennial audience, and NPR tends to lack the excitement value it needs to fully reach this massive demographic. In order for the station to better attract and maintain millennial readers, viewers and listeners, the organization needs to cater to their lifestyle habits and preferences. In a constantly changing and developing world, NPR needs to be ahead of the game in technological advancements.

The radio is one of the most influential pieces of technology ever invented. From political debates to Taylor Swift’s latest hit, with the help of the radio, society stays informed on a plethora of topics. Freddie Mercury wasn’t lying when he said, “and everything I had to know, I learned it on my radio.” In almost every country in the world, there is at least one radio station used to broadcast news to it’s people. Since the creation of the FM radio, it has been used to reach out to people over a certain area and keep them informed about the society they live in. During the 1930s and the 1940s, the radio played a very important role in history; it was a tool used during World War II by America, Great Britain, and Nazi Germany. By sending