Brief History of Radio
Radio communication designed for reception by the public at large is known as "BROADCASTING". Radio waves of different frequencies (cycles per second) can be "tuned". Therefore, signals from many sources can be received on a radio set without interfering with each other.In layman's terms, the word 'radio' refers to aural (sound) broadcasting, which is received from amplitude modulated (AM) or frequency modulated (FM) stations. AM radio, sometimes called standard broadcasting, has conflicting claims as to who was the first 'broadcasting station'. This is due largly to the fact that some pioneer AM broadcast stations developed from experimental operations. Records of the Department of Commerce, which in the beginning regulated radio, indicate that the first station to receive a regular broadcasting license was WBZ, Springfield, Mass. on September 15, 1921.
FM and TV broadcasting emerged from thier expermental stage just before the U.S. entered into WW II. Wartime restrictions retarded expansion of radio facilities, although the emergency produced new techniques and apparatus that are still in use today.
In the decades following the war, broadcasting has expanded domestically, and the development of communication satellites has opened the avenue for international relay.
Radio, is an ever changing science. And as new technology is discovered, look for radio, as we now know it, to change and grow with the minds of those who love to engineer, maintain, and experiement with radio waves and frequency.
The digital age is upon us. Our expectations are for radio to be bigger and better than ever, as digital broadcasting nears reality.
