Summary
Overview
Josh and Chuck explore the history and cultural impact of AM radio, from its revolutionary emergence in the 1920s as America's first mass communication medium to its current battle for survival in electric vehicles. They cover the golden age of radio programming, the rise of Top 40 format and yacht rock, and why AM radio remains crucial for emergency broadcasts despite being seen as outdated.
The Revolutionary Birth of AM Radio
AM radio emerged in the early 1900s through a convergence of inventions that seemed impossibly complex for the time. KDKA Pittsburgh became the first commercial AM station in 1920, broadcasting the Warren Harding election results. The medium exploded globally with such force that it paralleled how people in the early 1990s experienced the internet—a world-changing technology whose full impact couldn't yet be imagined. By 1922, AT&T had already built the first radio network linking 38 stations.
- KDKA Pittsburgh was the first commercial AM radio station, broadcasting in 1920
- AM radio's impact in the 1920s was comparable to how the internet felt in the early 1990s
- By 1922, AT&T linked 38 radio stations by phone lines to create the first radio network
- Radio spread globally quickly - BBC started in 1922, Australia's 2SB in 1923, Canada's XWA in 1932
" It was basically for the people in the 1920s, it was what people in the early 90s experienced with Internet. It was almost like, holy cow, I can't, like, you can't even begin to imagine all the different ways that this thing is going to change the world. You just know it's going to change the world. "
The Golden Age: Family Gatherings and Social Programming
By 1930, 40% of US homes had AM receivers, rising to 83% by 1940. Early radio wasn't consumed through headphones but speakers, making it a communal family activity where everyone gathered around to listen together. The medium quickly became essential for public good, with presidents like FDR using fireside chats to connect with Americans. Radio introduced groundbreaking formats including soap operas (sponsored by cleaning product companies and targeted at women), sports broadcasts, and religious programming from the "electric pulpit."
- 40% of US homes had AM receivers by 1930, growing to 83% by 1940
- Early radio used speakers, not headphones, making listening a social family activity
- Soap operas got their name from being sponsored by cleaning product companies
- Sports broadcasts were revolutionary - 125,000 square miles heard a heavyweight boxing championship in 1921
- The Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy show was a popular ventriloquist act on radio
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