Questions and Answers
What was the year when the first commercial radio station was established in Pittsburg?
1920
How many radio stations were there in the U.S. in 1923?
600
Which company started NBC in 1926 and later acquired other companies?
Radio Corporation of America (RCA)
What year did NBC sell the Blue Network to ABC?
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In what year did CBS start operating?
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How many radio receivers were in use in the U.S. by 1925?
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Who was an early Black entertainer featured on the Grand Ole Opry radio show?
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Which factor discouraged radio stations from playing records in the 1920s?
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Who demonstrated that radio programming by African Americans could attract a sizable urban listening audience?
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Which was the first successful weekly radio show featuring African Americans?
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What influenced the limited presence of African Americans on network radio in the late 1920s - 1930s?
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Which individual was known for imitating Black characters and playing jazz music on the radio?
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Which major record company experienced a decline in record sales in the 1930s?
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Who formed EMI, a major British label, after merging British Gramophone and Columbia?
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Which company bought other record labels like Okeh and Brunswick after the 1929 Crash?
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In the 1930s, which city became a significant hub for recording engineers due to the switch to electronic record players?
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'Let’s Dance' by Benny Goodman was broadcast on which network in 1935?
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'The Threat Of Nazi Germany' by Winston Churchill was broadcast in which year by the BBC?
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Study Notes
Network Radio Broadcasts
- 1934: BBC (England) and NBC (USA) started broadcasting
- 1935: Benny Goodman's "Let's Dance" on NBC
- 1935: Winston Churchill warned about Nazi Germany on BBC
Impact of Radio and the Great Depression on the Record Industry
- 1924: Record sales declined by 50-60%
- 1926: RCA Victor introduced "Radiola-Electrola" radio-gramophone combos
- 1929: RCA bought Victor, and Edison Records went out of business
- 1930s: Companies switched to electronic record players
- Recording engineers moved to Hollywood
- Jukeboxes helped save the record industry
Corporate Consolidation
- Old model of inventor-entrepreneurs replaced by business executives
- Mergers and acquisitions led to corporate consolidation
- Advertisers influenced network radio decisions
- RCA-Victor "Radiola-Electrolas" introduced in 1929 and 1931
- ARC (American Record Company) bought several labels, including Columbia Records in 1934
- CBS bought ARC in 1938
- EMI (Electric and Music Industries) formed in 1931 through a merger of British companies
The Big Three Record Companies
- Old Big Three: Victor, Columbia, and Edison
- New Big Three: RCA Victor, CBS/Columbia/ARC, and Decca US
Niche Markets on Radio
- Hillbilly music and Country Music on the radio
- "Grand Ole Opry" on WSM, Nashville
- African Americans rarely on network radio, except in stereotyped roles
- Exceptions like Deford Bailey on the Grand Ole Opry
- Jack L. Cooper pioneered "Black-Appeal Radio" in Chicago
Radio Programming and Music
- ASCAP demanded performance royalties, discouraging radio stations from playing records
- Radio stations and music programming in the 1920s
- Network radio and independent stations offered diverse and homogeneous content
- Radio industry growth: stations, receivers, and sales figures from 1920 to 1925
