Hello, Everybody!: The Dawn of American Radio

by Anthony Rudel

Book Overview

Long before the internet, another young technology was transformed--with help from a colorful collection of eccentrics and visionaries--into a mass medium with the power to connect millions of people.... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 015101275X
• ISBN13: 9780151012756
• Release Date: October 2008
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
• Length: 416 Pages
• Weight: 1.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 6.5" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

The Age of Mass Communications Begins

Was radio the second-most important communication medium that came into widespread use in the twentieth century? Many would say that only television was second to the Internet in its revolutionary impact, but it was radio that inaugurated the age of real-time mass communications. In "Hello, Everybody!", Anthony Rudel examines the history of radio from Marconi's first transmission in 1895 through the early 1930s. The author provides details about the amateurs who dabbled in radio as a hobby early in the 1900s and cites some little-known pre-1920 experiments in radio transmission. Rudel examines the rapid growth of radio in the 1920s (even Presidents Harding and Coolidge became avid listeners), with the explosion in the number of radio stations, the formation of the CBS and NBC networks, and station frequency assignments. The 1920 election returns, widely regarded as the first radio program, are mentioned, and the author talks about early radio programming in areas such as music, entertainment, sports, politics, religion, and agriculture. Rudel discusses some important early stations and important personalities such as Graham McNamee, Aimee Semple McPherson, and Father Coughlin that were heard then. In Rudel's closing remarks, he states that "radio provided the formidable foundation for all of the electronic mass media that followed". Those who are fans of both radio and history will enjoy this look back at an important chapter in American social history.

RAISED ON RADIO

This book fills a somewhat neglected niche in the area of mass media communication. For those of us of "a certain age," radio and the newspaper were the prime resources of information, with magazines and the movie newsreels following close behind. The early days of radio are covered in just enough detail to sustain interest without getting bogged down in mundane overkill. As both a trip down Nostalgia Lane for those who were there, or a trip down Discovery Drive for those who are interested in 20th. Century history, this book fills the bill quite nicely.

Radio's Emergence Profoundly Transforms Religion, Sports, and Politics 20's & 30's

For anyone who loves American history this is a truly wonderful read! After the world was finally connected by the telegraph's dots and dashes, finally the human voice and man made sounds flew mysterially over the airwaves into people's homes and shops and truly changed lives; first came the snake-oil salesmen broadcasters and opportunistic hobbiest and entrepeneurs; then came crop and weather reports, music and entertainment into remote homes; then came Baseball's World Series suspense and major boxing matches and other sporting events; then politics was profoundly changed forever and Presidents won or lost elections due to their radio presence. All of the media coverage we take for granted today was added bit by bit, advance upon advance during the 1920's and late 1930's. This is a fascinating book for people who enjoy finding out how we got to where we are today in our daily media-filled lives! Highly recommended, but most valuable to older readers. We're sending this to family and friends.

Great Book

Great book. If you have an interest in early radio you will love it. I was sorry when I finished it and there was no more left to read.

A lively social commentary perfect for general interest, American history, and social science librar

Radio changed the face of religion, sports and even the country itself and the author spent years as a radio broadcaster on the radio station of the New York Times, so he observed these changes in action. His discussion of how the internet explosion paralleled the American radio changes, how radio was used by politicians to influence American hearts and minds, and how radio even led to modern marketing and business world changes makes for a lively social commentary perfect for general interest, American history, and social science libraries. Diane C. Donovan California Bookwatch