Radio in the 1930's

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  • Topic: Great Depression, 1930s, Television
  • Pages : 2 (446 words )
  • Download(s) : 330
  • Published : February 6, 2013
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The 1930’s was a really hard time for many people; it was considered the Great Depression. But for radio it was the Golden Age. The radio was a great diversion from the terrible economy. Not only was radio a great source of entertainment, but it also provided relief from the depression and connected the home front with the war. There were many different “shows” broadcasted on the radio, there was a vast category of genres, such as drama (soap operas), action/adventure, and comedies. It wasn’t just entertainment, it was also educational. The radio was a great way to unite communities and give a little bit of peace to those who were struggling. The first radio was technically invented in the 1860’s, but it became popular in the 1930’s. And as technology improved, so did radios. They became smaller and cheaper. Companies began manufacturing radios with buttons instead of dial. Radio in the 30’s consisted of mainly jazz live music, talk shows, and important political speeches. In the beginning of the 1930’s less that 10 million households had radio and by the end of 1930’s over 30 million households had one. They were the center of the average American home. Radio had a large range of live music, comedy, variety shows, and dramatic programming. There was so much entertainment on broadcasted on the radio, which is how it quickly became the center of so many average American homes. Even when people couldn’t make payments on their homes and couldn’t afford much, they still seemed to find some way to pay for their radios. Soap operas were a brand-new thing to America, and housewives everywhere absolutely loved them; they helped the radio grow in popularity. And the news broadcasts provided the public with knowledge about things that were happening at the time. It completely changed the way people discovered current events. The radio connected the nation with their president; FDR’s fireside chats made America feel closer to their president than ever. Radios were an...
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