Text file from "Surfing the Aether" A Web Page By bchris@northernnet.com Be advised that the information here is taken from many sources, and sifting through fact and some of the Public Relations fiction makes for lively debate. That is to say, you may encounter arguments concerning time and event - or even who was 'First' to do something... I have done my best to verify dates and events - but there may be errors... even textbooks disagree in some cases. Feel free to use the information here however you like - I would, of course, prefer you didn't make a Web page out of this file. :) That said, if you find something here that would be a nice addition to your own pages, cut and paste to your hearts delight. A Timeline of Radio History 1600 William Gilbert suggests a link between static electricity and magnetism. 1831 Michael Faraday discovers electromagnetic induction - the action of induced electrical current in a wire crossing lines of magnetic force. 1838 K.A. Steinheil of Munich shows that one of two wires used in overland telegraphy could be dispensed with by using an earth ground. He looked forward to a time that the second wire could also be eliminated, and 'wireless' telegraphy could be used. 1842 Joseph Henry calls attention to oscillatory discharges of a Leyden Jar, or condenser. 1844 Samuel F.B. Morse sends the first message of any distance by Telegraph - about 40 miles. The message -"What hath God wrought!" The wired Telegraph and Morse Code are the first long distance, instant communication system the world has known. 1846 Faraday suggests that light and electricity may be different manifestations of the same force. 1864 James Clerk Maxwell formulates "Maxwell's Equations", which account for the actions of electromagnetic waves. 1865 Mahlon Loomis transmits wireless telegraph messages between two mountains in Virginia. Loomis used two kites flown18 miles apart, each carrying a wire that reached to the ground. When he interrupted the flow of electricity from the atmosphere, through the wire, to an earth ground, a galvanometer on the other kites wire measured a change in current. He obtained a patent for this system in 1872, but never obtained financial backing to develop his idea. 1874 Karl Ferdinand Braun discovers 'one way conduction' in metal sulfide crystals. 1875 Werner Siemens shows that electricity travels along a wire with a velocity approximately equal to that of light. 1877 Thomas A. Edison records sound on cylinders. The first recording - "Mary had a little lamb." 1878 Edison begins work on the electric light. 1879 The Berlin Academy of Sciences offers a prize to the scientist who can show experimentally that a changing electric field generates a transient electric field, and vice-versa. The challenge is taken up by, among others...Heinrich Hertz. 1883 The Edison Effect is discovered while Thomas Edison was trying to find a way to keep the inside of his electric lights free of soot. He actually placed a metal plate inside the bulb and connected a wire to it creating a diode! Unfortunately, he did not realize the implications - or did not take time to pursue them because of other interests at the time. Edison patents the Fuse. 1885 Edouard Branly begins his work investigating the transmission of nerve impulses. His research over the next several years will result in what will later be called the 'coherer' - a device for detecting 'Hertzian waves'. 1887 Heinrich Hertz proves Maxwell's theory that electricity can travel through space in waves. He went on to show that these waves shared the same physical properties as light. 1890 Michael Pupin studies low pressure vacuum-tube discharges, and invents an electrical resonator. At his death in 1935 he held 34 patents, most used in telephony and telegraphy. 1891 Edison receives a patent for wireless telegraphy. 1894 Guglielmo Marconi reads about Heinrich Hertz's discovery of electro-magnetic waves. 1895 Marconi succeeds in signaling across the family estate by radio - a distance of about 1.2 miles. 1896 Marconi takes out patents in England for 'wireless telegraphy'. Nikola Tesla introduces the use of a rotary gap for his spark transmitter . 1897 Joseph John Thompson discovers the existence of the electron. The Marconi Company is formed in England. 1898 Marconi installs the worlds first commercial radio service on Rathlin Island off the coast of Ireland. 1899 Marconi sends radio messages across the English Channel. Marconi arrives in New York with his wireless equipment to issue radio reports on a yacht race. 1900 Reginald Fessenden theorizes that an alternator, as developed by Tesla, could generate an electromagnetic wave able to carry voice and music. He uses a spark generator to send the human voice the distance of about one mile. 1901 Marconi receives the letter "S" by Morse code in St. Johns, Newfoundland. John A. Fleming was at the transmitter in England. Karl Ferdinand Braun introduces the use of a crystal detector as part of a wireless receiver. 1902 The magnetic detector is invented by Marconi. Fessenden forms the National Electric Signaling Company. The DeForest Wireless Telegraph Company is formed. 1904 J.A. Fleming serves as a scientific consultant to the Marconi company, and designs many pieces of early wireless apparatus. He is charged to develop a new detector for wireless signals. Fessenden commissions GE to develop a high frequency alternator. E.F.W. Alexanderson is put on the project. John Ambrose Fleming invents the first tube, the "Fleming Valve", or as he called it..an Oscillation Valve. His valve is a two element rectifier, made by inserting a metal plate in one of Edison's electric light bulbs. Fessenden invents 'Heterodyne reception'. 1906 The 'Alexanderson Alternator' is delivered to Fessendon's station. On Christmas Eve, 1906 he broadcasts speech and music to surprised shipboard operators. He broadcasts on 42 Kilohertz at 1 kilowatt. The programming includes a female voice singing a Christmas carol, a violin solo by Fessenden, and an invitation to report on reception. Max Wien uses cooled gaps and quenched gaps in his spark transmitters. 1906 Henry H.C. Dunwoody patents the use of carborundum in detectors. Lee DeForest patents the "Audion" as a "new receiver for wireless telegraphy." He added a 'Grid' to the Fleming Valve, creating the 'Triode'. 1907 G.W. Pickard perfects the crystal detector and takes out a patent for the use of silicon in detectors.. The first 'Broadcasts' of records are done to aid in testing, so the operator didn't have to talk. The worlds first Trans-Atlantic commercial wireless service is established by Marconi with stations at Clifden, Ireland and Glace Bay, Nova Scotia. Marconi begins to use rotary synchronous gaps in his spark transmitter. 1909 Braun and Marconi share the Nobel Prize in physics for their work in the development of wireless telegraphy. Charles 'Doc' Herrold begins a regular schedule of broadcasts from his "Herrold College of Wireless and Engineering" at San Jose, CA. S.S. Republic sinks after a collision. All but two lives are saved with the help of wireless. 1910 DeForest broadcasts Enrico Caruso from the stage of the Metropolitan 1911 Young radio amateurs are building receivers with whatever parts are available. Although headphones can be purchased...many public telephone booths become inoperative. 1912 Edwin Armstrong invents regeneration. The ocean liner, "Titanic" hits an iceberg and sinks. The wireless distress call was heard 58 miles away by the liner "Carpathia". Those who made it into lifeboats were rescued 3 1/2 hours later. There were 705 lives saved. John H. Hammond, Jr. develops equipment to remotely control vessels by radio up to three miles away. Later, many of his patents were sold to the U.S. military for use in radio guidance in weapons delivery systems. 1913 Armstrong applies for a patent to use a vacuum tube as an oscillator. A station in Nauen, Germany begins broadcasting on 16,900 meters...or about 18 kilocycles (just above the range of hearing!) Station FL, broadcasting from the Eiffel tower begins broadcasting on 10,000 meters. 1914 Hiram Percy Maxim founds the A.R.R.L. American Radio Relay League. War breaks out in Europe, and Amateur licenses are suspended in almost all foreign countries. 1915 Human voices are first broadcast across the Atlantic ocean, between Arlington, Virginia and the Eiffel Tower in Paris. 1916 David Sarnoff, an employee of the Marconi Company proposes 'radio music boxes' for the home as a potential business opportunity. He was ignored. Wireless is used by the New York city police department. Wireless telegraphy is made compulsory on all British vessels over 3,000 tons. 1917 America enters the First World War, and all patent protection is set aside for the duration. Many advances are made in manufacturing and design due to this measure. Amateur radio experimenters pull down their antennas and pack away their equipment by government order. 1918 Radio technology is used in detection of submarines, and by the US Signal Corps in France. 5700 ships are now equipped with wireless telegraphy worldwide. Special 'Hard' high vacuum tubes are designed for the Navy. 1919 The War is over! Spark transmitters are being replaced by vacuum tube oscillators, and amateurs are beginning to switch to phone operation from CW (code) Owen D. Young starts the Radio Corporation of America (RCA) - an offshoot of General Electric. Within the year he has an agreement with GE, RCA, and AT&T for sharing all radio patents between themselves. Dr. Frank Conrad , a Westinghouse engineer, broadcasts a regular schedule of records from his garage in Pittsburgh, and begins to take requests from the avalanche of mail he receives. A local department store mentions those broadcasts in one of their newspaper advertisements, and promptly sells out of its radio equipment. Westinghouse takes notice, and begins to see the possibilities for broadcasting. 1920 Marconi establishes the first short-wave radio link between London and Birmingham, England on 20 Megacycles. Although most experimenters and pioneers used the longer waves, Marconi never did fully abandon his efforts to use the short-wave bands. Westinghouse builds a 100 watt radio station in a little shack atop its nine story factory in Pittsburgh... KDKA. November 2, 1920, Frank Conrad and Donald Little broadcast election returns from 8:00PM till after Midnight- an event that is credited with starting a rush to build stations, and purchase receivers. By late in the year, radio is being acclaimed as the newest form of entertainment for the home. The first superheterodyne circuit is announced by Armstrong. Westinghouse purchases the Superhet patent from Armstrong, along with several patents from Reginald Fessenden and Michael Pupin. The 'C' battery is introduced to provide bias voltage. This helps the 'B' battery last longer by reducing the amount of plate current needed on tubes. Radio experimenters spent over 2 Million dollars for radio parts in 1920. 1921 Westinghouse sets up stations WJZ in Newark, N.J. KYW in Chicago, Ill., and WBZ in Springfield, MA. A religious service was broadcast from Calvary Episcopal Church at Pittsburgh through KDKA. The engineers wore choir robes, as not to distract from the service. Station WJC (soon to become WABC) in Newark, NJ broadcasts regular bedtime stories. David Sarnoff is named General Manager of RCA. The Dempsey-Carpentier fight is broadcast on WJY. This fight is broadcast to an audience estimated at 300,000. At nearly the same time as the fight ended, the transmitter overloaded - and was described later as a 'molten mass'. (Dempsey knocked out Carpentier in the Fourth round) Westinghouse joins in the agreement with RCA, GE and AT&T. They share a pool of over 2000 radio patents. Speakers began to replace headphones for listening. Attachments for holding headphones against the tone arms of phonographs are being sold. Signal strength is measured in terms of ..."I can hear it with the headphones laying on the table". There are 5 broadcasting stations on the air in December of 1921. WJZ broadcasts a Baseball World series game, pitch by pitch, getting the information by telephone. 1922 In September of 1922 there are 537 stations broadcasting. Two frequencies are authorized for broadcasting...833 and 619 kc's. A third frequency was added later in the year - 750 kc. Approx. 100,000 radio sets are produced this year. Radio prices begin to fall, as competition to market radio's grows. WEAF in New York is the first to offer air time to advertisers. It was August 28th, at 5:15 PM - an infomercial on the Hawthorne apartment complex in Queens. Edwin Armstrong invents the 'Super-Regenerative' receiver. 1923 US President Harding has a radio installed at the White House. The first Network broadcast was made, as WEAF, WJAR and WMAF are linked by phone. New radios became obsolete in 3 to 6 months time. Approx. 500,000 radio sets are produced this year. 1924 The present A.M. band is assigned. It spans 550 - 1550 kilocycles. President Coolidge's cat is lost...and found with the help of Radio. Over 1400 stations are now broadcasting. It is estimated that over 3 million radio sets are in use in the United States. Baseball games are broadcast almost daily. New radio's - superhets, reflex sets, TRF's, and neutrodynes are much more complex, so a new industry begins to take shape - the radio repairman. 1926 The first 'light socket' powered sets are marketed. RCA, Westinghouse and GE start a network...NBC, the National Broadcasting Corporation. A US court decides that the Secretary of Commerce has no power to regulate broadcasting - only to issue licenses, and the chaos on the broadcast bands grows as stations increase power to drown out the competition. David Sarnoff is named vice president of RCA. The BBC, British Broadcasting Corporation is granted a Royal Charter. 1927 Televisions are being sold in kit form. The FRC, Federal Radio Commission begins to regulate broadcasting. Their first act was to revoke all licenses, and then assign frequencies and power levels. The Columbia Broadcasting System - CBS - is started. 1928 Diode detectors receive consideration by radio designers. Type 226 and 227 tubes with AC heaters are released by tube manufacturers. AC Screen Grid tubes are announced towards the end of the year. 1929 RCA gains control of several important radio patents, and begins to license manufacturers to use those designs. Prior to this, radio design was somewhat stifled because no one could legally use the designs of many important circuits. Amos 'n' Andy becomes a series on NBC A typical AC TRF receiver employs type 226 tubes in the RF and AF amps, a 227 as a detector, type 71A for the output and a type 80 in the power supply. 1930 The TRF, Tuned Radio Frequency receiver was still the leader, but many superhet receivers were being made. 1931 RCA, The Radio Corporation of America markets the "Radiola 80", one of the most famous of all receivers. The first 'midget' sets are sold. The radio building boom has begun to wane...as most consumers are now purchasing complete sets, rather than kits. 1932 AVC, or Automatic Volume Control was introduced. The first auto radios are sold. (you still had to stop and put up a antenna.) WFLA(AM)-WSUN(AM) in Clearwater, Fla., installs the country's first directional antenna. 1933 Several Phonograph companies start labeling records "not licensed for radio broadcast" as move to protect their alleged property rights. 1934 Armstrong develops his theory to use FM. 'All-Wave' receivers are a hit this year, bringing in radio from foreign broadcasters. WLW increases to a half million Watts of power. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is created. 1935 The first metal tubes are released. Over a million auto radios are installed this year. Armstrong demonstrates FM. 1936 Most radios sold now employ an AFC circuit - Automatic Frequency Control. 'Automatic Tuning' (pushbuttons) are the years big hit. Approx. 8 million sets are sold this year. 3 out of 4 families have a radio in the home. 1937 Cathode Ray tuning eyes (the Magic Eye Tube), Slide Rule tuning, and sleek veneered cabinets are the big features this year. The dirigible, Hindenburg crashes in flames at Lakehurst, N.J. May 6th, 1937 - and the tragedy was captured in an incredible live radio broadcast. The NBC Symphony Orchestra is formed. 1938 Howard Hughes flies around the world and keeps in touch by radio. Broadcasting standards for TV were announced, paving the way for commercial television stations. The power of radio is demonstrated by Orson Wells, and the "Mercury Theater of the Air" - Panic is reported to be widespread as people believe the earth has been invaded by "Martians... and we are in a "War of the Worlds" 1939 TV is demonstrated at the New York Worlds Fair. Edwin Armstrong is operating W2XMN - a 50,000 watt FM station at Alpine, N.J. The first Television sets are sold by several manufacturers. Wind generators are sold to farms to keep their radio batteries charged. The start of the European war renews interest in short-wave receivers. 1940 Jacks are provided on the back of new radios to plug in your TV's sound. FM gains public interest as 'Noise Free', high fidelity broadcasting grows. Amateurs lose the right to communicate with foreign operators as the war in Europe builds. 1941 FCC authorizes FM broadcasting on 42-50 MHz. 13 million radio sets are made this year, and 130 million tubes. Color TV was demonstrated for the first time. 30 commercial FM stations are now on the air. The Japanese attack Pearl Harbor. All amateur radio communication is halted by the war. 1942 The manufacture of radio sets was stopped due to the war, and manufacturers switch to defense activities. British mathematician and science fiction writer Arthur C. Clark suggests using satellites to relay radio signals about 20 years before the first satellite, Sputnik I was placed in orbit! 1943 Great strides are made in technology and manufacturing as radio is used in the war. Meanwhile at home, many receivers are remodeled with whatever parts are on hand - as wartime shortages and aging radio sets combine for some creative electronics repair. 1944 Over 30 million U.S. homes now had 57 million radio sets. No receivers are being manufactured, although some spare parts are now becoming available. Germany makes use of short-wave radio for propaganda broadcasts. 1945 The FCC changes the FM band from near 50 Megacycles to the present 88 to 108 megacycles. This rendered many sets obsolete, and set back Armstrong's development of FM as an alternative to AM. This may (!) have been the plan all along by those involved with AM broadcasting. 1946 Lee Deforest grows increasingly unhappy with the state of broadcasting. To him, radio had become 'a stench in the nostril of the gods of the ionosphere.' He addresses the National Association of Broadcasters at their annual meeting in Chicago. Table model radios are the big seller. Over 15 million sets are produced. About half a million of those were FM receivers. Selenium rectifiers begin to replace vacuum tube rectifiers. 1947 Radios are shrinking in size, and over 800 thousand FM receivers are produced. Miniature tubes, rectifiers, transformers, and printed circuit boards are used. John Bardeen, Walter Brattain, and William Shokley invent the Transistor. 1948 The FCC announces a three month freeze on new TV station applications. It lasts nearly four years! TV picks up steam. 10 inch screens are the most common. The LP or Long Play phonograph was introduced. The first Transistor is introduced to the public. 1949 4 million TV sets are produced, far exceeding projections. 10 inch screen TV's have dropped in price by a third since 1947 - from $300 to $200. The 45 RPM record is introduced. By the end of the year, there are 98 television stations and 2021 radio stations on the air. $628 million dollars is spent on radio advertising this year. 1950 People are talking about Transistors for the first time, saying they just might replace the tube. 4 million TV sets are in use in the U.S. on January 1st. 10 Million TV sets are in use by December 31st. Some 90 million radio sets are in use in the United States - an average of 2 radios for every home in the nation. Regular color television transmission begins. The Korean War begins. Shortages begin to develop for receiving equipment. 1951 108 TV stations are broadcasting. The United States averages two radio sets in every home. Color TV and UHF TV are talked about everywhere. Over 5 million auto radios are produced, and over 13 million other radio receivers.. Various conservation methods are used to get around shortages in manufacturing of radios and TV's. 1952 The FCC's '3 month' freeze on new TV station applications, imposed in 1948, is finally lifted. 21 million US homes had TV sets. Sony markets the miniature transistor radio. 10 thousand Transistors are manufactured, mostly for government and research. Geoffrey W.A. Drummer proposes "electronic equipment in a solid block with no connecting wires..." - The integrated circuit. 1953 326 TV stations are on the air. Electronics looks like a good field to get in to. The Voice of America steps up broadcasts to behind the 'Iron Curtain". 1954 Magnetic tape is demonstrated for recording television pictures by RCA. Transistors begin to see widespread use 1955 Over 7 million Radio sets are produced. That number, although less than the peak of Radio production in 1947 climbs steadily through 1961 when over 11 million sets are made in the US. IBM invents the computer 'Hard Drive' 1958 Stereo Records reach the marketplace. Hi-Fi Sound reproduction is a growing interest. 1959 Robert Noyce and Gordon Moore develop a silicon integrated circuit using planar technology and diffused junctions. 1960 The manufacture of portable AM/FM or FM sets grows at 750 percent between 1960 and 1965. The Tape Cart (Soon to become the 8-Track Tape) is introduced. Echo I reflects radio signals back to Earth. 1961 FM Stereo Broadcasting is authorized. Commercial production of IC's is begun by several companies. 1962 In an effort to produce color pictures on black and white sets, several manufacturers reportedly tint the CRT blue on top, and green on the bottom... Portable AM receivers lead in production - over 5 1/2 million were made in 1962. The satellite Telstar transmits video images across the Atlantic. 1963 The E.B.S. - Emergency Broadcasting System is developed. "This is a test of the emergency broadcast system. The broadcasters in your area..etc.. etc.....this concludes this test of the emergency broadcast system." Cassette tape is introduced. The first communications satellite is placed in geo-synchronous orbit. 1964 Table and Clock radios are produced at over 3 million per year, a figure that holds steady from 1960 to 1965. 1965 New Vacuum Tube receivers are almost non-existent as transistors have taken over the market. All told, between 1922 and 1965, over 300 million radio receivers were manufactured in the United States. 1966 Component Stereo equipment grows in popularity. 1967 Dolby noise reduction is introduced. 1969 Astronauts send the first live pictures and audio from the moon. 1971 Intel builds the microprocessor, "a computer on a chip." 1972 New FCC rules bring community access television. "Open Skies" allows any U.S. firm to have communication satellites. Landsat I, the "eye-in-the-sky" satellite, is launched. 1973 September 19th, a 'Pirate Radio' station begins to broadcast from a ship anchored some 3 miles offshore of Cape May, N.J. It was shut down the same day by the FCC. The microcomputer is born in France. 1976 Ted Turner delivers his programming nationwide by satellite. 1977 There are some 205 million FM receivers in use in the United States. 95% of the nation's homes had an FM receiver. 1978 PBS delivers programming by satellite. 1979 The FCC reports there are 8,651 radio stations on the air. 4,549 AM, and 4,102 FM. Over 400 million receivers are in US homes and automobiles. In Japan the worlds first cellular phone network starts. 1980 Intelsat V relays 12,000 phone calls, 2 color TV channels. 1981 The IBM PC. 1982 A.M. Stereo is first authorized in the United States. 5 competing systems struggle for dominance - as the FCC refuses to settle on a standard. 1983 Cellular phone network starts in U.S. 1984 Conus relays news feeds for stations on Ku-Band satellites. A television set can be worn on the wrist. 1985 Sony builds a radio the size of a credit card. U.S. TV networks begin satellite distribution to affiliates. 1986 The first 'dial-up' remote control system for a transmitter is introduced by Gentner. HBO scrambles its signals. 1987 Half of all U.S. homes with TV are on cable. 1988 FCC allows 'Short Spacing' of FM stations 1991 FCC approves expansion of the AM broadcast band. The change adds from 1605-1705 kHz. 1992 As of November 30th, 1992 the FCC reports 4961 AM stations, 4766 commercial FM stations, and 1585 Educational FM stations, for a total of 11,312 radio stations on the air in the United States. There are also 1509 television stations broadcasting. New station ownership rules go into effect - a single group may now own up to 18 AM and 18 FM broadcast stations. The Digital Compact Cassette (DCC) is introduced to the consumer market. 'USA Digital Radio' conducts its first 'on-air' tests of their in band on channel A.M. digital audio broadcasting in Cincinnati, OH. 1993 FCC selects the Motorola C-QUAM system of AM stereo transmission as the US standard - Ten Years after AM stereo was first authorized. The lack of an approved standard greatly hindered the development of this mode of broadcasting. 1994 The top format for U.S. Commercial radio is Country - 2642 stations. Adult Contemporary is number two with 1784, News/Talk has 1028, and Religious stations are fourth with 926 stations. Rock is programmed by 721, Oldies 714, Spanish/Ethnic has 470 and Adult Standards is programmed by 435. Rounding out the top ten are Top-40 with 358 and Urban with 328. Denmark begins on air testing of the Eureka 147 method of Digital Audio Broadcasting on 237 MHz. 1995 The first broadcast station in the expanded band signs on. WJDM - Elizabeth NJ at 1660 kHz. The average U.S. home has 5.6 radio receivers. There are an estimated 584,900,000 radio receivers in use. The BBC - British Broadcasting Corporation - begins introductory DAB service. 1996 Digital Audio Broadcasting begins in Sweden from four transmitters utilizing Eureka 147. The U.S. Congress mandates that the FCC collect over 152 million dollars in "regulatory Fee's" from broadcasters in 1997. 1997 January 1st the E.A.S., Emergency Alert System goes 'on-line' in broadcast stations - replacing the aging technology of the E.B.S. - the Emergency Broadcasting System. The FCC issues only two licenses for Digital Audio Radio Service (DARS) - by Auction! Only the four original applicants from 1992 are allowed to bid. American Mobile Radio Corporation and Satellite CD Radio, Inc. are the winners. In comments on the action, the FCC said it "could not entirely rule out the possibility of a major adverse impact" to traditional local broadcasters.