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A Short History Of Radio Events

A Short History of Radio Events

Radio continues to be a relevant form of mass communication and remains one of the few free services to anyone with a receiver.

History of Radio 3
Image by Jose Pedro Santos

The first commercial radio broadcast in 1920, Westinghouse Electric and Manufacturing Company in Pittsburgh, under the call sign KDKA, broadcast the live returns of the Harding/Cox presidential election. Within just four years of the initial KDKA broadcast, 600 stations existed in the U.S. and radio’s rapid popularity contributed to our shared national identity by providing syndicated news, sports, and music.

Radio stations gradually phased out vinyl single and LP records in the mid 1980s and went to CDs. Huge turntables and tape recorders disappeared, replaced by smaller CD players.

Radio program formats differ by country, regulation, and markets. For instance, the U.S. Federal Communications Commission designates the 88 - 92 megahertz band in the U.S. for non profit or educational programming, with advertising prohibited.

Formats change in popularity as time passes and technology improves. Early radio equipment only allowed program material to be broadcast in real time, known as live broadcasting. As technology for sound recording improved, an increase of broadcasts programming used prerecorded material. Some stations now operate without direct human intervention by using entirely prerecorded material sequenced by computer control.


History of radio 1
Image by Fringer Cat

In 1936, an experimental station authorized to Major Edwin H. Armstrong for experimental FM broadcasts at 40 kW power in Alpine, NJ, demonstrated FM radio technology to the FCC. In1937, The Federal Communications Commission issued its first AM construction permit. And in 1938,  Mel Allen announced the first World Series broadcast on CBS radio and War of the Worlds aired and caused mass panic when many radio listeners believed it was real.

Year Establishments Standard Broadcast Frequency Modulation Independent Stations
1927 681
1928 677
1929 606
1930 618
1931 612
1932 604
1933 598
1934 449 593
1935 569 623
1936 656
1937 629 704
1938 660 743
1939 705 778
1940 765 847 3
1941 825 897 56 2
1942 862 925 50 5
1943 852 912 55 5
1944 885 924 60 4
1945 969 955 65 5
1946 1555 1215 258 8
1947 3551 1795 918 52
1948 3967 2084 1020 103
1949 4085 2006 865 104
1950 3098 2144 788 86
1951 3129 2281 703 66
1952 3132 2355 650 56
1953 3393 2458 630 116
1954 3749 2583 580 123
1955 3875 2734 522 124
1956 4048 2896 656 51
1957 4276 3079 665 67
1958 4542 3253 703 93
1959 4802 3377 816 165


In 1961, WGFM in Schenectady, New York was the first station to broadcast in stereo. The first Telstar satellite was launched into space in 62. And in 1967, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Public Broadcasting Act, creating the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

Year Establishments Standard Broadcast Frequency Modulation Independent Stations
1960 4218 3483 906 218
1961 5269 3602 1075 249
1962 5558 3745 1213 279
1963 5749 3860 1341 294
1964 4777 3976 1425 306
1965 4867 4025 1569 338
1966 5008 4075 1605 381
1967 5100 4135 1806 405
1968 5236 4203 2026 387
1969 5309 4264 2198 442
1970 5584 4288 2393 464
1971 5708 4324 2258 527
1972 5826 4422 2468 559
1973 5936 4434 2560 616
1974 6136 4467 2713 678
1975 6228 4488 2847 703
1976 6339 4525 2947 713
1977 6316 4474 3007 741
1978 6462 4577 3206 777
1979 5769 4634 3300 835
1980 5875 4598 3292 1156
1981 9451 4634 3349 1177
1982 9842 4668 3380 1255
1983 10092 4377 3527 1285
1984 10374 4754 3527 1348
1985 4718 3716
1986 10975 4863 3944 1509
1987 11207 3902 4041 1577
1988 11271 4932 4155 1621
1989 11907 4975 4269 1666


History of Radio 2
Image by Sonny Mauricio

In1993, The Commission specified a stereo standard for AM radio. President Bill Clinton signed the Telecommunications Act of 1996 into law. The Act sought to increase competition in the industry by lifting station ownership caps, easing rules applicable to broadcasters, and deregulating the license renewal process. The Creation of the Emergency Alert Service, a national public alert system, and auctions for the first two satellite based Digital Audio Radio Service licenses were in 1997. In 2000, the FCC created the Low Power FM (LPFM) radio service to provide highly local noncommercial educational broadcasts. In 2001, XM Satellite radio launches. In 2002, Sirius Satellite radio launches and HD radio In band On channel (IBOC) system, allowing hybrid digital/analog operations on an interim basis.

Year Establishments Standard Broadcast Frequency Modulation Independent Stations
1990 10830 4987 4392 1438
1991 10830 4985 4570 1507
1992 11334 4961 4785 1588
1993 11577 4994 4971 1662
1994 11710 4913 5109 1715
1995 11987 4150 5730 1805
1996 12112 4857 5419 1850
1997 12227 4762 5542 1906
1998 12373 4793 5662 2000
1999 12615 4783 5766 2066
2000 12717 4685 5892 2140
2001 13120 4727 6051 2259
2002 13331 4804 6161 2354
2003 13563 4802 6207 2552
2004 13525 4770 6217 2533
2005 13660 4758 6215 2672
2006 13837 4754 6266 2817
2007 13939 4776 6309 2892
2008 13997 4786 6427 3040
2009 14253 4798 6479 3151
2010 14420 4782 6526 3311
2011 14952 4766 6542 3644
2012 15128 4745 6580 3803
2013 15358 4728 6613 3989
2014 15432 4705 6652 4075
2015 26471 4702 6659 4081
2016 17007 4680 6715 4096
2017 17456 4666 6754 4112
2018 17649 4633 6741 4125
2019 17685 4613 6762 4139
2020 17637 4546 6704 4196


For more information:
Vinyl’s much-hyped return to radio
Celebrating 100 Years of Commercial Radio
Radio broadcasting
Amateur radio
International Amateur Radio Union


The International Amateur Radio Union or IARU, is an international confederation of national organisations that allows a forum for common matters of concern to amateur radio operators worldwide. The IARU was founded in 1925 and as of July 2021, it is composed of 172 national member societies. About 830,000 amateur radio stations are located in IARU Region 2, the Americas, followed by IARU Region 3, South and East Asia and the Pacific Ocean, with about 750,000 stations. A significantly smaller number, about 400,000, are located in IARU Region 1, Europe, Middle East, CIS, Africa.


Download data:
For radio establishments in america
For radio advertising and expense since 1934

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Location: United States

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