A Bit About Radio History

Before then, point to point communications using Morse code was in use on navy ships and, in 1910, congress passed the Wireless Ship Act (Campbell, Martin, & Fabos. 2009) which required all seagoing ships to be equipped with wireless communication equipment.  This equipment worked like the present day walkie-talkie and, it enabled one navy ship to speak using Morse code with another ship if within range.

By 1912, voice communications over air waves increased to the point of hearing confusing chatter and nonsense so the government stepped in and created, The Radio Act of 1912, which was the first law requiring a license to use a radio and so began the monopoly and control of the radio industry.  This law was put into act because of a growing number of amateur radio operators who were taking up air wave space and interrupting communications.  Radio had quickly caught on and there were many companies producing radio parts and devices which in turn increased the number of people using the air waves.  Congress became concerned that important communications from ships needing assistance would be interrupted by public broadcasters.  Legislators had to come up with a way to control air wave traffic so that, everybody had access.  However, air waves flow over state lines and national boarders and are not a tangible item so congress deemed air waves a natural resource, making air an item. This turned broadcasting into an interstate commerce, of sorts, because the license gave a person access to the crowded air space that otherwise could not be accessed so the space became valuable.

The approaching war of 1917-1919 made military officials and the U.S. government concerned about controlling information that could reach enemy lines, and the manufacturing of radios was largely connected to contracts with the overseas inventor who built radio parts in the American division of his company so arrangements were put into plan for two America companies, GE and A T & T, to gain control of all American production.  GE founded a new company known as RCA (Radio Corporation of America) which soon bought out the overseas company’s patents and contracts, and collectively pooled together the technology to monopolize the wireless industry.  Included were patents with manufacturer   AT& T and, the Navy for the original parts and inventions that produced radio communications.  This pooling of resources gave RCA world wide dominance of radio communications and media products that continued throughout the invention of telephones, television and the internet.  The government put more laws into effect with the intention of protecting America’s interest in radio communication from possible enemy forces by preventing overseas investors from acquiring control of American broadcasting companies and stocks.  Many of these laws of ownership were survived to be cancelled out by the 1996 Telecommunications Act because things are not how they were 50 years ago and adjustments to the laws have to be made.  The government’s control of radio was most apparent during the war of 1917 when all amateur radio operations and voice communications via radio waves were banned and only military communications allowed.