Radio experimentation began as early as the nineteenth century. Marconi and others tried to invent a way to transmit the human voice as they had Morses code. Not until the discovery of the vacuum tube by DeForrest was that dream realized. Westinghouse, General Electric and others worked feverishly on perfecting it. In 1921, after the war, Westinghouse bested other companies. KDKA in Pittsburgh went on the air. In the next two years hundreds of stations obtained licenses and followed suit. Radios greatest expansion was during the thirties. Demand for sets skyrocketed. Soon, virtually every household had the wooden box that talked. More diverse programming was developed. In addition to music, now drama, comedy and commercials were introduced. Networks and government agencies also emerged. However, it was during World War II that radio had its finest hour. No other medium could compete with radios immediacy and instant analysis of war news. Millions of Americans tuned in regularly.
show more 
show less