Explanation of the remarkable popularity of broad casting in the US Essay

Explanation of the remarkable popularity of broad casting in the US and Canada after 1922 - Essay Example By the time that the end of 1922 had come to pass, there were 570 radio stations licensed to operate within the United States (Lenthall, 2007). The birth of broadcast advertising and a way to profit had created an industry that spread rapidly throughout the nation. Advertising was not the first way in which radio was commercialized. Companies like Westinghouse set up broadcasting centers in order to promote the sales of radio equipment to the average consumer. The company was creating demand for radios by creating broadcasting that would appeal to people across demographics (Turow, 2010). One of the amateur broadcasters that were working for Westinghouse began to sell part of the air time to companies so they could use the medium to make money. This began the idea of broadcasting advertising and Westinghouse thought this was a good way to create a new stream of revenue (Lenthall, 2007). As with most inventions, they only have social value if there is a good way to commercialize an in dustry with them. People were given free access to broadcasting as long as they had the right equipment, which the cost of the equipment was the first cost. The second cost was time. Time was given in listening to commercials in exchange with the free entertainment provided during the rest of the minutes spent listening. The costs associated with listening through advertising is referred to as â€Å"the opportunity cost of listening† by Turrow (2010, p. 129). The opportunity is given to businesses to capture the listener’s attention in order to give them the chance to pitch their product. By the 1930s, 30% of the stations were owned by CBS and NBC with 90% of the power that radio gave them placed under their control. The era of the major networks was growing quickly and the culture that had been ignited that would soon be addicted to media was learning how to manage their access to the world through broadcast radio. Broadcast radio created the idea of serialized public entertainment that was accessible without having to read it. Even with the depression era raging in devastating waves of destruction, people were buying radios and ownership of the radio rose from 40% of the population to 80% by 1940 (Lenthall, 2007). The need to know outweighed almost all other aspects of society, just as it does now. The media was gaining its power through showing the world what it meant to have immediate access to information. The iPad was launched just about the same time that the economic downturn was in full swing in the last decade. It was launched to outrageous success. The need for new technologies and ways to communicate seems to outweigh all other aspects of life and provides a solid revenue stream when it is new no matter what the economic status of the nation. Resources Grant, A. E. & Meadows, J. H. (2012). Communications technologies, update and fundamentals. Abingdon: CRC Press. Lenthall, B. (2007). Radio’s America: The great depression and ri se of modern mass culture. Chicago, IL: University of Illinois Chicago Press. Turow, J. (2010). Media today, third edition, 2010 update: An introduction to mass communications. Abingdon: Routledge. 2. what are the relative advantage of national networks in comparison to local stations, and vice versa? Which