RADIO. Thank You, Mr. Marconi.

RADIO. Thank You, Mr. Marconi.

Before there was television, people got much of their news and entertainment from the radio. And many still do!

Invention of the radio began in 1896 when the Italian scientist Guglielmo Marconi patented a wireless telegraph process. Marconi knew that energy can travel in invisible waves through the air and that these waves can be captured electronically to send and receive signals. His invention allowed people to send messages to each other over great distances without having to be connected by wires.

Marconi and others added to his invention, working out how to add sound to these message to make the first radios. These were used simply for sending and receiving messages. During World War I the armed forces used radios for this purpose. It was after the war that radio became popular as a means of entertainment.

During the 1920s radio stations were set up all over the world. In the early days, most of the radio programs gave news or broadcast lectures and some music. As more and more people started to listen to the radio, more popular entertainment programs were added. These included comedies, dramas, game shows, mysteries, soap operas, and shows for children.

Radio shows remained very popular until the 1950s. That's when television began to catch on. As it happens, television actually works in the same basic ways that radio does! It uses special equipment to send and receive pictures and sound in the form of electronic signals.

Today, radio technology is used in many ways. Cordless telephones, mobile phones, and garage-door openers all use radio technology. And radio entertainment programs are still going strong.