Use of radios in the home grew rapidly in the early part of the 1900s. From 1921 to 1922, radio consumption jumped from 50,000 to 600,000. Sixty years later, ninety-nine percent of all U.S. homes owned at least one radio, with the average household owning five. Soap operas had their beginning on the radio, and kid’s programs were popular in the 1930s and 1940s. However, after WWII broke out, radio’s most important duty was reporting news from the front. In the 1950s, radio popularity began to decline due to the introduction of the television. As a result, radio changed its format from mainly shows and news to music. At the height of its popularity, the radio served as a source of information, entertainment, and news. |
