Pre-History Pre-History andand

Ancient HistoryAncient History

CommunicationCommunication

• Unique to Human Beings – Unique to Human Beings – Separates us from “lower forms.”Separates us from “lower forms.”

• Symbolic CommunicationSymbolic Communication• AbstractionAbstraction

–Symbols for symbols: words Symbols for symbols: words represent thoughts which represent thoughts which represent ideas/conceptsrepresent ideas/concepts

CommunicationCommunication

• The need to conquer time and spaceThe need to conquer time and space

• Cave paintings, Hieroglyphs, Cave paintings, Hieroglyphs, Petroglyphs, Cunieforms, etc.Petroglyphs, Cunieforms, etc.

• Written recordsWritten records– Once hand-writtenOnce hand-written– Only for the educated eliteOnly for the educated elite– No incentive to be literateNo incentive to be literate

CommunicationCommunication

• Smoke signals, drums, relay Smoke signals, drums, relay runnersrunners

• HeliographyHeliography

• Signal firesSignal fires

• A tactical advantage in warfareA tactical advantage in warfare

Communication & TechnologyCommunication & Technology

• Printing using the “fruit Printing using the “fruit press.”press.”

• Johannes Gutenberg and Johannes Gutenberg and the the Movable Type Movable Type printing printing press.press.

• The powered press.The powered press.

The “Master Trends”The “Master Trends”

• UrbanizationUrbanization

• IndustrializationIndustrialization

• Education (compulsory)Education (compulsory)

Electronic CommunicationElectronic Communication

• ““Electron” from the Greek Electron” from the Greek “Elektron” meaning “Elektron” meaning Amber. Amber.

• Rubbing amber against Rubbing amber against fabric created fabric created static static electricity.electricity.

Electronic CommunicationElectronic Communication

• GalvaniGalvani

• VoltaVolta

• AmpereAmpere

• OerstedOersted

• FaradayFaraday

• MaxwellMaxwell

• WattWatt

Electronic CommunicationElectronic Communication

• HertzHertz

• HelmholzHelmholz

Electronic CommunicationElectronic Communication

• Coded Wired CommunicationCoded Wired Communication– Samuel Finley Breese MorseSamuel Finley Breese Morse– The The TelegraphTelegraph– The “Morse Code”The “Morse Code”

Electronic CommunicationElectronic Communication

• Coded Wired CommunicationCoded Wired Communication– Transatlantic CableTransatlantic Cable– Cyrus FieldCyrus Field– Later used for telephoneLater used for telephone

Electronic CommunicationElectronic Communication

• Non-coded Wired CommunicationNon-coded Wired Communication– Alexander Graham BellAlexander Graham Bell– Elisha Gray (Barnesville, Ohio)Elisha Gray (Barnesville, Ohio)– Filed competing patents on the same dayFiled competing patents on the same day– Bell’s lacking a component making it Bell’s lacking a component making it

uselessuseless

• TelephoneTelephone

Electronic CommunicationElectronic Communication

• Coded Wireless CommunicationCoded Wireless Communication– Guglielmo MarconiGuglielmo Marconi– Wealthy Italian EntrepreneurWealthy Italian Entrepreneur– AM, short distance, Morse CodeAM, short distance, Morse Code– Short wave, long distance, Morse CodeShort wave, long distance, Morse Code

Electronic CommunicationElectronic Communication

• Non-coded (voice) Wireless Non-coded (voice) Wireless CommunicationCommunication– Reginald FessendenReginald Fessenden– Nathan B. StubblefieldNathan B. Stubblefield

• AM Radio! AM Radio!

Electronic CommunicationElectronic Communication

• Edwin ArmstrongEdwin Armstrong– Using the Using the Alexanderson Alternator Alexanderson Alternator – FM radioFM radio– Better Fidelity – No StaticBetter Fidelity – No Static

Electronic CommunicationElectronic Communication

• Needed Electricity!Needed Electricity!– Thomas Edison – wires New York CityThomas Edison – wires New York City– Actually Actually Direct CurrentDirect Current– Too dangerous!Too dangerous!

Patent Wars and ProblemsPatent Wars and Problems

• American Marconi’s Worldwide American Marconi’s Worldwide MonopolyMonopoly– Maritime Maritime – David Sarnoff – telegraph operatorDavid Sarnoff – telegraph operator– The The TitanicTitanic

World War IWorld War I

• Government forces “cross licensing”Government forces “cross licensing”

• Mobilize to win the war.Mobilize to win the war.

• Ending the patent warsEnding the patent wars

Who were the players?Who were the players?

• Bell = Bell TelephoneBell = Bell Telephone

• Gray = Western ElectricGray = Western Electric

• Edison = General ElectricEdison = General Electric

• Marconi = Radio Corporation of Marconi = Radio Corporation of AmericaAmerica

• Morse = American Telegraph and Morse = American Telegraph and TelephoneTelephone

Who were the players?Who were the players?

• United Fruit Company = maritime United Fruit Company = maritime shippingshipping

• Westinghouse = railroad brakes(?)Westinghouse = railroad brakes(?)

Ready, set, RADIO!Ready, set, RADIO!

• 8XK – the FIRST 8XK – the FIRST STATIONSTATION doing what doing what we would call broadcasting.we would call broadcasting.

• KDKA – the first COMMERCIAL KDKA – the first COMMERCIAL BROADCAST BROADCAST LICENSELICENSE..

• WEAF – the first commercial WEAF – the first commercial MESSAGEMESSAGE..

The Golden Age of RadioThe Golden Age of Radio

• RCA owns National Broadcasting RCA owns National Broadcasting Company Red and Blue networks Company Red and Blue networks (NBC)(NBC)

• United Fruit Company creates a United Fruit Company creates a network that eventually becomes the network that eventually becomes the Columbia Broadcasting SystemColumbia Broadcasting System

• Mutual BroadcastingMutual Broadcasting

The Golden Age of RadioThe Golden Age of Radio

• RCA forced to divest the NBC Blue RCA forced to divest the NBC Blue NetworkNetwork

• Sold to Edward Noble of Lifesaver Sold to Edward Noble of Lifesaver Candy CompanyCandy Company

• Forms American Broadcasting Forms American Broadcasting Company (ABC)Company (ABC)

The Golden Age of RadioThe Golden Age of Radio

• Radio programming was “shows,” not Radio programming was “shows,” not formats.formats.– Dramas, game shows, soap operas, Dramas, game shows, soap operas,

westerns, mysteries, comedies, variety westerns, mysteries, comedies, variety shows, etc.shows, etc.

– Established the programming types that Established the programming types that still dominate television.still dominate television.

……and then there was and then there was Television…Television…