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The Rise of Radio, from Marconi through the Golden Age Paperback – Illustrated, December 1, 2005

by Alfred Balk (Author)
4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 12 ratings
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As the dominant form of electronic mass communication in the United States from the 1930s into the 1950s, radio helped to forge a modern continental nation. It fused myriad subcultures--heavily rural, ethnic, and immigrant--into a national identity, unifying the nation in the face of the Depression and war. Later, federal deregulation allowed the radio of the "Golden Age," 1926-1952, to devolve into a chain-dominated, satellite-fed plaything of Wall Street. Today, radio has the highest profit ratio of all the media outlets--and Golden Age traditions of programming taste, diversity, balance, and localism are a legacy squandered.

This anecdote-rich sweep of radio history, from its birth as Marconi's "wireless telegraph" through its current status under deregulation, analyzes the changing medium's social, political, and cultural impact. It casts new light on many topics, including the roles of women and African Americans, programming sources outside the Hollywood-Broadway nexus, and arguments about Amos 'n' Andy--once the hit that jump-started radio's young networks, now a controversial remnant of a bygone era. The book is augmented with more than sixty photos, extensive source notes, and a bibliography.

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Previous page
  1. Print length
    358 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    McFarland & Company
  4. Publication date
    December 1, 2005
  5. Reading age
    18 years and up
  6. Dimensions
    6 x 0.72 x 9 inches
  7. ISBN-10
    0786423684
  8. ISBN-13
    978-0786423682
  9. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

“it’s a fabulous book and the research that went into it is stunning!”―Mike Wallace, 60 Minutes; “will live long in the literature of radio and deservedly so”―Norman Corwin; anyone teaching a...broadcast history course would do well to consider this book”―Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly; “admirable...informative and entertaining...writing is clear...language is vivid...a fresh collection of anecdotes”―IEEE Technology and Society Magazine; “[its] admirably clear prose sums up a dizzying array of previous histories”―Journal of Radio Studies; “a fascinating history...and Balk’s depth of research is astounding”―Chicago Life; “probably the best general history of the topic...excellent job”―The Illustrated Press; “thoroughly researched and documented”―The Antique Wireless Association Journal; “I could not put it down...excellent...I think I will read the book again”―Antique Radio Classified; “valuable”―Friends of the Old-time Radio; “should become a classroom standard”―Robert Lewis Shayon, Saturday Review; “The Rise of Radio is excellent”―Newton N. Minow, former FCC Chairman; “research is staggering”―Thomas Fleming, author; “a masterful work and a pleasure to read...ought to be the lasting work on the subject”―Everette E. Dennis, Fordham University; “well-researched”―Radio & Television Museum News; “entertaining”―Columbia Journalism Review.

About the Author

The late Alfred Balk was a former editor at Columbia Journalism Review, Saturday Review, and other magazines. He wrote more than 100 articles for Harper's, Reader's Digest, and other publications, taught at Columbia and Syracuse, and was the author or co-author of seven other books.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ McFarland & Company (December 1, 2005)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 358 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0786423684
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0786423682
  • Reading age ‏ : ‎ 18 years and up
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.08 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 0.72 x 9 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 12 ratings

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Alfred Balk

Alfred Balk

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Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
4.2 out of 5
12 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

ESL Instructor
5.0 out of 5 stars Rating the Delivery
Reviewed in the United States on August 4, 2023
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Arrived in expected condition. Appreciated that!
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Dad-in-PNW
4.0 out of 5 stars Good account of radio's Golden Age
Reviewed in the United States on March 7, 2015
Verified Purchase
"The Rise of Radio" by Alfred Balk is a good book. It is thoroughly researched, and packed with a complete account of the history of radio in America, from the invention of radio by Marconi, through the early 1960's and beyond. The book's comprehensive research into the technology and how broadcasters began using it and commercializing it is apparent. People didn't immediately know how to use the radio - what to broadcast, how to make money with it - but with ambitious corporate-minded folks, like David Sarnoff, excellent shows started being broadcast in numerous genres. The book's discussion of the huge number and types of shows in radio's Golden Age will make you wonder where it went, and perhaps wish we could get it back.
5 people found this helpful
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Bill Muhr
5.0 out of 5 stars GREAT book for OTR junkies like me!
Reviewed in the United States on March 31, 2015
Verified Purchase
Excellent overview of old time radio,how invented,how used and how,eventually,it gave way to the "magic" of television. Very well written in an entertaining and technical style which is hard to do. Thanks for the quick service!
"
2 people found this helpful
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Ed Gayhart
1.0 out of 5 stars Don't waste your money
Reviewed in the United States on October 9, 2016
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Interesting history but unfortunately loaded with progressive manure.
One person found this helpful
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Bunny
5.0 out of 5 stars Very nice
Reviewed in the United States on December 20, 2012
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I gave this to a friend and he so enjoyed it. I love to give gifts that people really appreciate. It always makes me feel special.
2 people found this helpful
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Susan G from PGH
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United States on January 20, 2016
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Book is in excellent condition. Thank you.
One person found this helpful
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Laura B
5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating and Insightful: A Gem
Reviewed in the United States on September 22, 2006
This book is thoroughly researched and footnoted, with an extensive bibliography and scholarly content, yet is interesting and accessible to the lay person. Fascinating trivia is included; photos are unusual and interesting too - for example, a b/w close-up of Ronald Reagan at his first job, a radio announcer in Davenport, Iowa.

Detailed but concise and extremely well-written, the author covers the background of radio and lessons learned (or lessons we COULD learn) as they apply to today's media conglomerates and Federal regulators in the chapter "A Legacy Lost."

Outstanding nonfiction reading and well worth the price.
13 people found this helpful
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