Government Regulation of the Radio During the "Roaring 1920's"

Regulation and government intervention had a major impact of the radio industry in the 1920’s in the sense that they controlled almost everything.

Regulation of the radio industry began during World War I, when the government felt that their control over the radio industry was crucial for military purposes. In 1926 the Radio Cooperation of America was created to regulate U.S radio transmissions. The U.S Navy had temporary control over the radio and its purpose was to use it for government operations. Regulation of the radio was needed to insure that the radio was being used in a productive way that benefited the government. This is the sole reason why the government took control of the radio in the first place.

The development of the U.S radio system was dependent on regulation by the government in the 1920’s. The government was the sole decision in what was put on the air and what wasn’t. Government intervention shaped the radio industry during this time period. An example is when the RCA was created in order to further develop business in the U.S. Companies like AT&T, RCA. And GE took over the radio industry as a result of government regulation in the 1920’s.