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September 1942 Radio Retailing Today
 [Table
of Contents]
Wax nostalgic about and learn from the history of early
electronics. See articles from
Radio & Television News, published 1919-1959. All copyrights hereby
acknowledged.
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During my daily technical
headlines search, one of the websites I regularly visit is
Radio Ink. As a lifelong fan
of over-the-air broadcast radio (and TV), it is interesting to see what trends are
playing themselves out. OTA (over the air) broadcasting is struggling to survive
in this modern world of Podcasts and Internet streaming broadcasts; indeed, I do
a lot of my radio listening via the Internet because the local stations don't provide
what I want. The Big Media types are involved in a major lobbying effort to mandate
FM radio receivers in all cellphones, which of course is a prime
example of corporate chieftains using their financial might to pay off politicians
for something that the rest of us will ultimately have to foot the bill for. Radio's
early days faced no such dilemma. People the world over were excited about the advent
of radio and eagerly awaited their favorite broadcasts each day. Televisions were
mostly for "the rich," but most households could scrape together enough cash to
buy or build a radio receiver. This article from a 1942 edition of Radio Retailing
Today gives a rundown on broadcast radio history and growth, along with major
events and technology milestones, from 1920 through 1942.
Radio History and Growth
 Including
Radio and Television Retailing
O. H. Caldwell, Editor. M. Clements, Publisher
480 Lexington Ave., New York, N. Y.
New Jobs for Tubes
In a rapidly changing field like radio, readers naturally look to our pages to
reflect radio's varying trends.
During the past few years the editors have repeatedly called attention to the
increasing applications of vacuum tubes and amplifier equipment in fields outside
of space radio. These uses have come to be known under the broader term of "electronic"
applications. Today, tubes find uses everywhere in industry, business, communications,
therapeutics, and scientific research. Maintenance and servicing of these opens
wider opportunities for local radio men.
For many months the editors have sought to keep radio readers in touch with these
new electronic developments through our own pages. Looking back over the last two
years, many articles and many columns in this magazine have been devoted to describing
these new electronic uses.
But now that the electronic field is receiving new and tremendous impetus under
the drive of war, it becomes apparent that the electronic industries are too vast
and important to receive only incidental or departmental attention in the pages
of Radio Retailing Today.
Of course, in duty to our radio readers, Radio Retailing Today will continue
to treat of electronic servicing as an opportunity for the local serviceman. Radio
Retailing Today will continue to interpret electronic devices and circuits in wide
use, to help servicemen do a good job when called into this new field.
But to serve the great electronic groups now rapidly growing
up, your publishers announce a new magazine "Electronic Industries" to appear next
month, to treat fully of electronics in all its aspects - manufacture, applications,
communications - design, production and use.
Page 48 of this issue, describes this new magazine further, and interprets its
relationship to the field of Radio Retailing Today.
Every Minute Counts!
Every minute of production action is for us.
Every minute of non-productive time counts against us. It is the job of everyone
of us to see that our time counts for US and against Hitler, Hirohito, et al.
And to only a lesser degree, the same applies to every dealer, every serviceman,
every business man, who finds the conduct of his business complicated and jeopardized
by our War Effort.
In the solution of your own problems, too, time is important,-for time is slipping
fast away.
It's up to you to make every minute count for you. Things will not get better
by themselves.
Your action is needed-today - and every day.
Your wartime tasks are never done, so long as war clouds darken our horizon.
Radio's History and Growth - with dates of new innovations and industry
events.
Posted January 25, 2022
(updated from original post on
8/3/2013)
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