The Rise of Radio Programs

When radios started to become increasingly popular in the beginning of the 20^th century, there were no laws or regulations regarding airwaves. Literally anyone who had the resources to make a transmitter and receiver could broadcast whatever they wanted. Most amateur radio operators did not know how to build a transmitter, so many young broadcasters bought A. Frederick Collins’ manual which taught amateur radio experimenters how to build a transmitter. These amateur radio operators broadcasted their own shows, which ranged from music to comedy shows. Eventually, there were so many amateur radio operators who were competing against commercial radio operators, radio wave interference was becoming rampant. On August 13^th, 1912 the government stepped in and adopted “An Act to Regulate Radio Communication” to regulate amateur radio operators. This law did not ban amateur radio operators, but it limited amateur radio operators to broadcast at wavelengths of 200 meters. After the United States had entered into World War I, President Wilson issued an Executive Order which banned all amateur radio stations in an attempt to curb anti-war opinions. 

After World War I began the Golden Age of Radio, which began in 1920.  The Golden Age spawned the rise of commercial radio stations. With commercials, it was possible to produce many programs that centered around various topics such as music, comedy, romance, drama, horror, quiz shows, panel discussions (talk shows) or news. Unlike today's radio, commercials would be placed at the beginning and end of radio programs. 

Cast of Allen's Alley

One program was named “Professor Quiz”, which debuted in 1936. Professor Quiz was a man  named Dr. Craig Earl who claimed to have a Theology degree from Tufts University. Contestants asked Dr. Earl a question and when he could not answer the question the contestant would win $25. Other shows that were popular were comedy venues, such as Allen’s Alley hosted by Fred Allen. The beginning of the show would consist of Allen performing a brief monologue. Then a music interlude would let the audience know that Allen and other characters were in a fictitious alley. In the alley, Allen would ask a question that regarded current events around the United States such as gas rationing, traffic, or the Pulitzer Prizes. The characters would make jokes about these current events and some would say catch phrases like “That’s a joke, son” or “Pay attention, boy!”

The first soap opera began as a radio program named Clara, Lu, and Em which debuted on June 16^th, 1930. This show centered around three gossiping housewives who lived in a small town. Compared to today’s soap operas, Clara, Lu, and Em was light and comedic. A more serious and horrific radio program was Quiet, Please! which debuted on June 8^th, 1947. Here is the beginning of an episode  which describes a story of an oil-field worker who encounters a seemingly evil dead body.  I think shows like Clara, Lu, and Em and Quiet, Please! were like current successful shows like Days of Our Lives and American Horror Story. The people that performed in these radio shows had some of the most famous voices of that time. These voices were the best in the radio industry—like the best movie actors in our day, and they entertained their audiences well. The sound effects (like walking up a flight of stairs or eating a sandwich) are superb, and I can really visualize what the narrator is describing.

The booming Golden Age of Radio would come to an end with the growing use of televisions in the 1950's. It is important to recognize the importance of early radio programs because these programs would set the precedent for future shows such as Saturday Night Live (which was partially inspired by Allen’s Alley).

Information Filters Are Like Car Air Filters; Change Them When You Need To!

A couple months ago, I started my car up and noticed a distinct smell coming from the AC. It was similar to a moldy smell and I realized that it had been some time before my air filter was replaced. I went to an auto parts store and replaced my old air filter, and immediately noticed a difference in air quality. I think that this situation is parallel to what Joab Jackson and Clay Shirky are trying to explain to us. Like allergens, debris, and dust, there are millions of useless (if not harmful) pieces of personal information. We as a society cannot do anything about the massive amount of personal information on the internet, so it is solely up to us to filter it effectively.

There is an article entitled, “Nearly Half of Facebook Users Still Accept Unknown Friends” (http://www.prosecurityzone.com/News/It_security/Internet_security_and_content_filtering/Nearly_half_of_facebook_users_still_accept_unknown_friends_11350.asp#axzz1lBjdpZ3e) In this article, two fake Facebook accounts are made up and send friend requests to various strangers. About 95 strangers accept the request, despite the fake accounts having profile pictures of cats and rubber ducks. This is rather alarming considering the fake accounts could have been con artists who were gathering personal information to steal identities from these 95 strangers. Essentially, these people are suffering from filter failure. There are millions of potential Facebook friends, but it is up to us to filter who to accept or reject.

Both Jackson and Shirky point out that when we are interacting in social media sites such as Facebook or Twitter, it may seem as though we are sharing information with a small group of friends, but that is far from reality. As University of Maryland Baltimore County Assistant Professor Zeynep Tufekci says, "So many people are using [social-networking sites] and they are acting like it is a private space. But it actually is a public space." As Shirky states, “In personal life, you could walk down the street with your friend having a conversation and somebody could be listening to you… and its not like every word you say is being recorded for posterity.” Today, we have to be very careful what we post on Facebook and Twitter because it could be seen by someone that should not see it. There are aspects of our personal lives that simply should never be seen by our parents, co-workers or professors.

When my friend Paul was applying to colleges, he changed his last name to his middle name on Facebook. Paul did this because he feared an admissions counselor would look up his Facebook and see inappropriate photos that would hinder his acceptance. Paul never changed his last name back because he now fears potential employers will look at his Facebook, and now people in college actually think his middle name is his last name. Is Paul being ridiculous or are admission counselors and potential employers overstepping their boundaries? Today, the information we put on Facebook are public, and not private. Paul, like all users of Social Media, should filter the comments and photos he posts. I like to ask myself when I upload a picture to Facebook, “What will my mom say when she sees this?” After all, I am Facebook friends with my mom and she will surely see this photo and all the embarrassing/explicit comments that will accompany it.