[net.misc] David Sarnoff and the First Radio Station and RCA

abeles@mhuxm.UUCP (abeles) (04/06/84)

eat me

Those interested in the history of radio would probably
be quite interested to read the biography of David Sarnoff
by Eugene Lyons.  While Sarnoff was not a scientist or
inventor, he did in a sense invent the concept of broadcast
radio, among other concepts.  Evidently it was originally
not envisioned in the electronics industry that radio was
good for anything other than point-to-point communication.
It is Sarnoff who was responsible for the development of
radio and then television by the RCA corporation.  RCA
was originally owned by General Electric and then also
Westinghouse, the two industrial giants from the electric
industry which had been making money on light bulbs etc.
It was not allowed to do any manufacturing, but later managed
to enter into it mainly by buying up the Victrola corporation
when it became apparent that phonographs and radios were
similar and should be integrated.