1900s Nickelodeons become popular

1915 The three-hour film, The Birth of a Nation, marks the start of modern movie industry

1920 KDKA is Pittsburgh gets first commercial radio license.

1930s Five large movie companies dominate the industry

1940s Tape recording develops

1950s Television takes advertising from newspapers

1960s Networks begin showing movies during prime time

1970s Video Cassette Recorder (VCR) developed

1980s Compact Disk is invented

Early 1990s Direct Satellite broadcasts using 18-inch satellite dishes

1903 The Great Train Robbery, the first of feature films, is shown.

1917-1918 Governments impose censorship on newspapers during World War I

1920 Tabloid journalism flourishes in big cities

1936 Life becomes first American magazine with pictures

1941-1945 Governments censor press during World War II

1950s Television begins to affect movie attendance

1960s Colour television becomes more common

1970s Weekly newspaper circulation grows dramatically

1980 CNN (Cable News Network) begins operation

1990s Newspapers go onto the Internet

1922 Time is first weekly news magazine

1938 Edward R. Murrow begins broadcasting reports of war in Europe

1941-1945 Life magazine plays important role in reporting World War II

1950s Television’s development forces radio to use music format

1968 Film industry begins using a rating system (to filter content)

1970s Niche magazines begin boom that continues into 1990s

1981 MTV begins broadcasting

1990s Magazines begin publishing on the Internet

1922 First advertisement on radio

1939 Television is demonstrated at New York’s World Fair

1942 Voice of America (radio station) begins broadcasts in many languages

1950 Cable television systems begins

1972 HBO (Home Box Office) is first subscription cable channel

1985 Digital audiotape is introduced

1990s Movies are promoted on the Internet

1926 NBC becomes first radio network

1939-1945 Movie industry helps U.S. government promote war effort

1948 Transistor radio is invented

Late 1980s USA’s National Science Foundation creates the basis of the Internet

1990s Cable systems experiment with movies on demand

1927 First experimental broadcast of television

1990s Talk show format gains listeners and national attention

1995 Total television advertising exceeds that of newspapers