Radios

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Text Box: Radios The development of radios in the late 1800's revolutionized communication.  Prior to that time, people had two other means of quick long distance communication:  telephones and telegraphs. About the year 1900, electrical engineers made objects called vacuum tubes that could be used to find and make stronger radio signals. Though radios have been modified over the years, the basic idea has not changed.  At first amateurs played around with "wireless telephony".   Then this grew into scheduled broadcasts in the United States of music, news, sports, drama, and public affairs.  Originally, radios were shaped like half of an oval and cost a great deal of money.  But as there were no televisions and families counted on radios for all their information, many people did not mind paying the price. In 1902, radios were all made out of wood: wooden knobs, wooden frames, and wooden everything else you can think of.  This lasted until 1950 when some of the radio parts started being made of plastic.  It became common to see plastic knobs and buttons, and sometimes even plastic frames.  Today, the entire radio is made of plastic, including the last item to switch to plastic construction:  the plastic speaker screens.