Sound Recording
Alan Freed's contribution to rock 'n' roll
White DJ played music by black artists for young audiences in Cleveland
When was the first sound recording made and when was it able to be played back?
Edouard-Leon De Martinville, 1850s and it wasn't played back until 2008
What were radio's first practical purposes?
military and commercial shipping because the telegraph was useless as a means of communication; it needed wires
How did the Telecommunications Act of 1996 affect the number of stations a single person or corporation can own?
It increased the number.
What did people in the TV industry tell the public in order to get them to buy TVs?
That TV programming is highly educational and provides a “world university” to viewers, and, in fact, that one day TV might even replace teachers.
Piece of legislation that sparked the rise of rock 'n' roll
Brown v. Board of Education
Ray Charles' racial-barrier-breaking achievement
He covered a white artist's song and hit #1 hit on the pop charts
About what percentage of Americans still discover new music through the radio?
About 30% (documentary said 48%)
What does it mean to be a "cord-cutter"?
Somebody without cable TV/someone who streams TV rather than pay for cable
Little Richard became the first African American to do what... and how did he do it?
Chart higher with his own song than a white cover artist ... he wrote and performed a song in a style that was too difficult for white artists such as Pat Boone to imitate
Emile Berliner's groundbreaking innovation
round, flat discs (records!); was able to create "masters" that could be stamped with labels and mass produced
What happened in the 1920s that furthered the appeal of recorded music?
More homes were wired for electricity, and hand crank record players were replaced with gramophones
How did the US differ from other countries in its regulation of radio?
It allowed commercial interests to own and operate stations rather than allow only government control
The Communications Act of 1934 requires that broadcast licensees operate in the “public interest, convenience and necessity.” What does it mean to operate in the public interest?
The public interest serves the common good and the general welfare, security and well-being of everyone in society.
This means what Americans see and hear in the media should be honest/transparent/fact-based unless otherwise clearly communicated as fiction.
What is the difference between analog and digital?
-Analog captures sound waves and stores them on record grooves or on a tape's continuous stream of magnetized particles. For TV, analog signals for sound and video images are transmitted point to point.
-Digital translates sound waves into binary on-off pulses and stores that information as numerical code
Elvis Presley's main contribution to rock 'n' roll
He helped make black music mainstream and popular
Define oligopoly
organizational structure in which only a few companies/firms control most of an industry's production and distribution of resources
What was the main difference between FM and AM radio in early radio?
FM sounded better and made listening to music on the radio more appealing
What did the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967 do?
established the Corporation for Public Broadcasting
and the Public Broadcasting Service.
The act sought media for “instructional, educational and cultural purposes,” promoting “diversity and excellence,” and addressing “the needs of unserved and underserved audiences, particularly children and minorities.”
What is the most popular radio format?
Country (based on # of stations)
Three social, cultural, economic, and political factors that contributed to the growth of rock 'n' roll
growth of youth culture, beginnings of racial integration, and Black migration
What are some ways that musicians can keep more of the money earned from their work?
sell merchandise, sell their music online/or at concerts (rather than through retailers), represent themselves or work with a smaller label, sign streaming deals
About how many Americans over the age of 12 listen to the radio in a typical week?
90 percent
What were the 1950s quiz show scandals? What happened as a result?
TV quiz shows were rigged to garner higher viewership and thus higher advertising rates
Outcomes included: The Federal Communications Act Amendments of 1960: Made rigging of TV quiz shows a federal crime and required disclosure of any “payola" and the creation of PBS and NPR
How did Thomas Edison believe sound recording would be used?
To record conversations