Discover how the expansion of radio and television technology, and the rise of mass media empires, accelerated America's transformation into a consumer-based society through the lens of pioneer David Sarnoff, President of the Radio Corporation of America (RCA), and other industry papers. The rise of large media corporations transformed radio from a one-to-one communication tool to a means of broadcasting ideas and information to the masses. The papers in this resource provide insight into the impact of broadcasting innovations on advertising, consumer culture, global conflicts, and the Space Race. The bulk of the material spans the 1920s to the 1970s, representing the decades of David Sarnoff’s career at RCA. Some additional content covers pre-1920s broadcasting developments, and the final years of RCA before its sale in 1986.
