Broadcasting

As a verb, to transmit programs or signals intended to be received by the public through

radio, television, or similar means. As a noun, the radio, television, or other program received
by the public through the transmission.

In 1898 Guglielmo Marconi, a 24-year-old Italian, began the world's first commercial radio
service. For citizens of the United States, radioand later televisionnot only introduced an
abundance of entertainment and information, it also raised many legal questions surrounding
its implementation and regulation. In radio's earliest days, stations all broadcast at the same
frequency; this situation posed problems because although some stations agreed to share their
time, others attempted to broadcast stronger signals over those of their competitors. Problems
continued even when stations began to broadcast on separate frequencies. Because
broadcasting requires use of the airwaves for the transmission of its signals, and because the
airwaves can carry only a limited number of signals, it soon became apparent that some form
of regulation was necessary. In 1927, the Radio Act (47 U.S.C.A 81 et seq.) became law
and the Federal Radio Commission (FRC) was created to police the broadcasting industry.

Two important tenets of broadcasting were introduced by the law. The first was that stations
must broadcast "in the public interest, convenience, or necessity." The second was that the
people, not the radio stations, owned the airwaves. In its efforts to see that the airwaves were
used in the appropriate manner, government regulation faced obstacles as it attempted to
ensure suitable government-funded programming, appropriate programming for children, and
equal access to broadcasting for minorities. Additional challenges were created by changing
technology as Cable Television went underground and satellite television took to outer space.