Relationship Between The Radio And The

Progressive EraBy: Maham Syed

Essential Question

0 What was the Progressive Era?0 What were two important objectives of

progressivism?’0 how was the radio act and the progressive era

related?

The Progressive EraThe Progressive Era was a time period in American history lasting from the 1890s through the 1920s. At the turn of the century, America was experiencing rapid urbanization and industrialization. Many immigrants from southeastern Europe were arriving . As a result of these processes, countless city dwellers were crowded into tenement slums, with high rates of disease and infant mortality. In urban areas, party bosses controlled power through political machines. In addition, corporations were consolidating into “trusts” and a few companies controlled the majority of the nation’s finances.

http://www.nwhm.org/online-exhibits/progressiveera/home.html

Making government more responsive and efficient

0 Two important objectives of Progressivism were giving the public the opportunity to participate more directly in the political process and limiting the power of big city bosses. Progressives hoped to accomplish these goals through a variety of political reforms. These reforms included the direct primary a preliminary election giving all members of a party the chance to take part in a nomination and that was intended to limit the influence of political machines in selecting candidates; initiative a process for putting a proposition or proposed law on a ballot, and referendum, the voting on an initiative, allowing the people to enact legislation that a state legislature is either unwilling or unable to do; and recall, a process giving voters the power to remove elected officials from office through petition and a vote. Governor Robert M. LaFollette of Wisconsin championed these reforms, and their implementation in his state became the model for the rest of the country (the Wisconsin Idea).

0 Progressives were also fascinated by efficiency and scientific management. In 1900, when a hurricane and flood destroyed much of the infrastructure of Galveston, Texas, the mayor and city council were replaced with a commission made up of nonpartisan administrators who ran each of the city's municipal departments. The commission form of government became popular in small and medium sized cities throughout the country. Following ‐a flood in 1913, Dayton, Ohio experimented with a city manager system. ‐Under this plan, the structure of a city government followed that of a business corporation, with a city administrator acting as a manager reporting to a board of directors made up of a mayor and city council. The Progressive Era also saw the growth of the public ownership of water, gas, and electric service; municipally owned utilities offered consumers lower rates than private companies. Utilities that remained in private hands invariably came under the jurisdiction of regulatory commissions that reviewed rates, mergers, and other business activities. Railroads and urban transportation systems were under similar regulation. Progressive reform measures, however, extended beyond restructuring the government and addressed social problems as well.

Women Suffrage0 The National American Woman Suffrage Association relied on

patient organizing, while the militant groups adopted more direct tactics. The Congressional Union, for example, was committed to gaining the vote through the passage of a constitutional amendment rather than securing it piecemeal state by state, and the National Woman's Party used picket lines, marches, and hunger strikes to build momentum for their cause. Women's participation in World War I, through service in the military and work in defense plants and the Red Cross, heightened the momentum. The Nineteenth Amendment to the Constitution, which gave women the right to vote, passed the Senate in June 1919 and was ratified by the states in August 1920, more than 70 years after the first women's rights meeting in Seneca Falls, New York.

The Radio Act0 Congress passed the Radio Act of 1927 to bring order

to the chaos of radio broadcasting.  In the process, Congressional representatives had to deal with several free speech issues, which were resolved in favor of the Progressive concepts of public interest, thereby limiting free speech.  This study examines how Congress intended radio licensees to interpret and practice free speech. In conclusion, it was found Congressmen feared radio's potential power to prompt radical political or social reform, spread indecent language, and to monopolize opinions.  Therefore, the FRC was empowered to protect listeners from those who would not operate radio for "public interest, convenience, and necessity.“

http://www.scripps.ohiou.edu/mediahistory/mhmjour2-2.htm

CONGRESS DEBATES POWER AND CONTROL OF RADIO

0 Before radio legislation could be passed, competing Progressive factions debated who would control radio. Sen. Pittman and Rep. E.L. Davis of Tennessee represented the rural American voice of the common people. They believed that the Radio Corporation of America (RCA) conspired to turn radio into a monopoly. The battle for control of radio began when White introduced a bill in the House and Davis introduced a series of amendments to prevent what he perceived as monopoly control of radio. Opponents of the act wanted to insure that everyone received equitable service, rates, and treatment from radio stations. "As it stands now they [the radio monopoly] are absolutely the arbitrators of the air," warned Davis, who held that position throughout the life of the bill. 25 Rep. Luther A. Johnson of Texas opposed the Radio Act because he did not believe the bill gave the federal government the authority to protect the marketplace of ideas. Radio was restructuring America through the formation of opinion, Johnson argued in debate, and American opinion could not be left in the hands of the monopoly. If one group controled radio, those who opposed them would find it "impossible to criticize," Johnson argued. Networks (called chains in 1927) and high-powered stations controlled by a few would make "freedom of the air" impossible.

How was the radio act and the progressive era related?

0 The radio act and the progressive act were related by the uses of what each one of them brought. The radio act helped the progressive era by having a type of device for public announcements. It made it easier for people to know going on in the world such as the women's suffrage period etc. people were able to hear speeches and help out during disastrous situations.

Citations

0 "Do Progressives know the historical meaning of the word?." <i>SodaHead</i>. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 May 2014. &lt;http://www.sodahead.com/united-states/do-progressives-know-the-historical-meaning-of-the-word/question-2291817/&gt;.

0 "The Radio Act of 1927 as a Product of Progressivism." <i>The Radio Act of 1927 as a Product of Progressivism</i>. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 May 2014. &lt;http://www.scripps.ohiou.edu/mediahistory/mhmjour2-2.htm&gt;.

0 "Women in the Progressive Era." <i>Women in the Progressive Era</i>. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 May 2014. &lt;http://www.nwhm.org/online-exhibits/progressiveera/home.html&gt;.

0 "Political and Social Reforms." <i>Political and Social Reforms</i>. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 May 2014. &lt;http://www.cliffsnotes.com/more-subjects/history/us-history-ii/the-progressive-era-19001920/political-and-social-reforms&gt;.

0 "Radio Act of 1912 Law & Legal Definition." <i>Radio Act of 1912 Law & Legal Definition</i>. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 May 2014. &lt;http://definitions.uslegal.com/r/radio-act-of-1912/&gt;.