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The
beginning of regular commercially licensed sound broadcasting in the
United States in 1920 ended the print monopoly over the media and
opened the doors to the more immediate and pervasive electronic media.
By 1928, the United States had three national radio networks - two
owned by NBC (the National Broadcasting Company), and one by CBS (the
Columbia Broadcasting System). Until 1943, there were four major
national radio networks: two owned by NBC, one owned by CBS, and one
owned by Mutual Broadcasting System. The NBC's second network became
ABC, the American Broadcasting Company.
Though
mostly listened to for entertainment, radio's instant, on-the-spot
reports of dramatic events drew huge audiences throughout the Great
Depression of the 1930s and World War II. President Franklin D.
Roosevelt recognized the potential of radio to reach the American
public, and during his four terms (1933-1945), his radio "fireside
chats" informed the nation on the progress of policies to counter the
Depression and on developments during World War II.
After
World War II, television's visual images replaced the audio-only
limitation of radio as the predominant entertainment and news vehicle. Radio adapted to the new situation by replacing entertainmentprograms with
schedules of music interspersed with news and features, a freeform
format adopted by NBC when it launched its popular weekend-long Monitor
in 1955. During the 1950s, automobile manufacturers began offering car
radios as standard accessories, and radio received a big boost as
Americans tuned in their car radios as they drove to and from work.
The
expansion and dominance of FM radio, which has better sound quality but
a more limited range than traditional AM, represented the major
technical change in radio in the 1970s and 1980s. FM radio, aided by
the invention of ever smaller portable radios and inexpensive "Walkman"
headsets, dominates music programs, while AM has shifted to "talk" and
news formats. Barely in existence 25 years ago, "talk radio," in which
celebrities and experts from various fields answer listener "call-in"
questions and offer their advice on various topics, has grown
spectacularly in recent years. It has contributed to the comeback of AM
radio. Both FM and AM radio have become increasingly specialized. Music
formats, for instance, comprise a variety of specializations -- the top
five in 1991 being "country and western," "adult contemporary," "top
40," "religious" and "oldies.
A hotel is an establishment that provides paid
lodging, usually on a short-term basis. Hotels often provide a number
of additional guest services such as a restaurant, a swimming pool or
childcare. Some hotels have conference services and meeting rooms and
encourage groups to hold conventions and meetings at their location.
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