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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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