Join us in an eleven part series which explores radio news history over the past century. Despite its rise and fall, radio news continues to be an important part of our lives. Read more
Series: Broadcast History Radio News
A quick look at the history of radio news over the past century.
Define Radio News – Reliable Information about Current Events
We define radio news as reliable information about current events. However, that’s just the starting point. Many questions arise about facts, truth, and meaning. Read more
Radio News Inception – Thank the Amateurs

Radio news inception was slow. Few radio professionals considered broadcasting as useful. It took the amateurs to get this started. Read more
Radio News Early Years – Special Events and Sports
Broadcasting grew rapidly between 1920-1926, the radio news early years. The news focus at the time was mainly special events and sports. Newspapers tried to block regular newscasts. Read more
Radio News Social Value Recognized
Although still in its infancy, radio news social value was enshrined in public policy in 1927. Read more
Press-Radio Wars – Conflict between Media
The first generation of professional broadcasting was marked by the Press-Radio Wars. Everywhere, newspapers worked hard to stop radio news from taking over. Newspapers attacked with political lobbying, law suits, restrictive practices and economic sanctions. Read more
War Radio News Reporting – We Interrupt this Program
War radio news reporting was mainly the American networks and the BBC. ”If any single job since radio began could unanswerably justify the business of broadcasting as now conducted, CBS’ news coverage since 1938 might well be it.” (Time Magazine, 1941) Read more
War Radio News Censorship – Britain and Commonwealth
In democracies, wartime censorship is about finding the right balance between informing the public to create support while denying intelligence to wartime opponents. In addition to news from the war zones, censorship applied on the home front. Any details about weather, war production or troop movements were banned. Read more
American War Radio News Censorship
American war radio news censorship is a two part story: before and after Pearl Harbor. Through both phases, World War II changed the face of American broadcast media forever. Read more
Television Era Radio News – That’s the way it is
During the television era radio news lost its dominance, and became part of a rolling format of information and entertainment. Its focus shifted to local communities and narrower listening segments. Read more
Internet Era Radio News – Holding On
During the Internet era radio news continues to reach a wide audience. But radio’s viability over the next generation will be tested like never before. Read more