The radio was actually invented few years before the beginning of this century. By 1897 Marconi already experimented with dot-dash radiotelegraphy, which is not really what we understand as radio, but is rather a place to place broadcasting. Guglielmo Marconi succeeded in his trying to broadcast wireless signals over the Atlantic and this happened on the 12th of December 1901. Real radio broadcasting was invented at the beginning of the 20th century and what made the radio possible was an invention by De Forest - the audio tube (1906). During 1910 already voices were broadcast experimentally around the world.

By 1919 the Radio Corporation of America was already found in order to regulate the broadcasts. Public broadcasting in the US begun on the second of November, 1920 when KDKA-Pittsburgh, the first American radio, started regular broadcasts. At the mid 20s the radio started being produced on a commercial basis and by the beginning of the 30s it was already a powerful commercial tool. Music was introduced as well.

During World War II the radio was of a huge importance and it is explained in the political impact section. FM radio appeared, which was of a much higher quality, but still short wave radio was the one that was majorly used. At that time appeared television as well, as by the end of the 40s it had started shifting radio's impact towards itself. Bell Labs' invention of the transistor during 1947 would later turn out to be one of the biggest and most important inventions of the century.

Now, in the last year of this century, there is digital television - an extremely powerful tool. This is the future of television in the next century! When one will watch television of incredible quality, and will even be able to command to some degree what he watches...

RADIO AND TELEVISION IN BULGARIA

Radio programs were started in 1920 so the Bulgarian radio is relatively old. Works on the television were started by the Machinary-Electrotechnic Institute in 1951. The first experimental television transmition was performed during 1954, and the regular TV broadcast strated in 1959 (the first professional TV program took place on the 7th of November). During 1972 the Bulgarian National Television started transmitting in color. This year was set another milestone in the history of television in Bulgaria - the first Bulgarian satelite channel started transmitions.