1940-1949 - The War Years - Growth
1940
Jacks are provided on the back of new radios to plug in your TV's sound.FM gains public interest as 'Noise Free', high fidelity broadcasting grows.
Amateurs lose the right to communicate with foreign operators as the war in Europe builds.
1941
FCC authorizes FM broadcasting on 42-50 MHz.13 million radio sets are made this year, and 130 million tubes.
Color TV was demonstrated for the first time.
30 commercial FM stations are now on the air.
The Japanese attack Pearl Harbor. 40 K Wav FDR
speaks to the nation.That evening, Eleanor
uses radio to speak to the women of the nation.All amateur radio communication is halted by the war.
1942
The manufacture of radio sets was stopped due to the war, and manufacturers switch to defense activities.British mathematician and science fiction writer Arthur C. Clark suggests using satellites to relay radio signals about 20 years before the first satellite, Sputnik I was placed in orbit!
The Shadow knows... 142 K Wav1943
Great strides are made in technology and manufacturing as radio is used in the war.Meanwhile at home, many receivers are remodeled with whatever parts are on hand - as wartime shortages and aging radio sets combine for some creative electronics repair.
1944
CoronadoI found this in a leaky woodshed near Bemidji, MN. It's a very small console, just over three feet in height. It tunes the AM and short-wave bands, and has a 'Magic Eye' tube in the dial face. This was a horrendous mess when I got it, (in fact, the owner gave it to me) and I had to replace ALL the veneer. I believe these were distributed by the 'Gambles' hardware line. Did I mention what a horrendous mess this was when I got it...?
Over 30 million U.S. homes now had 57 million radio sets.
No receivers are being manufactured, although some spare parts are now becoming available.
Germany makes use of short-wave radio for propaganda broadcasts. Lord Haw-Haw (180 K) Wav
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