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The final stop through the historic presentations that CBS Reporters take you through. Radio has only been around for the past 27 years at this time, and CBS reviews some real moments that the listener would be most familiar with in 1947. First the memorable moment of the signing of the surrender papers in Japan that ended World War 2. Necxt, the exciting finish at the Kentucky Derby, the first time it was aired in 1931. Radio opened the doors to immediate news and entertainment. No more waiting for the newspaper to come out, or days as word travelled slowly around the world to spread news from distant lands. King Edward steps down from the throne in 1936, and CBS is there to record the event.
A man on the street with a mike, and remote broadcast equipment could now cover fires, and other tragedies live, and as they happen. Even the intermittant signal from the remote location added the affect of suspense and drama to the situation. In even the most remote farm that had electricity, a speech from the nation’s capitol could be heard in real time, connecting a rural person to the world.
oliticians could answer the burning questions that citezens had, almost as quickly as they were raised, and in answer to assure the population that the government was at work for them. Fears over the Great Depression at hand, and the day of infamy that started World War 2. Radio signals even connected phone calls from one continent to another.
Revisit more memorable moments with part of the actual recording made across the seas on June 6, 1944, D-Day. As guns blaze, the sounds heard are real, and not a dramatization. The world we live in has come alive, and brought to you right in your home, workplace, or even in your car. CBS reporters are there to take you to sessions in court inquiries, UN decisions, and more.
Note: as dramatic as radio was to speed up communication, of course the development of television brought images to that radio signal in the Viet Nam era. With the development of satellite communication, the battle fronts were brought instantaneously from the fronts in the Middle East, where ever reporters tagged along with the soldiers. Add to that the Internet, and soldiers
themselves can blog and email from the nearest WiFi hotspot to vent, or just to keep up on news from back home.
What’s next? The future holds the answer.
