Heart of Radio

As radio became highly popular in the 1920s, broadcast companies noticed how important listening to the radio became, both culturally and financially. Commercial advertising soon became an important money maker for radio stations and has become the heart for radio.

Broadcast companies made a profit from commercial advertising through a simple way. In order for a product to advertise on the airways, they had to pay a fee to the broadcast company. The fee depended on how long the commercial would run. Soon, advertisers began to sponsor certain programs and eventually led to the program advertising the product in their program.

AT&T's WEAF Radio Advertising 1922
Picture courtesy of Flickr.com

Commercial broadcasting began in the early 1920s and soon became the heart that keeps the radio alive today. Advertisers realized the popularity of radio among audiences and began paying the broadcast companies to advertise their products on the airways. Commercials have kept the radio alive because they essentially pay the broadcast companies to continue broadcasting from the early 1920s to today.