Charles Herrold, Inventor of Radio Broadcasting [Paperback]

Gordon B. Greb (Author), Mike Adams (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0786416904 | ISBN-13: 978-0786416905 | Publication Date: August 15, 2003 | Edition: First

The world’s first radio station still broadcasting today was invented by Charles Herrold in 1909 in San Jose, California. His accomplishment was first documented in a notarized statement written by him and published in the Electro-Importing Company’s 1910 catalog: "We have given wireless phone concerts to amateur wireless men throughout the Santa Clara Valley." Being the first to "broadcast" radio entertainment and information to a mass audience puts him at the forefront of modern day mass communication.

This biography of Charles Herrold focuses on how he used primitive technology to get on the air. Today it is a 50,000-watt station (KCBS, in San Francisco). The authors describe Herrold’s story as one of early triumph and final failure, the story of an "everyman," an individual who was an innovator but never received recognition for his work and, as a result, died penniless. His most important work was done between 1912 and 1917, and following World War I, he received a license and operated station KQW for several years before running out of money. Herrold then worked as a radio time salesman, an audiovisual technician for a high school, and a janitor at a local naval facility, still telling anyone who would listen to him that he was the father of radio. The authors also consider some other early inventors, and the directions that their work took.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Gordon Greb, a distinguished broadcast educator, and Mike Adams, an award-winning documentary producer, are professors at San Jose State University. Greb lives in Chico, California and Adams lives in Scotts Valley, California.

Product Details

• Paperback: 259 pages
• Publisher: Mcfarland & Co Inc Pub; First edition (August 15, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786416904
• ISBN-13: 978-0786416905
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 7 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #728,226 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Charles Herrold Invented the Radio Station in 1909, December 14, 2003

By 

Michael H. Adams (Scotts Valley, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Charles Herrold, Inventor of Radio Broadcasting (Paperback)

I wrote this book. In our research, my co-author Gordon Greb and I traveled to the Clark Papers Collection at the Smithsonian to determine if there were any other individuals in the world who had a radio station on the air as early as Charles Herrold did in 1909. We found a few one-time experimenters, but none who as Herrold did: (1) were broadcasting entertainment programming, (2) on a regular basis, (3) pre-announced, (4) to a known audience. The story of Charles Herrold and his discovery is a book worthy of your time. thank you