Editing AM broadcasting (section)

==="Golden Age of Radio"===
{{main|Golden Age of Radio}}
[[File:Radio copyright problem cartoon - Radio News May 1925.png|thumb|upright=1.5|When broadcasting began in 1920, music was played on air without regard to its copyright status. Music publishers challenged this practice as being copyright infringement, which for a time kept many popular tunes off the air, and this 1925 U.S. editorial cartoon shows a rich publisher muzzling two radio performers. The radio industry eventually agreed to make royalty payments.]]
The period from the early 1920s through the 1940s is often called the "Golden Age of Radio". During this period AM radio was the main source of home entertainment, until it was replaced by television. For the first time entertainment was provided from outside the home, replacing traditional forms of entertainment such as oral storytelling and music from family members. New forms were created, including [[radio play]]s, mystery serials, [[soap opera]]s, [[quiz show]]s, [[variety show|variety hours]], [[situation comedy|situation comedies]] and [[children's show]]s. Radio news, including remote reporting, allowed listeners to be vicariously present at notable events.

Radio greatly eased the isolation of rural life. Political officials could now speak directly to millions of citizens. One of the first to take advantage of this was American president [[Franklin Roosevelt]], who became famous for his [[fireside chats]] during the [[Great Depression]]. However, broadcasting also provided the means to use [[propaganda]] as a powerful government tool, and contributed to the rise of [[fascist]] and [[communist]] ideologies.