Everyone likes to jam out to our favorite song on the radio. Thanks to the efforts of Samuel Morse and Reginald Fessenden - this became a possibility. In this episode discover the evolution of mass communications from Morse code to the fierce race of the first radio broadcast.
Closed captions
Show Timecode
Centuries Collide | Cody Crouch: Reginald Fessenden - On The Air | Centuries Collide | January 30, 2025
- ♪♪
- 00:00:00.657 --> 00:00:01.424
- - i am cody crouch.
- 00:00:01.424 --> 00:00:02.592
- I'm traveling the globe, uncovering the origins of
- 00:00:02.592 --> 00:00:05.095
- The stuff that we use every day. on centuries
- 00:00:05.095 --> 00:00:07.797
- Collide, we're creating some of history's
- 00:00:07.797 --> 00:00:09.599
- Greatest moments
- 00:00:09.599 --> 00:00:10.733
- Exactly how they happen.
- 00:00:10.733 --> 00:00:12.502
- Well, almost exactly.
- 00:00:12.502 --> 00:00:15.071
- - the gutenberg press. [crickets chirping]
- 00:00:15.071 --> 00:00:19.242
- - charge!
- 00:00:19.242 --> 00:00:21.177
- - this is history like you've never seen it before.
- 00:00:21.177 --> 00:00:24.180
- ♪♪
- 00:00:24.180 --> 00:00:30.053
- Today everybody tunes into something, right?
- 00:00:30.053 --> 00:00:31.621
- Whether it's on our phones, tvs, computers,
- 00:00:31.621 --> 00:00:33.923
- We're all constantly consuming content.
- 00:00:33.923 --> 00:00:36.092
- Thanks to the clever marketing
- 00:00:36.092 --> 00:00:37.527
- While the tech companies right here in san
- 00:00:37.527 --> 00:00:38.895
- Francisco, it seems like we're updating to a
- 00:00:38.895 --> 00:00:40.830
- Different, latest, greatest device
- 00:00:40.830 --> 00:00:42.565
- Every week.
- 00:00:42.565 --> 00:00:44.167
- It's crazy expensive.
- 00:00:44.167 --> 00:00:46.936
- Consumer dollars and corporate competition is
- 00:00:46.936 --> 00:00:49.439
- What drives the tech industry.
- 00:00:49.439 --> 00:00:51.441
- Innovation, investments and race to be the
- 00:00:51.441 --> 00:00:54.144
- First means
- 00:00:54.144 --> 00:00:55.411
- Not only higher profits, but way bigger paydays.
- 00:00:55.411 --> 00:00:59.115
- But historically though, the incentive to be first
- 00:00:59.115 --> 00:01:02.886
- Wasn't always money. back in the day,
- 00:01:02.886 --> 00:01:05.321
- To be first in any technology usually meant
- 00:01:05.321 --> 00:01:07.590
- You were able to save lives.
- 00:01:07.590 --> 00:01:09.859
- And in the case of the two geniuses that made
- 00:01:09.859 --> 00:01:12.128
- Mass communication possible, saving lives
- 00:01:12.128 --> 00:01:14.998
- Was the biggest, most important payday of all.
- 00:01:14.998 --> 00:01:18.668
- Stay tuned.
- 00:01:18.668 --> 00:01:19.802
- It's time for centuries collide.
- 00:01:19.802 --> 00:01:22.071
- ♪♪
- 00:01:22.071 --> 00:01:25.909
- The digital age is filled with amazing startups and
- 00:01:25.909 --> 00:01:27.977
- Massive global tech companies.
- 00:01:27.977 --> 00:01:29.913
- Apple, microsoft, samsung, google.
- 00:01:29.913 --> 00:01:33.383
- Chances are, you're probably watching me on
- 00:01:33.383 --> 00:01:35.118
- One of those devices right now, but this
- 00:01:35.118 --> 00:01:38.321
- Expansive tech industry was actually paved
- 00:01:38.321 --> 00:01:40.657
- Centuries ago
- 00:01:40.657 --> 00:01:41.791
- With the dreamers, scientists, and inventors
- 00:01:41.791 --> 00:01:43.393
- Of the past, men who could see a vision of the
- 00:01:43.393 --> 00:01:46.162
- Future that many couldn't and who fought to make
- 00:01:46.162 --> 00:01:49.232
- Those visions a reality for all of us.
- 00:01:49.232 --> 00:01:53.136
- ♪♪
- 00:01:53.136 --> 00:01:54.270
- It's hard to imagine in our world today, but in
- 00:01:54.270 --> 00:01:55.438
- The early 1800s, information from news to
- 00:01:55.438 --> 00:01:57.974
- Entertainment was strictly limited by where
- 00:01:57.974 --> 00:01:59.876
- You lived.
- 00:01:59.876 --> 00:02:01.544
- You had no way to tune into your favorite
- 00:02:01.544 --> 00:02:03.146
- Musical personality and the smaller your town, it
- 00:02:03.146 --> 00:02:06.182
- Would've been less access you had to the
- 00:02:06.182 --> 00:02:07.784
- Outside world.
- 00:02:07.784 --> 00:02:10.253
- - heard about the war?
- 00:02:10.820 --> 00:02:11.955
- - nope.
- 00:02:11.955 --> 00:02:12.522
- What about it?
- 00:02:12.522 --> 00:02:14.958
- - just wondered if you heard about it.
- 00:02:14.958 --> 00:02:16.859
- - hadn't heard about it.
- 00:02:16.859 --> 00:02:18.261
- Should i know about it?
- 00:02:18.261 --> 00:02:21.164
- - don't think so.
- 00:02:21.164 --> 00:02:22.865
- Just surprised you hadn't heard about it.
- 00:02:22.865 --> 00:02:25.101
- - well, i heard about it now from you.
- 00:02:25.101 --> 00:02:28.404
- So what should i know about it?
- 00:02:28.404 --> 00:02:30.573
- - nothing.
- 00:02:30.573 --> 00:02:33.142
- Just people are talking about it.
- 00:02:33.142 --> 00:02:35.712
- - well, what are they saying?
- 00:02:35.712 --> 00:02:39.282
- - just wanting to know if we heard about it.
- 00:02:39.282 --> 00:02:41.517
- - in fact, getting any information from one
- 00:02:41.517 --> 00:02:43.253
- Place to another was ridiculously slow and
- 00:02:43.253 --> 00:02:45.622
- Hard to do.
- 00:02:45.622 --> 00:02:46.689
- You basically only had a few options to get a
- 00:02:46.689 --> 00:02:48.358
- Message to someone far away.
- 00:02:48.358 --> 00:02:50.059
- You could walk, you could shout, get, ride a train,
- 00:02:50.059 --> 00:02:53.663
- A horse, a boat, or i guess smoke signals?
- 00:02:53.663 --> 00:02:59.002
- It drives you crazy like it does me to wait a few
- 00:02:59.002 --> 00:03:01.804
- Minutes for someone to reply to your
- 00:03:01.804 --> 00:03:02.905
- Text message,
- 00:03:02.905 --> 00:03:04.340
- Think of it like this.
- 00:03:04.340 --> 00:03:05.441
- It would've been like sending a text message
- 00:03:05.441 --> 00:03:07.343
- And then waiting
- 00:03:07.343 --> 00:03:08.578
- Not minutes or hours, not even days, but weeks or
- 00:03:08.578 --> 00:03:12.181
- Months for someone to even get the message.
- 00:03:12.181 --> 00:03:15.585
- Then you'd have to wait weeks or months to hear back.
- 00:03:15.585 --> 00:03:18.254
- Yikes.
- 00:03:18.254 --> 00:03:19.889
- They didn't have any cell service.
- 00:03:19.889 --> 00:03:21.391
- Actually, they didn't have any service at all.
- 00:03:21.391 --> 00:03:24.060
- In fact, long distance communication was so bad
- 00:03:24.060 --> 00:03:26.663
- That in the war of 1812, weeks after peace had
- 00:03:26.663 --> 00:03:29.399
- Already been declared, soldiers on both sides
- 00:03:29.399 --> 00:03:32.201
- Were still fighting and killing each other.
- 00:03:32.201 --> 00:03:35.505
- - excuse me, don't
- 00:03:35.505 --> 00:03:36.939
- You see what's going on here?
- 00:03:36.939 --> 00:03:38.541
- - can't you see
- 00:03:38.541 --> 00:03:39.509
- We're in the middle of a battle?
- 00:03:39.509 --> 00:03:40.910
- - haven't you heard the war is over?
- 00:03:40.910 --> 00:03:42.945
- Been done for about two weeks now?
- 00:03:42.945 --> 00:03:47.417
- - no, i hadn't heard that.
- 00:03:47.417 --> 00:03:49.218
- - what are we supposed to do?
- 00:03:49.218 --> 00:03:51.287
- - you could have a picnic with us.
- 00:03:51.287 --> 00:03:55.158
- - great idea. right. okay.
- 00:03:55.158 --> 00:03:56.726
- - okay, so long distance communication was a big
- 00:03:56.726 --> 00:03:59.162
- Problem, a problem that nobody had figured out yet.
- 00:03:59.162 --> 00:04:02.265
- That is until a man named samuel morse came
- 00:04:02.265 --> 00:04:04.600
- On the scene.
- 00:04:04.600 --> 00:04:05.835
- To find out more about him, i headed to washington dc.
- 00:04:05.835 --> 00:04:14.877
- ♪♪
- 00:04:14.877 --> 00:04:17.447
- Morse was the typical entrepreneur
- 00:04:17.447 --> 00:04:18.915
- We see today.
- 00:04:18.915 --> 00:04:20.416
- Talented, creative, and well, totally broke.
- 00:04:20.416 --> 00:04:23.820
- He actually wasn't considered a scientist
- 00:04:23.820 --> 00:04:26.723
- At all.
- 00:04:26.723 --> 00:04:27.724
- He was known better to his friends as a
- 00:04:27.724 --> 00:04:28.958
- Struggling artist trying to make a name for
- 00:04:28.958 --> 00:04:32.595
- Himself in the art world.
- 00:04:32.595 --> 00:04:37.200
- - what is this?
- 00:04:37.667 --> 00:04:38.835
- This is nothing.
- 00:04:38.835 --> 00:04:40.136
- This is dots and dashes. - precisely the yin and
- 00:04:40.136 --> 00:04:43.773
- The yang, the light in the dark, the dot
- 00:04:43.773 --> 00:04:47.977
- And the dash.
- 00:04:47.977 --> 00:04:48.711
- - this is ridiculous.
- 00:04:48.711 --> 00:04:50.113
- - we are looking for something more like
- 00:04:50.113 --> 00:04:53.015
- Transformational art.
- 00:04:53.015 --> 00:04:54.350
- Something that actually looks like a picture.
- 00:04:54.350 --> 00:04:58.855
- - but you don't understand.
- 00:04:58.855 --> 00:05:01.090
- This is transformational.
- 00:05:01.090 --> 00:05:04.227
- - perhaps you should get into another
- 00:05:04.227 --> 00:05:06.429
- Profession. perhaps plumbing.
- 00:05:06.429 --> 00:05:08.831
- - why plumbing?
- 00:05:08.831 --> 00:05:11.167
- - because it is crap.
- 00:05:11.167 --> 00:05:13.669
- - his career as the next up and coming
- 00:05:13.669 --> 00:05:16.639
- Michelangelo wasn't going too well until he caught
- 00:05:16.639 --> 00:05:19.308
- The eye of the political elite right here
- 00:05:19.308 --> 00:05:21.744
- In washington.
- 00:05:21.744 --> 00:05:23.012
- They liked his art so much so that they
- 00:05:23.012 --> 00:05:24.847
- Commissioned him to paint a few paintings,
- 00:05:24.847 --> 00:05:26.682
- Including one of the biggest celebrities of the day,
- 00:05:26.682 --> 00:05:29.752
- The famous american revolution, war hero,
- 00:05:29.752 --> 00:05:32.021
- Marquee de lafayette.
- 00:05:32.021 --> 00:05:34.257
- - how would you like to paint in washington dc?
- 00:05:34.257 --> 00:05:36.592
- - washington dc? i would love it.
- 00:05:36.592 --> 00:05:39.228
- - okay.
- 00:05:39.228 --> 00:05:40.630
- - thank you.
- 00:05:40.630 --> 00:05:41.364
- - you're welcome.
- 00:05:41.364 --> 00:05:44.000
- - i have to go.
- 00:05:44.000 --> 00:05:45.435
- - okay.
- 00:05:45.435 --> 00:05:47.203
- Where?
- 00:05:47.203 --> 00:05:49.906
- - to be honest, morse was actually a pretty
- 00:05:49.906 --> 00:05:51.941
- Good artist.
- 00:05:51.941 --> 00:05:53.109
- So good in fact, that recently one of his
- 00:05:53.109 --> 00:05:54.844
- Paintings sold for over $3 million, not so
- 00:05:54.844 --> 00:05:59.482
- Struggling anymore.
- 00:05:59.482 --> 00:06:01.117
- But then tragedy struck. while he was on a trip
- 00:06:01.117 --> 00:06:04.921
- Here to washington, he got a letter from back
- 00:06:04.921 --> 00:06:07.023
- Home in new york city. - speedy delivery.
- 00:06:07.023 --> 00:06:10.293
- - in this letter, it said that his wife,
- 00:06:10.293 --> 00:06:11.694
- Lucretia had suddenly passed away
- 00:06:11.694 --> 00:06:14.597
- Two weeks earlier.
- 00:06:14.597 --> 00:06:17.200
- - she's dead. - two whole weeks.
- 00:06:17.200 --> 00:06:20.736
- It had taken a simple letter over 14 days to
- 00:06:20.736 --> 00:06:23.873
- Travel only 200 miles between new york city and
- 00:06:23.873 --> 00:06:27.710
- Washington dc. since there was no way to send
- 00:06:27.710 --> 00:06:30.680
- Messages except through snail mail, he had no
- 00:06:30.680 --> 00:06:34.283
- Idea it had happened.
- 00:06:34.283 --> 00:06:36.319
- By the time he got home, she had already
- 00:06:36.319 --> 00:06:38.888
- Been buried.
- 00:06:38.888 --> 00:06:40.590
- The poor guy was devastated.
- 00:06:40.590 --> 00:06:42.959
- - i'm devastated.
- 00:06:42.959 --> 00:06:44.894
- - but it wasn't just him.
- 00:06:44.894 --> 00:06:46.629
- He remembered back to all of the families of the
- 00:06:46.629 --> 00:06:48.431
- Soldiers who had died in the war of 1812
- 00:06:48.431 --> 00:06:50.700
- Because news had traveled so slowly to them as well.
- 00:06:50.700 --> 00:06:54.770
- He figured there had to be a better way to
- 00:06:54.770 --> 00:06:56.939
- Communicate information quickly.
- 00:06:56.939 --> 00:06:59.675
- Something had to be done. - something must be done.
- 00:06:59.675 --> 00:07:03.646
- - morse saw the need for quicker communication
- 00:07:03.646 --> 00:07:06.082
- Between places and began to work on a long
- 00:07:06.082 --> 00:07:08.384
- Distance solution.
- 00:07:08.384 --> 00:07:10.253
- So this painter put down his paintbrush and picked
- 00:07:10.253 --> 00:07:12.755
- Up a new passion, long distance communication.
- 00:07:12.755 --> 00:07:16.759
- Now, the idea of long distance communication
- 00:07:16.759 --> 00:07:19.028
- Had been around for quite some time.
- 00:07:19.028 --> 00:07:20.763
- Many scientists and engineers had tried to
- 00:07:20.763 --> 00:07:22.498
- Pull it off, including one famous guy
- 00:07:22.498 --> 00:07:25.835
- We've all heard of, benjamin franklin.
- 00:07:25.835 --> 00:07:29.572
- But not even good old ben franklin can figure it out.
- 00:07:29.572 --> 00:07:32.608
- Then in a twist of luck and seemingly divine
- 00:07:32.608 --> 00:07:34.777
- Fortune, morse ended up on the right boat the
- 00:07:34.777 --> 00:07:37.079
- Right time
- 00:07:37.079 --> 00:07:38.114
- On a trip back in europe. he overheard a
- 00:07:38.114 --> 00:07:40.216
- Conversation that sparked an idea.
- 00:07:40.216 --> 00:07:44.420
- A passenger on the boat was describing how good
- 00:07:44.420 --> 00:07:46.055
- Old ben franklin had passed an electric
- 00:07:46.055 --> 00:07:48.190
- Current through miles of wire and had noticed an
- 00:07:48.190 --> 00:07:51.160
- Instantaneous spark on the other end.
- 00:07:51.160 --> 00:07:53.896
- In that moment, morse realized that the idea of
- 00:07:53.896 --> 00:07:56.032
- Electromagnetism just might lead him to the
- 00:07:56.032 --> 00:07:59.101
- Long distance solution he was searching for.
- 00:07:59.101 --> 00:08:01.604
- - why? - it's electricity.
- 00:08:01.604 --> 00:08:04.540
- It'll change your life.
- 00:08:04.540 --> 00:08:06.742
- - between 1832 and 1837, morse took on two
- 00:08:06.742 --> 00:08:10.613
- Inventing partners and used things like a
- 00:08:10.613 --> 00:08:12.515
- Homemade battery and old clock gears to develop a
- 00:08:12.515 --> 00:08:15.718
- Working model of the electric telegraph.
- 00:08:15.718 --> 00:08:17.920
- But like some tech startups today, they
- 00:08:17.920 --> 00:08:20.022
- Totally ran out of money.
- 00:08:20.022 --> 00:08:23.593
- So with literally 37 cents to his name, went
- 00:08:24.594 --> 00:08:27.797
- Back to his pals here in dc who had funded his art
- 00:08:27.797 --> 00:08:30.132
- Career and was like, hey guys, if you like my art,
- 00:08:30.132 --> 00:08:33.202
- You're going to really love my inventions.
- 00:08:33.202 --> 00:08:35.271
- And they were like -- - stick to painting.
- 00:08:35.271 --> 00:08:37.773
- - but with the help of an old school buddy who
- 00:08:37.773 --> 00:08:39.442
- Just happened to be the commissioner of the us
- 00:08:39.442 --> 00:08:41.877
- Patent office, they wore them down. in 1842,
- 00:08:41.877 --> 00:08:48.184
- He convinced us skeptical congress to give him the
- 00:08:48.184 --> 00:08:51.020
- Money he needed to bring his invention to
- 00:08:51.020 --> 00:08:52.955
- The big stage.
- 00:08:52.955 --> 00:08:54.590
- With the money he received, he strung one
- 00:08:54.590 --> 00:08:56.158
- Wire from the us capitol building to a train
- 00:08:56.158 --> 00:08:58.394
- Station 40 miles away in baltimore and on
- 00:08:58.394 --> 00:09:01.697
- May 24th, 1844, this telegraph machine was
- 00:09:01.697 --> 00:09:05.201
- Ready to be put to the test.
- 00:09:05.201 --> 00:09:07.403
- Now, two things.
- 00:09:07.403 --> 00:09:08.537
- You might be asking me, what does this telegraph
- 00:09:08.537 --> 00:09:11.107
- Thing have anything to do with me today?
- 00:09:11.107 --> 00:09:14.143
- Well, here's the thing.
- 00:09:14.143 --> 00:09:15.244
- Modern communications, everything from the phone
- 00:09:15.244 --> 00:09:17.947
- In your pocket to the radio in your car to
- 00:09:17.947 --> 00:09:20.049
- The tv you're probably watching me on right now,
- 00:09:20.049 --> 00:09:22.351
- It all started with the telegraph.
- 00:09:22.351 --> 00:09:25.788
- Secondly, morse's idea of being able to share a
- 00:09:25.788 --> 00:09:28.424
- Message with someone on the other side of the
- 00:09:28.424 --> 00:09:30.159
- Planet in an instant using electromagnetism
- 00:09:30.159 --> 00:09:34.163
- Was impossible up to this point, and in fact seemed
- 00:09:34.163 --> 00:09:37.600
- Like a crazy insane idea to most people.
- 00:09:37.600 --> 00:09:41.604
- But morse was convinced that instantaneous long
- 00:09:41.604 --> 00:09:44.240
- Distance messaging was possible, and as he got
- 00:09:44.240 --> 00:09:47.176
- Deeper into this idea of a telegraph machine, he
- 00:09:47.176 --> 00:09:49.712
- Began to realize the real magnitude of
- 00:09:49.712 --> 00:09:52.314
- Possibilities if he could figure it out.
- 00:09:52.314 --> 00:09:55.117
- - here we go, baby.
- 00:09:55.117 --> 00:09:57.720
- [crazy laughter] [rock music]
- 00:09:57.720 --> 00:10:04.627
- - you got a little something.
- 00:10:04.627 --> 00:10:08.798
- - coming from a strong christian family,
- 00:10:08.798 --> 00:10:10.933
- Morse's father being a well-known preacher, morse
- 00:10:10.933 --> 00:10:13.369
- Realized that not only could greetings news and
- 00:10:13.369 --> 00:10:16.539
- Information be shared in an instant, but the
- 00:10:16.539 --> 00:10:18.708
- Greatest message of all time, the gospel.
- 00:10:18.708 --> 00:10:21.477
- On the day of the test, morse sat on one end of
- 00:10:21.477 --> 00:10:25.114
- The wire in dc and one of his partners sat on the
- 00:10:25.114 --> 00:10:26.782
- Other end in baltimore.
- 00:10:26.782 --> 00:10:28.384
- Then a colleague entered the room and handed morse
- 00:10:28.384 --> 00:10:30.920
- A note, a bible scripture when transmitted, it
- 00:10:30.920 --> 00:10:34.457
- Would show the whole world that his
- 00:10:34.457 --> 00:10:36.692
- Technology worked.
- 00:10:36.692 --> 00:10:39.161
- He opened it, took a deep breath and tapped out the
- 00:10:39.161 --> 00:10:41.831
- One line of scripture,
- 00:10:41.831 --> 00:10:44.166
- "what hath god wrought?"
- 00:10:44.166 --> 00:10:46.469
- Then they waited.
- 00:10:46.469 --> 00:10:53.075
- - he's done it.
- 00:10:53.075 --> 00:10:57.079
- - sure enough, the message was delivered.
- 00:10:57.079 --> 00:10:59.715
- His partner immediately responded by typing back
- 00:10:59.715 --> 00:11:02.251
- The same message for confirmation.
- 00:11:02.251 --> 00:11:04.453
- After that moment, sharing messages across
- 00:11:04.453 --> 00:11:06.789
- The world would never be the same.
- 00:11:06.789 --> 00:11:09.024
- Within a decade, there were more than 20,000
- 00:11:09.024 --> 00:11:11.794
- Miles of telegraph wire laid in the us alone, and
- 00:11:11.794 --> 00:11:15.097
- By 1866, a transatlantic line connected the us
- 00:11:15.097 --> 00:11:18.267
- To europe.
- 00:11:18.267 --> 00:11:19.969
- The world was now connected in an instant
- 00:11:19.969 --> 00:11:22.738
- Through the telegraph. this painter
- 00:11:22.738 --> 00:11:25.407
- Turned unlikely
- 00:11:25.407 --> 00:11:26.742
- Inventor changed the world.
- 00:11:26.742 --> 00:11:29.678
- In an interview someone once asked him, what was
- 00:11:29.678 --> 00:11:32.081
- Your secret to inventing the telegraph?
- 00:11:32.081 --> 00:11:35.217
- - whenever i can't find my way
- 00:11:35.217 --> 00:11:36.952
- Clearly, i would kneel down and pray and ask for
- 00:11:36.952 --> 00:11:40.189
- Light and understanding.
- 00:11:40.189 --> 00:11:42.591
- And may i tell you, when they came to me with the
- 00:11:42.591 --> 00:11:44.727
- Flattering honors from europe and america on the
- 00:11:44.727 --> 00:11:49.999
- Count of an invention that bears my name, i
- 00:11:49.999 --> 00:11:53.402
- Didn't think i deserved it.
- 00:11:53.402 --> 00:11:55.171
- I made a valuable application of
- 00:11:55.171 --> 00:11:57.773
- Electricity, not because i thought i was superior
- 00:11:57.773 --> 00:12:02.144
- To the other men, but solely because god meant
- 00:12:02.144 --> 00:12:05.614
- It for mankind, and he wanted to show it to someone.
- 00:12:05.614 --> 00:12:10.619
- He was pleased to show it to me.
- 00:12:10.619 --> 00:12:13.022
- - luckily for us though, long distance communication
- 00:12:13.022 --> 00:12:15.391
- Didn't just stop at beeps and boops.
- 00:12:15.391 --> 00:12:18.394
- For the next part of the story we're going to have
- 00:12:18.394 --> 00:12:20.196
- To head from pennsylvania avenue to the actual
- 00:12:20.196 --> 00:12:22.565
- State of pennsylvania where reginald fessenden,
- 00:12:22.565 --> 00:12:25.434
- A canadian man was in a tech race to be the first
- 00:12:25.434 --> 00:12:27.503
- Person to broadcast a voice over air.
- 00:12:27.503 --> 00:12:31.907
- He expanded his work here at the university of
- 00:12:31.907 --> 00:12:33.876
- Pittsburgh, then known as the western university
- 00:12:33.876 --> 00:12:36.145
- Of pennsylvania.
- 00:12:36.145 --> 00:12:37.780
- He taught in the engineering department and used his
- 00:12:37.780 --> 00:12:40.216
- Spare time to get rid of those pesky beeps and boops.
- 00:12:40.216 --> 00:12:43.819
- - okay.
- 00:12:43.819 --> 00:12:45.588
- [men laughing]
- 00:12:45.588 --> 00:12:56.665
- - his assistant, mr. kitner, jammed a
- 00:12:57.499 --> 00:12:59.435
- Morse code key and howled over the receiver.
- 00:12:59.435 --> 00:13:02.905
- [feedback screeching]
- 00:13:02.905 --> 00:13:04.039
- - come on, come on, come on!
- 00:13:04.039 --> 00:13:12.514
- - we've got to fix that.
- 00:13:13.082 --> 00:13:15.718
- - yeah, we've got to fix that.
- 00:13:15.718 --> 00:13:18.520
- - fessenden concluded that if a howl like that
- 00:13:18.520 --> 00:13:20.856
- Could be transmitted, then why not a voice?
- 00:13:20.856 --> 00:13:23.759
- He didn't determined that sound could in fact be
- 00:13:23.759 --> 00:13:25.895
- Carried by radio waves. if he could only achieve a
- 00:13:25.895 --> 00:13:28.831
- Steady enough frequency,
- 00:13:28.831 --> 00:13:31.033
- He was convinced that he could put voices on the air.
- 00:13:31.033 --> 00:13:36.372
- He didn't just see radio as a way to wirelessly
- 00:13:36.372 --> 00:13:38.974
- Exchange news and information through code,
- 00:13:38.974 --> 00:13:41.410
- But a way for voices and music to entertain and
- 00:13:41.410 --> 00:13:44.813
- Share the most important messages around the world.
- 00:13:44.813 --> 00:13:48.550
- [gibberish]
- 00:13:48.550 --> 00:13:50.552
- But fessenden wasn't the only one in a race to
- 00:13:50.552 --> 00:13:52.588
- Broadcast a voice over air. running against him was
- 00:13:52.588 --> 00:13:55.291
- An italian scientist by the name of guglielmo marconi.
- 00:13:55.291 --> 00:14:00.663
- Marconi also had ideas about sending messages
- 00:14:00.663 --> 00:14:03.032
- Long distances without the need of wires.
- 00:14:03.032 --> 00:14:07.369
- - it'sa marconi, not a macaroni, okay?
- 00:14:07.369 --> 00:14:09.872
- One is tasty, and one is a spicy.
- 00:14:09.872 --> 00:14:12.608
- - marconi was constantly writing about his
- 00:14:12.608 --> 00:14:14.576
- Amazement of god's creation and how it was
- 00:14:14.576 --> 00:14:16.812
- Intertwined with science.
- 00:14:16.812 --> 00:14:19.014
- He also envisioned the idea of religious
- 00:14:19.014 --> 00:14:21.450
- Broadcasting and one day being able to share the
- 00:14:21.450 --> 00:14:23.752
- Message of the gospel around the world.
- 00:14:23.752 --> 00:14:28.390
- - head to head, these two men were about to run
- 00:14:29.425 --> 00:14:31.160
- An exhausting race in pursuit of the dream.
- 00:14:31.160 --> 00:14:33.862
- But as for any new tech company,
- 00:14:33.862 --> 00:14:35.531
- Funding was limited and getting investors,
- 00:14:35.531 --> 00:14:37.433
- It's crazy competitive.
- 00:14:37.433 --> 00:14:40.135
- In 1896, marconi took the lead by completing an
- 00:14:40.135 --> 00:14:43.539
- Experiment in which he successfully transmitted
- 00:14:43.539 --> 00:14:46.141
- A silent radio signal.
- 00:14:46.141 --> 00:14:48.544
- So no voices yet, but it was enough to secure him
- 00:14:48.544 --> 00:14:51.780
- A massive grant and an exclusive patent from
- 00:14:51.780 --> 00:14:54.883
- The british government.
- 00:14:54.883 --> 00:14:56.452
- - yes, that's right.
- 00:14:56.452 --> 00:14:57.820
- The canadians gave a me the money.
- 00:14:57.820 --> 00:15:01.390
- - but fessenden wanted to transmit voices,
- 00:15:01.390 --> 00:15:03.959
- So we set up shop right here at cobb island on
- 00:15:03.959 --> 00:15:06.362
- The potomac river.
- 00:15:06.362 --> 00:15:07.830
- There was another receiving station 50 miles away
- 00:15:07.830 --> 00:15:09.932
- In arlington, virginia,
- 00:15:09.932 --> 00:15:11.767
- Connected by a telegraph wire.
- 00:15:11.767 --> 00:15:13.535
- Fessenden had already perfected morse code by
- 00:15:13.535 --> 00:15:15.804
- Using a new generator, but he experimented with
- 00:15:15.804 --> 00:15:18.507
- Voice transmission by hooking up a microphone
- 00:15:18.507 --> 00:15:21.343
- To his new improved system.
- 00:15:21.343 --> 00:15:23.712
- This would be the first time in history to
- 00:15:23.712 --> 00:15:25.948
- Broadcast a voice over wire if it worked.
- 00:15:25.948 --> 00:15:29.251
- Right here in this room on december 23rd, 1900,
- 00:15:29.251 --> 00:15:33.722
- Fessenden spoke into his microphone.
- 00:15:33.722 --> 00:15:37.326
- - check one, two, three, four.
- 00:15:37.326 --> 00:15:38.894
- - 1, 2, 3, 4.
- 00:15:38.894 --> 00:15:40.496
- Is it snowing where you are, mr. thiessen.
- 00:15:40.496 --> 00:15:42.498
- If so, telegraph me back and let me know.
- 00:15:42.498 --> 00:15:44.500
- - and let me know.
- 00:15:44.500 --> 00:15:47.836
- - thiessen replied, yep. it's snowing, bro.
- 00:15:47.936 --> 00:15:52.241
- It worked.
- 00:15:52.241 --> 00:15:54.910
- Fessenden had done it.
- 00:15:54.910 --> 00:15:56.278
- He had sent voice over wire.
- 00:15:56.278 --> 00:15:58.447
- This would lead to so many giant technological
- 00:15:58.447 --> 00:16:01.283
- Breakthroughs, including things like a little
- 00:16:01.283 --> 00:16:03.318
- Invention called telephone.
- 00:16:03.318 --> 00:16:05.788
- But unfortunately, voice over wire quickly
- 00:16:05.788 --> 00:16:08.490
- Became old news because marconi was one giant
- 00:16:08.490 --> 00:16:12.795
- Step ahead of him.
- 00:16:12.795 --> 00:16:14.863
- Marconi had discovered a wireless way to broadcast
- 00:16:14.863 --> 00:16:17.599
- Morse code.
- 00:16:17.599 --> 00:16:19.568
- Now people could transmit morse code
- 00:16:19.568 --> 00:16:21.603
- Long distances without the need of any wires at all.
- 00:16:21.603 --> 00:16:25.107
- To the average person, it seemed like the race was
- 00:16:25.107 --> 00:16:26.809
- Over and marconi had won.
- 00:16:26.809 --> 00:16:29.178
- - alright, macaroni. marconi.
- 00:16:29.178 --> 00:16:32.614
- - but then fessenden went fishing.
- 00:16:32.614 --> 00:16:36.852
- Fishing.
- 00:16:36.852 --> 00:16:39.721
- Discouraged because marconi was leading the race,
- 00:16:39.822 --> 00:16:42.291
- Fessenden said, forget this, i'm going to the lake.
- 00:16:42.291 --> 00:16:45.461
- So he headed up for a little fishing and
- 00:16:45.461 --> 00:16:47.296
- Brainstorming. there, he caught a new idea.
- 00:16:47.296 --> 00:16:52.367
- What fessenden realized by simply dropping a rock
- 00:16:52.367 --> 00:16:54.736
- Into the water was a huge scientific breakthrough.
- 00:16:54.736 --> 00:16:58.907
- So i guess fessenden was really the first person
- 00:16:58.907 --> 00:17:01.677
- To theorize that a continuous wave frequency
- 00:17:01.677 --> 00:17:04.780
- Was required for speech transmission.
- 00:17:04.780 --> 00:17:06.715
- But to check that theory, once again,
- 00:17:06.715 --> 00:17:08.584
- Fessenden would need money.
- 00:17:08.584 --> 00:17:10.486
- So he jumped back in the race in search of his own
- 00:17:10.486 --> 00:17:12.488
- Big investor and came up with the weather bureau.
- 00:17:12.488 --> 00:17:16.492
- Yeah, we can thank fessenden for our weather reports
- 00:17:16.492 --> 00:17:19.495
- Today. he sold 'em on the idea that once he got it
- 00:17:19.495 --> 00:17:21.864
- Working, they could use his tech for forecasting
- 00:17:21.864 --> 00:17:24.433
- The weather long distances.
- 00:17:24.433 --> 00:17:27.569
- Even though marconi had already broadcast morse
- 00:17:27.569 --> 00:17:29.705
- Code over the airways,
- 00:17:29.705 --> 00:17:31.173
- Fessenden being the genius perfectionist he was
- 00:17:31.173 --> 00:17:34.009
- Didn't like marconis method.
- 00:17:34.009 --> 00:17:36.478
- He felt like the wireless signal had both the
- 00:17:36.478 --> 00:17:38.413
- Potential to be cleaner and stronger, and again,
- 00:17:38.413 --> 00:17:41.049
- More than just beeps and boops.
- 00:17:41.049 --> 00:17:43.552
- He was determined that music and voice could be
- 00:17:43.552 --> 00:17:46.488
- Broadcast wirelessly.
- 00:17:46.488 --> 00:17:48.290
- He just had to figure out how and soon,
- 00:17:48.290 --> 00:17:51.660
- So he set up new stations in canada and scotland
- 00:17:51.660 --> 00:17:54.730
- And got to work trying to broadcast his voice over
- 00:17:54.730 --> 00:17:56.999
- The air with no wires.
- 00:17:56.999 --> 00:18:00.602
- Experiment after experiment failed,
- 00:18:00.602 --> 00:18:04.006
- But he kept trying.
- 00:18:04.006 --> 00:18:05.541
- Then in november, he received a letter from
- 00:18:05.541 --> 00:18:08.143
- His engineer at the scottish tower.
- 00:18:08.143 --> 00:18:10.245
- - got a letter from scotland.
- 00:18:10.245 --> 00:18:12.514
- - the letter said that he had been working at the
- 00:18:12.514 --> 00:18:14.249
- Station at about 4:00 am several weeks back,
- 00:18:14.249 --> 00:18:17.486
- And suddenly voices started coming in.
- 00:18:17.486 --> 00:18:20.522
- He recognized the voices and realized that he was
- 00:18:20.522 --> 00:18:23.025
- Overhearing conversations coming over the airwaves
- 00:18:23.025 --> 00:18:26.028
- From the other station in canada,
- 00:18:26.028 --> 00:18:28.430
- And the operator had been able to hear it
- 00:18:28.430 --> 00:18:30.799
- Perfectly clear. fessenden frantically checked
- 00:18:30.799 --> 00:18:33.535
- Back in his logs for which tests were being
- 00:18:33.535 --> 00:18:35.437
- Done at the time, and realized the equipment he
- 00:18:35.437 --> 00:18:38.207
- Had invented actually worked.
- 00:18:38.207 --> 00:18:40.576
- - it worked! - it worked!
- 00:18:40.576 --> 00:18:44.179
- Oh yeah, it worked. it worked. it worked.
- 00:18:41.710 --> 00:18:46.615
- - he could totally transmit voices to another country.
- 00:18:46.615 --> 00:18:50.219
- Unfortunately, the victory was very short
- 00:18:50.219 --> 00:18:54.022
- Lived. before he could retest, a storm had blown
- 00:18:54.022 --> 00:18:56.558
- Through and destroyed his scottish receiving tower
- 00:18:56.558 --> 00:18:59.595
- Three weeks before christmas.
- 00:18:59.595 --> 00:19:03.198
- Then an even bigger blow. fessenden had learned that
- 00:19:03.198 --> 00:19:07.736
- Marconi had been given exclusive rights to build
- 00:19:07.736 --> 00:19:10.906
- Wireless stations in canada.
- 00:19:10.906 --> 00:19:13.041
- Even though fessenden was the canadian; marconi,
- 00:19:13.041 --> 00:19:16.645
- An italian scientist received not only approval,
- 00:19:16.645 --> 00:19:20.215
- But the funding of the canadian government.
- 00:19:20.215 --> 00:19:23.118
- This infuriated fessenden who was after all canadian.
- 00:19:23.118 --> 00:19:28.657
- Fessenden decided that he was going to try and give a
- 00:19:29.825 --> 00:19:32.561
- Public radio broadcast.
- 00:19:32.561 --> 00:19:34.529
- There were a dozen or so ships right here on the
- 00:19:34.529 --> 00:19:36.865
- Coast of brant rock, massachusetts that
- 00:19:36.865 --> 00:19:38.500
- Belonged to the us navy united fruit company.
- 00:19:38.500 --> 00:19:41.403
- These ships had been previously retrofitted
- 00:19:41.403 --> 00:19:43.338
- With radio receivers.
- 00:19:43.338 --> 00:19:45.073
- They would potentially become the audience for
- 00:19:45.073 --> 00:19:47.042
- The very first radio broadcast ever.
- 00:19:47.042 --> 00:19:50.545
- So from the radio tower that used to stand right
- 00:19:50.545 --> 00:19:52.948
- Here behind me, he messaged the wireless
- 00:19:52.948 --> 00:19:54.750
- Operators to listen in on christmas eve for
- 00:19:54.750 --> 00:19:57.419
- Something a little different.
- 00:19:57.419 --> 00:19:59.921
- At nine o'clock on december 24th, 1906,
- 00:19:59.921 --> 00:20:04.059
- The operators heard the familiar morse code cq,
- 00:20:04.059 --> 00:20:07.329
- Which means listen, all stations.
- 00:20:07.329 --> 00:20:10.632
- Then over the airwaves, boats over three miles away
- 00:20:10.632 --> 00:20:14.703
- Suddenly heard the sound of a violin playing
- 00:20:14.703 --> 00:20:17.673
- Old holy night.
- 00:20:17.673 --> 00:20:19.541
- - it's coming from the radio!
- 00:20:19.541 --> 00:20:21.443
- - you hear that.
- 00:20:21.443 --> 00:20:22.844
- - then a song by handel on phonograph,
- 00:20:22.844 --> 00:20:25.514
- And finally a reading of the christmas story
- 00:20:25.514 --> 00:20:27.616
- From luke chapter two.
- 00:20:27.616 --> 00:20:29.418
- - that's the christmas story they're reading!
- 00:20:29.418 --> 00:20:33.922
- - i love this story.
- 00:20:33.922 --> 00:20:36.158
- It's my favorite.
- 00:20:36.158 --> 00:20:38.093
- - history had just been made. after that night,
- 00:20:38.093 --> 00:20:41.730
- The world would really never be the same.
- 00:20:41.730 --> 00:20:44.499
- What's amazing is that the very first radio
- 00:20:44.499 --> 00:20:46.902
- Broadcast ever was used to tell one of the greatest
- 00:20:46.902 --> 00:20:50.706
- Stories of all time.
- 00:20:50.706 --> 00:20:52.641
- ♪ oh, holy night, the stars are brightly shining ♪
- 00:20:52.641 --> 00:20:59.214
- - fessenden knew that he had just given the world
- 00:20:59.214 --> 00:21:01.450
- One of the most important christmas presents it
- 00:21:01.450 --> 00:21:04.086
- Would ever receive.
- 00:21:04.086 --> 00:21:05.620
- He had transmitted human voices across vast
- 00:21:05.620 --> 00:21:08.190
- Distances, completely wireless.
- 00:21:08.190 --> 00:21:10.559
- ♪ the thrill of hope ♪
- 00:21:10.559 --> 00:21:13.528
- - the competition between fessenden and marconi had been
- 00:21:13.528 --> 00:21:15.664
- Long and intense, but the true victory is what went
- 00:21:15.664 --> 00:21:19.568
- Out over the airwaves that fateful night.
- 00:21:19.568 --> 00:21:23.171
- With that breakthrough, a gateway opened up for the
- 00:21:23.171 --> 00:21:25.707
- Future of communications over the airwaves,
- 00:21:25.707 --> 00:21:28.276
- Radio, television,
- 00:21:28.276 --> 00:21:30.112
- Basically, every form of wireless broadcast can be
- 00:21:30.112 --> 00:21:32.347
- Traced to that night,
- 00:21:32.347 --> 00:21:34.015
- Over a hundred years ago, here in massachusetts.
- 00:21:34.015 --> 00:21:37.152
- Competition began to spur on more tech companies
- 00:21:37.152 --> 00:21:39.688
- Throughout the years, propelling wireless
- 00:21:39.688 --> 00:21:41.556
- Communication to the forefront of the
- 00:21:41.556 --> 00:21:43.792
- Technological revolution.
- 00:21:43.792 --> 00:21:47.429
- Today, radio plays everywhere.
- 00:21:48.163 --> 00:21:50.098
- The beach, the park, your car,
- 00:21:50.098 --> 00:21:52.868
- And around the world.
- 00:21:52.868 --> 00:21:54.136
- Thanks to fessenden, not only was the radio
- 00:21:54.136 --> 00:21:56.037
- A companion to the individual,
- 00:21:56.037 --> 00:21:57.806
- But the gospel had made its first major modern
- 00:21:57.806 --> 00:22:00.776
- Technological leap toward reaching the nations.
- 00:22:00.776 --> 00:22:04.813
- Now the gospel is broadcast around the
- 00:22:05.680 --> 00:22:07.849
- World through the airwaves thanks to those men
- 00:22:07.849 --> 00:22:10.318
- And the many dreamers that came after them.
- 00:22:10.318 --> 00:22:12.621
- Pioneers in the broadcast industry,
- 00:22:12.621 --> 00:22:14.423
- Like my own grandfather, paul crouch.
- 00:22:14.423 --> 00:22:17.092
- In the early 70's, he had a vision to reach
- 00:22:17.092 --> 00:22:18.994
- The ends of the earth with the gospel
- 00:22:18.994 --> 00:22:20.829
- Through television. today, anywhere there's
- 00:22:20.829 --> 00:22:23.265
- Electricity, you can tune in and hear the
- 00:22:23.265 --> 00:22:25.434
- Life-changing good news, but none of it possible
- 00:22:25.434 --> 00:22:28.770
- Without the tireless, astonishing efforts of
- 00:22:28.770 --> 00:22:31.573
- Both samuel morse and reginald fessenden.
- 00:22:31.573 --> 00:22:34.576
- These two men, although separated by time,
- 00:22:34.576 --> 00:22:37.245
- Worked together to build the medium of mass
- 00:22:37.245 --> 00:22:39.714
- Communication for one purpose,
- 00:22:39.714 --> 00:22:42.250
- To share the most important message of all
- 00:22:42.250 --> 00:22:45.287
- The gospel of jesus christ.
- 00:22:45.287 --> 00:22:45.287