And TV is its crowning glory

Guglielmo Marconi, inventor of the radio, was born on this day in 1874.

"Radio is the triumph of illiteracy." -- John Dos Passos.

And a mixed bag, at best

NBC established a coast-to-coast radio network on this day in 1928.

"Radio is a bag of mediocrity where little men with carbon minds wallow in sluice of their own making." -- Fred Allen.