Empire of the Air: The Men Who Made Radio

The documentary tells the history of radio. For fifty years radio was the most widespread mass medium. The account runs through the lives of three men. The first is Lee de Forest. He was a clergyman’s son and lived a flamboyant life. It was he who invented the amplifying tube. The second is Edwin Howard Armstrong. He was a quiet and withdrawn inventor. He opened the way to FM broadcasting. The third is David Sarnoff. He was an immigrant from Russia and hugely driven. He built the most powerful communications company in the world. Their paths crossed and their friendships turned to rivalry. The end was heavy for all of them. Jason Robards narrates the hundred and thirteen minute documentary, an American production Ken Burns finished in 1991.