Empire of the Air: The Men Who Made Radio

Oct 1 1991 TV-G 1h 53m
Documentary, History

For 50 years radio dominated the airwaves and the American consciousness as the first “mass medium.” In Empire of the Air: The Men Who Made Radio, Ken Burns examines the lives of three extraordinary men who shared the primary responsibility for this invention and its early success, and whose genius, friendship, rivalry and enmity interacted in tragic ways. This is the story of Lee de Forest, a clergyman’s flamboyant son, who invented the audion tube; Edwin Howard Armstrong, a brilliant, withdrawn inventor who pioneered FM technology; and David Sarnoff, a hard-driving Russian immigrant who created the most powerful communications company on earth.

Plot

The eighth documentary from acclaimed filmmaker Ken Burns, this one focuses on the fascinating history of American radio, which has dominated the airwaves for 50 years. It also traces on the three founders of the medium: Lee deforest, Edwin Howard Armstrong and David Sarnoff. Narrated by Jason Robards.

Written by

Ken Burns, Tom Lewis, Geoffrey C. Ward

Directed by

Ken Burns

Cast

Jason Robards, Red Barber, Erik Barnouw

Crew

View crew

Production Countries

United States of America

Production Companies

Florentine Films

Languages

English

Awards

Nominated for 1 Primetime Emmy. 2 nominations total

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Average Rating
7.5 out of 10
Metascore
NA
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