David Sarnoff
Pioneer of radio and television broadcasting, and controversial RCA executive.
via Wikipedia: David Sarnoff · Public domain
David Sarnoff was a broadcasting executive who led RCA and NBC, building one of the world's largest telecommunications conglomerates.[1] David Sarnoff was born into a Jewish family in Uzlian, a small town in the Minsk Governorate of the Russian Empire, and arrived in New York City with his mother, three brothers, and one sister in 1900 when he was 9 years old.[2][3][4]
Quick Facts
- Born
- 27 February 1891
- Birthplace
- Uzlian, Russian Empire
- Died
- 12 December 1971
- Place of death
- New York City, U.S.
- Citizenship
- United States
- Years active
- 1919–1970
- Employer
- Marconi Wireless Company; Radio Corporation of America
- Boards
- Rockefeller Brothers Fund
Facts from the source article.
Life and work
Sarnoff began his career as a messenger boy at Marconi Wireless and later became a junior telegrapher earning $7.50 per week.[4] He was working as a telegrapher at the Wanamaker station when the Titanic sank in 1912, though his role was later exaggerated in the Sarnoff legend.[4] In 1916, he proposed a "radio music box" for the amateur market to Marconi vice president E.J. Nally.[4][5] Sarnoff helped arrange the 1921 broadcast of the Dempsey-Carpentier heavyweight fight, which dramatically boosted radio sales.[4]
He became RCA's general manager and later president in 1930.[4] Sarnoff negotiated the formation of RKO, a film production and distribution company combining RCA, FBO, and the Keith-Albee-Orpheum theater chain.[6] Congressional investigations revealed Sarnoff participated in pool operations manipulating RCA stock in March 1929.[7] Because of his communications abilities and the support he received, Sarnoff was awarded the rank of Reserve Brigadier General in December 1945; after that, he always wanted to be referred to as "General Sarnoff."[1][8]
What the cited sources add
The American Experience documentary describes Sarnoff as combining "keen foresight, boundless ambition, public relations manipulation, and ruthless opposition" to build his empire.[4] The same source notes that Sarnoff's optimistic predictions were "largely the by-products of his own dogged determination"[4] The documentary states that Sarnoff "gladly considered the opinion of any man" but that opposing him often resulted in a "scathing verbal assault" or dismissal.[4]
References
- Wikipedia, "David Sarnoff" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Fowle, "Mrs. David Sarnoff Dies at 79; Widow of Broadcasting Pioneer", The New York Times, 10 January 1974, p. 40 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "David Sarnoff" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Genius Who Brought Radio and TV into Homes", St. Louis Post-Dispatch, December 16, 1971, p. 71 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "David Sarnoff" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Museum of Broadcast Communications web site" (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- "Big Dream, Small Screen," The American Experience television series. (1997). facts only, no text reused. pbs.org
- Wikipedia, "David Sarnoff" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Magoun, Alexander "Pushing Technology: David Sarnoff and Wireless Communications" paper presented at 2001 IEEE Conference on the History of Telecommunications; Benjamin, Louise. "In Search of the Sarnoff 'Radio Music Box' Memo: Nally's Reply." Journal of Radio Studies. June 2002. pp 97–106. Retrieved July 5, 2015. The ; Fowle, "Mrs. David Sarnoff Dies at 79; Widow of Broadcasting Pioneer", The New York Times, 10 January 1974, p. 40 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "David Sarnoff" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Museum of Broadcast Communications web site"; RKO Radio Pictures, Inc. – retrieved February 4, 2006. (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "David Sarnoff" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Banking and Currency, "Stock Exchange Practices: Hearings Before the Committee on Banking and Currency, United States Senate", 1932-04-11 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "David Sarnoff" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Radio age research, manufacturing, communications, broadcasting, television", Radio Age, January 1945, p. 27 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article David Sarnoff (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.
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