Casa del Suono Museum, Niche 3 - Sound at home: a new household appliance

Since the second decade of the twentieth century, the radio began to be considered as an instrument for domestic use, a commercial product with an ever-widening market of consumers. In effect, it was the first means of communication that had all the characteristics to be defined as a 'mass' medium - at least, in future terms. Radio therefore acquired an increasing social relevance. In this context, Italy - following the example of other countries - launched a regular series of public radio bradcasts that began on 5 October 1924 with a speech made by Mussolini at the Teatro Costanzi in Rome. The broadcaster was URI (Unione Radiofonica Italiana), which some years later became the EIAR (Ente Italiano Audizioni Radiofoniche).