Radio Facsimile Newspapers of the 1930s and 40s: Electronic Publishing in the Pre-Digital Era

During the 1930s and 40s, dozens of newspapers and broadcasters experimented with the technology of "radio facsimile." This form of broadcasting transmitted condensed, tabloid-like newspapers over the airwaves to specially designed facsimile printers. Radio stations operated by newspapers were the most enthusiastic proponents of the technology, though some publishers worried that the emerging medium represented an economic threat. This study examines FCC files on the subject, and outlines the rise and fall of radio-faxpapers as a precursor to later electronic methods for delivering news.