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Radio Detractor Farnsworth Dies
Philo T. Farnsworth, a scientist and inventor more popularly known as a frequent critic of the radio and moving-picture industries, died today at the age of 64.
Farnsworth came to the public view in 1927, when he made waves in announcing the invention of the “image dissector,” which he claimed would lead to a golden age of radio broadcasting, wherein moving images would be coupled with radio to create a form similar to that of the motion picture. This “tele-vision,” more commonly called “remote tele-viewing,” never caught on, and is largely referred to today as “Philo’s Folly.”
In his later years, Farnsworth insisted that radio interests, particularly the Radio Corporation of America, had suppressed his invention in order to keep the profitable radio industry alive. He also accused the motion picture industry of colluding with radiomen so that they could maintain their provenance over the world of moving-picture entertainment.
It’s hard to imagine what the world would be like if Philo’s Folly had come to pass. Productivity would have crashed as listeners would be forced to turn their heads in order to view the images that would go along with the sounds of radio we hear today. The film industry would have dried up, leaving stars and directors penniless — though a few with talent in voiceover work could have migrated to the radio game.
Given the power of the American radio and movie industries, not just in the U.S., but abroad, we can consider ourselves lucky that Philo’s Folly never came to pass.