During World War One, Assistant Navy Secretary Franklin D. Roosevelt decided that the wireless industry should be kept under American control in order to focus technological improvements and sort out the tangle of patent infringements that had been crippling industry development thus far.

General Electric, which was planning a major sale of broadcasting equipment to the British Marconi company, was asked instead to take the lead in organizing an American radio concern. GE agreed, and The Radio Corporation of America (RCA) was formed in October 1919.

By 1925, RCA's revenues from "wireless" amounted to $4 million and revenue from the sale of Radiolas and related equipment had grown to $46 million. Radio development continued, and soon, some six million radio sets were in use in the USA.

Television was introduced at the 1939 World's Fair in New York City and President Franklin D. Roosevelt, present at the creation of RCA and a frequent speaker on radio, became the first president to be seen on television when the fair's opening ceremonies were telecast ten days later. The first RCA consumer colour televisions were produced in March 1954 and by 1960, there were half a million colour TV sets in use.

During the Hi-Fi golden years, RCA contributed a few high quality components but were never considered to be a major player. Today the giant RCA corporation still manufacture televisions, audio and communications equipment.