The Citizens' Band Radio Service

The Citizens Band (CB) radio service was established in 1947 by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), which in 1958 opened up part of the amateur-radio band to enable anyone to engage in free mobile communication. A typical CB radio setup included a microphone, a speaker, and a control box that could be easily installed and used without the more sophisticated technical skills of an amateur-radio, or ham, operator.

The service did not come into widespread popular use until the mid-1970s, when a CB craze swept the United States, popularized by long-haul truck drivers. The truck drivers used the devices to communicate with fellow drivers about traffic conditions and police activity. A trucker's CB Radio also eased the loneliness of being on the road.

Citizens Band radio became popular during a period of social and political turmoil in the United States. The Vietnam War (1954 - 1975) was ending, the Watergate scandal was at full boil, and the oil boycotts of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) were driving up the price of gasoline.

In this environment, CB radio emerged as a popular grass-roots forum, a way for the common people to discuss what was important to them. The CB radio offered an easy way for anonymous users to vent their frustrations with the controversies of the day. It also was a kind of forerunner of talk radio, the cellular telephone, and the computer chat room.

CB users typically adopted a handle (a nickname) by which they identified themselves. They quickly developed a colorful language that included words like "Smokey" to describe a highway-patrol officer, "wrapper" to describe an unmarked police car, "negatory" for "no," and "10-4" for "message received." Foul language and explicit sexual talk was officially prohibited, though conversations were often filled with risque hints.

Historical information courtesy: www.BookRags.com.