English: Caricature of a "ward heeler" politician haranguing voters by radio, from the cover of a 1922 American radio magazine. In 1922 radio was a revolutionary new technology. AM radio transmission only became widespread with the availability of amplifying vacuum tubes after WW1, and broadcasting had suddenly sprung up two year earlier, in 1920. Functionaries in the wards of the country's corrupt political machines, like the one shown here, now had a better way of catching the voters' ears than getting them out to rallies and meetings - they set up their own radio transmitters and broadcast political speeches into voters' homes. The sign on the wall satirizes this: the 7th ward's radio station has the call letters "BUNK". There was concern among the public about whether this was a proper use for the airwaves. This cover art drew attention to the magazine's lead editorial: "What of political broadcasting?"