In 1936, Edwin H. Armstrong demonstrated his invention of FM radio in Washington D.C. to a fact-finding investigation conducted by the Federal Communications Commission into the future of radio and television. His revolutionary method modulated the frequency of a broadcast radio wave to carry the audio signal (FM), instead of the existing use of amplitude modulation (AM). Armstrong's new system utilized a higher frequency band than was used by existing commercial radio transmitters. It eliminated all static and outside interference. Several hundred representatives of the radio industry were present. Armstrong presented the differences between the old and new methods with a series of sound-film recordings of the same program under the different conditions. FM was clear of the hissing, buzzing and crackling static noises of AM
