Today (Nov. 2) marks 99 years since the first broadcast of radio station KDKA Pittsburgh.
While the debate over which commercial station was first on the air may never be resolved, many attribute broadcasting’s beginnings to when the Pittsburgh station began regular programs.
According to Rick Harris at TV News Check, KDKA’s owner Westinghouse Electric soon began the mass production of radio receivers for sale to the general public, helping to create an audience and a market for radio entertainment that had not existed before. Seven more broadcasting stations went on the air in 1921; over 500 more signed on in 1922 and broadcasting’s boom was on.
KDKA’s own roots stem from the work of Westinghouse engineer Frank Conrad. His broadcasts from the amateur station in his backyard garage helped to convince company executives that the future of radio was in mass communication rather than point-to-point.
Interestingly, Conrad’s first garage broadcast took place on Oct. 17, 1919, the very same day that the Radio Corporation of America (RCA) was formed.
Read More About KDKA (including audio): Click Here.
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