What was the first radio broadcasting station?
The identity of the “first” broadcasting station is a matter of debate since some experimental AM broadcast stations existed before formal licensing began. According to records of the United States Department of Commerce, which then supervised radio, station WBZ in Springfield, Massachusetts, received the first regular broadcasting license on September 15, 1921. However, Westinghouse station KDKA in Pittsburgh is widely considered the first radio broadcasting station. On November 2, 1920, KDKA broadcast election returns in the presidential race between Warren G. Harding, James M. Cox, and socialist Eugene V. Debs. KDKA was the first corporate-sponsored radio station. It was also the first station with a well-defined commercial purpose, meaning it was not merely a hobby or a publicity stunt. Thanks to a new technology involving electron (negatively…
