KDKA Pittsburgh Celebrates a Century of Broadcasting.
KDKA Pittsburgh [nowaday 1020 kHz] began regular broadcasting 100 years ago today when the station began an election night broadcast at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 2, 1920, from a tiny shack atop one of the Westinghouse Electric buildings in East Pittsburgh.
Four men manned that first broadcast: Engineer William Thomas; telephone line operator John Frazier; R.S. McClelland, a standby; and Leo Rosenberg, radio’s first announcer.
The election returns of the Harding-Cox presidential race were relayed to about 1,000 listeners who learned through this incredible new medium who the next president of the United States would be. (Spoiler Alert: Warren Harding beat James Cox.)
Steve Millam in MWDX – The National Radio Club fb group (2020-11-02)