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The Centennial of KDKA’s Historic 1920 Broadcasts

© 2020 David and Julia Bart

This article marks the centennial of KDKA’s historic broadcasts of the U.S. presidential election results on November 2, 1920. The article identifies important parts of the West- inghouse Electric Manufacturing Company/KDKA story, and it includes discussions about , Harry Davis, Donald Little, and some of the other key people responsible for building the station and Westinghouse’s network. The authors compile key references for further research, trace the station’s licensed operations, and provide descriptions of the historic , antennas, and studios used by KDKA and its related experimental stations, 8XK, 8ZZ, and others. The article also shares cur- rent photographs of the station from a private tour taken in 2017. The authors mention some of KDKA’s claims of priority for “firsts” in radio , but they do not take a position on those claims, since that debate lies outside the scope of this article. As KDKA’s centennial celebrations approach, the authors hope to stimulate further research by sharing their findings and observations regarding the many achievements of this historic station.

Introduction in that tour sparked our curiosity and The year 2020 marks the centennial of led us to further inquiry. This article the historic broadcasts of the U.S. presi- identifies important parts of the KDKA dential election results on November 2, story, investigates and recounts aspects 1920, by radio station KDKA. This date of that history, compiles key references is commonly used to mark the beginning for further research, and shares current of the commercial photographs of the station. era. The stories of Frank Conrad, his Previous anniversaries garnered much experimental station 8XK, and KDKA’s fanfare (see Figs. 1 and 2). As KDKA’s legendary accomplishments have been centennial celebrations approach, we told in a variety of formats over the years. understand that the Radio Club of In 2017, members of the Radio Club America and members of the Antique of America received a private tour of Association will be participating the current KDKA radio studios and in KDKA’s month-long commemora- KDKA’s station, which tive events in November 2020. Further continues to reside in its 1939 transmis- information can be obtained from those sion facility. The authors’ participation organizations.

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Fig. 1. KDKA 95th anniversary card. (Courtesy, KDKA)

Fig. 2. Another example of a KDKA anniversary card. (Courtesy, KDKA)

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Radio Pioneer Frank Conrad for his insatiable thirst for knowledge, 1 Early Years work ethic, and incredible memory. In Frank Conrad (1874−1941) is best known 1897, at age 23, he transferred to West- for his work developing radio technol- inghouse’s Testing Department where he ogy at the Westinghouse Electrical and invented a circular-type watt-hour meter. Manufacturing Company in East Pitts- Thirty years later, in 1937, approximately burgh, , where he helped 30 million of these units remained in use. establish a foundation for commercial Westinghouse promoted him to General broadcasting (see Fig. 3). His efforts grew Engineer in 1904 and Assistant Chief from an experimental radio station, 8XK, Engineer in 1921. His work involved a developed in the workshop he built in wide range of areas, especially arc light- the second story of his garage, and aided ing, ignitions in automobiles, and then in the establishment of Westinghouse’s radio. He pioneered the development of first broadcasting over radio sta- metal case power rectifiers, and solved tion KDKA. many difficult problems connected with Conrad was born in in the electrification of the , 1874, the son of a railroad mechanic and New Haven, and Hartford Railroad. homemaker. Formal schooling ended He became a member of the American after he completed the 7th grade. In 1890, Institute of Electrical Engineers (AIEE) he joined Westinghouse at age 16 and in 1902 and went on to receive more than registered trains for ampere-hour meter 200 patents for a variety of electrical maintenance. He developed reputations devices: 177 in the United States, 42 in the United Kingdom, and 9 in . Conrad’s interest in radio stemmed from a 1913 bet with a co-worker over whose watch was more accurate. Conrad won the bet after he secretly replaced his cheap watch’s internal components with the mechanism from a more expensive and much more accurate watch.2 Conrad then tested the watches, after which he began to question the accuracy of West- ern Union’s telegraphed time signals. In 1916, he built a simple radio to receive the U.S. Naval Observatory’s time sig- nals, broadcast nightly by station NAA in Arlington, Virginia. Conrad next con- structed a transmitter to communicate with his neighbor and other local ama- Fig. 3. Frank Conrad. (Courtesy, IEEE History teur radio operators. He then installed Center) a radio station on the top floor of his

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The Centennial of KDKA’s Historic 1920 Broadcasts two-story garage adjacent to his new Expeditionary Force in considerable 3 8 home in Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania. quantities. In July 1916, Conrad’s amateur sta- Conrad’s work encompassed radio- tion received an “Experimental” license, transmissions (for voice and with the 8XK.4 The station music, not simply ), and included a spark transmitter for Morse incorporated tube transmit- code transmissions. The “8” indicated ters. Despite the nationwide blackout the station was located in the 8th Radio for transmissions, Con- Inspection District, and the “X” desig- rad received authorization to operate an nated the station was operating under experimental radio transmitter from his an Experimental license. home during the war with the call sign 3WE. He used this station to communi- World War I cate with a second station located at the 9 Following the United States’ entry into Westinghouse plant in East Pittsburgh. World War I in April 1917, the U.S. Navy assumed control of the country’s Radio Broadcasting Begins commercial radio stations, including The ban on operating civilian radio approximately 60 maritime commerce stations ended after the war, effective stations. All civilian radio stations, October 1, 1919. Conrad resumed his including experimental stations like experiments using the 8XK call sign 8XK, ordered to cease transmis- broadcasting from his home garage, sion and reception.5 Conrad spent the including testing radio- war years at Westinghouse working on telephone equipment,10 although a for- improvements to military radio equip- mal license renewal was not issued to ment, including the U.S. Army Signal him until January 21, 1921. Neverthe- Corps SCR-69 transmitter and SCR-70 less, beginning on the evening of Octo- receiver used in airplanes. Conrad’s work ber 17, 1919, Conrad began broadcasting included development of a wind-driven selections from his personal collection of electrical generator that was attached phonograph records as he undertook a to an airplane’s wing for powering air- series of test broadcasts.11 He accepted plane radio transmitters.6 Westinghouse specific requests to hear records from became the first supplier of combination his growing audience. As the demand radio telephone-telegraph receivers for grew, he announced that instead of the U.S. Navy. Its airborne electrical complying with individual requests, generator provided power for the first he would “broadcast” records for two continuous over-water plane-to-shore hours each Wednesday and Saturday transmission tests in May 1919 between evening. KDKA claimed, “This is the Newfoundland and England.7 Radio first recorded use of the word broad- transmitters and receivers designed by cast to describe a radio service.”12 The Conrad were the only radio equipment debate over this claim is outside the scope to reach the front for use by the Allied of this article, but it can be contested.

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For example, a January 1917 article in the patients at the Tuberculosis League 16 Electrical Experimenter outlined Lee De Hospital. Forest’s “broadcast” by “radio,” using The Joseph Horne Department Store those words, of U.S. election returns via in Pittsburgh placed an advertisement in wireless in November 1916 the Pittsburgh Sun, “Air Concert Picked to 7,000 amateur radio operators who Up By Radio,” on September 29, 1920, were notified in advance of the scheduled that offered for sale crystal set program.13 See further comments below. to hear Conrad’s broadcasts. Harry In any case, in response to his grow- Davis, a vice president at Westing- ing audience interest, Conrad adopted house, noticed the growing popularity a semi-regular schedule of defined pro- of Conrad’s broadcasts and arranged for gramming that was transmitted for all Westinghouse to build a transmitter at to hear. After exhausting his personal the plant (see Fig. 4). The new Westing- collection of records used to broadcast house station received licensing in Octo- music, he borrowed records from a local ber 1920, in time to broadcast results of Brunswick record shop in exchange for the upcoming Harding-Cox Presidential on-air acknowledgements.14 These on- Election results on November 2, 1920. air acknowledgements constituted the (See further discussion below about the early beginnings of on-air radio adver- timing of the licenses issued to stations 17 tising. Conrad also ran a telephone line KDKA and 8ZZ.) from the music room in his home to the transmitter in his garage, so perform- ers, which included Conrad, could use the family piano.15 These performances constituted the early origins of the on- air radio “studio,” that is to say, a room used as a dedicated performance space whose sounds are broadcast by radio to a listening audience. (Again, the authors of this article have not verified these KDKA claims of providing the first on-air adver- tisements or first on-air studio.) The Pittsburgh Gazette-Times reviewed Conrad’s radio transmissions, and on December 26, 1919, the New York Times reported “Phonograph’s Music Heard on Radio Phones.” The New York Times estimated Conrad’s audience to be approximately 400 own- ers of wireless sets. On June 26, 1920, Conrad broadcast a special concert for Fig. 4. Harry Davis. (Wireless Age, Apr. 1924)

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Davis envisioned combining radio KDKA Facilities manufacturing with free - KDKA’s Early Transmitter Frequencies ming. Listeners could purchase West- In the early 1920s, many radio trans- inghouse radios specifically to hear free mitters were rated from 100−150 watts, programming provided by Westinghouse and approximately 15 were rated up to in their own homes, thereby creating a 1 kW watt with 5−6 rated up to 5 kW. readymade market for both the radios By 1920, a of 360 meters and the broadcast programming. Davis (833.3 kHz) had been allocated by the had conceived the idea of commercial U.S. government for public broadcast- broadcasting. He invited Conrad to build ing, near the 600 meters (500 kHz) a transmitter at the Westinghouse plant range used for international distress in Pittsburgh and developed the first for- and experimental uses. By December mal guidelines for KDKA’s broadcast 1921, a second wavelength of 485 meters programming.18 As Davis later explained, (618.6 kHz) had been added for crop “We had in our hands in this idea the reports and weather forecasts. In spring instrument that would prove to be the 1922, a third wavelength was added greatest and most direct means of mass at 400 meters (750 kHz) for Class B communication and mass stations, which typically operated at that had ever appeared.”19 Guy E. Tripp, 500−1,000 watts. In May 1923, fre- Westinghouse’s Chairman of the Board of quencies were reassigned again. As a Directors, would later state, “Mr. Davis result, two classes of stations occupied was the only man in the Westinghouse frequencies of 500−1,350 kHz: Class A Co. who had the vision of broadcasting stations transmitting at less than 500 and the courage to see it through,” and watts (550−800 kHz and 1,000−1,350 many Davis obituaries would call him the watts) and Class B stations using 500 20 real “father of broadcasting.” watts or more (870−1,000 kHz), with Throughout, Conrad continued to some older stations still operating at conduct experimental radio work. In the 833.3 kHz. In a series of revisions in summer of 1920, the American Radio April 1927, August 1933, and March Relay League (ARRL) and the U.S. 1941, broadcasting allocations were Bureau of Standards began investigating further realigned and now permitted the phenomenon of radio signal . single channel station broadcasting on Variations in signal strength were affect- all frequencies between 550 kHz and ing long distance signals during night- 1,600 kHz. This allocation remained in 23 time operation. Conrad provided testing place into the 1990s (see Fig. 5). ideas, and station 8XK was one of the key The History of American Broadcast- stations participating in these tests.21 In ing website analyzed and summarized 1921, Conrad was named assistant chief KDKA’s frequency authorizations by the engineer at Westinghouse and assumed (FRC) and responsibility for all of the company’s its successor the Federal Communica- 22 24 radio-related activities. tions Commission (FCC).

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Fig. 5. Evolution of the standard broadcast band. (Sterling and Kittross, Stay Tuned, 2002, p. 95)

■ KDKA made its submission to the KDKA broadcasts transmitted on FRC, dated October 16, 1920, on 550 meters for the historic Novem- Form 761, “Applicant’s Description of ber 2, 1920 broadcast, as described Apparatus.” Form 761 specified that below. Westinghouse reports that it KDKA had two transmitters: a high transmitted on 330 meters until fall frequency alternator (3,200 meter 1921, when Westinghouse’s other set), and a vacuum tube transmitter stations (KDKA, WBZ, and WJZ) (500 meter set); both used for code were all assigned to 360 meters at * transmissions, and it contained a note Westinghouse’s request. that the 500 meter set could also be ■ The initial license authorized the use set up for audio transmissions. of telephone apparatus on 600 meters ■ The November 1, 1920 Radio Service with 200 watts on October 27, 1920. Bulletin lists of 3,200 From October 5−23, 1922, KDKA

meters (93.75 kHz) and 500 meters (600 kHz) for KDKA. At the same * “Listen, Local Wireless Fans,” Gazette, time, Westinghouse was assigned the Oct. 26, 1920, p. 1. “Test Give Proof Radio Can Carry Election News,” Pittsburgh Post Gazette, use of 330 meters for its 8ZZ broad- Oct. 29, 1920, p. 16. “The Radio Amateur,” casts, although the 8ZZ and initial Pittsburgh Post Gazette, Oct. 24, 1920, p. 50. Volume 33, 2020 31

The Centennial of KDKA’s Historic 1920 Broadcasts

received authorization to operate on ■ KDKA relocated its main transmitter 400 and 485 meters with 600 watts. in 1929. Subsequent FCC authoriza- A series of license modifications in tions in 1930 and 1932 granted - 1922−1923 permitted operations at tions at 980 kHz and 25 kW then 50 360 and 485 meters with 600 watts, kW. In 1941, operations were granted 1 kW, and 1.6 kW. In addition, KDKA at 1,020 kHz and 50 kW. was granted use of 920 kHz at 500 watts to 10 kW that covered its three In sum, at the time of the Novem- transmitters in August 1923. A tem- ber 2, 1920 election broadcast, a KDKA porary permit allowed experimental license had been signed in October 1920, operations at 970 kHz and 50 kW, but Westinghouse had not received it and KDKA was authorized to use 1.5 yet. So, Westinghouse requested and was kW of power in 1925. granted the temporary license 8ZZ to use ■ KDKA applied for additional alloca- for the broadcast. Westinghouse there- tions on April 1, 1927 (see Fig. 6). fore announced both 8ZZ and KDKA 25 Licenses were issued in June 1927 call signs on-air. permitting operations at 950 kHz and 30 kW as well as 50 kW. In 1928, KDKA’s Early Transmitters Westinghouse also received experi- QST described Conrad’s station 8XK in mental rights granted at 25 kW, and detail in its September 1920 issue cover the main license was reallocated to story (see Figs. 7 and 8). The tour was 980 kHz at 50 kW. likely provided by Conrad himself, since

Fig. 6. U.S. Federal Radio Commission application record for station KDKA dated Apr. 1, 1927. (Courtesy, FCC) 32 The AWA Review

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Fig. 7. Frank Conrad’s garage station 8XK appeared on the cover of QST. (QST, Sept. 1920, p. 1)

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Fig. 8. Frank Conrad’s house, garage, and for station 8XK. (QST, Sept. 1920) the station resided in his home garage. shortwave reception and comprised a The radio telephone set at the right of single circuit receiving , which was Fig. 7 used two 50 watt power tubes, used in connection with a and a where the plate circuit was supplied by two-stage . The antenna shown a 1,000 VDC generator, and a 5 watt includes the counterpoise in place of a 26 tube that amplified the audio frequency ground connection. of the usual direct current generator. The Donald G. Little, the radio engi- set included two vacuum tubes operat- neer who worked as Conrad’s assistant ing in parallel and directly coupled to at Westinghouse (see Fig. 9), provided the antenna inductance. A 700 cycle the earliest formal descriptions of the generator rated at 300 watts supplied transmitters at KDKA. He published a the plate circuit, and was driven by a detailed explanation of the equipment half horsepower induction motor. When used at KDKA in the September 1922 adjusted to 250 meters for the Bureau of issue of Radio.27 Conrad presented a Standards/ARRL Fading Tests, the set paper about the station on January 2, delivered a current of 6.5 amperes to the 1924, at the convention of the Institute antenna, with an output of 450 watts. of Radio Engineers (IRE) held in New The receiving equipment (not shown in York City. He subsequently published Fig. 7) was typically used for ordinary this paper in the June 1924 issue of the

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the Meissner circuit, was being used in experimentation jointly performed with the Radio Laboratory of the Bureau of Standards and Com- pany regarding signal fading at various times of day for broad- 31 casts at 105 meters. By the time Little published his paper describing KDKA in 1924, the station had three complete transmitting sets. Metal water-cooled vacuum tubes acted as rectifiers, modulators, and oscillators. The four rectifier tubes and associated apparatus had a maximum rated output direct potential of 10 kV. Circulating water from a 100 gallon tank placed approximately 20 feet above kept them cool. The tubes used 20−50 gallons of Fig. 9. Donald G. Little. (Proc. IEEE, June 1998) water per hour depending on the power load and resulting heat. The station oper- Proceedings of the IRE.28 Little first joined ated at 920 kHz using an inverted “L” Westinghouse as a radio engineer after transmitting antenna with a counter- serving in the U.S. Army Signal Corps poise (see below). Two outside telephone during World War I. At Westinghouse, lines terminating at an operator’s desk he was assigned to serve as Conrad’s provided audio from a studio located at assistant. At Conrad’s direction, Little the Pittsburgh Post and another studio designed and modeled the 1920 KDKA located at Westinghouse’s East Pitts- transmitter. Little remained at Westing- burgh plant. In 1923, KDKA’s facilities 32 house until his retirement in 1958. He were considered state of the art. provided numerous firsthand accounts Little and a manager at Westing- explaining KDKA’s operations in articles house, R. L. Davis, jointly published an published for a wide range of readers (see updated account of KDKA’s operations 29 Appendix 1). in the August 1926 issue of the Proceed- In 1922, the KDKA transmitter oper- ings of the IRE where they fully described ated a modulated oscillator of four 250 KDKA’s equipment as of 1926 that was watt tubes (possibly UV-204 tubes) in used for both regular and shortwave parallel modulated by five similar tubes broadcasting (see Figs. 10–15).33 An inte- also in parallel. All tubes operated with rior photograph of KDKA’s shortwave approximately 2 kV on the plate from a broadcasting station equipment appeared motor-generator set. The on the cover of the May 1928 issue of output was rated at 1 kW.30 This circuit, QST, but the magazine provided only

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Fig. 10. View of control desk of KDKA’s 1926 transmitter station located two miles from the East Springfield Works. (Proc. IRE, Vol. 14, Aug. 1926, p. 502)

Fig. 11. View of KDKA’s 1926 transmitter and filter control panel. (Proc. IRE, Vol. 14, Aug. 1926, p. 501)

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Fig. 12. View of KDKA’s 1926 No. 1 Transmitter. (Proc. IRE, Vol. 14, Aug. 1926, p. 506)

Fig. 13. View of KDKA’s 1926 transmitter filament motor-generator sets. (Proc. IRE, Vol. 14, Aug. 1926, p. 486)

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Fig. 14. View of KDKA’s 1926 970 kHz oscillator frame. (Proc. IRE, Vol. 14, Aug. 1926, p. 485)

Fig. 15. General view of KDKA’s 1926 transmitter apparatus room. (Proc. IRE, Vol. 14, Aug. 1926, p. 489)

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Bart and Bart limited information in a short descriptive Thus, in 1929, KDKA moved its 34 paragraph about the station. transmitter from East Pittsburgh to a KDKA’s research into signal fading 120 acre site at Saxonburg, Pennsylvania, and signal strength eventually contrib- 26 miles northeast of Pittsburgh. This uted towards its rationale for moving its time, R. L. Davis and another West- transmitter and antenna tower in 1929. inghouse radio engineer, V. E. Trouant, The FRC granted permits in July 1929. published their description of KDKA’s The following year, the FRC granted per- newest operations used in both regular mits for KDKA to operate experimentally and shortwave broadcasting in the June on 400 kW, the highest broadcasting 1932 issue of the Proceedings of the IRE 35 36 power ever attempted up to that time. (see Figs. 16–18).

Fig. 16. View of Saxonburg transmitting station in 1932 showing transmitter building. (Proc. IRE, Vol. 20, June 1932, p. 922) Volume 33, 2020 39

The Centennial of KDKA’s Historic 1920 Broadcasts

Fig. 17. View of Saxonburg transmitting station in 1932 showing 40 volt, 1,000 ampere filament motor generators. (Proc. IRE, Vol. 20 June 1932, p. 928)

■ A 2,600 square foot brick build- seven foot tall, eight inch diameter, ing housed a new transmitter. The 60 pound, water-cooled, power sup- antenna sat at some distance away, ply tubes (AW-220 tubes) that each over a pond, with eight 110 foot high permitted KDKA to broadcast at 50 wooden (not metal) poles to limit kW, half of the power capability. The the signal absorption. The building new tubes, intended for the high- housed all of the equipment except est frequency power output, were the rectifier transformers and filter cooled using soft water pumped to chokes, which sat on a platform at an outdoor cooling pool before being the rear of the building. The wood returned to the cooling coils and the antenna poles were spaced on a circuit tubes. The new tubes replaced the more than 700 feet in diameter, each five smaller tubes in operation at the with a vertical down lead that was fed former transmitter. The new Saxon- from a center point . burg facility could produce 400 kW 38 The 130 acre site was at 1,300 feet ele- (see Fig. 19). vation, 100 feet higher than KDKA’s 37 prior transmitter (see below). Relocation of antenna tower to ■ KDKA incorporated six new 100 kW, Allison Park in 1939 (see below) and

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Fig. 18. View of Saxonburg transmitting station in 1932 showing AW-220 radio fre- quency output stage. (Proc. IRE, Vol. 20, June 1932, p. 929) of a new transmitter build- to cool the giant transmitting tubes. ing brought further changes to the trans- There was no furnace in the building. 39 mitter itself: Air ducts and fins circulated cool air about the tubes, and then recircu- ■ The new transmitter building was lated the heated air throughout the revolutionary. For the first time, a building. Since the station was on the transmitter station of this size was air 18 hours a day, electrical heating heated by the same air that was used units inside the ventilating ducts were

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Fig. 19. Saxonburg transmitting station’s AW-220 tube. (Radio News, Apr. 1931)

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able to provide sufficient heat for the was used in conjunction with a coun- remaining hours. terpoise in place of a ground connection ■ The new transmitter was intended to (see Fig. 8). The flat top of the antenna send out both the standard broad- had six wires, two feet apart, 105 feet casts of KDKA as well as shortwave long, and 50 feet high. The arrangement programs over the Westinghouse permitted operation at shortwave length International station WPIT and without the use of a series condenser. It experimental noise-free shortwave had resistance of 8 ohms at 250 meters.40 programs from a “pick-a-back” aerial The original antenna for the 1920 that was eventually mounted at the broadcasts from Building K at the West- top of the main tower. inghouse plant in East Pittsburgh com- ■ KDKA’s programs continued to origi- prised six wires 190 feet in length on nate from the Grant Building studios 20 foot spreaders. The antenna sat 210 in Pittsburgh that were conveyed to feet above the ground, supported by the Allison Park over special high quality building’s smokestack at one end and a telephone lines at an input power of 100 foot pipe mast on the nine story one sixty-millionth of a watt, which building at the other end (see Fig. 20). were then rebroadcast at 50 kW. A counterpoise, which duplicated the ■ The new KDKA transmitter had a antenna and replicated a ground con- new master control system, which nection, was located 110 feet beneath provided a duplicate set of controls the antenna. This brought the counter- for each of three transmitter units. poise about 15 feet below the transmit- This enabled one operator in a glass ting set. The resistance enclosed room to simultaneously of the antenna system at 360 meters supervise the programs carried by all wavelength was approximately 12 ohms, three transmitters. The station also and was mostly radiation resistance. The had a push button relay shift device antenna current was 6.5 amperes at 500 41 that prevented broadcast interruptions watts, and 9 amperes at 1 kW. caused by burned out tubes by bring- Conrad’s initial shortwave broad- ing a spare tube into service automati- casts in 1921 transmitted from a simple cally when one of the six regular tubes vertical pole mounted on the flat roof of became inoperative. At the press of a Westinghouse’s Building K. A number button, the inoperative tube could of continuous copper strips were fas- be selected and cut out of the circuit, tened to the pole’s surface in order to allowing the reserve tube to go into eliminate high resistance joints in the action without loss of station time pole. These strips carried out over the or danger to transmitter employees. roof at the foot of the pole, forming an extended ground. Conrad replaced this The Antennas antenna with a vertical L type antenna Conrad employed an inverted “L” an- and a counterpoise to overcome fre- tenna at his garage station 8XK that quent unanticipated frequency shifts

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Fig. 20. KDKA’s 1920 antenna on Building K in East Pittsburgh. (Courtesy Heinz History Center, Image 20170320-hpichswp-0042)

(see Fig. 21).42 Conrad designed new the broadcasts by using a 25 foot long, versions of oil condensers to handle the 10 foot diameter, blimp at 1,500 feet high amperages, new inductance coils, altitude to lift 500 feet of antenna wire 44 and made other circuit and equipment (see Fig. 24). modifications, which successfully raised On October 30, 1937, KDKA cel- the upper frequency limits to 3.8 MHz ebrated its 17th anniversary by dedicat- 43 (79 meters) (see Fig. 22). ing a new 718 foot vertical antenna at By 1929, KDKA’s shortwave broad- Saxonburg. The first antenna installed at casts reached around the world. The 644 feet fell earlier in October. Designs shortwave transmitter occupied the same for the new, even taller 1938 antenna building as the transmitter included additional wire cabling and that produced signals at 360 meters. forged steel turnbuckles to strengthen The shortwave transmitters operated the tower’s ability to withstand strains on 62.50 and 25.40 meters (see Fig. 23). and loads up to 100,000 pounds each.45 In April 1933, KDKA used an aerial KDKA relocated the antenna in suspended by a blimp in experiments 1939 to the highest point in Allegheny performed at Saxonburg to help reduce County at Allison Park, only eight miles signal fading and to extend the range of from Pittsburgh, when it also moved

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Bart and Bart the transmitter. The 718 foot tall Trus- vertical antenna to suppress interfer- con antenna located 1,400 feet from ing radio waves. These 90 foot anten- the transmitter gave KDKA primary nas radiated “” in opposite broadcasting service over an area 10 times directions so that they nullified the greater than previous operations. effect of the skywaves emitted from the main antenna and extended the ■ KDKA placed a circle of eight 90 foot fading zone. antennas surrounding the 718 foot ■ The 60 ton structure of the main

Fig. 21. KDKA’s 1921 shortwave antenna on Building K. (Proc. IRE, Vol. 12, Dec. 1924, p. 726) Volume 33, 2020 45

The Centennial of KDKA’s Historic 1920 Broadcasts

Fig. 22. KDKA’s 1921 transmitter unit including rectifiers, modulator, and oscillator. (Proc. IRE, Vol. 12, Dec. 1924, plate after p. 732)

Fig. 23. KDKA’s Saxonburg transmitting station circa 1929 with shortwave antennas shown at the left. (Radio News, Feb. 1929)

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Fig. 24. KDKA blimp used to lift antenna aerial, circa 1933. (Courtesy KDKA)

antenna comprised 32 three-cor- eventually assumed all shortwave nered, welded steel sections each five broadcasts made over station WPIT feet wide, sitting on a 10 foot wide (formerly W8XK), which were still concrete pier. The tower rested in the operating from Saxonburg in 1939 47 ball and socket joint of a single large (see Figs. 25 and 26). porcelain insulator strong enough to support the additional 20 ton load The antenna tower, at 718 feet, was added by the pull of the guy wires. At the tallest welded structure in the world 336 feet of height, the antenna was and weighed 60 tons.48 It was also the electrically broken by three insula- tallest structure in the United States, ris- tors. The conductivity of the ground ing 1,900 feet above sea level. The Ameri- was improved by burying 50 miles can Bridge Company manufactured the of copper wire radiating out for 700 carbon steel, and a team of nine men 46 feet at one degree apart. erected it in 72 hours. Its top 60 foot ■ Cross-arm aerials were also super- aviation and lightning rod were imposed on the main tower for high level with the roof of the Radio City frequency transmission, but those Building in . Known for broadcasts were limited to 35 miles its efficiency, it had the strongest signal radius from the tower. The new tower within its range of any other antenna.

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Fig. 25. View from afar showing KDKA’s Allison Park antenna in 1939. (Broadcasting, Nov. 1, 1939, p. 17)

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Fig. 26. View from bottom up showing KDKA’s Allison Park antenna in 1938. (Radio News, Jan. 1938, p. 393)

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It broadcast at a constant 50 kW, the as well, even as early as 1906 (Reginald most powerful wattage allowed on the Fessenden), 1907 (), and 49 AM airwaves. 1909 (Charles “Doc” Herrold). None- Over the years, the main tower was theless, Conrad is often credited with painted with several layers of orange and triggering or inspiring a critical chain white paint so that it would not present of events that helped create the broad- a hazard to aircraft. It also was equipped casting industry. (Note, it is outside the with a 36 inch rotating aviation bea- scope of this article to fully explore the con placed atop a 60 foot cap tower. In validity of various claims of who was 53 1994, the tower was replaced for struc- “first” in radio broadcasting.) tural reasons. The replacement tower that Evidence from an oral interview of still stands today is also made of carbon Conrad taken by George Clark circa steel and resembles the original tower; 1940 indicates that Conrad broadcast however, it is equipped with the latest “radio concerts” earlier than October electrical and mechanical technology. 1919 using his special wartime license The current transmitter and its identical before he could have been reassigned backup system have been online since the 8XK license after the war, possibly 50 1980. as early as April 15, 1919. These broad- KDKA opened its FM tower in 1948, casts occurred well before the U.S. ban operating at 92.9 MHz, and transmitted on radio reception was lifted, and pos- on low band frequency of 47.5 MHz.51 sibly much earlier during experimental 54 The dual band transition period ended testing. at midnight on January 8, 1949, at which On November 2, 1920, Conrad oper- time all low band transmitters had to ated 8XK from his home as a backup be shut down, thereby making obso- for KDKA, which had authorization to lete 395,000 original FM receivers that operate under a special temporary ama- had been previously sold and purchased teur call sign 8ZZ in case the license for under the original specification of the KDKA did not arrive in time. Donald 52 FM frequency band. Little remained at KDKA serving as the announcer and monitoring the 100 watt Station Identification transmitter.55 Conrad later recalled in Conrad received experimental license the Clark interview that call sign 8ZZ 8XK in 1916. He also used station 2WE and KDKA were used interchangeably at the Westinghouse plant in East Pitts- and that he had also participated as an 56 burgh and 2WM at his home in Wilkins- announcer. burg. By 1919, he was using 8XK for most Arthur Goodnow, the retired Direc- broadcasting tests. Conrad’s experimen- tor of Transmitter Engineering for West- tal station 8XK provided some voice and inghouse, analyzed government records music broadcasts by October 1919. Other and reports about KDKA’s licensing his- experimental stations and amateurs occa- tory. KDKA began as a Land Radio Sta- sionally broadcast phonograph music tion, Class Limited Commercial under

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Bart and Bart a license issued on Oct. 27, 1920, by term is commonly used today. KDKA the Bureau of Navigation of the U.S. is often acknowledged as the oldest 58 Department of Commerce. station still in continuous operation. ■ Following the opening of WBZ, ■ The license authorized 500 and 3200 Westinghouse opened WJZ in meter transmission and also “300 and Newark, New Jersey, and KYW in 600 meters to be used as required in Chicago, Illinois, in October and 59 regulations 42 and 44,” which meant November 1921, respectively. KDKA was authorized to use 300 meters as a working wave and 600 As Conrad’s interest in shortwave meters as a calling and distress wave broadcast experiments grew during in the maritime service. Power levels 1921−1922, KDKA installed and oper- were set at 2 kW for radio telegra- ated experimental shortwave station 8XS phy and 200 W for radiotelephony. on the rooftop of Westinghouse’s Build- The KDKA license never mentioned ing K. Beginning July 19, 1923, KDKA broadcasting, but KDKA operated began regular nightly 4.5 hour shortwave the historic November 2, 1920, broadcasts that were soon received across broadcast of U.S. election results on the world.60 In July 1924, the shortwave 550 meters. transmitters were upgraded and relo- ■ On November 7, 1921, KDKA’s cated to nearby Forest Hills, Pennsyl- license was modified to include vania. Conrad’s historic call sign 8XK broadcasting on “360 meters to be was transferred to the KDKA shortwave used exclusively for broadcasting.” transmitter at about this same time.61 By ■ The first station in the United States 1927, KDKA shortwave broadcasts on to receive an authorization specifically 8XK could be heard most nights at 4.760 stating, in so many words, that the MHz.62 Call sign 8XS was returned to license was intended for radio “broad- the Federal Radio Commission in 1925.63 casting” was actually Westinghouse’s In November 1927, the FRC held a second broadcast station WBZ in Washington conference attended by 79 Springfield, Massachusetts, which nations and many non-voting organiza- received its authorization on Sep- tions. A major accomplishment included tember 21, 1921.57 Although KDKA the adoption of frequency allocations was not the only station to broadcast for most of the broadcast spectrum. It election night returns on November also established that experimental sta- 2, 1920 (for example, 9XM/WHA tions would carry country/region prefix in Madison, Wisconsin, broadcast in their call signs; i.e., a “W” prefix was the results using wireless ), added to U.S. experimental station “X” KDKA claims to be the first station call signs east of the Mississippi River to broadcast regularly scheduled pro- to match the newly agreed-upon inter- gramming, and claims to be the first national labeling system. Thus, KDKA’s to engage in “broadcasting” as that experimental station 8XK became

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W8XK effective October 1, 1928, in KDKA-AM, while KDKA-FM is owned 67 the United States and January 1, 1929, by Steel City Media. 64 internationally. A number of other call signs are asso- KDKA’s Studios ciated with KDKA. Call sign 8XAU For its first six months, KDKA operated dated from 1924 for use at Westinghouse, without a studio. All programs originated which was subsumed into 8XK within either as phonograph records played on the year. Westinghouse used 8XAV for turntables in the tiny transmitter pent- experiments in the 1920s. Both house atop Building K or from churches, Westinghouse and the University of theaters, hotels, or other remote points Pittsburgh held 8XI during World War I, that were relayed back to the transmitter. and it appears to have been a forerunner In May 1921, KDKA added live band 68 of 8XK. In 1937, Westinghouse received and orchestras to the programming. call sign 8XKA for ultra-shortwave band KDKA broadcast its first studio 65 experiments. programs from a ninth floor audito- In subsequent years, frequency loca- rium at the plant, but the microphones tions and broadcasting schedules were picked up excessive sound resonance in revised numerous times. Call signs for the room. So, engineers erected a tent a number of experimental stations also draped with burlap (originally termed changed effective September 1, 1939, “monk’s cloth”) and a single-room shack including W8XK, which became WPIT.66 on the roof next to the transmitter-pent- Finally, on the corporate side, house. The single room accommodated Westinghouse formed its broadcasting transmitting equipment, a turntable for company in the 1920s, known as West- records, and KDKA’s first broadcast staff. inghouse Radio Stations, Inc., which The performers worked outdoors under it subsequently renamed as Westing- the tent. The rooftop tent/studio worked house Broadcasting Company (WBC) reasonably well all summer that year in 1954. WBC adopted the “Group W” until the weather worsened and the tent moniker on May 20, 1963. WBC oper- blew down in a storm. Engineers further ated a self-contained entity within the developed the use of burlap drapes and Westinghouse corporate structure. WBC acoustical boards after constructing an maintained its headquarters in New York indoor studio the following October in City, even though Pittsburgh remained Building K.69 As part of ongoing facility the parent company’s headquarters. upgrades, a new studio went into opera- 70 WBC operated KDKA. In 1943, WBC tion in December 1922 (see Fig. 27). stations became affiliates of NBC’s Red KDKA opened an auxiliary studio Network. WBC eventually built sister in Pittsburgh’s Old Post Building for stations for FM operations, i.e. KDKA- the convenience of speakers who did FM, and for television operations, i.e. not want to travel to East Pittsburgh. KDKA-TV. Today, CBS owns and oper- The station eventually moved into the ates KDKA-TV, and Entercom owns ground floor of the Fort Pitt Hotel,

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Bart and Bart occupying two rooms and a bathroom, 14th anniversary, KDKA inaugurated which housed the control equipment. In new studios in downtown Pittsburgh’s January 1929, KDKA opened new studio Grant Building on the third floor.73 The 71 facilities at the William Penn Hotel. studio included a master control room The following June, KDKA relo- that relayed the radio signals to the main cated its master control facilities to the transmitter site at Saxonburg, location of hotel.72 In November 1934, on KDKA’s the 50 kW transmitter (see Figs. 28–30).

Fig. 27. Cover of Radio Broadcasting News showing new KDKA studio at Building K in December 1922. (Radio Broadcasting News, Dec. 30, 1922, p. 1) Volume 33, 2020 53

The Centennial of KDKA’s Historic 1920 Broadcasts

Fig. 28. Floor plan for KDKA studios in the Grant Building circa 1934. (Courtesy Broad- cast Pioneers Library)

Fig. 29. Control room at KDKA studios in the Grant Building circa 1937. (Courtesy Broadcast Pioneers Library)

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Fig. 30. Transmitter control room at Saxonburg circa 1937. (Courtesy KDKA)

Twelve years later, in May 1956, living in the Pittsburgh area. In 1922, KDKA relocated the radio studios to Conrad successfully demonstrated short- 1 Gateway Center, joining KDKA-TV, wave radio reception while at an Interna- where they remained until 2010. That tional Radio Conference held in London year, KDKA-AM relocated to CBS’s where the audience heard broadcasts combined radio facility on Holiday from station 8XK.75 Based on these and Drive in nearby Green Tree, Pennsyl- other successful experiments and demon- vania. KDKA continues to transmit from strations, Westinghouse installed a sec- the Allison Park facility today. Mean- ond receiving and broadcasting station, while, KDKA-TV continued its studio KDPM, in , Ohio. Two years operations at Gateway Center, where it later, in 1923, Westinghouse opened sta- 74 remains today. tion KFKX at Hastings, Nebraska, and claimed it to be the world’s first repeat- KDKA’s First Decade ing station. It was specifically located Frank Conrad’s initial experiments near the geographic center of the United focused on 100 meter shortwave broad- States. Westinghouse did not consider casting between KDKA and amateurs KFKX to be an experimental station

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The Centennial of KDKA’s Historic 1920 Broadcasts since much of its design was copied from especially during high listenership broad- KDKA’s existing technology and sys- cast hours. KDKA maintained a 100 tems. Going forward, much of KDKA’s meter shortwave transmitter antenna, research efforts centered on shortwave only 35 feet long, atop Building K in 76 transmitting and reception. Experiments East Pittsburgh (see Fig. 31). involved determining the precise carrier Recognizing the success of KDKA’s wave frequencies that would give the shortwave broadcasts from Pittsburgh maximum constant strength of signal, and the establishment of KFKX as a

Fig. 31. KDKA’s 100 meter shortwave antenna on Building K. (Courtesy Heinz History Center, Image 20170320-hpichswp-0059) 56 The AWA Review

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repeating station, the newly formed Brit- ■ February 10, 1924 – “Mountains ish Broadcasting Company (BBC) estab- Cause KDKA’s Music to Swing lished a private high frequency receiver in And Fade” – Explained research into , England, to perform tests of KDKA’s broadcast reception at dif- its own with KDKA and KFKX. This led ferent times of day and night and at to the BBC’s own shortwave broadcasts many signal locations “all over the by December 29, 1923, that were linked dial” and the development of a filter to KDKA. On December 31, 1923, Davis circuit or “wave trap” placed between broadcast a New Year greeting speech to the antenna and ground. 77 the people of Great Britain. ■ March 16, 1924 – “Sextet of Stations Over subsequent years, Westinghouse Broadcast Over A Span of 7,000 expanded its operations at KDKA, as Miles” – Explained how KDKA told in numerous firsthand accounts (see intercepted and relayed shortwave Appendix 1) and in other publications. broadcasts originating from New It also opened and operated a number of York City’s Aeolian Hall on WJZ other radio stations and built the West- to California and England; KDKA inghouse network of radio stations (see combined telegraph, telephone, and Appendix 2). radio operations and multiple ampli- In its first decade, KDKA achieved a fication/rebroadcast of the received string of successes and received national radio signals (known as a remote con- and international attention from those trol broadcasting system) involving accomplishments. For example, a brief six stations that covered 1.5 million survey of just the New York Times report- square miles (see Fig. 32). 78 ing for the general public: ■ April 20, 1924 – “Pittsburgh Pro- grams Relayed To England on Short ■ December 21, 1923 – “Boy In Bel- Waves” – Described British recep- fast Picks Up KDKA” – Noted that a tion of American programs broadcast Belfast schoolboy in Ireland received from Pittsburgh on shortwave. a radio concert broadcast by KDKA ■ March 29, 1925 – “Transmitter On showing the international reach and A Truck Relays Programs To KDKA” distances achieved in reception of – Described operations the station. with portable shortwave transmitters.

Fig. 32. KDKA’s international broadcasting system. (New York Times, Mar. 16, 1924) Volume 33, 2020 57

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■ October 5, 1924 – “Short Waves To ■ November 29, 1927 – “Test Short Link 62 Banquets” – Described how Waves To Attune Stations” – 10,000 diners met simultaneously Explained how KDKA and KYW in America and England to hear a of Chicago tested synchronized chain President Coolidge address from the broadcasting that permits single White House through KDKA (see channel use of a single Fig. 33). for broadcasts without interference. ■ April 20, 1925 – “ Hears ■ January 6, 1929 – “KDKA Program KDKA” – Described the experimen- Reaches Top and Bottom of World” – tal rebroadcast of KDKA signals in Described the Christmas broadcast to Sydney, 9,000 miles distant. the Admiral Byrd Expedition at the ■ June 7, 1925 – “Low Aerial On Hill South Pole and the Canadian outpost Radiates Further And Waves Fade near the North Pole, world record Less” – Explained hilltop broad- transmissions traversing more than casting versus high-tower valley 11,000 miles. broadcasting tests of received signal ■ January 9, 1929 – “Radio to Byrd strength and the theory of fading. Improves” – Described further test ■ May 14, 1927 – “Devise New System broadcasts to the Admiral Byrd Expe- of Broadcasting” – Explained how dition at the South Pole. 1,900 stations could operate simul- ■ January 22, 1929 – “Dual Broad- taneously on KDKA’s new 500 Hz casting System Invented By Pioneer signal separation system, which vastly at KDKA” – Described the Conrad improved station selectivity. patents permitting one microphone to

Fig. 33. Shortwave receivers installed at 62 banquets by KDKA. (New York Times, Oct. 5, 1924) 58 The AWA Review

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serve two transmitters simultaneously in Pittsburgh in August 1932 at the Wil- liam that was used for both 316 meter and Penn Hotel, once the location of KDKA’s earliest radio studios. Again, exhibits and shortwave broadcasts. programs featured KDKA as a major ■ February 24, 1929 – “KDK A attraction. Bus tours brought participants to Rebroadcasts Big Ben Time Signal” see KDKA’s current and historic locations at – Explained the international experi- the Westinghouse plant and the Saxonburg ments to rebroadcast , 81 transmitter station. England’s 5SW shortwave broadcasts Throughout, 8XK, W8XK, and at midnight London time or 7 p.m. KDKA issued confirmations and other in New York. correspondence with listeners from the ■ September 5, 1929 – “New Distance general public and amateur radio fol- Record Set By Radio Program” – lowers. Beginning the night of the ini- Described the KDKA report of the tial November 1920 broadcast, KDKA German blimp the Graf Zeppelin’s announced a familiar request to the radio arrival in Lakehurst, New Jersey, as audience, “Will anyone hearing this heard by Admiral Byrd’s ship at New broadcast communicate with us, we are Zealand, 9,000 miles distant. anxious to know how far the broadcast is reaching and how it is being received.”82 The decade would not have been Written contacts were made by send- complete without obtaining the full ing post cards, station letters, and ama- recognition of the ARRL. In January teur radio QSL card mailings to verify 1925, ARRL held a Tri-State Convention radio contacts and signal strengths (see in Pittsburgh and included a special tour Figs. 34–37). of KDKA to see the 63 meter transmit- ter.79 ARRL returned in June 1927 for its Atlantic Divi- sion Conven- tion. This time, Bell and Westinghouse teamed up to provide tours of the and t he s t at ion facilities at KDKA.80 The IRE held their 20th anniver- Fig. 34. Reception verification card with interior view: 1922 KDKA post card. sary convention (Authors’ collection)

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Fig. 35. Reception verification card showing antennas and interior of building: 1928 KDKA QSL card. (K8CX Collection)

Fig. 36. Reception verification card: 1929 W8XK QSL. (Authors’ collection)

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Fig. 37. Reception verification card showing antenna views: 1969 KDKA QSL. (Flickr)

83 Frank Conrad’s Later Years method for transatlantic radio using the Conrad continued doing groundbreak- massive longwave Alexanderson alterna- ing radio research throughout his life. tor transmitters at RCA Radio Central He investigated transmitter harmonics, located on Long Island. RCA’s transmit- the unwanted additional radio signals ters produced signals that were sent and produced at higher frequencies than a received using horizontal antennas with 84 station’s normal transmission frequency. lengths measured in kilometers. He unexpectedly found that harmon- Conrad’s last license for 8XK expired ics could be heard farther than the pri- November 3, 1924. Westinghouse re- mary signal in some instances. This work designated the call sign of a different initially led Westinghouse to evaluate experimental station in East Pittsburgh the commercial potential of shortwave from 8XAU to 8XK in December 1924. transmissions. In 1924, Conrad showed Thus, the historic 8XK call sign contin- Radio Corporation of America’s (RCA) ued to be heard worldwide as part of then vice president and general manager, Westinghouse’s shortwave transmission 85 , that low-powered short- tests. wave signals from East Pittsburgh could In 1928, Conrad demonstrated a be received in London using a simple movie film-to-television converter at receiver with a curtain rod as an antenna. Westinghouse, and he also researched This matched the results obtained, at a narrowband FM transmissions.86 Conrad small fraction of the cost, from RCA’s retired from Westinghouse in 1940. He

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The Centennial of KDKA’s Historic 1920 Broadcasts suffered a attack the following year “Description of Radio Station 8XK” in on November 6, 1941, while driving to September 1921.88 These were followed his winter home in Miami, Florida. He by numerous other firsthand descriptions 87 died there on December 10, 1941. of station 8XK and KDKA over the years Conrad shared his research publicly (see Appendix 1). from the start. He provided a descrip- Conrad became widely acclaimed as tion of his home garage station 8XK to a father of radio broadcasting. He was QST in its cover story for the Septem- featured in the cover story of the June ber 1920 issue. He presented a compre- 1930 issue of Radio-Craft as one of the hensive description to the Radio Club “Men Who Made Radio” (see Fig. 38). of America in a presentation entitled He served on the Advisory Technical

Fig. 38. Frank Conrad on the cover of Radio-Craft. (Radio-Craft, June 1930) 62 The AWA Review

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Committee of the ARRL in 1923, as ■ Member of the American Association reflected in the issues of QST published for the Advancement of Science. that year. He was very active in the AIEE ■ IEEE Electrical Engineering Hall of and the IRE, the predecessor organiza- Fame (2007). tions to the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), where he Legacies and Commemorations published numerous articles about his The First Broadcasting Station? research. KDKA gained recognition as an early Starting as a self-made man with a commercial broadcaster as the strength seventh grade education, in 1928, Con- of its signal grew and as it reached more rad received an honorary Doctor of listeners over a wider geographic area. Science degree from the University of Its reputation stemmed, in part, from Pittsburgh in recognition of his many its commitment to providing regularly contributions. He received numerous scheduled programming and publish- 89 awards for his work, including: ing its programming schedules, which were widely disseminated in newspapers. ■ Liebmann Award (1925) from the Westinghouse supported the broadcasts IRE for his research on high-fre- by developing low-cost easily operated quency radio receivers and receivers that became widely avail- transmission. able to the public, thereby expanding the ■ Fellow, IRE (1927). radio experience from the more technical ■ Vice President, AIEE (1927) and amateur to the much broader general Chair of the Committee on Admis- public. sions (1927). KDKA is not the world’s oldest radio ■ Edison Medal (1930) from the station. Instead, KDKA considers itself AIEE for his contributions to radio “the pioneer broadcasting station of the broadcasting and shortwave radio world” and “world’s first broadcasting transmission. station.”90 As Davis later explained, by ■ Scott Medal (1933) from the city design and intent, Westinghouse and of Philadelphia for that KDKA “endeavored to render a real pub- improved the comfort, welfare, and lic service, with regularity, presenting happiness of humankind. well-planned, high-grade, interesting, ■ Lamme Medal (1936) from the AIEE and timely advertised programs.”91 Note, for pioneering and basic develop- KDKA’s claims pertain to a nuanced ments in the fields of electric meter- view of the word “broadcasting” that ing and protective services. includes programming management and ■ Fellow, AIEE (1937). public announcements of that program- ■ Gold Medal (1940) from the Ameri- ming. It lies outside the scope of this can Institute of the City of New York. article to verify or debate those claims. ■ Member of the Society of Automotive Other authors have surveyed these issues 92 Engineers. and reached their own conclusions.

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KDKA quickly claimed a long list of radios, it did not join the “radio group” accomplishments. KDKA’s promotional until 1920. In May 1920, Westinghouse literature and its management claim to acquired the International Radio Tele- have achieved many firsts (note, verifica- graph Company, successor to Fessenden’s tion of these claims is outside the scope National Electric Signaling Company, 93 of this article): and in November of that year it acquired Armstrong’s regeneration circuit patent ■ First studio. and superheterodyne patent application. ■ First church service. Davis’s recognition of the potential for ■ First broadcast from a hotel. broadcasting and the KDKA license in ■ Herbert Hoover’s first radio address. November 1920 suddenly put Westing- ■ First presidential inaugural address house into the radio business. Within (President Harding). weeks, Westinghouse secured the Arm- ■ First broadcast from a theater. strong patent transfer and put nameplates ■ First symphonic music played on the on its initial production run of new RA/ 94 air. DA radio sets. ■ First sports broadcast (boxing match Conrad, with assistance from Little, between Johnny Ray and Johnny designed forerunners to the Westing- Dundee). house RA and DA sets in 1919 for wire- ■ First heavyweight boxing match less telegraphic communication between broadcast (Jack Dempsey knockout Westinghouse’s facilities at Newark, New of Georges Carpentier). Jersey, and Cleveland, Ohio. They tested ■ First broadcast of a tennis match. them in April and May 1920. The RA ■ First regular government farm patents were issued in July 1920, but no reports. clear concept yet existed to manufac- ■ First radio newsroom (linked to the ture the sets for the public. Within six Pittsburgh Post). months, these would become the first ■ First full time professional radio radio receivers manufactured and sold announcer and sportscaster (Harold to the public specifically for broadcast 95 Arlin). radio reception. ■ First radio broadcast of comedian In November 1920, both stations (Will Rogers). 8XK and KDKA used the sets as receiv- ■ First game broadcast (Pitts- ers to monitor their broadcasts and for burgh Pirates beat the Philadelphia intra-company receptions. The sets Phillies). appear in the well-known photographs of KDKA’s first station (i.e., see the center Westinghouse Radio of the photo in Fig. 39), and they were Westinghouse arrived as a relative late- distributed among some local amateurs comer to radio manufacturing. Notwith- and friends of Westinghouse officers.96 standing its government contracts in The first production run with name- World War I to produce military airplane plates dated Nov. 30, 1920, consisted of

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Fig. 39. KDKA’s November 1920 station with an early version of the RA/DA receiver set on the table left of center and the transmitter right of center. (Courtesy, Heinz History Center, Image 20170320-hpichswp-0043). approximately 1,700 RA and DA units. approximately 145,000 total radios (15% 97 Advertising placed in QST, Wireless Age, RA/DA and 85% RC). and other magazines notified the public Westinghouse further conceived of a of their availability. In 1921, Westing- way for groups to listen to the radio by house made approximately 80,000 units. developing the Vocarola loudspeaker. The last production run in 1922 totaled Although some other commercial loud- approximately 63,000 units. Westing- speakers existed by the early 1920s, house combined many RA/DA sets into Conrad later described in the Clark a single case and sold them as RC units. interview how he was inspired by an Thus, within the 18 months from June automobile speaker horn to connect a 1921 to January 1923, Westinghouse telephone reproducer for driving the horn designed and produced three variants to project the sounds of radio reception of the RA/DA individual units and the to listeners. This led to the development combined RC units, plus a range of other of a simple home radio loudspeaker, sold new radio models, and brought to market by Westinghouse as the Vocarola. This

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The Centennial of KDKA’s Historic 1920 Broadcasts enabled a room of people, not just one stations were broadcasting.102 The total listener using headphones, to hear the number of radio broadcasting listeners 98 radio programming. in 1927 was estimated at 40 million, In a span of just a few years, Westing- and the industry had grown from $2 house moved into producing commercial million in annual revenues in 1920 to 103 crystal detectors, crystal radios, one-tube $500 million, all due to broadcasting. radios, and various combination sets, all springing from its new concept of Legacies the radio listeners’ marketplace. West- KDKA’s historic broadcast was hardly inghouse successfully designed a simple mentioned in newspapers and maga- for the general public, and zines during 1920. “The sensation in the Westinghouse correctly anticipated the public press created by this marvelous demand for broadcast receivers. demonstration of wireless telephony”104 Westinghouse also organized a mar- would not begin to be recognized keting approach. Westinghouse began outside of Pittsburgh until May 1921 issuing a magazine dated January 1, (QST and Scientific American) and July 1922, subsequent to the November 2, 1921 (Literary Digest).105 Yet, the lega- 1921 first anniversary of KDKA’s 1920 cies of KDKA and its predecessor 8XK broadcast. The new magazine, Radio are celebrated today. David Sarnoff, Broadcasting News, was distributed to RCA’s legendary president, proclaimed 2,000 newspapers to announce KDKA’s Frank Conrad to be “a man respected programs. The information prompted the and admired throughout the electrical listening audience to seek the program- and radio industries, a benefactor of ming that in turn necessitated purchas- humanity and my friend.”106 Conrad ing radios made by Westinghouse and and Westinghouse’s stations, along with other manufacturers. Radio Broadcast- other experimental stations and early ing News was one of the first regular broadcasters, transformed radio from publications announcing radio station an amateur technologist’s hobby to a 99 programming. broad, easily accessible, national pastime. Westinghouse soon entered cross- Radio converted from the use of small licensing agreements with RCA and crystal radios and personal transmitters General Electric in June 1921 and quickly issuing point-to-point communications dominated the manufacturing of broad- into a voice driven medium cast upon cast receivers marketed by RCA in the the airwaves for all to listen. early years of the broadcast era.100 Within But Conrad was a technology devel- five months of KDKA’s November 1920 oper, not a company president. When broadcast, an estimated 600,000 people radio pioneer died, possessed radio receiving sets, compared all the radio stations in the world broad- to only 50,000 the previous year.101 By cast a two-minute silence. When Conrad the end of 1922, more than 500 radio died at age 67 in 1941, there was no such 107 stations were operating, and by 1927, 710 fanfare.

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Celebrations and Historic Markers In 1970, Westinghouse prepared The 100th anniversary of KDKA’s broad- a retrospective on the cast of the Harding-Cox election returns broadcasting to honor the 50th anniver- occurs in November 2020. Numerous sary of KDKA broadcasting the 1920 museum exhibits, plans for activities election returns. Years earlier, Conrad and events, and commemorative radio was interviewed by Westinghouse about operations are contemplated as we write how KDKA began. His live interview this article. Both the Radio Club of is now available online.109 KDKA pro- America and members of the Antique moted major celebrations of the anniver- Wireless Association will be participat- sary, published a booklet about its history ing in KDKA’s centennial celebrations. (It Started Hear), issued commemorative Numerous previous milestones have also keepsakes, and held special events (see been celebrated. Figs. 41 and 42). In 1964, KDKA received the fourth KDKA celebrated its 75th anniver- annual Broadcast Pioneers “Mike” sary in 1995. The previous summer, in Award for its “enlightened management, June 1994, after six decades of service inventive, entertaining and informative in Allison Park, the 1939 KDKA radio programming, and responsible, rigor- tower was replaced. The 1994 replace- ous community involvement.”108 In the ment tower continues operating today. 1960s, WBC produced commemorative Zippo cigarette lighters celebrating the ■ Since 1946, KDKA worked with accomplishments of the broadcasting the Old Newsboys charity organiza- company (see Fig. 40). tion on an annual campaign to raise

Fig. 40. Westinghouse Broadcasting Company Fig. 41. KDKA 50th anniversary coaster. (Authors’ Zippo lighter, mid-1960s. (Authors’ collection) collection)

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Fig. 42. KDKA 50th anniversary pewter plate. Fig. 43. KDKA 75th anniversary commemora- (Authors’ collection) tive segments of the 1939 transmitter tower. (Authors’ collection) money for children whose families could not afford health care. In the of Wilkinsburg halted the demolition late 1960s, KDKA established its own and searched for options. In 2001, the fund drive for the Children’s Hospital National Museum of Broadcasting care- of Pittsburgh’s Free Care Fund, high- fully dismantled Conrad’s garage and lighted by holiday broadcasts from placed it into storage. However, the department store windows. As the house was demolished. The telephone antenna tower came down in 1994, pole, which held Conrad’s antenna, KDKA collaborated with the hospital was reportedly cut up and pieces were to sell pieces of the original tower at given as desk sets when the house was $20 each for the benefit of the Free demolished.111 The museum hopes it will Care Fund. rebuild the garage someday as part of a ■ Cross-section segments of KDKA’s complete broadcasting museum to be 1939 antenna tower now survive in constructed in Pittsburgh.112 The site of 4,000 Lucite keepsake commemora- Conrad’s house and garage later became th 113 tives of the station’s 75 anniversary a Wendy’s restaurant. th as staff awards, advertising pieces, and In 2010, KDKA celebrated its 90 public souvenirs, each complete with anniversary. The National Association of the original orange colored paint (see Broadcasters featured the station’s his- 110 Fig. 43). tory at its Philadelphia show. The show featured highlights of the tower and Efforts to preserve Conrad’s two- broadcast stations. story garage date to 1987 when it was Numerous sites around Pittsburgh scheduled for demolition. Recognizing include historic markers that celebrate the importance of the building, the city Westinghouse’s and Pittsburgh’s ties to

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Conrad, 8XK, and KDKA. Two markers WESTINGHOUSE in particular are of note. RADIO STATION KDKA On November 2, 1957, the 37th an- niversary of KDKA’s first broadcast, a Westinghouse Radio Station KDKA historical marker was dedicated at the was a world pioneer of commercial site of Dr. Conrad’s former home in radio broadcasting. Transmitting with Wilkinsburg. It was subsequently re- a power of 100 watts on a wavelength moved in 2014 to a nearby location in of 360 meters, KDKA began scheduled Wilkinsburg. Unfortunately, the claims programming with the Harding-Cox made on the historical marker can be Presidential election returns on Novem- disputed due, in part, to the very loose ber 2, 1920. A shed, housing studio and and overly broad wording. For example, transmitter, was atop the K Building of what is meant by “radio broadcasting?” the Westinghouse East Pittsburgh works. Also, what defines the “first scheduled Conceived by C.P. Davis, broadcasting broadcast?” Others have also asserted as a public service evolved from Frank claims to these achievements as men- Conrad’s weekly experimental broad- tioned elsewhere in this article. The casts over his amateur radio station 8XK, 114 marker reads: attracting many regular listeners who had wireless receiving sets.

BIRTHPLACE OF RADIO BROADCASTING KDKA’s Current Transmitter Station115 Here radio broadcasting was born. At Although the original KDKA transmit- this location, Dr. Frank Conrad, West- ter towers on the roof of Westinghouse’s inghouse Engineer and Scientist, con- East Pittsburgh plant no longer stand, a ducted experimental broadcasts which number of KDKA’s antenna and station led to the establishment of KDKA and relics still exist. For example, the Heinz modern radio broadcasting, and to History Center in Pittsburgh exhibits the world’s first scheduled Broadcast, the KDKA transmitter used in Novem- November 2, 1920. ber 1920. On loan from the Smithso- nian Institution National Museum of American History, it contains original On June 1, 1994, the IEEE installed parts within the reassembled replica. The an IEEE Milestone marker. But, some Smithsonian collection also includes a of the claims made in this plaque are microphone from the 1920 station. contradicted by the historical record. The Saxonburg site remained in For example, as explained in this article, use for shortwave, operating under the KDKA transmitted on 500 meters, not W8XK call sign, until the end of World 360 meters. Nevertheless, the marker War II, and was eventually donated to the states: nuclear physics program at the Carnegie

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Institute of Technology (now Carnegie photographs offer views of KDKA’s cur- Mellon) for the construction of a cyclo- rent operations from that tour. The work- tron. After the cyclotron was dismantled ing studios and offices in Green Tree in the 1970s, the Saxonburg site became contain numerous displays of KDKA’s home to the high-tech firm II-VI Corpo- historical photos and documentation ration, which remains there today. and many of the station’s awards (see Westinghouse’s Building K in East Figs. 44–46). The KDKA transmitter Pittsburgh was demolished to make way facility in Allison Park remains in use for a new industrial park in the first today, although the 1939 equipment has decade of the 21st century. The Gateway been replaced by modern digital sys- Building in downtown Pittsburgh, which tems. The original transmitter building once housed KDKA radio and televi- still contains much of the now idle 1939 sion studios, remains standing. In 2010, Westinghouse equipment. KDKA radio studios relocated to the CBS When entering the main transmit- radio headquarters in nearby Green Tree. ter building from the front door, one In November 2017, on the 97th anni- can view the mammoth Westinghouse versary, the Radio Club of America was HG50 transmitter, complete with its given a private tour of KDKA’s radio original control console, on the entire studios in Green Tree and its transmitter left side of the room (see Figs. 47–49). at Allison Park. The following text and The transmitter duplicated two other

Fig. 44. KDKA’s Green Tree studios in 2017 showing awards. (Authors’ photo) 70 The AWA Review

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Fig. 45. KDKA’s Green Tree studios in 2017 showing control room. (Authors’ photo)

Fig. 46. KDKA’s Green Tree studios in 2017 showing control room from outside the windows. (Authors’ photo)

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Fig. 47. KDKA’s 1939 HG50 transmitter showing cut-off switches. (Authors’ photo)

Fig. 48. KDKA’s 1939 HG50 transmitter showing Fig. 49. KDKA’s 1939 HG50 transmitter showing control panel. (Authors’ photo) rectifier tubes. (Authors’ photo)

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Westinghouse stations from the same for reliability that stem from their com- era, WBZ in Boston and KYW in Phila- plete solid-state design. The DX50 now delphia. This transmitter was actually has digital controls that reside on the designed for 100 kW. KDKA’s appli- same wall. KDKA’s HG50 transmitter cation for 500 kW, filed in 1936, was was used for the last time on the night dismissed at Westinghouse’s request the Pittsburgh Pirates won the 1979 in 1938. KDKA installed replace- World Series. ment Gates MW50 transmitters in the An engineering shop sits behind the 1970s in the same room on the oppo- main transmitter room where the trans- site wall. The Gates MW50 was the mitter panel sections can be accessed most advanced 50 kW from their rear entry doors. The original transmitter in the world used for AM antenna cut-off connections are visible broadcasting. above the shop desk (see Fig. 50 and 51). KDKA replaced the Gates MW50 The basement contains vaults where transmitters with three Harris DX50 the rectifiers and power transformer for transmitters in the early 1990s that reside the 1939 transmitter once sat. Today, the along the wall adjacent to the HG50s. basement is used for storage and contains The DX50 transmitters hold a reputation interesting relics from the old KDKA,

Fig. 50. Display behind KDKA’s 1939 HG50 transmitter: (l) 4CX35000 tube used in the MW50 transmitter, (r) mica transmitting capacitor, (front) other meters and (sides) induction coils. (Authors’ photo)

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Fig. 51. The 50 kW antenna feed located above Fig. 52. Basement view of condenser cages. the bench. (Authors’ photo) (Authors’ photo)

Fig. 53. Basement view of Westcox rectifier. (Authors’ photo) 74 The AWA Review

Bart and Bart including stacks of 78 RPM transcrip- The main tower resides in a large tion disks and phonograph records from clearing across from the transmitter the 1920s−1940s. The high voltage gen- building (see Figs. 55 and 56). The cur- erators, caged condensers, and air duct- rent tower dates from 1995, and, like its ing used to cool the transmitter circuits 1939 predecessor, is sectionalized and is are all visible (see Figs. 52–54). 718 feet tall, approximately equivalent Garages on the north and south to a seventy-story building height. The sides of the building are used for stor- design was intended to reduce adjacent age today. A separate building houses channel interference to sister stations receivers and uplinks WBZ and WINS. Bases from the 1939 for both KDKA-AM and KDKA-FM as tower can still be seen today. The short- well as KDKA-TV with microwave links wave towers are located adjacent to the back to the studios. transmitter building (see Fig. 57).

Fig. 54. Basement view of induction regulator. (Authors’ photo) Volume 33, 2020 75

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Fig. 55. KDKA’s Allison Park main antenna tower Fig. 56. Antenna tower masthead discharger circa 2017. (Authors’ photo) in display room. (Authors’ photo)

Fig. 57. KDKA’s Allison Park shortwave towers and transmitter building circa 2017. (Authors’ photo)

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APPENDIX 1. Important Firsthand Descriptions of 8XK and KDKA

1920: Likely F. Conrad: “8XK, Pitts- University, (A. W. Shaw Company, burgh, PA” [QST, Sept. 1920, p. 32] Chicago & New York) 1928, p. 189]

1921: F. Conrad: “Description of Radio 1931: R. L. Davis: “Power Equipment Station 8XK” [Radio Club of America, at New KDKA Station” [Transactions Sept. 1921] of the AIEE, Vol. 31, No. 3, Sept. 1931, p. 942] 1922: D. G. Little: “Radio Equipment at KDKA” [Radio, Sept. 1922, p. 29] 1932: R. L. Davis, V. E. Trouant: “Westinghouse Radio Station at Sax- 1924: D. G. Little and F. Falknor: onburg, Pa.” [Proceedings of the IRE, “Radio Station KFKX” [The Electric Vol. 20, No. 6, June 1932, p. 921] Journal, Jan. 1924, p. 25] 1938: F. Conrad: “Reminiscences of 1924: D. G. Little: “KDKA: The Radio Old-Timers−Dr. Frank Conrad” Telephone Broadcasting Station of the [Radio-Craft, Mar. 1938, p. 557] Westinghouse Electric and Manufac- turing Company at East Pittsburgh, 1940: F. Conrad: “The Story of Short Pennsylvania” [Proceedings of the IRE, Waves” [Science, Vol. 91, No. 2354, Vol. 12, No. 3, June 1924, p. 255] Feb. 9, 1940, p. 131]

1924: F. Conrad: “Short-wave Radio 1940: F. Conrad, W. W. Rogers: “The Broadcasting” [Proceedings of the IRE, Story of Conrad and Station KDKA” Vol. 12, No. 6, Dec. 1924, p. 723] (as dictated to H. G. Clark) [George H. Clark Radioana Collection 1880−1950, 1926: D. G. Little, R. L. Davis: Smithsonian Institution National “KDKA” [Proceedings of the IRE, Vol. Museum of American History, SRM 14, No. 4, Aug. 1926, p. 479] 4 1559, circa 1940]

1928: H. P. Davis: “The Early History 1951: D. G. Little: “Reminiscences” of Broadcasting in the United States” [Unpublished, Oral History Collection, [In The Radio Industry: The Story and Columbia University, New York, 1951] Its Development As Told by Leaders of the Industry to the Students of the Gradu- 1955: D. G. Little: “Dr. Conrad ate School of Business Administration Founds KDKA” [American Heritage, George F. Baker Foundation Harvard Aug. 1955, p. 71]

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APPENDIX 2. Early Westinghouse Network AM Radio Stations

This appendix contains a list of the early network stations for illustrative purposes, Westinghouse AM network stations, the and omit experimental stations such as years of operation, how Westinghouse 8XK, 8ZZ, W8XK. Table 1 lists the ini- acquired them, and their ultimate dispo- tial network stations and Table 2 lists sition. Numerous ownership and licens- other network stations before 1940. ing transfers were involved. These tables (Source: Wikipedia and FCC filings.) summarize only the major Westinghouse

Table 1. Initial network stations.

Table 2. Other network stations before 1940.

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APPENDIX 3. KDKA and Frank Conrad Mile Markers

Photographs of selected mile markers iden- occurred in the life of both KDKA and tifying the places where important events Frank Conrad are shown in Figs. 58–61.

Fig. 58. Historical marker celebrating Fig. 59. Historical marker celebrating KDKA: Pioneer short-wave station. KDKA: Frank Conrad’s garage. (Courtesy (Courtesy Pennsylvania Historical and Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Museum Commission, IEEE) Commission, IEEE)

Fig. 61. Historical plaque celebrating KDKA: IEEE plaque marking the his- torical location of radio station KDKA. (Courtesy Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, IEEE) Fig. 60. Historical marker celebrating KDKA: Radio station KDKA. (Courtesy Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, IEEE) Volume 33, 2020 79

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Endnotes transmissions using their official call without 1. “Who’s Who in Amateur Wireless,” QST, Feb. waiting for receipt of the actual license (“Getting 1921, p. 39; “Radio−Trick Watch: First Radio Your Licenses,” QST, Nov. 1919, p. 12). Broadcasting Followed Founder’s Time Wager 11. C. E. Urban, “The Radio Amateur–Wireless in Pittsburgh,” Literary Digest, Mar. 13, 1937, Telephone Here,” Pittsburgh Gazette Times, p. 19; D. W. Kraeuter, “A Bibliography of Frank Oct. 26, 1919, Sixth Section, p. 13. Conrad,” (3rd ed., 2007) National Museum of 12. It Started Hear, 1970, p. 4. Broadcasting, http://www.nmbpgh.org/cbib 13. “Election Returns Flashed by Radio to 7,000 /conradbibl.htm; “Personalities in Industry: Amateurs,” Electrical Experimenter, Vol. IV, Frank Conrad,” Scientific American, Vol. 157, Whole No. 45, No. 9, Jan. 1917, p. 650. No. 5, Nov. 1937, p. 259; E. Barnouw, A Tower 14. Gray, 1930, p. 47. in Babel: A in the United 15. C. E. Urban, “The Radio Amateur,” Pittsburgh States to 1933, (Oxford University Press, New Gazette Times, May 2, 1920, 6th Section, p. 4; York, 1966) pp. 64−74 citing D. G. Little, Remi- Barnouw, 1966, p. 67; Little, 1951. niscences, Unpublished, (Columbia University 16. C. E. Urban, “The Radio Amateur,” Pittsburgh Oral History Collection, New York, 1951); Gazette Times, July 4, 1920, 2nd Section, p. 5. “Correspondence Regarding H. P. Davis’ Nomi- 17. “Electrical Engineering Hall of Fame: Frank nation of Frank Conrad for the Lamme Medal,” Conrad,” June 2007, p. 1378. dated Oct. 13, 1928, IEEE Archive, https://ethw 18. H. P. Davis, “The Early History of Broadcast- .org/w/images/3/35/Conrad_-_correspondence ing in the United States,” The Radio Industry _regarding_lamme_medal.. The Story and Its Development As Told by Lead- 2. “Radio Pioneer’s Bet A Trick, Widow Says,” ers of the Industry to the Students of the Gradu- Pittsburgh Press, Sept. 7, 1957, p. 2. ate School of Business Administration George F. 3. “Frank Conrad: Sleepless Genius,” National Baker Foundation Harvard University, (A. W. Museum of Broadcasting, http://www.nmbpgh Shaw Company, Chicago & New York, 1928) .org/conrad_project/historical_background pp. 189−225. /conrad.htm. 19. G. Archer, History of Radio to 1926, (The Ameri- 4. “New Stations: Special Land Stations,” Radio can Historical Society, Inc., New York, 1938) Service Bulletin, Aug. 1, 1916, p. 3. p. 201; Davis, 1928, pp. 189−225. 5. Barnouw, 1966, pp. 39−41, 61. 20. A. Balk, The Rise of Radio From Marconi 6. D. G. Little, “Dr. Conrad Founds KDKA,” Through The Golden Age, (McFarland & Co., American Heritage, Aug. 1955, p. 71; “Electri- Jefferson, NC, 2006) pp. 34−39; Davis, 1928, cal Engineering Hall of Fame: Frank Conrad,” pp. 189−225. Proceedings of the IEEE, Vol. 95, No. 6, June 21. S. Kruse, “The Bureau of Standards−ARRL 2007, p. 1378. Tests of Short Wave Signal Fading,” QST, Part 7. It Started Hear: The History of KDKA Radio I: Nov. 1920, p. 5 and Part II: Dec. 1920, p. 13. and Broadcasting, KDKA booklet, 1970, 22. “Electrical Engineering Hall of Fame: Frank p. 3; https://www.americanradiohistory.com Conrad,” June 2007, p. 1378. /Archive-Station-Albums/It-Started-Hear 23. C. H. Sterling and J. M. Kittross, Stay Tuned: A -KDKA.pdf. Concise History of American Broadcasting, 2nd ed., 8. “Men Who Have Made Radio−Frank Conrad,” (Wadsworth Publishing, Belmont, CA, 1990) Radio-Craft, June 1930, p. 631. pp. 83−89; for a more comprehensive discus- 9. G. Gray, “Signing Off on the First Ten Years,” sion, see also M. R. Bensman, The Beginning of World’s Work, Dec. 1930, p. 46; E. Wenaas, Broadcast Regulation in the Twentieth Century, Radiola: The Golden Age of RCA 1919−1929, (McFarland & Co., Jefferson, NC, 2000). (Sonoran, Chandler, AZ, 2007) pp. 68−71 and 24. “History of KDKA, Pittsburgh,” History of p. 124, Note 12. American Broadcasting website, http://jeff560 10. Experimental License number 236½, call sign .tripod.com/kdka.html citing FCC microfiche 8XK, covering Jan. 21, 1920−Jan. 20, 1921. files on KDKA as transcribed by Xen Scott and Conrad may have received informal authori- G. Douglas, The Early Days of Radio Broadcast- zation to operate pending the license reissu- ing, (McFarland & Co., 2001); see also Bens- ance. QST reported that radio Inspectors were man, 2000, pp. 75, 130−131, 181. authorized to permit radio operators to resume 25. Ibid.

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26. “8XK, Pittsburgh, PA,” QST, Sept. 1920, p. 32. Proceedings of the IRE, Vol. 12, No. 6, Dec. 1924, 27. D. G. Little, “Radio Equipment at KDKA,” pp. 723−738. Radio, Vol. IV, No. 9, Sept. 1922, pp. 29−31, 43. Ibid. 90−94. 44. “Blimp to Hold KDKA Aerial,” New York 28. D. G. Little, “KDKA: The Radio Telephone Times, Apr. 2, 1933; “Blimp Antenna Will Be Broadcasting Station of the Westinghouse Installed at KDKA,” Broadcasting, Apr. 1, 1933, Electric and Manufacturing Company at East p. 16. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania,” Proceedings of the 45. “Seventeen Years of Broadcasting (KDKA IRE, Vol. 12, No. 3, June 1924, pp. 255–276. Installs Tallest Antenna),” Radio News, Jan. 29. M. A. Simaan, “An Introduction to D. G. Lit- 1938, p. 391. tle’s 1924 Classic Paper ‘KDKA,’” Proceedings 46. “KDKA’s 17th Birthday party: Pittsburgh Station of the IRE, Vol. 86, No. 6, June 1998, p. 1273; Celebrates With Dedication of New 718-Foot Little, Aug. 1955, pp. 71–73. Vertical Antenna,” Broadcasting, Nov. 1, 1937, 30. “KDKA 1922,” Old Timer’s Bulletin, Antique p. 18; “KDKA Takes Air Nov. 1 With New Wireless Association, Vol. 11, No. 1, June 1970, Transmitter,” Broadcasting, Nov. 1, 1937, p. 71; p. 17. “New Antenna to Multiply Field,” Radio Craft, 31. S. R. Winters, “100-Meter C.W. Transmission,” Jan. 1938, p. 391. Radio News, Nov. 1923, p. 530. 47. “The New KDKA Is On The Air,” New York 32. Simaan, June 1998, p. 1273; Little, June 1924, Times, Nov. 5, 1939; “Seventeen Years of Broad- p. 255. casting (KDKA Installs Tallest Antenna),” Radio 33. D. G. Little and R. L. Davis, “KDKA,” Proceed- News, Jan. 1938, p. 391. ings of the IRE, Vol. 14, No. 4, Aug. 1926, p. 48. “Did You Know?,” Radio Daily, Nov. 4, 1937, 479. p. 6.; “Seventeen Years of Broadcasting,” Radio 34. “The Short-wave Broadcasting Station at KDKA, News, Jan. 1938, p. 391. East Pittsburgh,” QST, May 1928, cover and 49. “Seventeen Years of Broadcasting,” Radio News, p. 43. Jan. 1938, p. 391; “KDKA Opens Transmitter,” 35. “Sets 400,000 Watt Permit,” New York Times, NBC Transmitter, Vol. 5, No. 12, Dec. 1939, Aug. 31, 1930. p. 8; “Gala Program for KDKA Anniversary,” 36. R. L. Davis and V. E. Trouant, “Westinghouse Broadcasting, Nov. 1, 1939, p. 17. Radio Station at Saxonburg, Pa,” Proceedings of 50. D. A. Schecter, “KDKA’s Toppled Tower Lives the IRE, Vol. 20, No. 6, June 1932, p. 921. in Lucite – Pittsburgh Hospital Is Beneficiary,” 37. Davis and Trouant, June 1932, p. 921; “Permit Classified, Vol. 13, No. 3, Mar. Given To Move 2 Radio Transmitters,” New 1996. York Times, July 12, 1929; A. Pfaltz, “KDKA 51. “New KDKA-FM Tower,” Broadcasting, June 21, Radio’s New 500 Horsepower Voice,” Radio 1948, p. 75. News, Apr. 1931, p. 873. 52. “395,000 FM Radio Sets Must Be Replaced,” 38. Davis and Trouant, June 1932, p. 921; R. L. Journal Gazette, June 27, 1945, p. 6. Davis, “Power Equipment at New KDKA Sta- 53. J. S. Berg, The Early Shortwave Stations: A tion,” Transactions of the AIEE, Vol. 31, No. 3, Broadcast History Through 1945, (McFarland Sept. 1931, p. 942 (also published in Electrical & Co., Jefferson, NC, 2013) pp. 13, 20; Balk, Engineering, Vol. 50, No. 11, Nov. 1931, p. 865); 2006, pp. 34−39; J. E. Baudino, J. M. Kittross, “Powerful New Tube For KDKA’s Voice,” New “Broadcasting’s Oldest Stations: An Examina- York Times, Aug. 11, 1929; A. Pfaltz, “KDKA tion of Four Claimants,” Journal of Broadcasting, Radio’s New 500 Horsepower Voice,” Radio Vol. 21, No. 7, Winter 1997, p. 61; D. Clark, News, Apr. 1931, p. 873. “WHA Madison-Is It Really The Nation’s Old- 39. “KDKA Opens Transmitter”, NBC Transmit- est Station?,” AWA Review, Antique Wireless ter, Vol. 5, No. 12, Dec. 1939, p. 8; “The New Association, Vol. 28, 2015, p. 252; Archer, 1938, KDKA Is On The Air,” New York Times, Nov. 5, p. 88. 1939; “Gala Program for KDKA Anniversary,” 54. Wenaas, 2007, pp. 68−71; citing “The Story of Broadcasting, Nov. 1, 1939, p. 17. Conrad and Station KDKA,” dictated to H. G. 40. “8XK, Pittsburgh, PA,” Sept. 1920, p. 32. Clark by Dr. Conrad and W. W. Rogers in Pitts- 41. “KDKA,” Wireless Age, Aug. 1922, p. 40. burgh about 1940, George H. Clark Radioana 42. F. Conrad, “Short-wave Radio Broadcasting,” Collection 1880−1950, Smithsonian Institution

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National Museum of American History, SRM 74. KDKA (AM), Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia 4 1559. .org/wiki/KDKA_(AM). 55. Little, Aug. 1955, p. 71. 75. “Reminiscences of Old-Timers−Dr. Frank Con- 56. Supra Note 50, pp. 72−73; J. S. Berg, The Early rad,” Radio-Craft, Mar. 1938, p. 557. Shortwave Stations: A Broadcast History Through 76. W. W. Rodgers, “Will Short Waves Revolution- 1945, (McFarland & Co., Jefferson, NC, 2013) ize Broadcasting?,” Wireless Age, Mar. 1924, p. 21. p. 39; J. W. Howe, “Broadcasting Makes A 57. A. C. Goodnow, “KDKA’s First Wavelength,” Giant Stretch,” Wireless Age, Apr. 1924, p. 29; Old Timer’s Bulletin, Antique Wireless Associa- D. G. Little, F. Falknor, “Radio Station KFKX,” tion, Vol. 15, No.1, June 1974, p. 21. Electric Journal, Jan. 1924, p. 25. 58. Supra Note 49. 77. W. W. Rodgers, “Broadcasting Complete Ameri- 59. Davis, 1928, pp. 189−225. can Programs to All England,” Radio Broadcast, 60. J. S. Berg, The Early Shortwave Stations: A Broad- Mar. 1924, Vol. 4, No. 5, p. 259. cast History Through 1945, (McFarland & Co., 78. New York Times Archive, https://www.nytimes Jefferson, NC, 2013) p. 23. .com/search?query=archives. Other articles 61. Ibid., p. 36. beyond those noted are available. 62. Ibid., p. 57. 79. “Tri-State Convention—Pittsburgh P.A.,” QST, 63. J. S. Berg, On the Short Waves, 1923−1945: Mar. 1925, p. 23. Broadcast Listening in the Pioneer Days of Radio, 80. “The Atlantic Division Convention,” QST, Aug. (McFarland & Co., Jefferson, NC, 2009) p. 48; 1927, p. 71; “ARRL Convention at KDKA,” Old “Shortwave KDKA and its Many Callsigns and Timer’s Bulletin, Antique Wireless Association, Transmitters,” Shortwave Central, Teak Pub- Sept. 1969, Vol. 10, No. 2, p. 9. lishing, Oct. 19, 2016, http://mt-shortwave 81. “Program of the 20th Anniversary Convention,” .blogspot.com/2016/10/shortwave-kdka-and Proceedings of the IRE, Vol. 20, No. 3, Mar. -its-many-callsigns.html. 1932, pp. 378−393. 64. Berg, 2013, p. 60. 82. It Started Hear, 1970, p. 10. 65. “Shortwave KDKA and its Many Callsigns and 83. Supra Note 1. Transmitters,” Shortwave Central, Teak Publish- 84. Barnouw, 1966, p. 152. ing, Oct. 19, 2016. 85. Supra Note 48. 66. Berg, 2013, p. 186; for a more extensive discus- 86. G. L. Frost, Early FM Radio: Incremental Tech- sion of frequency regulation and authorizations nology in Twentieth-Century America, (Johns see Bensman, 2000. Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, 2010) 67. “Westinghouse Broadcasting,” Wikipedia, pp. 44−54. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westinghouse 87. “Frank Conrad, KDKA Founder, Dies in _Broadcasting#Radio_origins. Miami,” Pittsburgh Press, Dec. 11, 1941, p. 37. 68. It Started Hear, 1970, p. 10; Davis, 1928, 88. “Club Gossip,” Radio News, Nov. 1921, p. 405; pp. 199−201. Radio Club of America 50th Anniversary Golden 69. Ibid. Yearbook 1959, Index of the Proceedings of the 70. Cover illustration, Radio Broadcasting News, RCA, p. 153. Dec. 30, 1922, p. 1. 89. “Electrical Engineering Hall of Fame: Frank 71. S. H. Steinhauser, “KDKA Set to Sign Off and Conrad,” June 2007, p. 1378; “Frank Conrad Move From Studios Atop William Penn,” Pitts- - Vice-President, Institute of Radio Engineers burgh Press, Nov. 1, 1934, p. 30. – 1927,” Proceedings of the IRE, Vol. 16, No. 1, 72. “Studio Control,” Pittsburgh Press, June 25, Jan. 1928; Electrical Engineering: 50th Anniver- 1929, p. 44. sary AIEE 1884−1934, American Institute of 73. S. H. Steinhauser, “Engineers Test New KDKA Electrical Engineers, Vol. 53, No. 5, May 1934, Plant with Station Founder Listening,” Pitts- p. 818; “Presentation of the Gold Medal of the burgh Press, Oct. 29, 1934, p. 24; “KDKA American Institute of the City of New York,” Memories: Celebrating 95 Years of KDKA Addresses by David Sarnoff and Frank Conrad, Radio,” KDKA– CBS Pittsburgh website, Science, Vol. 91, No. 2354, pp. 129−132; “Frank https://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/2015/10/12 Conrad, KDKA Founder, Dies in Miami,” Pitts- /kdka-memories-celebrating-95-years-of-kdka burgh Press, Dec. 11, 1941, p. 37. -radio/. 90. KDKA stationary and station brochures.

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91. Davis, 1928, pp. 189−225. _project/conrad_project.htm; “Historic Site 92. For example, see Note 53. to be Resurrected? Storage Looms for the Site 93. KDKA station brochures; see also Davis, 1928, of Radio’s First Commercial Broadcasts from pp. 189−225. ‘Amateur’ Station 8XK,” Radio World, Apr. 11, 94. Wenaas, 2007, pp. 76, 85. 2001. 95. Wenaas, 2007, p. 66. 113. A. McCoy, “Radio Notes: Conrad historic site 96. Davis, 1928, pp. 189−225. loses garage; house doomed,” Pittsburgh Post- 97. A. Douglas, Radio Manufacturers of the 1920s, Gazette, Aug. 8, 2001, p. 50. (Vestal Press, New York, 1988) Vol. 3, pp. 3−5; 114. The following article identifies other locations for a comprehensive analysis of production units and markers as well as the one mentioned herein. see Wenaas, 2007, pp. 74−89 with a table on See “The KDKA Story: Historic Buildings, p. 87. Souvenirs and Memorabilia,” Wavescan, May 98. Wenaas, 2007, pp. 142−143. 27, 2018, http://www.ontheshortwaves.com/ 99. H. P. Davis, “American Beginnings,” Radio and Wavescan/wavescan180527.html. Its Future, (Harper & Brothers Publishers, New 115. Based on the authors’ notes and photos from the York, 1930) p. 3; Davis, 1928, pp. 189−225; Radio Club of America 2017 tour; L. Fybush, “Westinghouse Broadcasting News,” QST, Apr. “KDKA 1020, Pittsburgh, PA,” Tower Site of 1922, p. 58. the Week, Sept. 25, 2009, https://www.fybush. 100. Wenaas, 2007, p. 65; see also Archer, 1938, pp. com/sites/2009/site-090925.html; “Radio Club 210−211. of America Tours Historic KDKA Transmitter 101. Department of Commerce, “Minutes of Open Site,” Proceedings of the Radio Club of America, Meeting of Department of Commerce Confer- Spring 2018, p. 48. ence on Radio Telephony” (1922, mimeo.), p. 2 cited in S. Head, Broadcasting in America: A Sur- vey of Television and Radio, 2nd ed., (Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, 1972) p. 139. Acknowledgements 102. “Electrical Engineering Hall of Fame: Frank The authors thank the AWA Review edi- Conrad,” June 2007, p. 1378. torial team and, in particular, Timothy 103. Davis, 1928, pp. 189−225. 104. Archer, 1938, p. 204. Martin and Eric Wenaas, for their gen- 105. Douglas, 1988, Vol. 1, p. v. erous and continuing support and their 106. “Presentation of the Gold Medal of the Ameri- thoughtful suggestions, which contrib- can Institute of the City of New York,” addresses by David Sarnoff and Frank Conrad, Science, uted greatly to the completion of this Vol. 91, No. 2354, pp. 129−132. article. 107. “Historic Site to be Resurrected? Storage Looms for the Site of Radio’s First Commercial Broad- About the Authors casts from ‘Amateur’ Station 8XK,” Radio World, Apr. 11, 2001. David and Julia Bart reside in the Chi- 108. “Broadcast Pioneers Award Won By Pittsburgh’s cago area. Together, they have published KDKA,” New York Times, Feb. 11, 1964. numerous articles on telegraph, radio, 109. “Dr. Frank Conrad on KDKA’s Beginnings in 1920,” Westinghouse Interview, SoundCloud, and broadcasting history. https://soundcloud.com/thewallbreakers/ David has a BA and MBA from the dr-frank-conrad-on-kdkas-beginnings-in-1920. University of Chicago. He is the Senior 110. Schecter, Mar. 1996. See also “The KDKA Story: Historic Buildings, Souvenirs and Director of the Forensics Practice for the Memorabilia,” Wavescan, May 27, 2018, http: Great Lakes Region of RSM US LLP. //www.ontheshortwaves.com/Wavescan/wave He has published widely in his field and scan180527.html. authored professional standards involv- 111. It Started Hear, 1970, p. 3. 112. “Conrad Project,” National Museum of Broad- ing corporate finance and commercial casting, http://www.nmbpgh.org/conrad litigation. David is a Director and Life

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The Centennial of KDKA’s Historic 1920 Broadcasts

Member of the Antique Wireless Asso- Julia received her BA from the Uni- ciation, and a former co-editor of the versity of Chicago and MA from Con- AWA Review. He is a Fellow, Life Mem- cordia University, Chicago. She teaches ber, and Director of the Radio Club elementary school with specialties in of America, and serves as the Editorial Reading and English Language Learn- Director of the Proceedings of the Radio ing (ELL) instruction. Julia is a former Club of America. David is also Vice Presi- associate editor of the AWA Review dent of the Museum of Broadcast Com- and an advisor to the Antique Wireless munications in Chicago and Treasurer Association. She is a former officer of the of the IEEE Historical Committee. He Antique Radio Club of Illinois, editor of has received numerous awards for his its publications, and an advisor to the historical research, publications, and board of directors. She has co-authored exhibit development. He is the former many peer-reviewed articles for the AWA, President of the Antique Radio Club RCA, and IEEE, and works closely with of Illinois. David on their collecting interests.

David and Julia B

84 The AWA Review

Bart and Bart

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