In this debut episode of DX Central’s From the Static: The History of Radio series, we journey back to the dawn of broadcasting — to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and the transmitter that changed everything.
It began with hobbyists, tinkerers, and a garage in Wilkinsburg where engineer Frank Conrad strung up an antenna and started sending music into the ether. From those humble beginnings came KDKA — a call sign that would ignite the age of commercial radio.
As we weave through the history and legacy of KDKA, this episode explores the evolution of communication from the age of Morse code to the first presidential election broadcast in 1920, the chaos and regulation that followed, the rise of network radio, and KDKA’s enduring legacy through war, television, and the digital era.
You’ll hear authentic archival sound, carefully recreated historical moments, and the voices that shaped a century of broadcasting — from Franklin D. Roosevelt’s wartime fireside chats to Orson Welles reflecting on The War of the Worlds panic, to the launch of Sputnik that ushered radio into the space age.
Whether you’re a DXer, a historian, or someone who just loves radio, this is where the history of radio broadcasting comes to life.
Support future episodes and help keep radio history alive at Patreon.com/DXCentral.
“Ballet Music from ‘Rosamunde’ – Vera Barstow & Robert Gaylor (Schubert/Kreisler, 78 RPM)” — Public Domain via Archive.org. Source: https://archive.org/details/78_ballet-music-from-rosamunde_vera-barstow-robert-gaylor-schubert-kreisler_gbia0023328a
“Pittsburgh, PA” – Edison Blue Amberol Cylinder #50655 (circa 1910s) — Public Domain (CC0) via Archive.org. Source: https://archive.org/details/edison-50655_01_7132
“Terrific Floods Sweep Cities – Pittsburgh, PA” (Universal Newsreel, May 11 1936) — Public Domain (CC0) via Archive.org. Source: https://archive.org/details/1936-05-11_Terrific_Floods_Sweep_Cities
President Franklin D. Roosevelt, “Fireside Chat #26 – Italy Surrenders” (September 9 1943) — Public Domain (CC0) via Archive.org. Source: https://archive.org/details/1943-09-09_Long_Way_to_Go_Says_FDR
“Attack by Mars Panics Thousands – Orson Welles Press Conference” (Universal Newsreel, October 31 1938) — Public Domain (CC0) via Archive.org. Source: https://archive.org/details/1938-10-31_Attack_By_Mars_Panics_Thousands
Warren G. Harding, “January 20 1920 – Americanism” (Pathé Actuelle Recording #021042 A) — via Miller Center, University of Virginia. Source: https://millercenter.org/the-presidency/presidential-speeches/january-20-1920-americanism. Audio used under educational and historical fair-use context. All rights retained by original archive source.
“New Moon – Reds Launch First Space Satellite” (Universal Newsreel, October 7 1957) — Public Domain (CC0) via Archive.org. Source: https://archive.org/details/1957-10-07_New_Moon
RESEARCH & REFERENCE SOURCES
Library of Congress – American Memory Collections
The Smithsonian – National Museum of American History Broadcast Division
Miller Center of Public Affairs, University of Virginia
Westinghouse Historical Archives
Federal Communications Commission History Project
National Archives and Records Administration
Broadcasting Magazine (1922 – 1959 Issues)
Contemporary Newspaper Reports from The Pittsburgh Post, Pittsburgh Gazette Times, and The New York Times
Oral Histories and DX Community Accounts provided to DX Central
Produced and written by Loyd Van Horn / DX Central.
Part of the “History of Radio” series on the DX Central From the Static podcast.
All archival content sourced and verified through public domain and historical archives for educational storytelling.
Support future episodes and help keep radio history alive at Patreon.com/DXCentral.
Portions of this episode include historically based dramatizations of early 20th-century events, such as KDKA’s first election-night broadcast (November 2 1920), the 1920 Pittsburgh newspaper advertisement referencing Frank Conrad’s experimental transmissions, the remark attributed to Westinghouse vice president Harry P. Davis (“If people will tune in to listen to this fellow, let’s build a station for him”), and the December 7 1941 CBS radio bulletin announcing the attack on Pearl Harbor (“We interrupt this program to bring you a special news bulletin. The Japanese have attacked Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, by air, President Roosevelt has just announced”). These scenes were scripted and voiced for educational and illustrative purposes; in some cases, no original recordings of these moments are known to exist.
