Centennial of radio’s first election

From the roof of the nine story Westinghouse K Building at the East Pittsburgh Works, radio station KDKA first covered the 1920 presidential  election a century ago. Westinghouse publicity claimed the election night broadcast was “a national sensation,” but that is only part of the story.   In fact, three other embryonic ratio stations were also broadcasting the election results that night —  the Detroit News’ “Radiophone” service, a temporary Saint Louis Post-Dispatch radio station, and the Buffalo Evening News broadcast through an affiliated with an amateur station.

The fact that KDKA is best remembered is probably because the station was a leader in radio technology with pioneering engineer Frank Conrad and also that the content of the broadcast was better organized with the help of Duquense University. About 1,000 people heard the election results in Pittsburg, thanks to Conrad’s suffragette wife, Flora, who helped organize listening parties. Flora had something to celebrate that night too. It was the first national election where women could vote.