Media Contact: 
Katie Gorscak, (202) 418-2156
katie.gorscak@fcc.gov

For Immediate Release

CHAIRMAN PAI STATEMENT ON THE 100th ANNIVERSARY OF OUR NATION’S FIRST COMMERCIAL RADIO BROADCAST
How Radio Got Its Start and Impacts Us Today
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WASHINGTON, November 2, 2020—Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai issued the following statement today on the history of radio: 

“Today we celebrate the 100th anniversary of our nation’s first widely recognized commercial radio broadcast that took place on November 2, 1920.  The broadcast, which aired in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on KDKA, Westinghouse Electric’s newly established station, relayed the results of the 1920 presidential election and set the stage for a long line of radio broadcasts that have shaped the story of America. 

“As the earliest electronic mass communications medium, radio has allowed us to listen in on some of the most momentous occasions in American history, from President Roosevelt’s famous ‘fireside chats’ to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s ‘I Have a Dream’ speech.  It has entertained us, from The War of the Worlds to The Jack Benny Program to American Top 40 with Casey Kasem to The Steve Harvey Morning Show.  And radio still keeps millions of Americans company on long drives, enthralls us with coverage of our favorite sports teams, and when disaster strikes, is one of the most valuable resources for life-saving information.

“Radio has given us a way to come together in times of strife and times of triumph.   
On behalf of myself and the FCC’s dedicated staff, it is my honor to join all Americans in recognizing this milestone.  Congratulations to radio broadcasters on a century of excellence.  We look forward to the stories that radio will continue to tell!”

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Office of Chairman Pai: (202) 418-1000 / Twitter: @AjitPaiFCC / www.fcc.gov/leadership/ajit-pai

This is an unofficial announcement of Commission action.  Release of the full text of a Commission order 
constitutes official action.  See MCI v. FCC, 515 F.2d 385 (D.C. Cir. 1974).