In 1920, the first commercial radio license was issued in the United States, to KDKA Pittsburgh. Owner Westinghouse did not actually use the license until 6:00 p.m. on November 2nd, to broadcast coverage of the U.S. presidential election, Harding v.s. Cox. Westinghouse had been preparing for the event by securing election results by telephone from the Pittsburgh Post morning newspaper. But, more important, Westinghouse had been manufacturing and selling radios, allowing about a thousand people to actually hear that first broadcast.
KDKA had actually begun as experimental station 8XK in 1916, a hobby of Westinghouse engineer Dr. Frank Conrad. Westinghouse took notice after a local department store starting selling radios for people wanting to hear 8XK.
In 2003, radio and television announcer Robert Ray (Rod) Roddy died of colon and breast cancer at age 66 in Century City, California. Although best known as the announcer for The Price is Right from 1986 until the time of his death, he also had a lengthy and very successful radio career, most notably at Top 40 powerhouse WKBW Buffalo, from 1963 to 1968. He began his career at KFJZ in his home town of Fort Worth, Texas in 1957 after graduating that same year from the city's Texas Christian University. In 1960, he moved to Top 40 KOMA Oklahoma City, then to KQV Pittsburgh in 1961, before joining WKBW. He also did a late night talk show in the late 1960s and early 1970s on KLIF-AM Dallas, simulcast on Underground KNUS-FM. His two evening special "Paul is Dead" is described (and heard, if you are a reelradio subscriber) here: http://www.reelradio.com/se/rrpmklif70.html. In 1973, he moved to KOST Los Angeles and later was heard on WQXI Atlanta.
