Re: Question for Donna

[Donna Halper <dlh@donnahalper.com>]

At 08:57 PM 8/24/2003 -0400, you wrote:
>I seem to recall reading years ago that WBZ Springfield was the first 
>COMMERCIAL license issued by the government. I saw that in a Broadcasting 
>Yearbook back in the 60's.

Sigh... and I am the Queen of France.  I really am.  The so-called 
Commercial License was a marketing device created by Westinghouse and 
bought into by the Department of Commerce, the precursor to what we know 
today as the FCC.  The first station to officially get this new license was 
in fact WBZ in 1921, but it really did not mean much since commercials were 
forbidden at that time; it was mainly a way to distinguish yourself from a 
ham radio station-- ham stations were allowed to program music and send out 
requests/dedications/whatever just like a professional station, until 
February of 1922.  But yes, WBZ really got the first one, 19 September 
1921.  Even KDKA only had a 'limited commercial license'-- whatever that 
meant...