It’s the oldest broadcast argument of the past century: who claims to be the very first real radio station? According to an article in the Detroit Free Press, it’s WWJ – and the paper claims tomorrow, August 20th, marks exactly 100 years since radio as we know it began.
 
The station had its first broadcast in Motown on Aug. 20, 1920 when it was known as “8MK.” Only a handful of people may have been able to actually hear that historic first night, which boasted a primitive set-up of a turntable with a sound amplifying horn, a microphone and a whole lot of wiring.
 
So what was the very first record ever played on the medium? According to the Free Press story, “[Howard] Trumbo dropped a needle on a phonograph record. Plant held a gramophone horn to capture the sound. The first music heard by those 50 or so listeners…[was] “Roses of Picardy,” a song made popular during World War I."
 
(Maybe Roger Ashby will play it on his oldies show in commemoration of the event!)

Speaking of Ashby, the paper claims the first person who ever uttered words on the air as an official announcer was a guy with the unlikely name of Elton Plant. Who was he? A 19-year-old Detroit News office boy, who signed on the station with the words, “8MK calling.”
 
The article outlines how the pioneering station expanded to do political coverage, remotes and even the first sports play-by-play. all with no commercials, because potential sponsors had no idea what to make of this newfangled thing. 
 
Of course, KDKA Pittsburgh disputes all this. The old Westinghouse outlet has long insisted it was the first in November 1920. (And Canadians claim Marconi's XWA, later CFCF, began it all in 1919.)  But if the Free Press is correct, what would become WWJ beat KDKA by some four months.
 
In any event, the 100th anniversary of radio is finally here. It’s just a shame about the state this centenarian is currently in.
 
The story, which is really interesting, is a behind a paywall. But I think the link below will take you to the genuine article. It’s well worth a look, if only for the accompanying pictures. In the meantime, I’m going to YouTube to listen to “Roses of Picardy.” And yes, it IS there. But I don't think I'll be requesting it anytime soon. 
 
Iconic WWJ radio started as Detroit experiment: Celebrating 100 years of on-air broadcasts