Posted on 01/02/2011 6:28:00 PM PST by Tina Grazier
Today in 1921, just two months to the day after the first public radio broadcasts began on November 2, 1920, the first religious service in the history of broadcasting was aired on KDKA in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Westinghouse decided to test their ability to do a broadcast that was not initiated from their radio studio. Because they had an engineer who was a member of the choir at Pittsburgh's Calvary Episcopal Church, they decided to make the arrangements with his church.
Interestingly, the senior pastor, Rev. Edwin Van Ettin, was leery of the new medium, so the first sermon broadcast over the air was delivered by one of the assistant clergy, Pastor Lewis B. Whittemore. The congregation did not....
(Excerpt) Read more at ChicoER
It's a bit difficult to occupy ones attention by your right hand while tricking them with the left when they cannot see you. It is real difficult to pull the wool over someone who is intently listening to what you say.
nice article.
Before the government stepped in to regulate radio even the Jehovah’s Witnesses had their own network.
Cool post!
I’m only 34 but have listened to some interesting radio including some interesting characters like Ralph Gordon Stair (Not a fan).
When I worked there before it was shut down, the old Westinghouse East Pittsburgh factory still had a locked room where some of the original KDKA radio equipment was kept. I never got to see it, but I heard it was there.
I would bet that the collectible value is very high on that equipment.
I must be getting old. It will be fifty years ago this coming April that our family church began its weekly broadcasts with a snot-nosed kid at the mike and mixer.
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