Frank Conrad (1874-1941)
Wilkinsburg, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania
Marker Inscription
At his garage workshop here in 1919-1920, Conrad made broadcasts over his amateur station, 8XK, which introduced the concept of commercial radio and led to the start of KDKA. For 37 years a Westinghouse engineer, he held over 200 patents.
Erected by Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
The Story
In a Wilkinsburg garage around 1919 and 1920, Westinghouse engineer Frank Conrad tinkered with an amateur wireless station, 8XK, and began sending out music and talk to fellow hobbyists. Those experiments proved there was a public eager to listen, and they led directly to the launch of KDKA and the birth of commercial broadcasting. Over a 37-year career Conrad amassed more than 200 patents.
Why it matters
Conrad's backyard broadcasts helped turn radio from a point-to-point novelty into a mass medium, seeding an industry that would reshape American culture and politics.
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Related people
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Themes & tags
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