The First Radio Commerical
The First Radio Commerical
Radio was commercial-free when it began. The way radio was monetized was that it encouraged people to buy radios; so most broadcasters were also involved in the manufacturing of radio of the largest radio manufacturers was Powel Crosley Jr. When his son asked for a radio as a gift, Crosley was appalled at the $100 price tag. He had manufacturing experience making both cars and refrigerators, so together with his brother Lewis and two engineering co-op students from the University of Cincinnati, he began building also started broadcasting in 1922 to promote radio sales. His station WLW started with only 50 watts, but soon became a radio giant broadcasting with 500,000 watts and a clear channel, meaning that no other radio stations were on that though, as almost everyone now owned a radio, broadcasters had to find another way to make money. So in 1922, what’s now WNBC in New York, then WEAF, broadcast what is purported to be the first ever radio ten-minute ad for an apartment complex in Jackson Heights.
