<P> Although it would gain its fame as a broadcasting station, KDKA actually originated as part of a project to establish private radiotelegraph links between Westinghouse's East Pittsburgh factory and its other facilities, to avoid the business expense of paying for telegraph and telephone lines . In September 1920, a newspaper report noted that "a new high - power station, to operate under a special or commercial license, is being installed at the Westinghouse plant in East Pittsburgh . It will be used to establish communication between the East Pittsburgh plant and the company branch factories at Cleveland, O., Newark, N.J., and Springfield, Mass., where similar outfits will be employed ." </P> <P> An application, signed by H.P. Davis, was submitted to the Eighth District Radio Inspector, S.W. Edwards in Detroit, who forwarded it to Washington, and on October 27, 1920 Westinghouse was issued a Limited Commercial station license, serial #174, with the identifying call letters of KDKA . This Limited Commercial grant was consistent with the standard practice being followed at this time, for licenses issued to companies engaging in private radio communication . Neither KDKA's original application, nor the resulting license, mentioned broadcasting, only that the station was to be used for radiotelegraphic communication with stations located at the Westinghouse facilities in Cleveland, Newark and Springfield, plus station WCG in Brooklyn, New York, which was operated by the recently acquired International Radio Telegraph . </P> <P> At this time, radio stations in the United States were regulated by the Department of Commerce's Bureau of Navigation . Beginning with the introduction of licensing in late 1912, the standard practice had been to assign call letters starting with "W" to radio stations in the eastern United States . However, KDKA happened to receive its assignment during a short period during which land stations were being issued call letters from a sequential block of "K" call letters that had been previously been assigned only to ship stations . Although the original policy was restored a few months later, KDKA was permitted to keep its non-standard call sign . </P> <P> Shortly after beginning the process of setting up KDKA to be used for point - to - point communication, a series of events occurred which resulted in it also becoming a broadcasting station, which would overshadow its original role . </P>

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