A Universal Speaking Service: The Role of Westinghouse Electric and Manufacturing Company in the Development of National Network Broadcasting, 1922–1926

Abstract

The National Broadcasting Company debuted in 1926. The story of NBC's birth has been told, but not from the perspective of all the corporate players. The archive of the business correspondence of Harry Phillips Davis, a Vice President at Westinghouse and radio pioneer at KDKA, provides a unique perspective on the formation of NBC from inside Westinghouse Electric and Manufacturing Company. This article recounts the achievements of H. P. Davis and examines his negotiations within the Radio Group as Westinghouse, Radio Corporation of America, and General Electric designed and implemented their plan for a national radio network.