Broadcasting election night returns was a well established tradition by 1920, going back to the earliest days of radio. At first the transmissions were limited to being sent in telegraphic code, until the perfection of audio radio transmitters.
In late October, 1920, Westinghouse rushed to set up a new East Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania station -- which had originally been intended for two-way interplant communication -- in time to broadcast the November 2, 1920 election results. The opening night broadcast used the Special Amateur callsign of 8ZZ. A few days later, the station's broadcast operations switched to using the callsign KDKA, which had been assigned to the Limited Commercial licence issued to authorize the two-way plant communication. (For at least the first year, KDKA appears to have been used for radiotelegraphic communication between factories during workdays, and for broadcasting at night).
Westinghouse's election night broadcast had limited publicity -- DeForest's November, 1916 election night broadcast over his New York City station, 2XG, had received much more coverage, and likely had a bigger audience. But Westinghouse would continue to expand and promote its operations, and quickly became the most energetic promoter of broadcasting activities.
Cleveland Plain Dealer, October 28, 1920, page 10:
TO GIVE ELECTION RESULTS BY RADIO
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East Pittsburg Station Will Send Out News for Amateurs.
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Radio amateurs of Cleveland will have a wonderful opportunity Tuesday evening to show their friends, young and old, the wonders of their wireless apparatus. More than 600 radio amateurs of the Fifth City who have modern outfits have been requested to get up election night parties at their own homes or at convenient clubs, churches or schools Tuesday evening and receive radio telephonic election news.
Cleveland branch officials of the Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Co. announced yesterday that this company has been granted a license by the government to send out election returns by wireless telephone. These returns will be sent out on a 550 meter wave length. The call assigned to the company is 8zz.
Tests conducted Monday and Tuesday proved conclusively, it is asserted, that the plan to send out returns by radiophone will be successful. To enable all amateurs to "get set" before Tuesday night, however, the company announces another test from 8 to 9 tomorrow evening.
Amateurs so far readied by the company in this territory are enthusiastic over the plan to receive election returns, it is asserted, and all radio telephone amateurs have been requested to spread the news of the plan to their operator friends.
To make amateur parties all the more of a success, arrangements are being made by this company to provide musical entertainment during the intervals when news is not being received. If the amateur has a two-stage amplifier, he will be able to attach his receiver to a phonograph. This will enable the amateur's audience in a medium sized room to hear every word of the message sent. If the amateur has a simpler set he may hear the messages and give his friends a bulletin service.
Cleveland amateurs will pick up the messages as sent from East Pittsburg, Pa., by the International Radio Telephone Co., a subsidiary of the Westinghouse company. This territory is in the 300-mile radius of that sending station and receiving stations of almost any size or type will be certain to hear, it is asserted. The East Pittsburg station is claimed to have a far greater sending radius than 300 miles.
Election returns from all over the nation will be supplied the station's operator by the Associated Press: hence the amateur radio telephone operator will be enabled to give his audience the same news which will appear on election night in the country's greatest newspapers.