The World's First Commercial Radio Station Established in San Jose in 1909

Charles Herrold of San Jose began his voice transmissions in the spring of 1909, using the self-assigned call sign of "FN." By 1912-13, he was self-identifying as "SJN," and was offering a regular—but limited—schedule of voice and recorded music.

Herrold's amateur station was licensed by the Department of Commerce in 1916 as 6XF, with an additional mobile transmitter licensed as 6XE. He was forced to close down his operations—along with all other radio amateurs—in 1917, as a result of wartime restrictions on the use of radio—and he resumed operations in 1919, still as 6XF/6XE. In 1921, he was granted a commercial broadcast license as KQW. The station remains in operation to this day, having become KCBS in 1949.