This Day in History...
Radio broadcasting began at the beginning of the 20th century. Could commercials be far behind? On this date in 1922, WEAF broadcast the first radio commercial. It was a ten-minute live spot for the Queensboro real estate corporation, read by a representative of Queensboro. The commercial cost $100 for 10 minutes. The broadcasting world has never been the same. Now, radio advertising is done in 10-second to two-minute spots; prices vary according to the size of the expected audience and the time of day the ad will be presented.
"Seeing a murder on television can... help work off one's antagonisms. And if you haven't any antagonisms, the commercials will give you some." — Alfred Hitchcock