WJAZ commenced broadcasting on August 17th, 1922.
The station was owned by the Zenith Radio Corporation and operated on a frequency of 930 kHz or possibly 910 kHz (see 'pirate' radio story below) at the time of the reception on the 2nd January 1926 in Syracuse, New York.
A "Pirate" Radio Station
A 1926 publicity photograph of the WJAZ engineering staff dressed as pirates inside the station's transmitter room (photograph Wikimedia Commons).
During early January 1926, Zenith president Eugene F. McDonald directed WJAZ to move from its 930 kHz assignment to 910 kHz (one of the restricted Canadian frequencies) and begun expanded hours of operation.
WJAZ was accused of being a "pirate" radio station and as a result of the transgression, on January 20, 1926 a federal court suit was filed against Zenith Radio Corporation.
On the 5th February 1926, while litigation with the U.S. government was ongoing, the station broadcast an appropriate operetta "The Pirate".
Zenith Radio Corporation won the radio regulation challenge. The immediate result was that various radio stations took the opportunity to increase powers and move to new frequencies until Congress passed new legislation. The extent of the (temporary) disruption is not clear as the term 'chaos' began to appear in various discussions.
WJAZ ceased broadcasting in 1931.
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