#wwj

THE WAY HE SAYS “BEAUTIFUL.”

On this day in 1920, 8MK (now WWJ), arguably the nation’s first commercial radio station, began airing a test run of daily broadcasts out of Detroit News’s headquarters at the corner of Lafayette and 2nd Avenues.

We’re observing the date with this 1972 advertisement for National Panasonic’s "Sing-O-Ring" radio, which was also marketed under the brand name "Toot-a-Loop". These novelty radios were made by Panasonic’s division in Japan and featured a twistable center pivot and an advertising jingle that declared "It's an S it's an O it's a crazy radio! Toot a loop!".