ABSTRACT
American Telephone and Telegraph Company (AT&T) called its projected stations "radiotelephone" stations and likened them to phone booths. AT&T's announcement, dated February 11, 1922, said that the company would provide "no program of its own, but provide the channels through which anyone with whom it makes a contract can send out their own programs." It was the first proposal for putting air time on a for-sale basis. AT&T applied the policy to non-commercial as well as commercial applicants. It took the position that the stations owned by others, including college-owned stations, were all "special-interest" stations, whereas a "toll" station was for everybody and should therefore have preferential treatment. AT&T began a series of spectacular "chain broadcast" experiments, while developing a special kind of cable for station interconnection. The clothing firm Browning King was content to attach its name to an orchestra. No sales message was used; the programs did not even mention that Browning King sold clothes.
