Frank 0. Broili was born in North Platte, Nebraska in 1874. His brother, Julius, was born in Willow Ranch, California in 1886. Frank was educated in San Francisco as an electrical engineer. He became interested in wireless sometime before Marconi’s transatlantic signal
“S” reception, in late1901. Frank also participated in Marconi’s wireless relay from a portable wireless station he had built and located on the Farallon Islands (off of San Francisco.) He worked for the California Electric Company and, in 1904, was sent to Tonopah, Nevada. In 1905, while working for the Truckee River General Electric Company, he was transferred to Reno. Frank encouraged his younger brother, Julius to move to Reno and attend business school. Julius completed his education in 1910 and, that same year, Frank bought the Tonopah-based Nevada Machinery and Supply Company and moved it to Reno. Frank and Julius went into business together, renaming their new company, Nevada Machinery and Electric Company.
During WWI all amateur/civilian radio activity was suspended. The ban was lifted for reception on April 12, 1919, (transmitting had to wait until September 26, 1919.) By early 1922, many radio amateurs wanted to follow Dr. Frank Conrad’s example and try their hand at the new “Commercial Radio Broadcasting License” that the Department of Commerce was just beginning to issue. Though neither of the Broilis had amateur radio licenses, Frank had been involved with radio for many years and both brothers saw the business potential for a Commercial Radio Broadcast Station in Reno. On May 29, 1922, Nevada Machinery & Electric Company was issued a Commercial Radio Broadcasting License (application) with the call letters, KDZK. Julius visited radio stations in Sacramento and San Francisco, then began interviewing engineers to assist in the construction ofKDZK’s transmitter. The brothers formed a partnership with T&D Jr. Enterprises, who owned several theaters, including Reno’s Majestic Theater, which was located just around the corner from the Nevada Machinery & Electric location at 121 North Virginia Street. Julius hired George A. Tett, an engineer from Sacramento, paying Tett $500 for the entire installation. The transmitter was most likely adjacent to the small studio that was located on the third floor of the Majestic and the dynamo (the high voltage source) was in the basement. Additionally, the antenna was suspended across the roof of the theater. The application was approved on June 29th and Tett was finished with his installation in July. KDZK was the first Nevada radio broadcast station to actually be licensed and go “on the air” with their debut broadcast on the evening of July 21, 1922.