On Sunday evening, February 24, 1924, the Bible Students’ a new radio station, WBBR, went on the air for the first time. What was that initial broadcast like? Who heard it? And how have Jehovah’s Witnesses continued to use state-of-the-art technology to make known the “good news of the Kingdom . . . in all the inhabited earth”?—Matthew 24:14.

 The inaugural broadcast began at 8:30 p.m. and ran for two hours. The program originated from a newly constructed studio on Staten Island, New York. The lead sound engineer, Brother Ralph Leffler, recalled that “emotions were running high” in the studio. “Would anyone be able to hear us?” he wondered. “I turned on the power, and away we went, hoping for the best.”

 The announcer for that historic broadcast was Brother Victor Schmidt, the station manager. He started the program by introducing several talented performers, all of whom were Bible Students. First, a soloist played classical piano compositions. Later, Cora Wellman sang “The Ninety and Nine,” based on Jesus’ parable of the lost sheep. (Luke 15:4-7) Other performances followed, including one by Frederick W. Franz, who sang “The Penitent,” a musical narration of the story of the lost, or prodigal, son.—Luke 15:11-25.

 Joseph F. Rutherford, who took the lead among the Bible Students at that time, delivered a talk dedicating the station “to the interests of the kingdom of the Messiah.” He stated: “Since the Lord has permitted the radio to come to light at this time, it surely is His good pleasure that it should be used to teach the people concerning the fulfillment of His great prophecies.”

 Many listeners in the northeastern United States heard that first broadcast. More than 320 kilometers (200 mi) away, a listener in Morrisville, Vermont, reported: “I am pleased to report reception at this point. . . . Rutherford’s voice was particularly fine. . . . Not a syllable was missed.” Even a listener in Monticello, Florida, was able to tune in! The new radio station proved to be a huge success, and letters of appreciation poured in.

 The station continued to broadcast the Kingdom message for 33 years, b primarily serving the northeastern United States. But at times WBBR was linked to a network of other stations, thus reaching millions of listeners in the United States, Canada, and beyond. In fact, the 1975 Yearbook of Jehovah’s Witnesses reported: “By 1933, the peak year, 408 stations were being used to carry the message to six continents, and 23,783 separate Bible talks were broadcast . . . In those days, one might spin the radio dial and tune in Watch Tower broadcasts emanating from widely scattered stations at the same time. Often the air waves were filled with words of truth that glorified God.”

 When the Bible Students started using WBBR, there were, on average, 1,064 Kingdom preachers in the United States. This relatively small group received a lot of help from the broadcasts. By 1957, however, there was an average of 187,762 Kingdom proclaimers in the United States and 653,273 worldwide. What is more, thanks to the training provided at congregation meetings, those zealous brothers and sisters were becoming increasingly effective in the house-to-house work and other facets of the ministry.

 Such positive changes moved the responsible brothers to reevaluate the benefits of radio broadcasts compared to personal home visits. The result? The decision was made to sell WBBR, the only station still owned and operated by the Watchtower Society. The station was sold on April 15, 1957. On the day before, during a special farewell broadcast, Nathan H. Knorr was asked why the station was being sold. He explained that the increase in the number of Jehovah’s Witnesses was now largely a result of the house-to-house ministry. “Many have been helped greatly by WBBR’s broadcasts,” he said, adding: “But still the increase has been no greater in the area served by WBBR than it has been generally throughout the world.” The brothers thus concluded that more good can be accomplished in the house-to-house work than by radio. However, that was not the end of broadcasting. Decades later it reappeared, but in a new form.

 October 6, 2014, saw a thrilling development in Jehovah’s organization—the Internet television station called JW Broadcasting was launched. Jehovah’s Witnesses and others tune in to the monthly broadcasts by using a Web browser, the JW Library app, streaming devices, or a satellite receiver. c That said, in some parts of the world, Jehovah’s people still make good use of both radio and television. How so?

 In recent years, Jehovah’s organization has used radio and television made available by outside providers to broadcast weekly congregation meetings as well as conventions in areas without suitable Internet. These broadcasts have also reached a large number of non-Witnesses, including many interested people. Between 2021 and 2022, for example, radio station managers told the East Africa branch office of Jehovah’s Witnesses that many non-Witnesses expressed their appreciation for our meetings. A number of listeners in Kenya, South Sudan, and Tanzania even requested personal Bible studies.

 Primarily, though, Jehovah’s Witnesses use the door-to-door work, literature carts, and the jw.org website to spread the Kingdom message throughout the world. Our website gives interested ones ready access to the Bible as well as Bible-based literature in more than 1,080 languages—all without charge. They can also get answers to Bible questions and find out where Christian meetings are held. As a result of these efforts and initiatives, Jehovah’s Witnesses have made the good news of God’s Kingdom more widely available than at any time in human history! Indeed, it is being proclaimed “in all the inhabited earth,” just as the Bible foretold.—Matthew 24:14.