[citation needed] The station was first licensed on July 27, 1926, with the sequentially issued call letters WJBV, to Union Course Laboratories at 9024 Seventy-eighth Street in Woodhaven, borough of Queens, New York City.

[8] In addition, they were informed that if they wanted to continue operating, they needed to file a formal license application by January 15, 1928, as the first step in determining whether they met the new "public interest, convenience, or necessity" standard.

[9] On May 25, 1928, the FRC issued General Order 32, which notified 164 stations, including this one, that "From an examination of your application for future license it does not find that public interest, convenience, or necessity would be served by granting it.

[11] Station manager August Gerber responded with a statement emphasizing the importance of defending free speech and the right of political minorities to submit their ideas to a broad public.

[11] Party leader Norman Thomas echoed this perspective, declaring the value of WEVD and other community stations as a bulwark against a "big chain system" which tended to "standardize — to make robots and Babbitts of the American people.

"[13] An editor at the New York Times concurred with the radio regulators' assessment, noting that revoking WEVD's license on the basis of its political views "would be both unjust and stupid.

From the time of the 1932 broadcasting agreement through the 1970s the Socialist and Yiddish-language WEVD continued to share its station frequency with the religious group, transmitting 86 hours per week while leaving Sundays and early mornings until 8 a.m. to WPOW, and Monday nights to WHAZ.