The organization played an important role in broadcast history, until it was forced to divest itself of these holdings because of its not-for-profit status. On November 27, 1922, the society began broadcasting on the radio station "WOAW", with a signal that reached ships in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans from its 500-watt (later 1,000 watt, and eventually 5,000 watt) transmitters. In 1926, the station became WOW after the ship SS "Henry J. Bibble", which had held the call sign, was retired from service.