The "send QST" reference in this article was a standard abbreviation, which meant that the radio transmissions were intended for a general audience. Although it is not mentioned in this article, these broadcasts were most likely sent in Morse code. 9YA was licenced to the State University of Iowa -- the "Y" in the callsign signified that it was operating under a Technical and Training School licence.
QST, January, 1917, page 46:
RADIO LESSONS BY WIRELESS
The Radio Station at the State University of Iowa, Iowa City, Ia., has arranged to send QST on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday nights at 8:10 Central Time. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, the message will consist of a short radio lesson, while on Saturdays, it will be composed of University news. At present, the wave length is 500 meters, but this will be changed to 1600 within a few weeks. The call letters are 9YA.