The vacuum tubes used by George Cannon in 1916-1917 were provided by Lee DeForest.
The (Mount Vernon, New York) Daily Argus, April 6, 1922, page 7.
Says George Cannon of New Rochelle First to Broadcast By Radio
In the midst of the controversy as to who was the first to broadcast news and concerts over the wireless telephone, it may interest New Rochelleans to know that a New Rochcellean was doing it at Thanksgiving, 1916, and that his apparatus was the first wireless phone in New Rochelle, and the first sending station in Westchester county, according to the New Rochelle Star.
At Thanksgiving time in 1916, before the United States government ordered all but government controlled apparatus dismantled, a reporter, now a member of the Daily Star staff, visited George C. Cannon's laboratory on Drake avenue and witnessed the broadcasting of messages, banjo selections by Harry S. Six, and phonograph records which were picked up by Sound steamers near New London and by distant receiving stations over a wide radius. The same evening the reporter visited the home of Mr. Rupert, in Pelham Heights, where he heard his first radio concert broadcasted by Mr. Cannon. Shortly after that the government ordered all unauthorized stations dismantled.
When the war ended, the Star's article concludes, and these stations were permitted to resume, Mr. Cannon reinstalled his station and continued his work. He had been working with Dr. Lee DeForrest, of New York, perfecting the invention. At that time there was no broadcasting apparatus at the DeForrest laboratories, that work being done entirely by Mr. Cannon. Recently Mr. Cannon has been experimenting to lessen the cost of operation and has had considerable success.
Frequently within the last few months, Mr. Cannon has received by mail messages from stations in the West and "Way Down East" praising his work and stating that his broadcasting--speeches, verbal messages and concerts--are the best and clearest that have reached them.
Mr. Cannon and the other old radio operators made it a point to "stand by" from 7 until 10 o'clock at night so us not to interfere with the broadcasting of commercial stations and those that send to private receivers for entertainment. These specially licensed operators are not compelled to do this, but they do it from a sense of decency. They are licensed to operate at all hours of the day and night, but some of their apparatus--like that of Mr. Cannon--is so powerful that it would put all others out of business while in operation.