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KJR-100 years of continuous broadcasting

itsRoly4266 said:
Yes, but it signed on in 1922. KDKA signed on in 1920.
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Prior to being given its KJR call sign in 1922, KJR was operating as a broadcast station starting in 1918 licensed as: 7XC. KDKA was given it's K-call sign before KJR, but KJR (7XC) was technically on the air before KDKA.
 
Congrats to KJR. Reading the history got me thinking of Mr. Adam's KNHC classes, "The History of Radio". "There was the Blue network, and there was the Red network"...okay Larry!

But, seriously, KJR was probably the most impactful radio station in my youth. There was always that KJR-KOL battle in the 60's, and then later KJR-KING battle in the 70's. Just a real competitive top40 market with all the stations having a distinct sound. But KJR was the "personality" leader, no question. I probably should not run down a list of great jocks from that KJR era, but I will anyway. In fact, it may be easier to just paste this from Wiki:

"KJR's listeners were entertained by some of the country's greatest radio personalities: Larry Lujack, Scotty Brink, Norm Gregory, Burl Barer, Pat O'Day, Eric Chase, Bob Shannon, Dick Curtis, "World Famous" Tom Murphy, Bobby Simon, Jerry Kaye, Gary Shannon, Ichabod Caine, "Emperor" Lee Smith, Lan Roberts, Kevin O'Brien (Kevin Metheny), Robert O. Smith, Charlie Brown, Bwana Johnny, Matt Riedy, Marion Seymour, Sky Walker, Tracy Mitchell, Bob Brooks and sports commentator Chuck Bolland, plus Bolland's much younger brother Mark "Jeffries" Bolland. Gary "Lockjock" Lockwood, a.k.a. L.J., was the disk jockey who had the longest tenure on the "Mighty Channel 95," from 1976-1991."

It is unfortunate this era of radio is perhaps gone forever. Fun while it lasted!
 
There are numerous stations that were experimental before KDKA got the first "commercial" radio license. What is today WOC in Davenport Iowa was experimenting with Morse Code as early as 1907. What is today KCBS was in San Jose experimenting as a wireless telephone service in 1909. What is today KDKA was a hobby in the garage of a Westinghouse engineer in a suburb of Pittsburgh in 1917.

So I would not say KJR was the first radio station. Maybe it was first in Seattle. There are about 20-25 stations that were broadcasting with experimental licenses 100 years ago and are still on the air today.
 
Gregg. said:
So I would not say KJR was the first radio station. Maybe it was first in Seattle. There are about 20-25 stations that were broadcasting with experimental licenses 100 years ago and are still on the air today.
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I don't think anyone is claiming KJR is the first radio station full stop, but has been continuously broadcasting since 1919 (actually about 8 months prior to January 1919) with entertainment-related programming. Not CW or voice only.

I gave John Schneider many of the materials on KJR and KOMO for his archives.
 
Come on Kelly...who was your favorite KJR jock? I wanna know...

Mine is probably Emp Smith, with Lockjock a close 2nd. But Charlie was in the race!
 
seatownmedia said:
Come on Kelly...who was your favorite KJR jock? I wanna know...

Mine is probably Emp Smith, with Lockjock a close 2nd. But Charlie was in the race!
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Wow, that's a tough one. I would have to say Kevin O'Brien (Metheny). Not a marque jock at the time, but he was really solid on his night show. Truth be told, Kevin was one of the inspirations for me pursuing the business, including signing up for the radio class at Nathan Hale. Kevin even tipped me off after having been kicked off the air at KNHC, because (his former boss) Pat O'Day complained to the school Principal that my night show was showing up in the ratings. Neither Larry nor Marv would tell me why I was suspended, but Kevin gave me the behind the scenes. Larry finally went to bat for me with the Principal and I got my air shift back. Of course, me being me, started dropping some subtle on-air jabs at Pat and KJR to which I was reprimanded after Pat complained...again.
 
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While not 100 years old. KVI has been broadcasting from the same tower/transmitter site since 1937, with the same frequency and 3 letter call sign. Might be one of the oldest towers still in use for AM with the call letters and frequency not being changed.

KJR has had several transmitter sites and swapped frequencies with KOMO in the mid 40's when KOMO moved it's transmitter site to Vashon.
KJR also went with Silent programming during the Seahawks first Supper bowl appearance in 2005, for 3-4 hours If I remember. They did do the top of the hour ID, then back to broadcasting dead air for rest of the hour. Would this qualify KJR as one of the first stations to embrace Silent Broadcasting? Lot of history made over the air at KJR.
 
Kelly A said:
Wow, that's a tough one. I would have to say Kevin O'Brien (Metheny). Not a marque jock at the time, but he was really solid on his night show. Truth be told, Kevin was one of the inspirations for me pursuing the business, including signing up for the radio class at Nathan Hale. Kevin even tipped me off after having been kicked off the air at KNHC, because (his former boss) Pat O'Day complained to the school Principal that my night show was showing up in the ratings. Neither Larry nor Marv would tell me why I was suspended, but Kevin gave me the behind the scenes. Larry finally went to bat for me with the Principal and I got my air shift back. Of course, me being me, started dropping some subtle on-air jabs at Pat and KJR to which I was reprimanded after Pat complained...again.
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Interesting stuff there Kelly. I did not have the same drama at KNHC. But yes, the late Kevin O'Brien (Metheny) was a great jock in the early 70's at KJR. He had a natural, young sound that worked perfectly capturing the teen market 6-10pm. (of course he was very young as well, I think around 19 when he started). I remember he actually came to an assembly at Eckstein Junior High School in the northend around this time. Of course, I was "into" radio by then, so I thought this was terrific! Kevin, of course went on to great success as a programmer in many sizable markets, including WNBC New York, then MTV. Probably need to mention his character as PD of WNBC played by Paul Giamatti in Howard Stern's "Private Parts".

Those were great days in Seattle radio, with KING and KJR battling it out on the top40 front, and the advent of the FM's finally moving in just a few years later with KYYX (to your reference Pat O'Day) and KVI-FM, K-Plus, KPLZ, Star.
 
What I find amazing is the early programming/programmers (I don't think they considered themselves as programmers of radio content like we do today). When these experimental stations signed on there was no mixing console, just a crude mic hooked to the transmitter. Actually the Mic was part of the transmitter back then. No limiter, no other audio source, just a mic hooked to the transmitter. Music was played off a Victrola with a microphone in front of it.

No commercial receiver, Alot of frequency changer from 1918-1941. Figuring out how to make money with the new medium. Most of the announcers back then were actual engineers that worked on the transmitter. In the experimental days most owners were the operator and announcer.

Bill Reuter started as an announcer/engineer on KPCB which latter became KIRO. Bill helped put together the Western Electric transmitter on Vashon and became the site engineer for many years, till the early 70's. Seattle had a very colorful early radio history. Just google it you will spend many hours of reading.

KJR was an early pioneer of a radio content and engineering.
 
xmtrland said:
Music was played off a Victrola with a microphone in front of it.
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Hmmm, music played off a Victrola? Don't know where you got that idea. If they tried to play recorded music, they would get sued by either the musicians union or the record labels. The early history of broadcasting is filled with litigation over the attempted use of music on the radio. The famous story had to do with the first broadcast by the NBC radio network in 1926. The president of the network introduced his secretary, who played the piano. That was a live performance, not a recording. Soon afterwards, the musicians union sued because she wasn't in the union. This is why early radio stations had to hire professional musicians to play music. Keep in mind that NBC was owned by the same company that made the Victrola and owned RCA Records. A lot of the technology was being developed by the recording industry and the film industry. Quality microphones were introduced in 1917. Multiple microphone mixing in recording studios came about in 1928. So it's not as dismal as you make it sound. KJR began as an amateur station, most likely on the air for a few hours a day. So playing music off a Victrola was probably not on the schedule.
 
OK stand corrected, no one played music (should have used the word "recording" versus "music") from a Victrola on the air via a microphone. You do bring up the issue of early licensing conflicts that early broadcasters faced with recorded or performed material, which I did totally over look. It brings into the picture how much early radio not only was developing as new technology but agreements/licensing for what could be played on air.

How radio went from no you can't play recorded material to music reps (Pay for play, which is a no no) to the Music industry licensing as it is now and more changes they want to make.

Was not trying to paint a dismal picture of early radio, just trying to convey that it was not as easy as it was in the 50's to 70's when air talent/DJ's became more of an art. When mixing consoles hooked to turntables were more common and music/performance licensing issues had been worked out.

Would it be safe to say that KJR started as Spoken word or spoken entertainment, then later Music and back to spoken word entertainment (sports talk).
 
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xmtrland said:
Interesting that no one ever tried, then was told no or you will get sued.
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Lots of people tried. Then they got sued. Especially if they were in big cities. Record companies put warnings on records that said "Not For Broadcast." Of course people could ignore the warning, but then they'd get sued. But I haven't seen any examples where people placed a microphone in front of a Victrola. Maybe someone has a photo, but I've never seen one. It was impractical because the microphone also picked up the sound in the room. Once record players moved from crank models to electric motors and amplifiers, it was easier to wire directly. But didn't change the legal situation until a court ruling in 1938.
 
Spent to much time re editing my post above. Now that technology has changed again with the internet, the music industry is looking for changes again for performed/recorded material. Most of these legacy AM stations have gone back to spoken word entertainment. History does repeat itself.
 
xmtrland said:
Would it be safe to say that KJR started as Spoken word or spoken entertainment, then later Music and back to spoken word entertainment (sports talk).
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It began as an amateur operation in someone's home, operating for brief periods of time. I have no idea what they did to fill the time back then. They transitioned into an affiliate of the NBC Blue Network, where it got most of it's music and entertainment. Then to local music, and now to sports.
 
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