I have been hearing a promotional ad recently on KTAR 92.3 FM as well as Arizona Sports 98.7 FM. It’s the deep voice narrator proclaiming that KTAR was the “first radio station in Arizona.” Now I always thought that the first radio station in Arizona was KOY, not KTAR. I don’t think KTAR would be promoting this unless they actually were the first radio station in Arizona, but I am not sure. Anyone know the real truth? Maybe our resident historian David Eduardo or the esteemed Doctor of the Buckeye Media Hut knows the real history of Arizona radio!
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Which Came First: The Chicken (KOY) or the Egg (KTAR)
- Thread starter asugeorge1
- Start date
What is now KTAR-AM (620) signed on in June, 1922 as KFAD. KFYI (550) signed on as KFCB three months later, in September, and adopted the KOY calls in 1929.
There was also the short-lived KDYW, which was the first station in Arizona with a commercial license, assigned sometime in April or May 1922. It didn't last long; it was gone by the summer of 1924.
KFCB/KOY was originally ham station 6BBH when it first began broadcasting in April 1922. Hams were allowed to broadcast in those days. It became KFCB on 9/6/1922. A young Barry Goldwater was a station employee.
Amazingly, one of the state's first stations was in Jerome, going on the air around 1928. But the decline of the mining industry doomed it and signed off when the War was pretty much over during 1944.
Here is a bit of narrative about the station.
Apparently all their "Arizona twang" (remember when that was a thing?) announcers, which prompted the call letter change. YIKES!
Speaking of 6~Twenty, when will TMISU do the obvious and change the calls to KMVP to mirror those of Sports Parking Lot 98~Seven, KMVP? KTAR-AM makes no sense as the market knows KTAR is at 92~Three. Legal IDs on Cardinals' games on 98~Seven are awkward: KMVP, Glendale-Phoenix and KTAR-AM Phoenix. Way too confusing for the simple minded Middle Eastern Men of the Media!
Back when I was at KOY, there was a file folder that documented all of this in the engineering shop with all of the licenses and correspondence they could find.
KTAR (KFAD) was the first licensed station. KOY claimed "first radio station in Arizona" because its original owner had the experimental station 6BBH which pre-dated KTAR's sign on before becoming licensed as KFCB.
The contents of that folder was the basis for the historical timeline that Gary hung in the main hallway at KOY when they did the big remodel in the 70s at 840 N. Central.
KTAR (KFAD) was the first licensed station. KOY claimed "first radio station in Arizona" because its original owner had the experimental station 6BBH which pre-dated KTAR's sign on before becoming licensed as KFCB.
The contents of that folder was the basis for the historical timeline that Gary hung in the main hallway at KOY when they did the big remodel in the 70s at 840 N. Central.
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