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Will or should they celebrate 100 Years?

S

secondchoice

There are several stations that have or in the next few years be celebrating 100 years. Some have transitioned to FM but kept the branding or call letters. How many 90+ year old AM stations have let their brands drift in obscurity?



One example is WGST (formally of Atlanta). It started in 1924 as WBBF with equipment donated by the Atlanta Constitution’s (WGM) which was shut down to Georgia School of Technology (now Georgia Tech). It became WGST in January of 1925. They ended up on 920 5KW daytime 500 watts night non directional. WGST was sold to Merideth in 1974. Jacor ended up with 920 and was a thorn WSB side. Jacor bought 640 WAFS 1988 and put WGST on 640 while selling 920. 640 very successful when paired with 105.7 with News Talk and Rush. Someone at Clear Channel (now iHeart) OKed separating 640 and 105.7. iHeart let WSB have Rush. WGST tried Hispanic Sports(?) then tried to go back to news talk with Fox News but failed. WGST ended up WBIN (Black Information Network) and the WGST call letters were parked at 720 Hogansville GA. The last ratings 6+ WBIN did not show up. In 2024 will there be a 100 Year celebration at 640 or 920 in Atlanta or 720 Hogansville? Or is the WGST brand not worth celebrating?
 
Some stations have such fractured histories, it will be hard to know where to celebrate "100 years on the air."

How about KOY Phoenix? It started as KFCB in 1922, later becoming KOY at 550 kHz. In the 1990s, KOY moved to an adult standards and soft oldies format. Then early in the 2000s, iHeart switched KOY with a co-owned station on 1230, KGME. KOY's music format moved to the lower power frequency and 550 became the home of KGME, The Game, a sports station. Now 550 is KFYI, a Talk Radio station. So which station should celebrate 100 years: 1230 KOY or 550 KFYI?

How about KTRH Houston? It began as experimental radio station for the University of Texas in Austin, KCM, on April 22, 1922. The university sold it, it moved to The Rice Hotel in Houston, hence the call letters KTRH. Then the university got back into radio, starting KUT in 1925, originally on AM. Then an FM was added, KUT-FM and the AM was sold, now KJCE 1320. So should today's KTRH celebrate 100 years on April 22 of this year? Or should KUT-FM celebrate 100 years of University of Texas broadcasts, with a 3 year interruption?
 
Will they or should they? Great question. Let's talk about WEAF. Started in 1922, so it's 100 years old this year. It was originally owned by AT&T, with its tower on top of the AT&T building in downtown NY. It was the first commercial radio station. Why? Because AT&T was in the business of selling TIME. You used to get charged by the minute when you made a call, so they employed that same metric for radio.

When NBC was formed as a partnership of AT&T, RCA, GE, and Westinghouse, WEAF was turned over to RCA as the flagship radio station of the red network. At that point, AT&T got out of the radio station ownership business. They provided the long lines for the network. For many years, the station was known as WNBC. Obviously lots of heritage during the network radio years. Then as a local station, Imus and Howard Stern worked there. It became WFAN when RCA sold off its radio division. Then WFAN picked up an AM simulcast. Do you think anyone there knows this is the 100th year of the AM? Probably not.
 
ZantennaG1 said:
It would be fun to co-host! Actually, it would be grand if they could get a a temporary permit for 250kw or 500kw at night to commemorate their history, and give Dxers across North America a chance to hear them, but I knoe that's a pipe dream to the FCC
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There's not enough time to rebuild the 500 kw transmitter.....!!;)
I've seen it --- actually stood inside it!! --- trust me, it's not a candidate for a re-build.....but it sure would be nice.....!!:)
 
TheBigA said:
Will they or should they? Great question. Let's talk about WEAF. Started in 1922, so it's 100 years old this year. It was originally owned by AT&T, with its tower on top of the AT&T building in downtown NY. It was the first commercial radio station. Why? Because AT&T was in the business of selling TIME. You used to get charged by the minute when you made a call, so they employed that same metric for radio.

When NBC was formed as a partnership of AT&T, RCA, GE, and Westinghouse, WEAF was turned over to RCA as the flagship radio station of the red network. At that point, AT&T got out of the radio station ownership business. They provided the long lines for the network. For many years, the station was known as WNBC. Obviously lots of heritage during the network radio years. Then as a local station, Imus and Howard Stern worked there. It became WFAN when RCA sold off its radio division. Then WFAN picked up an AM simulcast. Do you think anyone there knows this is the 100th year of the AM? Probably not.
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I have always heard that KDKA was the first commercial radio station!
 
semoochie said:
I have always heard that KDKA was the first commercial radio station!
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Depends on how you define "commercial." They were the first licensed station as a commercial enterprise. But they didn't actually air commercials. They were a service of Westinghouse Electric.

On the other hand, WEAF sold commercial time, starting in August 1922.

Here's the story about WEAF:

www.npr.org

First Radio Commercial Hit Airwaves 90 Years Ago

Reporter John McDonough reports how AT&T ran the first-ever radio commercial on its station WEAF in New York 90 years ago this week. It changed the way broadcast was economically structured.
www.npr.org www.npr.org
 
secondchoice said:
One example is WGST (formally of Atlanta). It started in 1924 as WBBF with equipment donated by the Atlanta Constitution’s (WGM) which was shut down to Georgia School of Technology (now Georgia Tech). It became WGST in January of 1925.
Click to expand...

Story has it that WGM was owned by The Atlanta Constitution, whose Editor (Ralph McGill???) graduated from Ga. Tech and saw more future for radio at his alma mater than at his newspaper, especially since rival Atlanta Journal's station (WSB) beat WGM on the air by 2 days. WGM even tried to "keep" its talent by prohibiting airing anyone that had appeared on WSB. Stupid move.
secondchoice said:
Jacor bought 640 WAFS 1988 and put WGST on 640 while selling 920.
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Correction: 640 was WPBD. 920 became WAFS when WGST moved to 640.

Since the move, WGST tried its best to lose to WSB - starting with the infamous "Planet Radio". As WGM had done 75 years earlier, the station lost its best talent (Boortz, Rush, Hannity) to WSB; the station finally succeeded at losing its identity. Stupid moves.
 
trusty said:
WGM even tried to "keep" its talent by prohibiting airing anyone that had appeared on WSB. Stupid move.
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In Mexico, Televisa did enormously well for about 70 years by banning anyone who worked for a competitor. If you are coming from a position of power, that is very doable as long as one is not prosecuted by the government for some kind of restraint of trade or related practice.
 
DavidEduardo said:
In Mexico, Televisa did enormously well for about 70 years by banning anyone who worked for a competitor. If you are coming from a position of power, that is very doable as long as one is not prosecuted by the government for some kind of restraint of trade or related practice.
Click to expand...
Then came Azteca...
 
KQW/KCBS San Francisco said they were the first radio station in the USA in 1909 and celebrated their 100th anniversary in 1909. The station cited Doc Herrold as the first leader of what is now known as KCBS-AM.



Note CBS did not become the owner of KQW/KCBS San Francisco until 1948-1949.

sanjoserocks.org

World's First Radio Station - San Jose Rocks

Doc Herrold launched worlds first radio station in downtown San Jose in 1909. And, coined the term "broadcasting". His radio station is now KCBS 740 AM.
sanjoserocks.org sanjoserocks.org
 
secondchoice said:
There are several stations that have or in the next few years be celebrating 100 years. Some have transitioned to FM but kept the branding or call letters. How many 90+ year old AM stations have let their brands drift in obscurity?
Click to expand...
The answer to the question seems to be "Most of them."

Looks like it's nothing more than fodder for chatter by radio geeks. :alien:

If the general public doesn't (much) care and the current station ownership/management for the station or any of the descendants of the original stations doesn't (much) care, then it's a sad, tragic day.

:rolleyes:

No, it's not.

The technology is truly ubiquitous in what it does, and has been superseded several times by other technology.
 
semoochie said:
I have always heard that KDKA was the first commercial radio station!
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There is also evidence that WWJ in Detroit may qualify.

Of course, stations were not "commercial" back then. Most were put on to promote the owner's business, such as a newspaper, a radio manufacturer, an insurance company, a car dealer...

The first still operating licensed station, indeed, may be the August 27, 1920 beginning of a station, LR2 on 570 AM, in Argentina:

www.argentina.gob.ar

101 años de la primera transmisión radial argentina

Un 27 de agosto de 1920 se realizó la primera transmisión radial, por iniciativa de cuatro estudiantes de medicina que pusieron al aire la ópera Parsifal, de Richard Wagner, desde el techo del Teatro Coliseo de Buenos Aires. Rendimos homenaje a la radio dialogando con Ana Da Costa, conductora de...
www.argentina.gob.ar www.argentina.gob.ar

or https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radio_Argentina

Remember, in that era, Argentina was among the 10 wealthiest and progressive nations in the world.
 
secondchoice said:
There are several stations that have or in the next few years be celebrating 100 years. Some have transitioned to FM but kept the branding or call letters. How many 90+ year old AM stations have let their brands drift in obscurity?
Click to expand...
kwthom said:
The answer to the question seems to be "Most of them."
Looks like it's nothing more than fodder for chatter by radio geeks. :alien:
If the general public doesn't (much) care and the current station ownership/management for the station or any of the descendants of the original stations doesn't (much) care, then it's a sad, tragic day.
No, it's not.
The technology is truly ubiquitous in what it does, and has been superseded several times by other technology.
Click to expand...

One of the best anniversary tributes I happened to catch was when a one-time Top 40, market leading AM station turned 50 in 1992. By then that AM station was airing an oldies format via a rudimentary automation system, it was still a "mom and pop" operation along with an FM that aired an AC format and was a close #3 in that market, and the AC was still live and local 24/7. For 1 full weekend they brought back many of the most popular full-time jocks who'd been on the air during the AM station's heyday and they had them host oldies shows in 4 hour blocks (with help from a board op) from Friday afternoon until Sunday afternoon. It was simulcast on both the AM and FM that company owned, they did lots of press before and during that weekend, the jocks did interviews on the TV stations in that market, etc. They hosted a big, blowout reception and dance party on Saturday night for the listeners, with many favorite jocks from back in the day in attendance. It was very good timing as the station was still part of a mom/pop AM/FM setup, most of the jocks from the station's heyday were still alive, some of them still on the air in other markets, others working in sales or white collar jobs in that same market, and many listeners still remembered them.

If that station were to try and host an 80th anniversary this year, I doubt it would work. Since that 50th anniversary tribute, both stations have since been gobbled up by one of the large media companies, the AM has since changed formats at least 4 times (it's currently syndicated sports talk) and calls at least 3 times, and both that AM and FM, along with about 1/2 dozen other stations in that market under the same owner are running satellite or automation nearly around the clock for the most part. Many of those jocks and their listeners are no longer with us. The event that was well attended and generated lots of buzz for the 50th anniversary in 1992 would barely be a blip in 2022.

Aside from maybe KDKA which is a legacy station in a city with lots of residents that have very deep roots going back generations with lots of pride in their relatively small and close-knit city, there aren't a lot of stations turning 100 with that kind of popularity or that sound much like they did even 30 or 40 years ago. WABC, for instance, has a set of legacy calls for sure, but has little resemblance to the station back during its peak, is far from the respected music station it once was, very far from the ratings powerhouse it once was, and not many in New York have much connection or even care about what the station was in its true heyday.
 
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Y2kTheNewOldies said:
www.insideradio.com

It's 'KTAR Day' As Phoenix News/Talker Celebrates 100 Years On Air.

Bonneville news/talk KTAR-FM (92.3) today commemorates the station's 100 years in Phoenix, dating back to its AM frequency's sign-on on June 21, 1922. Following Arizona Governor Doug Ducey's issuing of
www.insideradio.com www.insideradio.com

KTAR-AM Phoenix celebrates its 100th anniversary.
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Finally, a 100 year celebration in Arizona. Makes up for KOY not celebrating, as they were first on the air.

On KTAR's 75th, they did an on air retrospective, the article didn't mention about doing one for the 100th.
 
KilowattKat said:
Finally, a 100 year celebration in Arizona. Makes up for KOY not celebrating, as they were first on the air.
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The KOY call letters only date back to 1929. The heritage of the original KFCB/KOY now belongs to KFYI. They were first on the air, but not licensed as a broadcaster (as KFCB) until 9/6/1922. It had been licensed as Amateur Radio station 6BBH before that.

The first broadcaster licensed as such in Phoenix was KDYW, on 5/15/1922. It died in early 1924.
 
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