KDKA (1020 AM)
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
November 2, 1920
First Air Date
Narrated by KDKA Radio Host, Larry Richert
That date was chosen because it was election day and the power of radio was proven when people could hear the results of the Harding-Cox presidential race before they read about it in the newspaper.
KDKA's Leo Rosenberg announced live returns of the Presidental election between Warren G. Harding and James Cox.
KDKA's first nationwide broadcast was the 1927 Rose Bowl football game from Pasadena.
As part of ongoing facility upgrades, this well-appointed studio went into service on December 18, 1922.
KDKA Radio in Pittsburgh and KYW Radio in Philadelphia though originally located in Chicago, Illinois are the only two outlets east of the Mississippi River with the call letters beginning with the letter K. KDKA has described itself as the "Pioneer Broadcasting Station of the World". It is considered by many historians as the first commerically licensed radio station.
Call letters are often times legendary in nature. Prior to 1928, stations that were on the air could select anything they wanted, either a three letter or four letter call sign. Stations that were already on the air could keep their existing call letters. KYW Radio is still allowed to retain its three letters status, but the FCC generally requires four letters.
Call letters often times have some meaning. WLS in Chicago stands for "World's Largest Store" because of its ties to Sears Roebuck & Company. WSM in Nashville stands for "We Shield Millions" as it was originally owned by the National Life & Accident Insurance Company.
Transmission Room on the 9th floor at KDKA
Circa 1921
Dr. Frank Conrad was a Pittsburgh area ham radio operator with lots of connections. He frequently played records over the airwaves for the benefit of his friends. This was just the sort of thing Westinghouse had in mind and it asked Conrad to help set up a regularly transmitting station in Pittsburgh.
The National Stockman & Farmer Broadcasting Station
of
KDKA
The Farmers Pioneer Radio Station
Voice of the Pittsburgh Pirates
1948-1975
Bob Prince
(1916-1985)
Robert Ferris Prince was an American radio, television sportscaster and commentator. He earned the nickname "The Gunner" and became a cultural icon in Pittsburgh. He was known as "The Gunner" for his rapid-fire delivery. Prince's charming-yet-brash demeanor, clever command of the language, entertaining gift of gab and appreciation of baseball's human elements made him the consummate professional.
Prince was one of the most distinct and popular voices in sports broadcast history, known for his gravel voice, unabashed style and clever nicknames and phrases which came to be known as "Gunnerisms". His unique manner influenced a number of broadcasters after him including Pittsburgh Penquins voice, Mike Lange and Pittsburgh Steelers color analyst Myron Cope.
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WBZ (1030 AM) was orignally broadcast from East Springfield, Massachusetts prior to the station relocating to Boston. WBZ's first broadcast from the new Boston studio was at the Hotel Brunswick located at Boylston and Berkeley Streets. The hotel was torn down in 1956 to make room for an office building. WBZ was known as the "Herald - Traveler Station" with news supplied by the Boston Herald and its sister newspaper, the Boston Traveler. June 1, 1927 WBZ's Boston studios move to the Hotel Statler which is today the Park Plaza Hotel
September 19, 1921
First Air Date
WBZ's first broadcast actually was what we today would call a "remote" from the Eastern States Exposition, a major regional agricultural fair. Among the speakers who helped to dedicate the station were the governors of Connecticut (Everett Lake) and Massachusetts (Channing Cox).
WBZ is a clear-channel station with a transmitter power output of 50,000 watts. It is the oldest broadcasting station in New England and one of the oldest in the United States. WBZ's format features all-news programming most of the day and overnight with talk radio in the evening.
Circa 1930s
Interestingly, while the debut of WBZ was big news in western Massachusetts, the local Boston newspapers seemed somewhat less than impressed. Seeing radio as the competition, they buried the story on the inside pages. Gradually, as interest in WBZ grew, print reporters found they had no choice, but to expand their coverage of broadcasting. By 1922-1923, WBZ received much more attention.
April 17, 1925 WBZ aired a program commemorating the 150th anniversary of Paul Revere's Ride.
October 9, 1926 WBZ does its first broadcast of the Boston Symphony Orchestra featuring famous conductor, Serge Koussevitzky.
Mayy 1927 WBZ begins broadcasting the Boston Pops concerts.
View inside the WBZ radio station and studio in the Westinghouse building on Page Boulevard in East Springfield, Massachusetts as two women perform live. One on piano and the other singing. Also visible is a man wearing headphones who operated a dial.
Circa September 10, 1921
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WBT (1110 AM)
Charlotte, North Carolina
March 22, 1922
First Air Date
WBT stood for "Watch Buick's Travel" In 1925, the station was sold to Charlotte Buick automobile dealer, C.C. Coddington who would promote both the radio station and his automobile dealership with the slogan 'Watch Buicks Travel.
On November 11 1928 under the provisions of the Federal Radio Commission's General Order 40, was assigned to a "clear channel" frequency which gave it exclusive national nighttime use.
WBT's 50,000 watts around the clock is the only Class A clear-channel station in the Carolinas.
For many years WBT's weekday evening host was a broadcaster by the name of Henry Boggan. In September 1979, Boggan, who had been a midday host and program director at WBIG in Greensboro, North Carolina began hosting an evening call-in talk show that ran from late 1979 to mid-1991. The show evolved around a "nice-guy" talk with no controversial issues. The show was appropriately titled, 'Hello Henry'. Henry was warm and affable, a friendly voice in the night to the faithful and adoring audience from Maine to Florida. Unlike many of his contemporaries and successors, it was not in Henry's nature to be controversial and confrontational or to demean and belittle a large portion of his potential audience. Henry described his show as a radio "letters to the editor" column. The callers' opinions, whatever they were, were valuable and worthy of being heard.
Henry had a wonderful appreciation for the history of the station.
"When I'd walk the halls in my mind I could hear the voices of those who came before me. How did I ever make it here?"
Over his years at WBT Henry would try to revive that history by bringing back groups and personalities from past shows. Henry's show usually ran for three hours every weekday in the evening from 8:00 to 11:00. He could be heard by people from Canada to Florida! Henry's contributions to the industry and the community were recognized by many local organizations.
🌟 Henry and Queenie 🌟
We will always remember you with much fondness as we listened from Maine to Florida.
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The feminine yet raucous honk of Queenie, that most adorable goose was reserved for first-time callers. It was simply Boggan's way of welcoming them to the gentle world of 'Hello Henry'.
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Those who knew Henry Boggan, personally or simply being a faithful listener remain saddened to this day when learning of Henry's passing on April 20, 2006. Ironically, Henry lived only 18 days after being inducted into the North Carolina Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame.
Congratulations, Henry
Job Well Done
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