WLW Radio, Cincinnati
Topic: CALLetters
WLW was the pride of Powel Crosley's empire. Constructed to sell the radios his factory produced, WLW became the most powerful AM broadcast station ever licensed for use in the US. Over the years, WLW grew from 20 watts to 500,000 watts, eventually settling down to a "mere" 50,000 watts. Developed out of the experimental station 8XAA, WLW received License #312 from the Department of Commerce on March 2, 1922. An early adopter of the vertical antenna structure for transmission, WLW got its first one when it purchased WMH, whose antenna had a wine bottle for an insulator! In order to sell more and cheaper radios, Crosley understood he had to have more and more powerful transmitters. So, as quickly as the technology and the government would allow, WLW increased its transmitter power to 500, 1000, 5000, and in 1928, 50,000 watts, installing a Western Electric Model.
WLW History WLW Google LinksWLW Images
Posted by BSB, editor
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Updated: Thursday, 15 November 2007 10:56 AM EST
KYW Chicago
Topic: CALLetters
The following link is to a slightly modified version of an article written by the curator that appeared in the November 8th, 1993 edition of the 'Tempo' section of the Chicago Tribune on the occasion of the 62nd anniversary of Chicago's first broadcast. It deals with KYW, Chicago's pioneer broadcast station and some of the silliness---in Chicago and elsewhere---that accompanied the 'Radio Craze' of the early 1920's.
To the Rich Samuels site WGN GOLD
KYW Chicago IDKYW Philadelphia History KYW Philadelphia NewsRadio KYW History | Philadelphia Broadcast Pioneers KYW Story KYW WKYC Cleveland, links1921 KYW-AM in Chicago, Illinois begins radio transmissions
1934 KYW-AM in Chicago, Illinois moves to Philadelphia Pennsylvania
1956 KYW-AM in Philadelphia Pennsylvania gives calls to WTAM (now WWWE) Cleveland Ohio. Philadelphia station owners, NBC, change call sign to WRCV (RCA Victor in Nearby Camden NJ)
[FCC antitrust lawsuits involving Westinghouse (Group W) and NBC ownership and affiliations force reversal of the 1956 move. Rumors at the time indicated NBC wanted swap to get foothold in larger market of Philadelphia and would cancel NBC television affilation with Group W's Philadelphia channel 3 TV station if they did not go along with the plan.]
1965 following FCC and lawsuit hearings KYW-AM in Cleveland Ohio returns call letters to Philadelphia, PA and within a few months KYW 1060kc, now under GROUP W banner, begins an all news format similar to GROUP W's WINS 1010kc in New York City. GROUP W also brought their TV production of THE MIKE DOUGLAS SHOW with them broadcasting live from the 1619 Market Street basement TV theater studio and syndicating videotape version nationwide.
WIKIPEDIA LINK
Posted by BSB, editor
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Updated: Wednesday, 14 November 2007 12:04 AM EST
KDKA
Topic: CALLetters
On November 2nd 1920 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania the Radio Station KDKA began broadcasting. It was the first commercial radio station.
Details Google Links
Topic: CALLetters
Most radio and TV call letters (aka call signs) really don't 'stand' for anything. Although some were chosen for various reasons . Today, the applicant for a license in the USA can ask for any 4-letter combination that is not already taken, depending on its location, as long as it is not obscene or indecent. It is assigned by the Federal Commmunications Commission. In the late 1920's and early 30's, the nations of the world developed the "call letters" or "call signs" to identify broadcasters, so listeners would be able to identify who they were listening to. By international convention, the USA stations were identified by the first letters W and K (a few old stations could have both no matter where they were located; but in the 1930's, the US established W stations on the East Coast and K on the West Coast (divided roughly at the Mississippi River. )Some older stations were "grandfathered in ", if they had call letters from the 20's, such as KDKA in Pittsburgh. Very old stations had 3-letters, such as WOR in New York, KFI in Los Angeles and KGO in San Francisco, KOA in Denver, KOB in Albuquerque etc. Originally, stations could ask for call letters, so some were chosen for the initials of the owners, or some other reason. Some were humorous, such as KABL in San Francisco, which had the Cable cars, or WHO , or WWVA for Wheeling, West Virginia, or KRON , which was owned by the Chronicle newspaper in San Francisco. There was an old station in Chicago, WEBH , since it broadcast from the Edgewater Beach Hotel. There is a KAML in San Francisco, with its mascot, a camel. And, of course, KISS ! Sometimes, Networks had stations that they gave their corporate initials (KNBC, or KCBS, or KABC, or WNBC, WCBS, etc.. Internationally stations broadcasting in Canada have 4 letters beginning with C and Mexico has stations beginning with X through agreements with other countrys.
Posted by BSB, editor
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Updated: Sunday, 19 August 2007 6:25 AM EDT
