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Under Construction-100 Oldest Radio Stations In The US

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CK-722
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Under Construction-100 Oldest Radio Stations In The US

Post by CK-722 » Sun Jun 28, 2020 6:43 pm

This Page Is Under Construction-Old List

Poster's Note:

MANY STATIONS BEGAN AS EXPERIMENTAL STATIONS. The dates shown here are when they were licensed as commercial stations. The experimental histories are very incomplete. But when you see a station that claims it was licensed before 1920, it was experimental. Since the experimental histories of many are presently absent or incomplete, it is misleading to show that as the sign on date.

***
The following are notes by Mr. Mishkind.
Maintained by:
BARRY MISHKIND
It would be a kindness if you'd just send a short note to let me know who you are, and what your interests are. Thanks.

The One Hundred Oldest Stations in the United States

Please note that the definition of "oldest" is based on licenses issued by the DOC,
AND the beginning of regular programming. For example, KCBS' ancestor was on
the air with a regular schedule of programs in 1912 range. The DOC did not truly
have a "broadcast" license until much later. Some suggest WBZ was the first of
these. One thing we know for sure, KDKA was NOT the first broadcaster,
NOT the first to have a "commercial" license, and NOT the first to do news (in
fact the election reports often cited for KDKA's "opening" were done as station 8ZZ.)

For more information, please see https://www.oldradio.com/general/thefirst.htm

(as of 10/20/12)

# License Date Current Calls Location Original Calls Present Day Power Day/Night
1 10/27/20 KDKA - 1020 Pittsburgh, PA KDKA 50/50
2 05/--/1921 WABC - 770 New York, NY WJZ 50/50
3 09/15/1921 WBZ - 1030 Boston, MA WBZ 50/50
4 10/13/1921 WWJ - 950 Detroit, MI WBL 50/50
5 11/09/1921 KYW - 1060 Philadelphia, PA KYW 50/50
6 12/07/1921 KWG - 1230 Stockton, CA KWG 1/1 (0.9/0.9)
7 12/08/1921 KNX - 1070 Los Angeles, CA KGC 50/50
8 12/09/1921 KCBS - 740 San Francisco, CA KQW 50/50
9 01/09/1922 KQV - 1410 Pittsburgh, PA KQV 5/5
10 01/13/1922 KUOM - 770 Minneapolis, MN WLB
11 01/13/1922 WHA - 970 Madison, WI WHA
12 02/04/1922 WGY - 810 Schenectady, NY WGY 50/50
13 02/18/1922 WOC - 1420 Davenport, IA WOC 5/5
14 02/20/1922 WOR - 710 New York, NY WOR 50/50
15 02/21/1922 WCLV - 1420 Cleveland, OH WHK 5/5
16 02/28/1922 KAQQ - 590 Spokane, WA KHQ
17 03/02/1922 WLW - 700 Cincinnati, OH WLW 50/50
18 03/09/1922 KJR - 950 Seattle, WA KJR 50/50
19 03/10/1922 KMKY - 1310 Oakland, CA KLS 5/5
03/10/1922 KAZN - 1300 Los Angeles, CA KJS
03/10/1922 KLZ - 560 Denver, CO KLZ
22 03/11/1922 KVTO - 1400 Berkeley, CA KRE 1/1
23 03/13/1922 KTCK - 1310 Dallas, TX WRR
24 03/14/1922 KTRS - 550 Saint Louis, MO KSD 5/5
03/14/1922 WGR - 550 Buffalo, NY WGR 5/5
03/14/1922 KGU -760 Honolulu, HI KGU 10/10
27 03/15/1922 WSB - 750 Atlanta, GA WSB 50/50
28 03/16/1922 WKY - 930 Oklahoma City, OK WKY 5/0.51 (was 5/5, downgraded to be nondirectional)
29 03/18/1922 WEPN - 1050 New York, NY WHN 50/50
03/18/1922 KHJ - 930 Los Angeles, CA KHJ 5/5
03/18/1922 WBT -1110 Charlotte, NC WBT 50/50
03/18/1922 WFIL - 560 Philadelphia, PA WFI 5/5
33 03/20/1922 WIP - 610 Philadelphia, PA WIP 5/5
34 03/21/1922 KPOJ - 620 Portland, OR KGW
35 03/22/1922 KTRH - 740 Houston, TX WCM
36 03/23/1922 WEW - 770 Saint Louis, MO WEW
03/23/1922 KMJ - 580 Fresno, CA KMJ 50/50
38 03/28/1922 WILL - 580 Urbana, IL WRM 5/0.1
39 03/29/1922 WSCR - 670 Chicago, IL WGU 50/50
40 03/30/1922 KGY - 1240 Olympia, WA KGY 1/1
03/30/1922 KKMO - 1360 Tacoma, WA KMO
42 03/31/1922 KFI - 640 Los Angeles, CA KFI 50/50
03/31/1922 WWL -870 New Orleans, LA WWL 50/50
44 04/05/1922 WBAA - 920 West Lafayette, IN WBAA 5/1
04/05/1922 KKOB - 770 Albuquerque, NM KOB 50/50
04/05/1922 KZQZ - 1430 Saint Louis, MO WEB 50/5
04/05/1922 WDZ - 1050 Decatur, IL WDZ
04/05/1922 KMBZ - 980 Kansas City, MO WPE
49 04/07/1922 WNTD - 950 Chicago, IL WAAF 1/5
50 04/10/1922 WBBR - 1130 New York, NY WAAM 50/50
51 04/12/1922 KUFO - 970 Portland, OR KQP
52 04/17/1922 WJBO - 1150 Baton Rouge, LA WAAB
04/17/1922 KNBR - 680 San Francisco, CA KPO 50/50
54 04/19/1922 KCRO - 660 Omaha, NE WAAW
55 04/21/1922 KSL - 1160 Salt Lake City, UT KZN 50/50
56 04/22/1922 KKDZ - 1250 Seattle, WA KTW
57 04/25/1922 WSOY - 1340 Decatur, IL WBAO 1/1
58 04/26/1922 WBAP - 820 Fort Worth, TX WBAP 50/50
59 04/28/1922 WOI - 640 Ames, IA WOI 5/1
60 04/29/1922 WTVN - 610 Columbus, OH WBAV 5/5
04/29/1922 WBAX - 1240 Wilkes-Barre, PA WBAX 1/1
62 05/03/1922 KNEW - 910 Oakland, CA KLX 20/5
05/03/1922 WTAE - 1250 Pittsburgh, PA WCAE 5/5
64 05/04/1922 WJR - 760 Detroit, MI WCX 50/50
65 05/08/1922 WCAO - 600 Baltimore, MD WCAO 5/5
05/08/1922 KFNZ - 1320 Salt Lake City, UT KDYL
67 05/09/1922 KTSA - 550 San Antonio, TX WCAR
68 05/10/1922 WPHT - 1210 Philadelphia, PA WCAU 50/50
05/10/1922 WHB - 710 Kansas City, MO WHB 10/5
70 05/13/1922 WVMT - 620 Burlington, VT WCAX
05/13/1922 WBNS - 1460 Columbus, OH WCAH 5/1
72 05/15/1922 WDAE - 1250 Tampa, FL WDAE
05/15/1922 WTMJ - 620 Milwaukee, WI WCAY 50/10
05/15/1922 WCAZ - 990 Carthage, IL WCAZ 1/0.009 No Longer Licensed
75 05/16/1922 WDAF - 610 Kansas City, MO WDAF 5/5
05/16/1922 KGNC - 710 Amarillo, TX WDAG
77 05/19/1922 WFAN - 660 New York, NY WDAM 50/50
05/19/1922 KEEL - 710 Shreveport, LA WDAN 50/5
05/19/1922 WGN - 720 Chicago, IL WDAP 50/50
80 05/23/1922 KMPS - 1300 Seattle, WA KDZE 50/3.2
05/23/1922 WDAY - 970 Fargo, ND WDAY 5/5
82 05/25/1922 WFDF - 910 Flint, MI WEAA 50/25
83 05/26/1922 KFH - 1330 Wichita, KS WEAH 5/5
84 05/27/1922 WHCU - 870 Ithaca, NY WEAI
85 05/31/1922 KHOW - 630 Denver, CO KDZQ
86 06/03/1922 WOSU - 820 Columbus, OH WEAO 6.5/0.79
87 06/05/1922 WLKW - 790 Providence, RI WEAN
06/05/1922 KLIF - 570 Dallas, TX WFAA 5/5
89 06/21/1922 KTAR - 620 Phoenix, AZ KFAD
06/21/1922 KWSU - 1250 Pullman, WA KFAE
91 06/24/1922 WLPA - 1490 Lancaster, PA WGAL 1/1
92 06/26/1 922 WSUI - 910 Iowa City, IA WHAA 5/4
93 06/29/1922 WSBT - 960 South Bend, IN WGAZ 5/5
94 07/05/1922 WHAM - 1180 Rochester, NY WHAM 50/50
95 07/11/1922 KEIN - 1310 Great Falls, MT KFBB
96 07/13/1922 WHAS - 840 Louisville, KY WHAS 50/50
97 07/14/1922 KLSD - 1360 San Diego, CA KFBC 5/1
98 07/18/1922 KIDO-630 Boise, ID KFAU
07/18/1922 WHAZ - 1330 Troy, NY WHAZ
100 07/22/1922 WDEL - 1150 Wilmington, DE WHAV
07/22/1922 WDAS - 1480 Philadelphia, PA WIAD 5/5
07/22/1922 WISN - 1130 Milwaukee, WI WIAO 50/10


The information and dates used were adapted from Thomas White's research.

Was KDKA really the first station? Perhaps. Please, read on...

A discussion by Barry Mishkind about which station was on the air first.
Who's On First?

A discussion by Thomas White about which station was on the air first.
US Pioneer Broadcast Service Stations


Is THAT where they got the idea for the 486-SX?

Same (x, y, z), different (t)

Your bullet missed my trial balloon.

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User avatar
Plate Cap
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Location: After the rectifier stack

Re: Under Construction-100 Oldest Radio Stations In The US

Post by Plate Cap » Mon Jul 06, 2020 10:44 pm

I'm amazed by how many stations eventually gave up the 3 letter call sign.....what an incredibly foolish thing to do. Instant unique positioning in most markets with a 3 letter call.


The box that many broadcasters won’t look outside of was made in 1969 and hasn’t changed significantly since.

k8jd
Posts: 603
Joined: Fri Jun 28, 2013 3:35 pm
Location: Commerce, MI

Re: Under Construction-100 Oldest Radio Stations In The US

Post by k8jd » Wed Jul 08, 2020 3:01 pm

I agree the three letter calls should have been valued more..
Would it be easier to make a list of the hundred newest callsign changes on the FM band ?? ;D



paul8539
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Joined: Fri Dec 10, 2004 5:20 pm

Re: Under Construction-100 Oldest Radio Stations In The US

Post by paul8539 » Fri Jul 10, 2020 6:52 pm

My understanding is that WWJ was originally called 8MK; then they changed to something, then they changed again to WWJ.



CK-722
Posts: 1284
Joined: Sun Dec 16, 2018 3:53 pm

Re: Under Construction-100 Oldest Radio Stations In The US

Post by CK-722 » Sat Jul 11, 2020 2:23 am

8MK was an experimental callsign. It looks like it was WBL before it became WWJ. Still a ways to go to update and review, and a lot of things came up in the meantime.


Is THAT where they got the idea for the 486-SX?

Same (x, y, z), different (t)

Your bullet missed my trial balloon.

RTN Price. Not guaranteed. As of 12:30, 157.71 Down 0.22.

Artificial Intelligence is a Child that needs a Parent to guide it through.

k8jd
Posts: 603
Joined: Fri Jun 28, 2013 3:35 pm
Location: Commerce, MI

Re: Under Construction-100 Oldest Radio Stations In The US

Post by k8jd » Mon Jul 13, 2020 6:03 pm

The 8MK callsign was in the format that was issued to expreimantal, Amateur (non commercial radio) operations, later a prefix for each country was agreed upon by international treaty. ( when it was discovered radio waves went over national boundaries :D ) Then later, the commercial ship, shore and broadcasters were issued 3 or 4 letters only with first letter(s) that went with the country of license.



CK-722
Posts: 1284
Joined: Sun Dec 16, 2018 3:53 pm

Re: Under Construction-100 Oldest Radio Stations In The US

Post by CK-722 » Tue Jul 14, 2020 6:57 pm

WFDF was previously experimentally licensed to Frank Fallain as 8ZH, before WEAA. I read recently that KDKA was licensed experimentally as 8ZZ before the commercial license was issued. So maybe it's a different variety of apple, if not an orange. All I'm saying is we have to be consistent.


Is THAT where they got the idea for the 486-SX?

Same (x, y, z), different (t)

Your bullet missed my trial balloon.

RTN Price. Not guaranteed. As of 12:30, 157.71 Down 0.22.

Artificial Intelligence is a Child that needs a Parent to guide it through.

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