Geographic Collection – North America

Independent Radio Station WMCA

After first testing as station 2XH, WMCA began regular transmission on February 1, 1925, broadcasting on 428.6 meters wavelength (700 kHz) with a power of 500 watts. It was the 13th radio station to begin operations in New York City and was owned by broadcasting pioneer Donald Flamm. The station’s original studios and antenna were located at the Hotel McAlpin, located on Herald Square and from which the WMCA call sign derives.

Radio Stations for the Navajo Nation in the United States

The use of radio had an appeal to the Navajo in the pre-war years, and there were occasions when a tribal scene was enacted depicting the use of a receiver.  For example in October 1924, a photo was published in Radio News showing a Navajo mother with her baby at the rim of the Grand Canyon, listening to a broadcast on a radio receiver.

EMF Breaks Ground on New Tennessee HQ

Educational Media Foundation has broken ground for the construction of its new global headquarters near Nashville.

The World’s First Radio Weddings – Part 1

In our program today, we provide an answer to the probing question: What was the first radio wedding; that is, a real time wedding with a new husband and a new wife, that was broadcast live over a radio broadcasting station? As an answer, we examine a claim that was listed in a historic resume for the mediumwave station WSB in Atlanta Georgia.

The World’s First Radio Weddings – Part 2

Two more early Radio Weddings from the 1920s, broadcast over KDKA, Pittsburgh, USA, and 2MT in the UK.

Three International Radio Weddings

The first international radio wedding in our program today took place in Perth Western Australia on Saturday October 2, 1926, and it was described at the time as the first radio wedding in the history of Western Australia.  Back during that era, many radio weddings were broadcast live on radio in many parts of the world, and they were sometimes described as a publicity stunt to gain an increase in listenership.

American Shortwave Stations: On the Air in 1925

During the year 1925, there were just 5 shortwave stations on the air in the United States with a regular broadcasting schedule.  These pioneer stations were operated by 4 different radio companies.

Ancient DX Report – 1927

The American radio magazine Radio News for October 1927 presented a list of radio broadcasting stations that were recently monitored on shortwave. We have adjusted that list into a more modern format, and we present this off air monitoring information in frequency order.

KRFC Boosts Signal 16 Times Over From New Tower

Colorado-based radio station KRFC has just installed a new radio tower and RF facility, effectively boosting its signal more than 16 times to reach nearly 1 million Front Range residents.

How music radio station became ‘lifeline’ during LA Riots

On a typical day, KJLH-FM on Crenshaw Boulevard would play R&B and classic soul music for fans of Los Angeles. But when the LA Riots engulfed the city over several days in April 1992, KJLH-FM had a front row seat to the massive civil unrest.

History on record: How the CBC Northern Service built a unique trove of Canadian music

The North has always been home to a vibrant culture, but sharing it with the rest of the country has been a challenge. In the early 1970s CBC North, then called the CBC Northern Service, decided starting a record label was the way to do it.

AFRTS AFN Kodiak Alaska – Rare Audio from 1967

Part of an episode of The Steve Phillips Show from 1967, recorded in the studios of “The Mighty 8-90”, AFRTS Adak, dedicated to the staff/listeners of AFRTS Shemya.

Remembering Radio Doctors, Milwaukee’s Legendary Record Store

The other night during a Milwaukee visit enjoying the road show version of the Temptations’ Broadway hit Ain’t Too Proud with my wife, Susan Orr—former WYMS-FM dee-jay—I was reminded of the years I bought their records at Radio Doctors’ three locations: North Second and West Wells streets.; North Third Street and West Garfield Avenue, and North Third and W. Meinecke streets.

GatesAir’s 100 Years of History in Pictures

Photos span nearly all decades of the company’s existence, many of which have never been published.

KMFA Offers First Look Into New Texas Facilities

Texas’ KMFA Classical 89.5 will hold an open house this month to celebrate its new location.

WRMI at Heart of SW Broadcasts to Russia, Ukraine

During the Cold War, long-distance shortwave radio broadcasts from the BBC, Voice of America, and Radio Free/Europe/Radio Liberty pierced the Iron Curtain with trustworthy news programming. Today, this old medium is being revitalized through the efforts of volunteer groups and SW broadcasters to get through the new Iron Curtain.

KTRK / K-Truck 1670 kHz

For a few days in February 1996 the United States Army Broadcasting Service carried out test transmissions of a transportable AM-band radio station, housed in a truck, prior to deployment to Europe.

Eclipse Broadcasts from Airplanes

Eclipse historians inform us that the first attempt to observe a solar eclipse from an airplane took place for an aerial observation of the Great American Eclipse which traversed the entire continental United States on June 8, 1918. This first occasion was a simple flight into the zone of totality with no attempt at any scientific research.

The Search for an old Historic Shortwave Station KUSW

In 1939, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints which is headquartered in Salt Lake City in Utah was interested in getting on the air on shortwave. They struck a deal through their mediumwave station KSL to buy shortwave station W9XAA…

VOUS St John’s, Newfoundland

Long Lost Radio History Images: LLRI #50 – VOUS – AFRS in Canada.

During the Second World War the United States set up its Fort Pepperrell base on the shores of Quidi Vidi Lake…