Moment 1: KDKA Makes First Commercial Broadcast
The nation’s first commercial radio broadcast was aired by Pittsburgh’s KDKA on November 2, 1920. Choosing to go on air on Election Day gave the station the chance to demonstrate the power of broadcast radio, as listeners could hear the results of the Harding-Cox presidential race before they read them in the newspaper. One hundred years later, radio has adapted to the lives of listeners, providing the music, sports, weather, news and emergency information they rely on every day. Here’s to another 100 years of radio innovation and its enduring impact on every community!
Moment 2: FCC Authorizes AM Radio Stations to Voluntarily Adopt All-Digital Transmission
On October 27, 2020, the Federal Communications Commission approved an order allowing broadcast AM radio stations to voluntarily adopt all-digital service. This order will provide AM stations with essential flexibility to provide interference-free broadcasts and attract new listeners.
Moment 3: Bob Uecker Begins His Radio Career
In 1971, Bob Uecker, affectionally known as "Mr. Baseball," began calling play-by-play for the Milwaukee Brewers' radio broadcasts, a position he holds to this day. His first career was professional baseball. Uecker played six seasons in the majors (1962-1967), playing catcher for three different National League teams: Braves (Milwaukee, Wisc., and Atlanta, Ga.), Cardinals (St. Louis, Mo.) and Phillies (Philadelphia, Pa.). Beloved for his self-deprecating humor, he would be the first person to make fun of his rather unremarkable playing career. He joked that the highlight of his major-league career was when he “walked with the bases loaded to drive in the winning run in an intersquad game in spring training.”
Moment 4: Audi Announces Most of Their 2021 Vehicles in the U.S. and Canada Will be Equipped with Fully Hybrid Radio Experience
On May 11, 2020 Audi of America announced that most of their 2021 vehicles sold in the U.S. and Canada will be equipped with a “host of new Generation 3 infotainment technologies,” and for the first time, consumers in the U.S. will be able to enjoy a fully featured (with logo and streaming audio support) hybrid radio experience in an original equipment automotive receiver. Hybrid radio has both over-the-air and internet connectivity.
Moment 5: Groucho Marx Hosts 'You Bet Your Life'
Comedian, actor and writer Groucho Marx had a successful film and vaudeville career as part of the Marx Brothers, but his radio career didn’t take off until 1947, when producer John Guedel convinced him to host a new quiz program called "You Bet Your Life." The game itself was fairly straightforward: three couples were brought onstage, asked four questions and given $20 to wager as they chose. There was also a “secret word,” which could net contestants extra money, and a jackpot question for the most successful couple. Groucho Marx's quick-witted remarks were a key to the show's success. Rarely at a loss for words, Marx freely engaged in unrehearsed banter with the contestants and announcer George Fenneman.
Moment 6: Emergency Alert System (EAS) Launches
The Emergency Alert System (EAS) national warning system was approved by the FCC in November 1994, and it officially replaced its predecessor, the Emergency Broadcast System (EBS), on January 1, 1997. It is jointly coordinated by FEMA, the FCC and NOAA. Its regulations and standards are managed by the Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau of the FCC. The system equires radio and TV broadcasters, cable TV, wireless cable systems, satellite and wireline operators to provide the president with capability to address the American people within 10 minutes during a national emergency. In practice, it is more commonly used to distribute information regarding imminent threats to public safety, such as severe weather situations (including flash floods and tornadoes), AMBER Alerts of child abductions and other civil emergencies.
Moment 7: Debut of Country's First 24-hour All Sports Radio Station, WFAN
On July 1, 1987, WFAN Sports Radio went on the air at 1050 AM, becoming the first 24-hour all-sports radio station in the country. The first voice heard on WFAN was that of Suzyn Waldman, with a sports update, followed by the first show, which was hosted by Jim Lampley. Waldman reported for the station, covering the New York Yankees and New York Knicks, for 14 years. Ann Liguori was the first woman to host a call-in sports show on WFAN when her "Hey Liguori, What’s the Story" show debuted on Saturday morning, July 4, 1987. WFAN moved down the dial to 660 AM in October 1988, and then added a simulcast on 101.9 FM in November 2012.
Moment 8: Winston Churchill Delivers 'This Was Their Finest Hour' Speech
In one of his greatest speeches, delivered first before the House of Commons on June 18, 1940, and then broadcast to the nation on the radio, Winston Churchill inspires his countrymen to soldier on after the fall of France, assuring them that if Great Britain upholds its duty to fight, "men will still say, 'This was their finest hour.'"
Moment 9: First Transitor Radio Hits the Consumer Market
The Regency TR-1, made by the Regency Division of I.D.E.A. (Industrial Development Engineering Associates) of Indianapolis, Ind., was the first commercially manufactured transistor radio. The TR-1 was announced on October 18, 1954 and put on sale in November 1954 for $49.95 and sold about 150,000 units.
Moment 10: Elvis Presley Heard on the Radio for the First Time
On July 8, 1954, Memphis DJ Dewey Phillips played a new song on the radio for the first time. It hadn't even been pressed into a record yet, but when Phillips heard the tape that had been recorded a few days earlier at Sun Records, he wanted to play it on the air as soon as possible. It was the first time that the music of Elvis Presley was heard on the radio. The switchboard at WHBQ lit up immediately with listeners wanting to know who this new artist was. Phillips played "That's All Right" over and over and tried to reach Presley on the phone. The song, one of many Presley would do during his famous sessions with Sun Studios, was “That’s All Right (Mama),” originally written in 1946 by blues singer/songwriter Arthur “Big Boy” Crudup. But Elvis was at the movies. His parents tracked him down there and brought him to the studio for his first radio interview.
Moment 11: Radio Covers Height of U.S. Engagement in Vietnam War
The Vietnam War became a subject of large-scale news coverage in the United States after substantial numbers of U.S. combat troops had been committed to the war in the spring of 1965. Broadcast reports with audio and footage from the Vietnam War was transmitted into viewers' homes, forever changing how television and radio covered wars. By 1968, at the height of the war, there were about 600 accredited journalists of all nationalities in Vietnam, reporting for U.S. wire services, radio and television networks, and the major newspaper chains and news magazines. The U.S. Military Assistance Command, Vietnam (MACV) made military transportation readily available to newspeople, including radio broadcasters, and some took advantage of this frequently to venture into the field and get their stories first-hand. Also during the war, Armed Forces Vietnam Network served more than 500,000 fighting men and women at one time. A number of local disc jockeys helped make hourlong music programs for broadcast. Perhaps the best-known program became the morning "Dawn Buster" program, (the brainchild of Chief Petty Officer Bryant Arbuckle in 1962) thanks to the popularity of the sign-on slogan "Gooooood Morning, Vietnam" (which was initiated by Adrian Cronauer and later became the basis for the film "Good Morning, Vietnam" starring Robin Williams).
Moment 12: Radio Brings Watergate Hearings to Americans' Living Rooms
On May 17, 1973, Senator Sam Ervin opened the hearings of the Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities into the Watergate incident. The audio feed of the hearings was broadcast gavel-to-gavel on scores of radio stations, making the hearings available to people in their homes, cars and workplaces. During the Senate hearings, former White House legal counsel John Dean testified that the Watergate break-in had been approved by former Attorney General John Mitchell with the knowledge of chief White House advisers John Ehrlichman and H.R. Haldeman, and that President Richard Nixon had been aware of the cover-up.
Moment 13: Red Skelton's Radio Career Begins
Legendary comedian Red Skelton's radio career began in 1937 with a guest appearance on "The Fleischmann's Yeast Hour" on NBC, which led to his becoming the host of "Avalon Time" in 1938. He became the host of "The Raleigh Cigarette Program in 1941," on which many of his comedy characters were created, such as The Mean Widdle Kid, or "Junior" and cab driver Clem Kadiddlehopper. He had a regularly scheduled radio program until 1957.
Moment 13: Red Skelton's Radio Career Begins
Legendary comedian Red Skelton's radio career began in 1937 with a guest appearance on "The Fleischmann's Yeast Hour" on NBC, which led to his becoming the host of "Avalon Time" in 1938. He became the host of "The Raleigh Cigarette Program in 1941," on which many of his comedy characters were created, such as The Mean Widdle Kid, or "Junior" and cab driver Clem Kadiddlehopper. He had a regularly scheduled radio program until 1957.
Moment 14: 'Music & the Spoken Word' Debuts
"Music & the Spoken Word," the longest-running continuous network radio program in the world, debuted on KSL Salt Lake City on July 15, 1929. Broadcaster Earl J. Glade urged the newly formed National Broadcasting Company to offer a weekly program that featured musical performances by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir accompanied by spiritual messages and passages related to a specific episode's theme – the "spoken word."
Moment 15: BMW Makes HD Radio Standard
BMW was one of the pioneering automotive original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to embrace HD Radio technology by providing the entertainment upgrade as an option in select models in 2006. Since then, BMW has continued to expand its commitment by adding HD Radio Technology to more vehicles in its product lineup – and in 2007, BMW became the first automaker to offer factory-installed HD Radio receivers as an option across its entire product line. In November 2008, BMW tested and validated the capability for broadcasting real-time traffic information via HD Radio stations. On April 1, 2010, BMW announced that the launch of the 2011 BMW 5 Series Sedan marked the first time BMW’s entire product line was equipped with standard digital HD Radio Technology entertainment systems.
Moment 16: Premiere of CBS World News Roundup
The CBS World News Roundup began on March 13, 1938, as a response to growing tensions in Europe. The initial broadcast was hosted by veteran newscaster Robert Trout, with short-wave reports from Paris, Berlin, Rome, London and Vienna. Two of the newer, more memorable voices heard on that first broadcast were Edward R. Murrow and William L. Shirer. During the years of war that followed, Murrow’s reports from London and Shirer’s reports from Berlin became essential listening for Americans concerned about events taking place overseas. The show earned CBS a reputation for outstanding, in-depth reporting and made foreign news coverage a regular part of the network’s programming. CBS World News Roundup remains on the CBS Radio Network today, making it America's longest-running radio news program.
Moment 17: Ford Becomes First Automaker to Offer HD Radio with iTunes Tagging
Ford becomes the first auto manufacturer to offer factory-installed HD Radio with iTunes tagging capabilities. Starting with production year 2010, iTunes Tagging providea customers (via Ford’s SYNC system) with the ability to capture a song they hear on the HD Radio receiver for later purchase. With a simple push of the “TAG” button on the radio display, the song information is stored in the radio’s memory.
Moment 18: Stations Around the Globe Air 'We Are the World'
Radio stations around the world Friday dropped their usual programming for a few minutes for a simultaneous Good Friday broadcast of “We Are the World,” the enormously popular pop song aimed at helping African famine relief efforts. Over 8,000 radio stations simultaneously broadcast the song around the world. As the song was broadcast, hundreds of people sang along on the steps of St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York. Stevie Wonder, Lionel Richie, Diana Ross, Billy Joel, Dionne Warwick, Michael Jackson, Bruce Springsteen and Ray Charles were among the 46 singers who participated.
Moment 19: Jack Benny's Radio Debut
Comdian Jack Benny first appeared on radio as a guest of Ed Sullivan on March 19, 1932. Benny got his own twice-weekly show later that year on CBS radio. His career also included a long stay at NBC radio and a return to CBS through his final program on May 22, 1955. Highly polished scripts kept hammering away on Benny’s portrayal of himself as a stingy and vain man, concerned about his receding hairline and adamant that he was no older than 39. Benny's immense popularity led to later bringing his act to television.
Moment 20: Local Radio Stations Keep the East Coast Safe and Informed During Hurricane Sandy
During Hurricane Sandy, radio broadcasters up and down the East Coast delivered wall-to-wall coverage of the storm, providing a lifeline to communities. Then-FEMA Administratior Craig Fugate urged the up to 50 million people living in areas potentially impacted by the storm to stay informed by tuning into local broadcasting, and radio in particular. "Probably one of the things you don't really think about anymore is having a battery powered radio or a hand-cranked radio to get news from your local broadcasters…Cellphones may be congested. Radio is oftentimes the way to get those important messages about what's going on in the local community," Fugate said.
Moment 21: The First Radio Reading Service for the Blind
The Minnesota Radio Talking Book Network was the world's first radio reading service for the blind; the first on-air date was January 2, 1969. The Minnesota Radio Talking Book Network, at that time called the Radio Talking Book, was started as a side-channel on KSJR-FM, itself fairly new at the time. KSJR began January 22, 1967, as the classical radio station belonging to St. John's University, and was called MER, Minnesota Educational Radio. In 1974, the station's name was changed to Minnesota Public Radio, MPR.
Moment 22: Debut of 'The Edgar Berger and Charlie McCarthy Show'
"The Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy Show" was a radio comedy variety show that aired from 1936 to 1956. The show featured ventriloquist Edgar Bergen and his beloved puppet Charlie McCarthy. Bergen and McCarthy made their radio debut on Rudy Vallee’s Royal Gelatin Hour in 1936 and were an instant success. In 1937, they were given their own show for "The Chase & Sanborn Hour." Almost immediately, "The Edgar Bergen/Charlie McCarthy Show" became one of radio’s highest-rated programs, a distinction it enjoyed until it left the air in 1956.
Moment 23: Digital Audio Broadcasting Arrives
Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB) is demonstrated at the National Association of Broadcasters’ 1990 convention, NAB Show, in Atlanta, Ga., as the first digital radio broadcasting system for terrestrial or satellite use. While DAB eventually became a popular format in Europe, a later technology -- ultimately known as HD Radio -- was selected for terrestrial digital radio broadcasting in the U.S. Digital radio provides crystal-clear sound and additional channels of music, talk and foreign-language programming for free.
Moment 24: The Beginning of Talk Radio
Barry Gray is widely credited for creating the talk show format. Initially a disc jockey, Gray was working for New York City radio station WOR in 1945 when bandleader Woody Herman called in while Gray was talking about him. Gray broadcast the call and the spontaneous live interview was such a hit with both his listeners and station managers that the talk radio format resulted. Gray subsequently began doing listener call-ins as well.
Moment 25: Radio Stations Regularly Transmitting in HD Radio
By 2003, several broadcast radio stations across the country were regularly transmitting in HD Radio. This technology enables AM and FM radio stations to broadcast their programs digitally. HD Radio is the brand name for the digital radio broadcast technology developed by iBiquity Digital Corporation (now Xperi Corporation). The technology provides crystal-clear sound and additional channels of music, talk and foreign-language programming for free.
Moment 26: Hurricane Katrina
Radio provides life-saving information to local communications during natural disasters, and Hurricane Katrina was no exception. Entercom’s WWL-AM was the only local radio station left on air as the storm battered New Orleans. The broadcast continued despite the collapsed telephone system and downed power grids. Following the storm, WWL's emergency coverage was simulcast on numerous other frequencies under the name "The United Radio Broadcasters of New Orleans."
Moment 27: First Live Opera Broadcast
The NBC network made radio history on December 25, 1931 when it broadcast a matinee performance of Engelbert Humperdinck’s opera “Hansel und Gretel” live from the stage of the Metropolitan Opera House in New York City to listeners across the country. The weekly series of full-length operas was created as the Met, financially endangered in the early years of the Great Depression, sought to enlarge its audience and support through national exposure on broadcast radio.
Moment 28: Radio Data Standard Released for Use in the U.S.
The U.S. National Radio Systems Committee (NRSC) releases the Radio Broadcast Data Standard (RBDS, later shortened to RDS) for stations to transmit messages to display screens on radios, including time, station identification and program information.
Moment 29: Debut of Lux Radio Theater
“Lux…presents Hollywood!” These words introduced broadcast radio’s biggest and most important dramatic program. For two decades, The Lux Radio Theater presented radio versions of movie attractions, current or coming, while the biggest names in cinema played the leading roles.
Moment 30: Herbert Hoover Becomes Secretary of Commerce
As secretary of commerce during the 1920s, Herbert Hoover convened a series of national radio conferences, which established the main principles of American broadcasting: a nationwide system of broadcasting, self-regulation by the industry and independent ownership of broadcast stations.
Moment 31: The Shot Heard Around the World: New York Giants Outfielder Bobby Thomson's Game-Winning Home Run
New York Giants broadcaster Russ Hodges’ famous October 3, 1951 “The Giants win the pennant! The Giants win the pennant!” radio call when Bobby Thomson hit a game-winning home run in the bottom of the ninth inning against the Brooklyn Dodgers became synonymous with the game-winning play itself. The game, which was the was the first ever to be televised nationally, was heard on the radio by millions, including thousands of American servicemen stationed in Korea, who were listening to Armed Forces Radio.
Moment 32: First Full-Time Spanish-Language Radio Station in the United States Developed
Known as the father of Spanish radio, Nathan Safir gave San Antonio, Texas, its first Spanish programming in 1940. In 1953, he turned KCOR-AM San Antonio, the nations’ premier full-time Spanish station, into a model format. In 1955, he founded KCOR-TV, America’s first Spanish TV station. In 1946 he helped develop, with founder Raoul Cortez, the first full-time Spanish-language radio station in the United States at KCOR-AM. Although there were others who pioneered Spanish-language broadcasting in the Southwest, Nathan Safir generally is recognized as one of the individuals most responsible for its development.
Moment 33: RCA Founded
The Radio Corporation of America, later shortened to RCA, was formed on October 17, 1919 with the assets of the American Marconi wireless company and key radio patents owned by General Electric, Westinghouse, and other players. Conceived as a “marriage of convenience” between private corporations and the U.S. government for the development of wireless communication, RCA soon grew in a different direction. Prior to 1920, most Americans couldn’t even fathom the idea of voices and music coming into their homes over the air. But the availability of free over-the-air music and information fueled tremendous growth with sales of in-home radio sets growing from 5,000 units in 1920 to more than 2.5 million units in 1924.
Moment 34: Allison Steele named 'FM Personality of the Year' by Billboard Magazine
In the late 1960s, FM station WNEW in New York City experimented with an all-female format. Allison Steele won an audition against 800 other women and began working there as a disc jockey. She stayed on when the format was abandoned 18 months later, and gained popularity as “The Nightbird.” Her overnight show drew an estimated audience of 78,000, and she was chosen by Billboard Magazine in 1976 as the “FM Personality of the Year.”
Moment 35: WOC-AM in Davenport, Iowa, Hires Ronald Reagan
A young Ronald Reagan fresh out of college tried unsuccessfully to land a radio job in Illinois, so he went looking in Iowa. He interviewed with the program director at WOC, who coincidentally had just hired an announcer the day before and had no open positions. Reagan expressed his desire to become a sports announcer, and the program director asked him to pretend to broadcast an imaginary football game. He auditioned using the example of a game he played in the previous season and got the opportunity to broadcast his first assignment that weekend – the University of Iowa’s homecoming game against Minnesota. As a safety net, the program director had Reagan and another more experienced announcer take turns calling each quarter. But by the time Reagan was finishing up the third quarter and about to hand off the duties, the program director sent a note down that read “Let the kid finish the game.”
Moment 36: Delilah Debuts 'Lights Out' on KLSY 92.5 FM
For over 30 years, Delilah Rene has been, in her own words, “the queen of sappy love songs.” She was 23 when she joined KLSY Seattle as an evening disc jockey in 1983. It was at KLSY that she had the idea for a show that would not only take requests from listeners but also allow those listeners to share their stories and discuss their troubles to a sympathetic ear. The two-hour "Lights Out" debuted in 1984 and quickly became the station’s most popular show.
Moment 37: Debut of The March of Time – Radio News Program
One of radio’s earliest news programs, "The March of Time" was the brainchild of radio executive Fred Smith and Time magazine circulation director Roy Larsen. Radio news reporting was in its infancy when Smith suggested a show designed to dramatize the news, utilizing voices and music to re-enact what radio could not yet report live.
Moment 38: JFK's Address on Cuban Missile Crisis
On October 22, 1962, President John F. Kennedy announced on the radio and television that U.S. spy planes discovered Soviet missile bases in Cuba. These missile sites were capable of striking a number of major cities in the United States, including Washington, D.C. Kennedy announced that he was ordering a naval “quarantine” of Cuba to prevent Soviet ships from transporting any more offensive weapons to the island and explained that the U.S. would not tolerate the existence of the missile sites currently in place. The president made it clear that America would not stop short of military action to end what he called a “clandestine, reckless and provocative threat to world peace.
Moment 39: Bill of Rights Passes Congress
On this day in history, Congress passed a collection of amendments to the U.S. Constitution, 10 of which would become the Bill of Rights. Foremost in the Bill of Rights is the First Amendment, which includes the right to a free press and for Americans to speak their minds openly and have their voices heard by the government. Radio and television journalists have exercised their rights to a free press to provide their audiences with the most trusted news on the most important events impacting their lives.
Moment 40: NBC Debuts on Radio
David Sarnoff made radio a household utility and played a leading role in establishing network radio with the formation of the National Broadcasting Company in 1926. With the creation of the Radio Corporation of America, he became a dominant force in electronic communications for more than 50 years. On November 15, 1926, NBC made its debut over 19 stations extending from the East Coast to Kansas City, Missouri.
Moment 41: The First Radio Program Broadcast from a Presidential Convention
The first radio program broadcast from a presidential convention took place on June 10, 1924 at the Republican convention in Cleveland, Ohio. Radio’s big news story during the two-day convention was the nomination of Calvin Coolidge as the Republican presidential nominee.
Moment 43: One of the First Traffic Condition Reports from the Skies
It wasn’t long after the first radios were installed in automobiles that the radio traffic report was born. One of the first stations to report on traffic conditions was WINS in New York City. On Aug. 10, 1935, Police Deputy Commander Harold Fowler flew over the city’s main traffic arteries in a Goodyear blimp, informing motorists about the least congested routes. Curiously, these first broadcasts were made only on the weekends.
Moment 44: Assasination of President John F. Kennedy
KLIF Dallas radio news anchor Gary DeLaune was the first reporter to announce the November 22, 1963 shooting of President John F. Kennedy. DeLaune’s reports were heard on 350 radio stations worldwide.
Moment 45: President Richard M. Nixon Resigns
On August 8, 1974, President Richard M. Nixon announced his intention to become the first president in American history to resign live on radio and television. Millions of people listened to the 16-minute speech on radio. Over 2,700 radio stations across the country aired Nixon's speech.
Moment 46: First Station Licensed to Operate on the AM Expanded Band
In 1995, WJDM Elizabeth, NJ, became the first licensed U.S. station to operate on the AM expanded band, consisting of 10 new AM channels between 1605 and 1705 kHz allocated by the FCC several years earlier.
Moment 47: The Beatles Are Played on the Radio for the First Time
While Beatlemania arrived in the United States in 1964, the first time a Beatles song was played on the radio in the U.S. was in late February 1963. Dick Biondi of WLS in Chicago was the first American DJ to play the Beatles hit “Please Please Me." It peaked the WLS charts at #35 for the weeks of March 8 and March 15, 1963 and then dropped off. The Beatles had other songs released in America in 1963, but none charted nationally on Billboard.
Moment 48: First Airing of Don McNiell's Breakfast Club
Originator of one of the longest running radio shows, Don McNeill’s “Breakfast Club” aired for nearly three and a half decades starting in 1933. McNeill and cast improvised dialogues, gags and situations as they went along and “Breakfast Club” gained the reputation of being “the most unrehearsed show in radio.”
Moment 49: First Airing of Walter Winchell on the Radio
Operating a telegraph key to accent his dramatic, fast-paced style of newscasting, news personality Walter Winchell gave his listeners the “inside story” during the 1930s and ‘40s.
Moment 50: First World Series Announced by Mel Allen
“The Voice of the New York Yankees,” Mel Allen was the announcer for the team’s games from 1939-1964. He announced more World Series games than anyone in baseball history and changed the style of sports broadcasting by making the announcer seem part of the drama taking place on the field.
Moment 51: Matinee with Bob and Ray Airs
Comedy pioneers Bob Elliot and Ray Goulding first worked together in 1946 at WHDH in Boston. Their comedy career started when then began creating skits after newscasts and before Red Sox games. Their show “Matinee with Bob and Ray” featured spoofs of radio drama show of the day, with titles like “Mary Backstayge, Noble Wife” and “One Feller’s Family.”
Moment 52: President Ronald Reagan begins Saturday Morning Radio Addresses
On April 3, 1982, President Ronald Reagan revived the tradition of radio addresses started by President Franklin D. Roosevelt through his radio addresses to the nation on Saturday mornings. Reagan's addresses were arranged by White House Communications Director Michael Deaver. Originally, Reagan was scheduled to host only nine talks. However, the popularity of the addresses was so great that it would continue for the rest of his presidency. Reagan’s goal was “To bring the facts to the people as succinctly as I can cram in five minutes.”
Moment 53: Local Radio Stations Keep Listeners Informed During 9/11
On this day 19 years ago, local radio stations sprung into action to cover the terrorist attacks against the United States. The tragedy demonstrated radio’s importance in keeping the public informed. When internet and cell phone networks went down, radio did not. People relied on radio broadcasts to share news of where needs were most urgent, to learn about the missing or to find out news about their loved ones. Radio broadcasters are first informers and are proud to work hand in hand with first responders in times of crisis.
Moment 54: Hal Jackson's First Time On Air
Hal Jackson was the first African American play-by-play sportscaster and the network radio announcer. Jackson was also the first New York City personality to have daily radio shows on three separate stations. He was host of the top-rated “Sunday Classics” on WBLS-FM and the first African American to be inducted into the NAB Broadcasting Hall of Fame. In 1939, Jackson broke the color line at WINX/Washington by hosting "The Bronze Review," a nightly interview program. Before long, Hal had agreed to host called "The House That Jack Built," a program of jazz and blues on WOOK. At one point in the 1940s, Jackson was hosting four different daily programs for four different Washington-area stations.
Moment 55: 8MK Detroit Airs First Radio News Program
On August 31, 1920, the first news delivered by radio – the returns of a primary local, state and congressional election – was broadcast by 8MK in Detriot, Michigan. The successful broadcast was marked on September 1 with this announcement: "The sending of the election returns by The Detroit News’ radiophone Tuesday night was fraught with romance and must go down in the history of man’s conquest of the elements as a gigantic step in his progress."
Moment 56: Marconi Sends First Trans-Atlantic Transmission
On December 12, 1901 Italian engineer and inventor Guglielmo Marconi successfully sent the first radio signals across the Atlantic Ocean. A radio signal was sent from Poldhu, Cornwall and received 2,100 miles away in Newfoundland, Canada. The received signal was the Morse code for the letter “S.” International communication was forever revolutionized. Marconi’s technology was especially significant for ships at sea – one of the most notable moments being the SOS signal sent from the sinking Titanic in 1912.
Moment 57: First Dodgers Broadcast of Vin Scully's 67-Year Career
Legendary broadcaster Vin Scully began his career as announcer for the Brooklyn Dodgers on April 18, 1950, at age 22. When the Dodgers moved to Los Angeles, Scully went with them and remained the team's announcer until 2014.
Moment 58: Fall of the Berlin Wall
A small anti-establishment radio station with a monthly show called “Radio Glasnost” gave a voice to the growing resistance movement in East Germany in the late 1980s. As dissident voices spread the word about reform, the station amplified their cause by broadcasting messages from cassette tapes that were smuggled across the border to a makeshift studio on the other side of the Wall. One of the founders and editors of that small radio operation is German journalist Roland Jahn, who believes the monthly broadcasts of these dissident voices helped bring down the Berlin Wall.
Moment 59: Germany Surrenders in WWII
Known as V-E Day (“Victory in Europe Day”) and celebrated around the world, on May 8, 1945, President Harry Truman announced over the radio Germany’s unconditional surrender of its armed forces, signaling the end of World War II in Europe. Coinciding with his 61st birthday, President Truman declared, “This is a solemn but a glorious hour. I only wish that Franklin D. Roosevelt had lived to witness this day. General Eisenhower informs me that the forces of Germany have surrendered to the United Nations. The flags of freedom fly all over Europe.” He continued that the war was not officially over due to continued fighting with Japan and said, “If I could give you a single watchword for the coming months, that word is work, work, and more work. We must work to finish the war. Our victory is but half won."
Moment 60: Columbia University's Radio Club Opens First Regularly Scheduled FM Station
The Columbia University Radio Club (CURC) started in the early 20th century as an organization related to the technology of radio communications. Thanks to an association with Edwin H. Armstrong, a university alumnus and professor who developed FM radio transmission on campus in the 1930s, the club soon turned to broadcasting and transformed a single dorm room into a makeshift studio, using the somewhat accurate phrase “The Original FM.” Their first official broadcast was on February 24, 1941, and the FCC gave the station its license on October 10, 1941. The station adopted the call letters WKCR (King’s Crown Radio) following World War II, and until the 1970s, broadcast both an AM station and FM station.
Moment 61: Roosevelt's First Fireside Chat
From 1933-1944, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt addressed the nation regularly, quelling rumors and informing Americans about actions his administration was taking to handle social and political upheavals ranging from bank closures to World War II. His goal was to tell the public "what has been done in the last few days, why it was done and what the next steps are going to be," and millions of listeners tuned in to hear just that.
Moment 62: Victory Over Japan Day
On August 14, 1945, President Harry S. Truman announced the unconditional surrender of Japan to reporters gathered at the White House. As the news of Japan’s surrender in World War II spread around the world via radio and other mediums, crowds of thousands formed in cities across the country to celebrate. This day is commemorated as Victory over Japan Day, or V-J Day, on September 2 in the U.S.
Moment 63: National Association of Broadcasters Founded
Founded in 1923, the National Association of Broadcasters is the voice for the nation's radio and television broadcasters. Originally, NAB was called the National Association of Radio Broadcasters, then the National Association of Television and Radio Broadcasters and finally took its current form as NAB in 1958.
Moment 64: Warren G. Harding Becomes First President to Have His Voice Transmitted by Radio
On June 14, 1922 President Warren G. Harding became the first president to have his voice transmitted by radio as he addressed a crowd in Baltimore during the dedication of a memorial site for Francis Scott Key, composer of “The Star-Spangled Banner.”
Moment 65: First Live Radio Broadcast of a Football Game
October 8, 1921 marked a significant day in the field of football. On this day, the first live sports radio broadcast of a football game aired on KDKA in Pittsburgh, Penn. The game was played at Forbes Field was between West Virginia University and the University of Pittsburgh. KDKA was the nation’s first commercial radio station and local brands sponsored the game. Radio helped turn college football into a national obsession.
Moment 66: Scopes Monkey Trial
The Scopes Monkey Trial, formerly known as The State of Tennessee v. John Thomas Scopes, was the first ever live broadcast of a trial in U.S. history. WGN Chicago placed microphones throughout the courtroom, and reporter Quinn Ryan guided listeners through what was happening at the “trial of the century.”
Moment 67: 'I Have A Dream' Speech
Broadcast stations across the country covered many of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s speeches, most notably, of course, “I Have A Dream,” delivered on August 28, 1963, at the March on Washington. Radio brought Dr. King’s call for racial justice straight to the living rooms of Americans, and the speech became an important turning point in the civil rights movement.
Moment 68: President Johnson Signs Public Broadcasting Act
On November 7, 1967, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Public Broadcasting Act. This act created the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) – an organization whose purpose was to create standards and further the development of public media. In 1970, CPB established National Public Radio – NPR – to create and provide programming to educational and noncommercial radio stations.
Moment 70: First FM "Master Antenna" Goes into Service
Today it is common to use RF combiner technology to allow multiple FM radio stations to use a single transmission antenna. The first such "master antenna" system was built and installed on New York City's Empire State Building in 1965 by Andrew Alford, an American electrical engineer and founder of the Alford Manufacturing Company. The antenna consists of 32 elements arranged in two rings above and below the building's observation gallery on the 102nd floor. It was replaced by a new FM combiner system in 1990, but the original antenna remains in place as a backup.
Moment 71: Bell Laboratories Demonstrates the First Transistor
John Bardeen and Walter Brattain, working with group leader William Shockley, developed a device they called a transistor, which was successfully demonstrated on December 23, 1947 at Bell Laboratories in Murray Hill, New Jersey. Bell publicly announced the new invention on June 30, 1948, and the first commercial transistor radio was released in 1954.
Moment 72: Heinrich Hertz Detects and Produces Radio Waves
In 1888, German physicist Heinrich Hertz produced and detected electromagnetic waves in his laboratory by using a spark gap attached to an induction coil and a separate spark gap on a receiving antenna. He accomplished his goal of verifying predictions by Scottish physicist James Clerk Maxwell that light and heat are electromagnetic radiations. His discovery made possible the inventions of radio, television, satellite communications, mobile phones, radar and other devices.
Moment 73: Great Britain Declares War on Germany
Two days after Germany invaded Poland, Prime Minister of Great Britain Neville Chamberlain announced in a radio broadcast to his nation that the United Kingdom, in conjunction with France, was now at war with Germany due to this action.
Moment 74: Grand Ole Opry Radio Show Founded
On November 28, 1925, the "Grand Ole Opry" was born as the "WSM Barn Dance" on WSM-AM Nashville. Hosted by George D. "Judge" Hay, the Barn Dance was originally followed by an NBC music apperication hour until, after two years, Hay opened the program by saying, "“For the past hour, we have been listening to music taken largely from Grand Opera. From now on, we will present the 'Grand Ole Opry!’” The show went on to make a national radio debut on NBC Radio in 1939, and is the longest-running radio broadcast in American history.
Moment 75: Apollo 11 Moon Landing
The July 20, 1969 Apollo 11 Moon landing couldn’t have happened without radio communications between the astronauts and Mission Control. When astronaut Neil Armstrong uttered the famous words “It’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind,” millions around the world heard it on the radio.
Moment 76: "This American Life" Premieres as "Your Radio Playhouse"
On November 17, 1995, the first show of "Your Radio Playhouse" aired on Chicago’s public radio station, WBEZ. Hosted and produced by journalist Ira Glass, the hour-long program featured quirky tales about ordinary Americans. Reviving the narrative storytelling format popular in the 1930s and 1940s, the early shows consisted of stories, documentaries and monologues narrated by artists, reporters and writers. The show was such a success that it was nationally syndicated in less than a year and renamed "This American Life." With over 700 episodes, "This American Life" continues to air weekly on public radio and as a podcast and has won numerous awards, including Peabody Awards and a Pulitzer Prize.
Moment 77: First Professional Football Game on Radio
On Thanksgiving Day in 1934, radio started a new tradition that continues today – playing football on Thanksgiving. Radio executive George Richards, who owned the Lions, found that the sports pages of the local media were dedicated to baseball. So, he worked with NBC Radio to air the first broadcast of a professional football game between the Chicago Bears and Detriot Lions across the nation, commencing the new American tradition of football on Thanksgiving.
Moment 78: First National Radio Broadcast of a Presidential Inauguration
After winning the election for a full-term presidency following the death of President Warren G. Harding, President Calvin Coolidge opted for a simple inauguration proceeding on the East Front of the U.S. Capitol. In order for those in attendance to hear better and allow people at home to experience the event, The Chesapeake and Potomac Telephone Company installed a series of loud speakers and microphones on the inaugural platform that were operated from a room below the Capitol’s steps. In addition, a radio announcer’s booth was constructed on the platform and more than 20 radio stations broadcast the proceedings to an estimated 23 million listeners, including millions of school children listening from auditoriums fitted with radio equipment to hear the address.
Moment 79: First American Car Radio Manufactured
The first commercial in-car radio was developed by Paul and Joseph Galvin in 1930. Paul Galvin wanted a memorable brand name for the new car radio, so he coined the term Motorola – an amalgamation of the words motor vehicle and Victrola. The radio debuted at the Radio Manufacturers Show in Atlantic City in June of 1930, where Galvin received enough orders to begin production.
Moment 80: Japan Bombs Pearl Harbor
December 7, 1941, is a day to never be forgotten as Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, Hawaii and sent America into what would become World War II. During this time, radio was the fastest way to disseminate news. A reporter from KTU in Honolulu reported the happenings as they unfolded from the roof of the station’s office building. He was sent the report via telephone lines to NBC in New York. During the broadcast, explosions can be heard as the reporter describes the extensive damage – including a bomb dropped just 50 feet from the station’s tower. Only because of the radio, citizens heard the news as it unfolded and forever changed the world.
Moment 81: FCC Is Formed, Replacing FRC
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) was established on June 19, 1934 and regulates interstate and international communications by radio, television, wire, satellite and cable in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and U.S. territories. The FCC was preceded by the Federal Radio Commission (FRC), a government agency that regulated United States radio communication from its creation in 1927 until the FCC was founded.
Moment 82: WEAF New York Accepts First Radio Ad
In 1922, AT&T's WEAF New York aired the first radio advertisment, a 10-minute broadcast for Hawthorne Court Apartments in New York City. The practice, known then as "toll broadcasting," capitalized on radio's unique ability to sell time in front of a large and local audience.
Moment 83: First Broadcast of a Professional Baseball Game
On August 5, 1921, KDKA Pittsburgh aired the first ever broadcast of a professional baseball game. The Pittsburgh Pirates defeated the Philadelphia Phillies 8-5, and the on air broadcasters called the game by reporting what came through on the telegraph wire.
Moment 84: Lee De Forest Is First to Transmit Music Over Airwaves
American inventor and broadcast pioneer Lee de Forest was the first to transmit music over the airwaves when he played Eugenia Farrar’s "I Love You Truly" in an unpublicized test from his laboratory in 1907. In 1909, a broadcast supporting women's suffrage by de Forest's mother-in-law, Harriot Stanton Blatch, may have been the first public speech by radio. De Forest also famously invented the Audion vacuum tube, which made possible live radio broadcasting. It became the key component of all radio, telephone, radar and television systems before the invention of the transistor in 1947.
Moment 85: The Hindenburg Explodes
Newsman Herbert Morrison’s 40-minute first-person account of the May 6, 1937 crash of the German-built LZ 129 airship, better known as the Hindenburg, is among the most well-known moments in the history of radio.
Moment 86: FCC Adopts Single Standard for AM Stereo Broadcasting
Having previously decided in 1982 to allow the marketplace to decide whether a single AM stereo system would prevail as the standard or whether different systems could coexist, the FCC responds to congressional action from 1992 and adopts the Motorola C-QUAM system for AM stereo broadcasting.
Moment 87: FCC Alllocates 88-108 MHz for FM Broadcasting
On June 27, 1945, the FCC allocated 88-108 MHz for FM radio broadcasting – spectrum that it occupies to this day. In 1940 the Commission had allocated 42 to 50 MHz for FM radio, but made the move citing interference from atmospheric propagation anomalies. The change was controversial, with critics claiming it was intended to protect AM radio’s dominance. FM stations broadcast in both bands until January 8, 1949.
Moment 88: ABC Radio Network Debuts Paul Harvey News and Comment
Paul Harvey was an internationally known radio broadcaster for ABC Radio Networks. As a child, he used to make radio receivers and worked at KVOO as a college student. On April 1, 1951, Harvey’s show “Paul Harvey News and Comment” debuted on the ABC Radio Network. The show was so well received in Chicago that ABC nationally syndicated the show in 1951 itself. Harvey’s broadcasts consisted of five minutes in the morning and fifteen minutes at midday six days a week. Broadcasts began with “Hello, Americans! This is Paul Harvey! Stand by for news!” and ended with “Paul Harvey. [long pause] Good day!” The show included a mix of news briefs, celebrity updates, commentary and humor.
Moment 89: Harry Caray Calls His First Game
Harry Caray began his illustrious baseball broadcasting career in his hometown of St. Louis. In 1945, he was hired at KMOX and initially called games for both Major League baseball teams, the Browns and Cardinals, but soon concentrated solely on the Cardinals for the next 25 years. He called his first Cardinals game on April 17, 1945, an away game at Wrigley Field between the Cardinals and Cubs. Known for his thick-rimmed glasses, penchant for telling the truth, even if it was critical, and enthusiastic play calls and catchphrases such as “Holy Cow!,” the self-described fan behind the mike went on to broadcast for the Oakland Athletics, White Sox and Cubs until his death in 1998.
Moment 90: Deal Struck for World Series Broadcast to National Audience
On April 18, 1935, Major League Baseball Commissioner Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis successfully closed a deal with Mutual Broadcasting System to provide national radio coverage of the World Series. Mutual Broadcasting System was the third radio network to air the World Series nationally. Networks use to air the games as a public service and “donated” airtime – no sponsors or commercials were involved. In return, a national audience was able to listen in on the games while networks gained recognition.
Moment 91: Edwin H. Armstrong Publicly Demonstrates FM Radio
Edwin H. Armstrong makes a technical presentation and demonstration to the New York section of the Institute of Radio Engineers of his FM radio system, publicly introducing the system to the radio engineering community. "Clara, Lu and Em" Becomes Radio's First Daytime Soap Opera. Radio’s first soap opera aired over WGN-AM Chicago, Ill., on June 16, 1930. Clara, Lu, and Em was a series that began as a sorority sketch by three friends: Louise Starkey (Clara), Isobel Carothers (Lu) and Helen King (Em). Stories centered around three Midwestern housewives who shared a duplex. Starkey, Carothers and King did the first shows for no pay. As the show became popular, it was sponsored by Colgate-Palmolive. Clara, Lu and Em helped coin the name “soap operas” as daytime shows were often sponsored by “soap makers." The show was very successful and continued on NBC and the Blue Network until 1937 when Carothers suddenly died.
Moment 92: Lindbergh Baby Kidnapping (March 1, 1932)
Radio played a leading role in alerting the nation about the “Crime of the Century” kidnapping of the baby boy of famed aviator Charles Lindbergh in 1932. A detailed description of the 20-month-old baby was aired to assist in recovery efforts and radio provided wall-to-wall coverage of the six week trial. Charles and Anne Lindbergh listened to the verdict on the radio.
Moment 93: 'Rapper's Delight,' by The Sugar Hill Gang is Arguably First Rap Song to Be Played on Radio
The Sugar Hill Gang’s 12-inch single "Rapper's Delight" - released in 1979 - became the first rap song to be played on the radio. The 15-minute song was edited down to six and a half minutes and reached Number 36 on the pop charts, making it the first hip-hop single to become a Top 40 chart hit. “Rapper’s Delight” made the Billboard Hot 100 and reached No. 4 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. The song is widely credited with launching rap as a viable genre for recorded music.
Moment 94: First FM Stereo Broadcast
The FCC authorized stereo FM broadcasting to begin at midnight on June 1, 1961, using a multiplexing system developed by GE and Zenith. WGFM Schenectady, N.Y. (now WRVE) was the first station to broadcast regular programming in stereo at that time. WEFM Chicago (now WUSN) also began stereo broadcasting that day, but given its Central time zone location, it began an hour later.
Moment 95: Cathy Hughes Becomes First African-American Woman to Head a Publicly Traded Corporation, Radio One (1999)
In 1975, Cathy Hughes was general manager of WHUR-FM, where she invented the “Quiet Storm” format. The format quickly grew in popularity, and Hughes has made what African American audiences want to hear her No. 1 priority throughout her long and storied career. Today, she is the founder and chairperson of Urban One, the largest African American owned and operated broadcast company in the country.
Moment 96: American Top 40 with Casey Kasem Launches
Casey Kasem’s “American Top 40” premiered on July 4, 1970, on only four stations. Over the next 50 years, Kasem became a household name, Top 40 became one of the country’s most popular radio formats and hundreds of stations all over the United States broadcast the show weekly.
Moment 97: First National Radio Broadcast of State of the Union Address
Calvin Coolidge was the first U.S. president to use broadcast radio to address the American people. On December 6, 1923, Coolidge delivered the State of the Union address and The New York Times anticipated it would “be carried over a greater portion of the United States and will be heard by more people than the voice of any man in history.” Listeners in six cities (Washington, New York, St. Louis, Kansas City, Dallas and Providence) were able to hear him speak. The speech was so clearly heard across the country that a radio station in St. Louis called the Capitol about strange noises heard during the speech. Those noises were the rustling of papers by Coolidge.
Moment 98: Marilyn Monroe Gives Rare Radio Interview
Dave Garroway interviewed Marilyn Monroe on NBC Monitor's first broadcast on Sunday, June 12, 1955. In this rare radio interview, she discussed her desire to retire in Brooklyn, with its views of the Manhattan skyline, beautiful streets and great people. She also talked about the responsibility that comes with fame and the idea that beauty fades.
Moment 99: War of the Worlds Broadcast Grips the Nation
On the night of October 10, 1938, actor Orson Welles and his Mercury Theatre on the Air performed a radio adaption of H.G. Wells’ “The War of the Worlds, turning the novel into a fake news bulletin describing a Martian invasion of New Jersey. It was broadcast live as a Halloween episode at 8 p.m. over the CBS radio network. Some listeners thought the bulletins were real and made calls to police, newspapers and radio stations, leading journalists to believe there was mass panic.
Moment 100: WOCL begins broadcasting in Jamestown, New York
