Post by bossradio93 on Sept 30, 2003 13:04:31 GMT -5
I currently subscribe to LARadio.com (called Los Angeles Radio People). It's a website that takes you into the world of Los Angeles Radio, it's glorius past, present and it's future. I thought this might be of interest to my members who may be radio junkies! I hope we'll get quite a few on here.
** 50,000-Watt KNX
“I very much enjoyed the historical tidbits that Jim Hawthorne provided during the month of August, from the year 1928 in Radio Doings magazine. One that stood out for me was the item from August 28th, on the speculation that KNX would be the first station in Los Angeles to be granted 50,000 watts power output. But, the Federal Radio Commission said KNX had been only granted a power increase from 500 watts to 5,000 watts, which was still quite a big deal, at the time.
I notice that FRC Commissoner LaFount also said that while KNX had not yet applied for 50,000 watts, that seemed to be the station's objective. He added, that any such power increase would have to wait for the ‘general allocation plan’ to be passed. This took place on November 11, 1928, when the FRC moved most stations to new frequencies on the newly assigned clear, regional and local channels. In KNX's case, they were moved from 890 to 1050 on the AM dial. This took place after the KNX power boost to 5,000 watts a month earlier, October 2, 1928.
The interest in high-powered broadcasting stations was just beginning at this time, as there were only 5 radio stations with 50,000 watts of power in 1928. Interesting is the fact that KFI beat KNX in the race to become the first L.A. station with 50,000 watts! It was in July of 1931 that KFI increased power from 5,000 to 50,000 watts and was also the first radio station west of Chicago to have that much power.
My friend Thomas H. White did some digging, and came up with this chronological list of the first U.S. radio stations to broadcast with 50,000 watts. Here's what he came up with:[/i]
1. WGY circa 1926
2+3. WEAF and KDKA circa 1927
4. WLW in 1928
5. WENR-WBCN (now WLS), also in 1928
6. WBAP 5/10/1930
7-9. WOAI, KMOX and WTAM, second half 1930.
10-12. KFI, WTIC, WABC (now WCBS) (WLS was really a
continuation of WENR-WBCN) 1931 or 1932.[/i]
According to a KNX history page posted by Steve Blodgett, KNX increased power from 5,000 to 25,000 watts in November of 1932, and finally got 50,000 watts of power on April 30, 1934. This was three years after KFI went to 50,000 watts and 6 years after the rumors that KNX would boost power that high in 1928. Steve's site is at:(http://earthsignals.com/KNXSITEhistory.html)
He has some nice items there on KNX's history. One note though; I do not agree that the 'NX' in the KNX call letters meant ‘Annex’ as in Spring Arcade Annex, since the KNX studios were never located in any such annex, or I've never seen any proof of such a claim. When the call letters were changed from KGC to KNX in May of 1922, the KNX studios were atop the California Theatre Building in the 800 block of South Main Street in Los Angeles, until they moved back to Hollywood in October of 1924, under ownership of the Los Angeles Evening Express newspaper.” - Jim Hilliker, Monterey[/i]
** 50,000-Watt KNX
“I very much enjoyed the historical tidbits that Jim Hawthorne provided during the month of August, from the year 1928 in Radio Doings magazine. One that stood out for me was the item from August 28th, on the speculation that KNX would be the first station in Los Angeles to be granted 50,000 watts power output. But, the Federal Radio Commission said KNX had been only granted a power increase from 500 watts to 5,000 watts, which was still quite a big deal, at the time.
I notice that FRC Commissoner LaFount also said that while KNX had not yet applied for 50,000 watts, that seemed to be the station's objective. He added, that any such power increase would have to wait for the ‘general allocation plan’ to be passed. This took place on November 11, 1928, when the FRC moved most stations to new frequencies on the newly assigned clear, regional and local channels. In KNX's case, they were moved from 890 to 1050 on the AM dial. This took place after the KNX power boost to 5,000 watts a month earlier, October 2, 1928.
The interest in high-powered broadcasting stations was just beginning at this time, as there were only 5 radio stations with 50,000 watts of power in 1928. Interesting is the fact that KFI beat KNX in the race to become the first L.A. station with 50,000 watts! It was in July of 1931 that KFI increased power from 5,000 to 50,000 watts and was also the first radio station west of Chicago to have that much power.
My friend Thomas H. White did some digging, and came up with this chronological list of the first U.S. radio stations to broadcast with 50,000 watts. Here's what he came up with:[/i]
1. WGY circa 1926
2+3. WEAF and KDKA circa 1927
4. WLW in 1928
5. WENR-WBCN (now WLS), also in 1928
6. WBAP 5/10/1930
7-9. WOAI, KMOX and WTAM, second half 1930.
10-12. KFI, WTIC, WABC (now WCBS) (WLS was really a
continuation of WENR-WBCN) 1931 or 1932.[/i]
According to a KNX history page posted by Steve Blodgett, KNX increased power from 5,000 to 25,000 watts in November of 1932, and finally got 50,000 watts of power on April 30, 1934. This was three years after KFI went to 50,000 watts and 6 years after the rumors that KNX would boost power that high in 1928. Steve's site is at:(http://earthsignals.com/KNXSITEhistory.html)
He has some nice items there on KNX's history. One note though; I do not agree that the 'NX' in the KNX call letters meant ‘Annex’ as in Spring Arcade Annex, since the KNX studios were never located in any such annex, or I've never seen any proof of such a claim. When the call letters were changed from KGC to KNX in May of 1922, the KNX studios were atop the California Theatre Building in the 800 block of South Main Street in Los Angeles, until they moved back to Hollywood in October of 1924, under ownership of the Los Angeles Evening Express newspaper.” - Jim Hilliker, Monterey[/i]