I have noticed when reading about old radio stations from the 20's and 30's,
that often they were housed in a hotel.
Is this because hotels were typically the tallest buildings around at the
time? Not that this is particularly important for A M broadcast band
antennas.
Or was it because hotels back then rented space more so then they do now?
I'm curious as to the reason this was done.
One of the first A M broadcasters was housed in a local hotel here, and it
is also what spawned our largest current local amateur radio club.
Early radio was very much simbiodic with amateur radio around here. They
seemed to develop at about the same rate early on.
73
Colin, V A6BKX
----- Original Message -----
From: "Brett Winches" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Tuesday, April 17, 2007 8:02 AM
Subject: Re: KYW History
> Excellent write up and proving once again the exception is always the
> rule grin. =20
>
>
>
> -----
> BRETT WINCHESTER
> [log in to unmask]
> 208-639-8386
> ###
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: For blind ham radio operators
> [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Steve
> Sent: Monday, April 16, 2007 9:10 PM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: KYW History
>
> Steve and this Steve were both right. KYW originally moved from Chicago
> to Philly in 1933. IN the 1950's, they swapped calls with Cleveland,
> but recovered KYW in 1965. A link with history of the station is at:
> http://www.broadcastpioneers.com/kywstory.html
> In June 1924, the KYW frequency was changed to 1020 kc and the results
> were disastrous. In many places in Chicago, the KYW signal could not be
> received, fortunately the station was permitted to change back to a
> lower frequency, 570 kc.
>
> In 1925 KYW moved to the roof of the Congress Hotel and a high powered
> (20 Kw) transmitter was installed. This was the first water cooled
> transmitter in the mid-west area.
>
> In 1923, Westinghouse had installed a transmitter with call letters KFKX
> in Hasting, Nebraska to relay KDKA programs and also to originate some
> programs for the local area. In 1927, KFKX operations in Hastings were
> discontinued and the license moved to Chicago where KYW and KFKX shared
> time. (The move of KFKX to Chicago was made in anticipation of the
> upcoming 1928 frequency reallocation).=20
> Finally the Commission is effect said "quit kidding yourselves, which
> license do you want?" So the KFKX license was deleted.
>
> In the November 11, 1928 frequency reallocation, KYW was again assigned
> to 1020 kc with the same disastrous effect on the station's coverage in
> Chicago.
> To improve coverage in the Chicago area, a 500 watt synchronized booster
> station KYWA was installed on the roof of the Edgewater Beach Hotel.
> This improved the coverage in the North Side area but did not help the
> main problem so plans were made to move KYW to a new site out in the
> country, near Wheaton, Illinois, and at the same time the studios were
> moved to the Strauss Building and arrangements made for the Chicago
> Herald and Examiner to take over the program and sales operations of the
> station.
>
> The 1020 kc frequency assigned to KYW in the 1928 frequency reallocation
> had been, in the Davis amendment (the Davis amendment divided the
> country into five zones with all available broadcast frequencies divided
> equally among the five
> zones) assigned to the third zone, as well as new applicants applied for
> the 1020 kc frequency creating an almost continuous legal battle for KYW
> to protect its frequency assignment.
>
> Finally, in 1932, KYW applied to the Commission to move to Philadelphia.
> The application was granted on October 27, 1933 for the facilities at
> this site.
>
> The new KYW transmitter for the Whitemarsh location was the first all AC
> operated high powered transmitter, no rotating equipment except water
> pumps for circulating cooling water for the power tubes (now even the
> power tubes are air cooled). The antenna, a four tower array consisting
> of steel poles mounted on wood sub-bases was the first directional
> antenna designed to suppress sky-wave radiation while providing the
> required horizontal directional pattern.
>
> As part of the move of KYW from Chicago to Philadelphia, arrangements
> had been for WCAU personnel to handle the program and sales operations
> of KYW and for Westinghouse personnel to take care of all technical
> operations. The KYW studios were located in the WCAU building on
> Chestnut Street. I worked with Jack Leitch, then Chief Engineer of WCAU
> on the layout and design of the studios for KYW. Jack was certainly a
> fine man to work with during the daytime but it was awfully tough trying
> to keep up with him at night.
>
> In May, 1938, KYW studios were moved into the KYW Building at 1619
> Walnut Street and NBC took over the programming and sales operations.
> This arrangement with NBC continued until July, 1940 when Westinghouse
> resumed the programming and sales operations of all the Westinghouse
> stations.
>
> About the move out of the WCAU Building, some KYW personnel commented
> that KYW had gotten a divorce from WCAU on the ground of
> incompatibility.
>
> On January 16, 1941, the power of KYW was increased from 10 kw to 50 kw
> and March 29, 1941 there was a frequency reallocation in which KYW's
> frequency was changed from 1020 kc to 1060 kc.
>
> In 1949, the present directional antenna system consisting of two IDECO
> 450 foot steel towers which had better radiation efficiency than the
> shorter steel poles, was installed.
>
> In January, 1956, Westinghouse and the National Broadcasting Company
> swapped their Philadelphia and Cleveland stations and KYW moved to
> Cleveland. On June 19, 1965, by action of the Department of Justice and
> by order of the Federal Communications Commission, the swap was reversed
> and KYW moved back to Philadelphia where we still are.
>
> In 1965, KYW changed its programming to a 24 hour all news operation
> which, in a way, would be repeating the very successful 1922 "World
> Crier" news operation but on a much more highly sophisticated basis.
>
> Steve, K8SP
>
>
> --
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>
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