Welcome! If broadcast history is your hobby, passion, or just today's matter of interest, we are glad you are here!
The mission of OLDRADIO is to find and share information about the pioneer broadcast radio stations and current industry issues, as well as links and references to other locations containing accurate materials on broadcasting. The emphasis is on professional broadcasting, but we can "wander" a bit from time to time. The goal is to shed light on your questions, and clear up some myths.
You are also invited to participate in a a mailing list devoted to broadcasting. You may sign up for it at: http://lists.radiolists.net/mailman/listinfo/broadcast/ And, if you can help with some information, pictures, etc, to fill in something we are missing, that would be great. Other lists are at www.radiolists.net
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I NEED YOUR HELP!
Over the past twenty years, I've been involved in a project to develop historical data on the pioneer radio stations in the US. A great deal of information has been gathered from the 1982 FCC microfiches and other sources, but a lot of history remains out there to be uncovered and preserved. While it is fairly easy to find some information about KDKA or KQW (KCBS), for example, there are many stations for which those interested have few, or no, sources available.
Ultimately, it is my hope that we can produce a reference book that will be of value to those wanting to know about the stations and people that pioneered the industry. The plan is to trace as many stations as possible from their inception to today, including those which went dark over the years. Additionally, I want to develop a "resource index" that will direct historians, researchers, and students seeking further information to the locations around the country where different archives are maintained.
What I need is your help in locating further material and the people who can fill in the "holes" about the history of the broadcast industry. The idea is to find out the interesting stories about why stations were built, why some of the early pioneers got into the radio business, as well as what caused some to give up on radio and others to continue through the years.
- Does your station or group have a printed history or some
sort? (This could range from a couple of pages of photocopied history to
newspaper articles to a book.)
- Do you have a file of old licenses and/or construction
permits?
- Do you know where any historical documents or materials are stored or on display? (This could be in a library, university, or your front lobby.)
- Other material that would be valuable: Old logos, QSL cards, EKKO stamps, coverage maps, ratecards, promotional material, news stories. (i.e., stories from local papers when stations went on the air, or had a 50th anniversary, for example), anecdotes, etc.
- Especially useful: Old radio "guides" (White's, for example), Broadcasting Yearbooks, or other such materials, gathering dust in the back room, they are often of great help in tracing ownership of stations.
All items collected will be preserved, and the plan is to find some facility which will make the archive available to future students and researchers of broadcasting history.
There is a lot of broadcast history out there, and with your help, it can be not only preserved but made available to others. Thank you very much for any assistance you can offer!
Barry Mishkind
2033 S. Augusta Place
Tucson, AZ 85710
