This is the Broadcast Archive

Maintained by:
Barry Mishkind - The Eclectic Engineer
It would be a kindness if you'd just send a short note to let me know who you are, and what your interests are. Thanks.

The One Hundred Oldest Stations in the United States

Please note that the definition of "oldest" is based on licenses issued by the DOC,
AND the beginning of regular programming. For example, KCBS' ancestor was on
the air with a regular schedule of programs in 1912 range. The DOC did not truly
have a "broadcast" license until much later. Some suggest WBZ was the first of
these. One thing we know for sure, KDKA was NOT the first broadcaster,
NOT the first to have a "commercial" license, and NOT the first to do news (in
fact the election reports often cited for KDKA's "opening" were done as station 8ZZ.)

For more information, please see http://www.oldradio.com/archives/general/1st.html

(as of 10/20/12)

# License Date Current Calls Location Original Calls
1 10/27/20 KDKA - 1020 Pittsburgh, PA KDKA
2 05/--/1921 WABC - 770 New York, NY WJZ
3 09/15/1921 WBZ - 1030 Boston, MA WBZ
4 10/13/1921 WWJ - 950 Detroit, MI WBL
5 11/09/1921 KYW - 1060 Philadelphia, PA KYW
6 12/07/1921 KWG - 1230 Stockton, CA KWG
7 12/08/1921 KNX - 1070 Los Angeles, CA KGC
8 12/09/1921 KCBS - 740 San Francisco, CA KQW
9 01/09/1922 KQV - 1410 Pittsburgh, PA KQV
10 01/13/1922 KUOM - 770 Minneapolis, MN WLB
11 01/13/1922 WHA - 970 Madison, WI WHA
12 02/04/1922 WGY - 810 Schenectady, NY WGY
13 02/18/1922 WOC - 1420 Davenport, IA WOC
14 02/20/1922 WOR - 710 New York, NY WOR
15 02/21/1922 WCLV - 1420 Cleveland, OH WHK
16 02/28/1922 KAQQ - 590 Spokane, WA KHQ
17 03/02/1922 WLW - 700 Cincinnati, OH WLW
18 03/09/1922 KJR - 950 Seattle, WA KJR
19 03/10/1922 KMKY - 1310 Oakland, CA KLS
  03/10/1922 KAZN - 1300 Los Angeles, CA KJS
  03/10/1922 KLZ - 560 Denver, CO KLZ
22 03/11/1922 KVTO - 1400 Berkeley, CA KRE
23 03/13/1922 KTCK - 1310 Dallas, TX WRR
24 03/14/1922 KTRS - 550 Saint Louis, MO KSD
  03/14/1922 WGR - 550 Buffalo, NY WGR
  03/14/1922 KGU -760 Honolulu, HI KGU
27 03/15/1922 WSB - 750 Atlanta, GA WSB
28 03/16/1922 WKY - 930 Oklahoma City, OK WKY
29 03/18/1922 WEPN - 1050 New York, NY WHN
  03/18/1922 KHJ - 930 Los Angeles, CA KHJ
  03/18/1922 WBT -1110 Charlotte, NC WBT
  03/18/1922 WFIL - 560 Philadelphia, PA WFI
33 03/20/1922 WIP - 610 Philadelphia, PA WIP
34 03/21/1922 KPOJ - 620 Portland, OR KGW
35 03/22/1922 KTRH - 740 Houston, TX WCM
36 03/23/1922 WEW - 770 Saint Louis, MO WEW
  03/23/1922 KMJ - 580 Fresno, CA KMJ
38 03/28/1922 WILL - 580 Urbana, IL WRM
39 03/29/1922 WSCR - 670 Chicago, IL WGU
40 03/30/1922 KGY - 1240 Olympia, WA KGY
  03/30/1922 KKMO - 1360 Tacoma, WA KMO
42 03/31/1922 KFI - 640 Los Angeles, CA KFI
  03/31/1922 WWL -870 New Orleans, LA WWL
44 04/05/1922 WBAA - 920 West Lafayette, IN WBAA
  04/05/1922 KKOB - 770 Albuquerque, NM KOB
  04/05/1922 KZQZ - 1430 Saint Louis, MO WEB
  04/05/1922 WDZ - 1050 Decatur, IL WDZ
  04/05/1922 KMBZ - 980 Kansas City, MO WPE
49 04/07/1922 WNTD - 950 Chicago, IL WAAF
50 04/10/1922 WBBR - 1130 New York, NY WAAM
51 04/12/1922 KUFO - 970 Portland, OR KQP
52 04/17/1922 WJBO - 1150 Baton Rouge, LA WAAB
  04/17/1922 KNBR - 680 San Francisco, CA KPO
54 04/19/1922 KCRO - 660 Omaha, NE WAAW
55 04/21/1922 KSL - 1160 Salt Lake City, UT KZN
56 04/22/1922 KKDZ - 1250 Seattle, WA KTW
57 04/25/1922 WSOY - 1340 Decatur, IL WBAO
58 04/26/1922 WBAP - 820 Fort Worth, TX WBAP
59 04/28/1922 WOI - 640 Ames, IA WOI
60 04/29/1922 WTVN - 610 Columbus, OH WBAV
  04/29/1922 WBAX - 1240 Wilkes-Barre, PA WBAX
62 05/03/1922 KNEW - 910 Oakland, CA KLX
  05/03/1922 WTAE - 1250 Pittsburgh, PA WCAE
64 05/04/1922 WJR - 760 Detroit, MI WCX
65 05/08/1922 WCAO - 600 Baltimore, MD WCAO
  05/08/1922 KFNZ - 1320 Salt Lake City, UT KDYL
67 05/09/1922 KTSA - 550 San Antonio, TX WCAR
68 05/10/1922 WPHT - 1210 Philadelphia, PA WCAU
  05/10/1922 WHB - 710 Kansas City, MO WHB
70 05/13/1922 WVMT - 620 Burlington, VT WCAX
  05/13/1922 WBNS - 1460 Columbus, OH WCAH
72 05/15/1922 WDAE - 1250 Tampa, FL WDAE
  05/15/1922 WTMJ - 620 Milwaukee, WI WCAY
  05/15/1922 WCAZ - 990 Carthage, IL WCAZ
75 05/16/1922 WDAF - 610 Kansas City, MO WDAF
  05/16/1922 KGNC - 710 Amarillo, TX WDAG
77 05/19/1922 WFAN - 660 New York, NY WDAM
  05/19/1922 KEEL - 710 Shreveport, LA WDAN
  05/19/1922 WGN - 720 Chicago, IL WDAP
80 05/23/1922 KMPS - 1300 Seattle, WA KDZE
  05/23/1922 WDAY - 970 Fargo, ND WDAY
82 05/25/1922 WFDF - 910 Flint, MI WEAA
83 05/26/1922 KFH - 1330 Wichita, KS WEAH
84 05/27/1922 WHCU - 870 Ithaca, NY WEAI
85 05/31/1922 KHOW - 630 Denver, CO KDZQ
86 06/03/1922 WOSU - 820 Columbus, OH WEAO
87 06/05/1922 WLKW - 790 Providence, RI WEAN
  06/05/1922 KLIF - 570 Dallas, TX WFAA
89 06/21/1922 KTAR - 620 Phoenix, AZ KFAD
  06/21/1922 KWSU - 1250 Pullman, WA KFAE
91 06/24/1922 WLPA - 1490 Lancaster, PA WGAL
92 06/26/1 922 WSUI - 910 Iowa City, IA WHAA
93 06/29/1922 WSBT - 960 South Bend, IN WGAZ
94 07/05/1922 WHAM - 1180 Rochester, NY WHAM
95 07/11/1922 KEIN - 1310 Great Falls, MT KFBB
96 07/13/1922 WHAS - 840 Louisville, KY WHAS
97 07/14/1922 KLSD - 1360 San Diego, CA KFBC
98 07/18/1922 KIDO-630 Boise, ID KFAU
  07/18/1922 WHAZ - 1330 Troy, NY WHAZ
100 07/22/1922 WDEL - 1150 Wilmington, DE WHAV
  07/22/1922 WDAS - 1480 Philadelphia, PA WIAD
  07/22/1922 WISN - 1130 Milwaukee, WI WIAO

 

The information and dates used were adapted from Thomas White's research. 

Was KDKA really the first station? Perhaps. Please, read on...

Who's On First?

US Pioneer Broadcast Service Stations