The Philip B. Petersen Collection Broadcast September 5, 1990

     The success that radio amateur Dr. Frank Conrad, 8XK had in regularly scheduled radio programming in 1919 and 20 had evolved into the first commercial broadcast station KDKA and caused many other radio amateurs to start broadcasting.  One of them, who became very successful, was radio amateur Al Crosley, 8CR of Cincinnati, Ohio.  Crosley was a small automobile parts manufacturer who was fascinated by these new developments in radio broadcasting.  In 1921, he took his small 20-watt amateur transmitter from his home to his place of business.  He started to play records and asked for listener reports.  There were not many radio receivers so he manufactured and sold small crystal sets to increase his radio audience.  He also increased his power and continued broadcasting using the amateur call 8CR for nine months.
     In March 1922, he received the call letters WLW.  New stations were coming on the air all over the country and many other radio amateurs soon found that they too became radio broadcast stations.  As Crosley's power increased, so did his radio audience.  In October 1928, WLW was operating at 50,000 watts and was one of the five most powerful stations in the country.  But now Crosley wanted his clear channel station to be the most powerful.  On May the 2nd in 1934, President Franklin Roosevelt pressed a telegraph key in the White House that increased the power of WLW to 500,000 watts.  Its programs were heard all over major areas of the country and it was referred to as the nation's station, a super power station and the one-station network.  WLW originated many programs and became affiliated with several networks.  Many other stations also wanted to operate at super power.
     There were many complaints that WLW was getting a giant share of the broadcast pie.  WLW programs were heard in several countries.  The audience continued to grow.  There were strange reports that some could hear music coming from tin roofs and metal objects.  Others reported that the light in the barns and farmhouses nearby still stayed lit when the switch was turned off.  Complaints from broadcasters continued.  Finally, the FCC refused to allow continued operation at 500,000 watts.  On February 28th 1938, after operating for almost four years at 500,000 watts, WLW reduced power to 50,000 watts, which has remained the industry standard as the maximum power for broadcasting in the United States.

September 5, 1990
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** Broadcasts recordings preserved and presented here by Mr. Robert Buss and Mr. Bernie Ricciardi, Phil's friends and fellow Marconi Chapter 138 QCWA members **

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