RSID: <<2026-01-16T00:31Z MFSK-32 @ 9265000+1500>>
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Welcome to program 433 of Shortwave Radiogram.

I'm Al Holt in Alachua, Florida, USA filling in for Kim Elliott

Here is the lineup for today's program, in MFSK modes as noted:

  1:43 MFSK32: Program preview (now)
  2:49 MFSK32: Background on vintage radio station postcards with image
  8:47 MFSK64: Vintage radio station postcards
28:21 MFSK32: Closing announcements


Please send reception reports to radiogram@verizon.net

And visit http://swradiogram.net

We're on Bluesky now: SWRadiogram.bsky.social

And X/Twitter: @SWRadiogram
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From the earliest days of broadcasting in the 1920s through the
post-war 1940s, picture postcards were an important way radio
stations presented themselves to the public. At a time when
radio was new, exciting, and rapidly expanding, these cards
helped stations show off their studios, transmitters, on-air
talent, and even the novelty of radio itself. Many early
cards from the ’20s capture a sense of wonder—microphones
the size of furniture, makeshift studios, and the proud
display of call letters that were still unfamiliar to most
Americans.

By the 1930s and ’40s, postcards had become a widespread
promotional tool. Stations used them to highlight announcers
and orchestras, share program schedules, mark new network
affiliations, or acknowledge reception reports from distant
listeners, a practice that also produced the early QSL
verification cards prized by hobbyists. The designs evolved
from simple photographic prints to colorful linen cards with the
bold, optimistic look of the era.

Today, collections such as those preserved on the World Radio
History website, https://www.worldradiohistory.com/index.htm,
offer a vivid visual record of broadcasting’s formative decades.
These postcards capture not just the appearance of the stations,
but the energy, ambition, and technological excitement that
accompanied the rise of American radio.

Al’s note:
Postcard images:
https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Post_Cards_I.htm
https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Post_Cards_II.htm

Additional station information: https://www.wikipedia.org/

We'll start our look back not with a radio station but with that
of the governmental agency assigned to monitor the airwaves. . .

FCC Central Monitoring Station, Grand Island, Nebraska:

Sending Pic:224x136C;
 

During the early days of AM radio, interference caused by
unintended frequency variations was a major issue. In February
1929, funding was allocated to the Radio Division of the
Department of Commerce for the construction of a
constant-frequency monitoring radio station.

The location of Grand Island, Nebraska was chosen due to both its
proximity to the geographic center of the United States and the
favorable radio conditions provided by the flat terrain.

The building plans were prepared by the Navy's Bureau of Yards
and Docks and construction began in 1929. Construction was
completed in 1930 and full-scale operation began in 1932 under
the Federal Radio Commission. The site was transferred to the
new Federal Communications Commission (FCC) by the
Communications Act of 1934.
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Shortwave Radiogram now changes to MFSK64 ...

 

RSID: <<2026-01-16T00:38Z MFSK-64 @ 9265000+1500>>




This is Shortwave Radiogram in MFSK64

Please send your reception report to radiogram@verizon.net
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WOR, Newark, New Jersey:

Sending Pic:224x154C;
 

WOR's original owner was Bamberger's Department Store in Newark,
New Jersey. In the early 1920s the store was selling radio
receivers and wanted to put a radio station on the air to help
promote receiver sales, as well as for general publicity.

The station made its debut broadcast on February 22, 1922, from
a studio located on an upper floor of the store. A 250-watt
De Forest transmitter was constructed on the roof of the
department store. The station's first broadcast was made with a
homemade microphone constructed by attaching a megaphone to a
telephone mouthpiece.
 

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WSM, Nashville, Tennessee:
"America's Tallest Radio Tower, 878 Feet, 323 Feet Higher Than
The Washington Monument"

Sending Pic:137x224C;
 

Founded by the National Life and Accident Insurance Company as a
platform to sell the company's insurance products, WSM first
signed on October 5, 1925.

The call letters were derived from the company's motto, "We
Shield Millions." Studios were first located in the company's
building on Seventh Avenue and Union Street in downtown
Nashville; this was the original home of the Opry, until 1934.

WSM's unusual diamond-shaped transmitting antenna, manufactured
by Blaw-Knox, is located just south of Nashville and is one of
the area's landmarks. It is now one of the oldest operating
broadcast towers in the United States and is listed in the
National Register of Historic Places.

For a period during World War II, it was designated to provide
transmissions to submarines in the event that ship-to-shore
communications were lost.

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WMBF, Miami Beach, Florida:

Sending Pic:224x141C;

On February 7, 1925, WMBF, had been licensed to the Fleetwood
Hotel Corporation in Miami Beach, with studios on the 16th
floor.
 

However, in early 1929 WMBF was consolidated with Carl
Fisher's station WIOD, "Wonderful Isle of Dreams," with the
combination assigned the dual call sign of WIOD-WMBF.

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WWJ, Detroit, Michigan:
"Broadcasts of WWJ, The Detroit News Radio Station, Entertain
Three Continents."

Sending Pic:224x138C;

WWJ was originally licensed as 8MK and began testing equipment in
August 1920. By the end of the month the Detroit News announced on
its front page that, starting that evening, nightly (except
Sunday) broadcasts would be transmitted by the "Detroit News
Radiophone" service.

The station was randomly assigned call sign WBL, but the News
found that listeners had trouble hearing it correctly so the
newspaper asked to have it changed to something more
phonetically distinct. At the paper's request, WWJ was assigned
on March 3, 1922.
 

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KPRK, Livingston, Montana:

Sending Pic:300x191;
 

World War II put a damper on the growth of radio broadcasting by
freezing expansion of existing stations and disallowing the
licensing of new stations. When the freeze finally lifted, KPRK
Radio in Livingston was one of the first new postwar stations to
sign on in Montana on January 9, 1947.

Missoula architect William Fox designed the futuristic Art
Moderne style station in 1946 to contrast with the town’s many
turn-of-the-twentieth-century brick buildings and affirm
Livingston’s connection with the latest technology. The building
is on the National Register of Historic Places.
 

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WJEJ,
"Moonlight Scene on U.S. 11, two miles north of Hagerstown,
Maryland..."

Sending Pic:224x134C;
 

WJEJ was Hagerstown's first radio station, with its license first
granted on October 29, 1932, at 1:30 p.m., to operate on the
frequency of 1210 kHz at a power output of 100 watts, daytime
only.

Studios and transmitter were located at the Alexander Hotel in
Hagerstown. In July 1934, it received permission to move the
transmitter facility from the Alexander Hotel to the Lovely Dame
Building at 16 West Washington Street in Hagerstown. By the end of
1938, WJEJ was given 24-hour broadcasting rights.
 

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KECA,
"American Broadcasting Company (KECA), Vine Street, Hollywood,
California..."

Sending Pic:224x134C;

The station first signed on in August 1925 with call sign KFXB,
licensed to Big Bear Lake, California. KFXB moved to Los Angeles
in 1927, changing its call letters to KPLA in the process.

In 1929, KPLA was sold to Earle C. Anthony, a Packard automobile
dealer and owner of rival radio station KFI. Anthony changed its
call letters to KECA, representing Anthony's initials.

KECA became the West Coast flagship station of the American
Broadcasting Company (ABC) network.

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WSUN, St. Petersburg, Florida,

Sending Pic:224x144C;

"This million dollar structure, one of the finest in the world,
extends a mile into Tampa Bay. On the pier head is a beautiful
two-story casino of Spanish architecture, containing an immense
convention and dance auditorium, exhibit hall, the radio station
WSUN, facilities for picnics, parties, etc."

WSUN was first authorized in October 1927, making its debut
broadcast on November 1 using the slogan "Why Stay Up North".
It was reassigned to 620 kHz which resulted in a nighttime
interference complaint from another station on that frequency:
WTMJ in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and was ordered to reduce power.

The solution was a directional antenna installation, the first
in the United States, consisting of two 200-foot (61 m) towers.

As an example of its effectiveness, it was noted at one point a
telegram was sent from regulators in Washington asking why the
station was off the air because an inspector located in Atlanta
was not receiving the station when it employed the directional
antenna.

 

Our painting of the week is:
"Radio Broadcast" 1933-1934, by Julia Eckel, 1907-1988,
oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum.

https://americanart.si.edu/artwork/radio-broadcast-7868

Sending Pic:225x163C;




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Shortwave Radiogram returns to MFSK32 ...

 

RSID: <<2026-01-16T00:58Z MFSK-32 @ 9265000+1500>>



This is Shortwave Radiogram in MFSK32 ...

Transmission of dhortwave Radiogram is provided by:

WRMI, Radio Miami International, http://wrmi.net

and

WINB Shortwave, http://winb.com

Please send reception reports to radiogram@verizon.net

And visit http://swradiogram.net

http://swradiogram.bsky.social

X/Twitter (for now): @SWRadiogram

I'm Al Holt. Have a happy and healthy 2026!

Please join us for the next Shortwave Radiogram.


 

RSID: <<2026-01-16T11:30Z MFSK-64 @ 15770000+1500>>

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Welcome The Mighty KBC’s newest staff member...

Sending Pic:200x204C;
 

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https://www.kbcradio.eu/

Please report your decode to themightykbc@gmail.com and
tune in Shortwave Radiogram.
 

https://www.facebook.com/TheMightyKbc/posts/whats-the-name-of-the-mighty-k-b-c-pet-canaryselect-one-name-and-email-it-to-sal/1456724856459388/

The Mighty KBC

December 10, 2025

What's the name of the Mighty K-B-C pet Canary?

Select one name and email it to sales@kbcradio.nl

Name number one is Getter!

Name number two is Kilowatt!

Name number three is Potter!

Name number four is Sherri the Canary!

Name number five is Jenni!

Name number six is Dusty!

Name number seven is Tiny Tim!

Name number seven is Microwatt!

Select one name and email it to sales@kbcradio.nl

And you might win a nice surprise too!!!!

Speaker 1

[upbeat music]

Holy moly! That was good old Frankie Smith on the Mighty KBC. Okay, my fellow shortwave foreigners, it's that time. We will now announce the winner of the Mighty KBC Pet Canary Contest.

Speaker 2

[upbeat music]

Tuning in on a sunny day, radio waves are on their way. A question buzzed, you know the way. A little quiz for those who dare. Bright yellow feathers, a hero, the sprite. A tiny legend ready to fly.

What's the name of the Mighty KBC pet canary singing loud? Singing proud, feeling legendary across the world, we all agree. What a bird, big mystery.

[upbeat music]

Calls came in from near and far, from city streets to a northern star. Everyone guessing, everyone tries, but only one name was verified.

Speaker 3

The only winner of this light-hearted contest on KBC Radio is Cyril McDonald in Canada!

Speaker 2

What's the name of the Mighty KBC pet canary on the streets of Calgary? What a name, the spirit true, the radio crown belongs to you. So raise a tune and sing along to a canary, brave and strong, from KBC to Canada.

Speaker 3

Cyril won. Now clap your hands!

[upbeat music]

And the winning name: Sherri the Canary.

[upbeat music]

Speaker 4

If you didn't win, you're a loser. But we at KBC Radio aren't the worst, and we're raffling off a Mighty KBC T-shirt among all the losers. All you have to do is email themightykbc@gmail.com with the words, "I'm a loser."

And if you lose this contest again, you're a double loser!

Speaker 5

[morse code beeping]

This is Peter John with the DX Headlines.

Both in the UK and in the Netherlands, offshore radio stations were ended by law after a dramatic event took place in each country. Reginald Calvert was the manager of then-famous bands like The Fortunes, Pinkertons, Assorted Colors, Screaming Lord Sutch, and other pop groups. In 1964, after hearing Radio Caroline, he decided to start his own pirate radio station and made use of an old World War II fort in the Thames Estuary. Originally, the station was called Radio Sutch, and it started broadcasting on twenty-seventh May, 1964, on fifteen forty-two kilohertz. But programming, mostly by Sutch, was chaotic, and the transmitter range was very limited. They had a summer of fun, but when Sutch wanted to stop his stint in radio making and decided to return to performing, Reg Calvert carried on, renamed the station Radio City, and put it onto a more professional footing. By May 1965, Radio City was one of only two profitable stations next to the legendary Radio Caroline, but there were several less fortunate stations that were being in dire straits because their funding ran out. Due to a conflict about a partnership with Radio Atlanta and a botched delivery of a transmitter to Radio City by himself, in June 1966, a former army major and later politician, Oliver Smedley, decided to raid the station on the offshore fort and pulled the transmitter off the air. Smedley then demanded to receive five thousand of 1966's pound sterling and half of the profits of the existing station. The crew on the fort said Smedley's men were armed and prepared to destroy the complete station when demands weren't met. Calvert then went to the police, who refused to help because the island was outside of their jurisdiction. That was why the stations could transmit in the first place. A day after the raid, Calvert visited Smedley's home to try to convince Smedley to be reasonable. Instead, a violent row evolved, where Smedley shot Reg Calvert dead. In the court case, Smedley said he was afraid that Calvert was there to kill him and his housekeeper, and he claimed self-defense. The judge agreed and acquitted Smedley. Partly in response to the sensational death of Calvert and lurid tales of piracy, the British government passed the Marine Broadcasting Offenses Act in 1967, which made offshore broadcasting a criminal offense as of fifteenth August, 1967, leading to the end of all offshore radio stations except one. Radio Caroline was the only one that kept broadcasting after the law.

Speaker 1

[morse code beeping]

Radio Caroline! Holy fart, [laughing] I love the new contest, my fellow foreigners. [laughing]

Okay, we go back to 1974 with Dutch Lux and Love's Melody.

Speaker 6

You're looking for love, but it don't come along…