Overview Overview

Before looking at the new frontiers of broadcasting some of the history of the station has been saved at and cable, perhaps we should pause to take a look at the Hammond Museum of Radio in Guelph, ON. the roots of radio. Although the early pioneers of radio can claim much In 1919 -1920, Frank Conrad established KDKA(AM) of the credit for the birth of broadcasting, the pioneer Pittsburgh, PA in a small red -brick garage behind his spirit is still alive and well, as any digital pioneer will home on the borderline of Pittsburgh, PA and tell you. In the U.S 133 digital TV stations were either Wilkinsburg, PA. The National Museum of licensed or on official program test authority as of Broadcasting in Pittsburgh, a non -profit corporation, March 28, 2001. Two satellite radio companies, XM has been trying to save that garage with its Save the Satellite Radio (www.xmradio.com) and Garage! campaign. Alice Sapienza -Donnelly of the Satellite Radio (www.siriusradio.com), are getting National Museum of Broadcasting calls it the ready to rock and roll into the future. In fact on March "Bethlehem of broadcasting" and reports the garage 18, 2001 XM Satellite Radio launched its XM Rock is being moved brick by brick to a location where it satellite into orbit and was planning to launch its XM can be stored until a permanent home can be found Roll satellite into orbit. In Canada 53 licenses for for it. Rick Harris is the chairman of the effort to save transitional digital radio undertakings had been the garage, called the Conrad Project. granted by the Canadian Radio -television & Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) as of July In there was no effort to save the call letters 2000, according to the CRTC Broadcasting Policy of khz when they to WMAQ(AM) on 670 changed Monitoring Report. Of the 53 licenses, 41 licenses WSCR(AM) on August 1, 2000. But the archives of were given to existing commercial radio stations and WMAQ(AM) will be saved at the Museum of 12 licenses were given to existing Canadian in Broadcast Communications Chicago. WMAQ(AM), Broadcasting Corp. (CBC) stations. Back in the U.S. started by the and a local the FCC issued the first construction permits to 25 department store, the Fair Store, went on the air April low -power FM radio stations on April 12, 2001. 12, 1922. In 1931 NBC bought it and owned it until 1988, when the station was sold to the Westinghouse Also worthy of note are two new network ventures Electric Co. Westinghouse merged with Infinity announced in 2001. Azteca America is a new Broadcasting Corp. on December 31, 1996. Spanish -language network focused on the Hispanic WMAQ(AM) was noted in its early days for producing market in the U.S., owned by Pappas Telecasting such shows as Amos 'n' Andy and Fibber McGee & Companies (80 %) and TV Azteca (20 %). The Team Molly. It also lays claim to the first play -by -play sports Network is a new sports radio network broadcast, in 1925. owned by CHUM Ltd. to provide network programming to stations in Vancouver, BC; CBL(AM) Toronto, ON made some radio history when Winnipeg, MB; Halifax, NS; Kingston, Kitchener, it went off the air for the last time on June 20, 1999. Ottawa, Peterborough and Toronto, all ON. The Canadian Broadcasting Corp. (CBC) station had long been on 740 khz, a clear channel frequency, and There are also some interesting efforts being made to the station could trace its origins as far back as 1927. provide stand -alone internet radios. Ericsson Inc. No station at all was on the 740 frequency until (www.ericsson.com) planned to offer the Ericsson CHWO(AM), called Prime Time Radio, signed on as Cordless H100 by the end of 2001 and a new station in Toronto on January 8, 2001. The call Penguin Radio (www.penguinradio.com) planned to letters CHWO(AM) had previously been used on offer a stand -alone radio by the summer or fall of 1250 khz in Oakville, ON. Although CBL(AM) is gone, 2001.

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