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{{Short description|none}}
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{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2023}}
The title of '''Oldest Radio Station''' is a controversial one, but can be assumed from several in [[Europe]] (particularly of [[England]] and [[Germany]]), and in the [[United States]] and [[Canada]].
{{Multiple issues|
{{List missing criteria|date=November 2019}}
{{List dispute|date=January 2020}}
}}
{{TOC right}}


It is generally recognised that the first [[radio transmission]] was made from a temporary station set up by [[Guglielmo Marconi]] in 1895. This followed on from pioneering work in the field by a number of people including [[Alessandro Volta]], [[André-Marie Ampère]], [[Georg Ohm]] and [[James Clerk Maxwell]].<ref name="ReferenceB">Mimi Colligan, ''Golden Days of Radio'', Australia Post, 1991</ref>
Several potential contenders for the title of "Oldest television station" are listed below:


The several potential contenders for the title of "oldest radio station" are listed below, organized by sign-on date.
{{list-dev}}
These are not restricted to [[radio broadcasting]], i.e., the transmissions were not necessarily intended to reach a wide audience.


==Stations==
<div style="">
{{Incomplete list|date=December 2017|Zagreb 1926=|Radio station Zagreb, first in southeastern Europe, Belgrade's is not older than this=|Oldest radio stations in the World=}}
{| class="wikitable"

===AM on mediumwave and longwave===
{| class="wikitable sortable" width="" style="font-size:90%; margin:auto"
|+Experimental and early radio stations ([[AM Broadcasting|AM]] on [[mediumwave]] and [[longwave]])
|-
|-
! Station<br />[[call-sign]]<br />(original)
|colspan=10 align=center|
! Station<br />[[call-sign]]<br />(current)
! City/location
! On air
! Transmission frequency<br />([[AM broadcasting|AM radio]] / [[FM broadcasting|FM radio]])
! [[list of broadcast station classes|Broadcast class]]
|-
|[[Roberto Landell de Moura]]
|n/a
|[[São Paulo]] (between [[Paulista Avenue]] and Alto de Santana)<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://memoriallandelldemoura.com.br/|title=Memórias de um Jornalista – Atualidades do mundo da Saúde|language=pt-BR|access-date=25 January 2019}}</ref>
|1893
|
|
|-
|[[Guglielmo Marconi]]
|n/a
|Broadcast across his garden in [[Pontecchio Polesine|Pontecchio]], Italy.<ref name="ReferenceB"/><ref name="nobelprize.org">{{Cite web | url=https://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/physics/laureates/1909/marconi-bio.html |title = The Nobel Prize in Physics 1909}}</ref>
|1895
|
|Experimental
|-
|Although Australia's first officially recognised broadcast was made in 1906, some sources claim that there were transmissions in Australia in 1897, either conducted solely by Professor [[William Henry Bragg]] of the [[University of Adelaide]]<ref>[http://www.wia.org.au/members/history/research/documents/WIA%20MAIN%20T-%20LINE-Nov%202013%20EXTENDED.pdf "TIME LINE – ESTABLISHMENT OF WIRELESS INSTITUTE OF AUSTRALIA"]</ref><ref>Bernard Harte, ''When Radio Was The Cat's Whiskers'', 2002, privately published Dural, NSW</ref> or by Prof. Bragg in conjunction with G.W. Selby of Melbourne.<ref name="ReferenceB"/>{{List entry too long}}
|n/a
|
|1897
|
|Experimental. Disputed in some sources.
|-
|[[Guglielmo Marconi]], first trans-Atlantic transmission.
|n/a
|from [[Poldhu]], Cornwall to [[Signal Hill, St. John's|Signal Hill]], [[St. John's, Newfoundland]].<ref name="ReferenceB"/><ref name="nobelprize.org"/>
|December 1901
|
|Experimental
|-
|([[History of broadcasting in Australia|First official Morse Code transmission in Australia]])
|n/a
|from [[Queenscliff, Victoria]] to [[Devonport, Tasmania]]
|1906
|
|Experimental
|-
| ([[Reginald Fessenden]] experimental alternator station)
| BO<ref>[https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015074629190&view=1up&seq=28 "United States: Brant Rock, Mass."], ''List of Wireless-Telegraph Stations of the World'' (1 August 1907 edition), page 24.</ref>
| [[Brant Rock]], [[Massachusetts]], United States
| 21 December 1906 (Audio tests from various locations from as early as 1900)
| [[AM broadcasting|AM]] 50&nbsp;kHz (approximately)
| ? W
|-
| [[Lee de Forest]] (laboratory in the [[Parker Building (New York City)|Parker Building]])
| [?]
| New York City, New York, United States
| 1907
| [[AM broadcasting|AM]] ? kHz (approximately)
| ? W
|-
| ([[Beloit College]] Professor Dr. Charles Aaron Culver)
| [<nowiki/>[[WBCR-FM|WBCR]], WBNB, WEBW]
| [[Beloit, Wisconsin]], United States
| 1907<ref>{{Cite web |title=Radio Station {{!}} WBCR 90.3 FM Beloit College Radio {{!}} United States |url=https://www.wbcr903.com/ |access-date=2022-03-17 |website=WBCR |language=en}}</ref>
| [[AM broadcasting|AM]] ? kHz (approximately) now airs on 90.3 [[FM broadcasting|FM]].
| ? W
|-
| [[Charles Herrold|FN/SJN/6XF/6XE]]/[[KCBS (AM)|KQW]]/"San Jose"
| [[KCBS (AM)|KCBS]]
| [[San Jose, California]]/San Francisco, California
| 1909, 1921 (officially granted experimental license as KQW, become commercial in 1921, and KCBS in 1949)
| AM 740&nbsp;kHz (Originally used 15 watts modulated with [[Carbon microphone]])
| Class-B
|-
| [[XWA (radio)|XWA]]
| [[CINW (AM)|CINW]]
| [[Montreal]], Quebec, Canada
| August 1914 – 1 December 1919 – May 1922 – 29 January 2010
| AM 940&nbsp;kHz (Not original frequency). Considered by many Canadians to be "First scheduled broadcast station;" prior call sign CFCF stood for '''C'''anada's '''F'''irst, '''C'''anada's '''F'''inest.
| Class-A ([[Clear-channel stations|Clear channel]]); XWA Experimental and W/T School station licence starting end of 1914,<ref>"Report of the Department of the Naval Service for the Fiscal Year ending March 31, 1915"</ref> regular broadcasting test emissions starting 1 December 1919 with XWA being replaced in May 1922 by private commercial broadcasting licence CFCF;<ref>Armstrong, R. (2015), "Broadcasting Policy in Canada", 2nd Edition, University of Toronto Press, p.23; "LE RADIO – Programme du 25 juin", La Presse newspaper, Saturday 24 June 1922</ref> AM station CINW ceased operations on 29 January 2010.
|-
|2YU
|[[WRUC]]
|[[Union College]], [[Schenectady, New York]]
|1915<ref>"Union College", Education's Own Stations by S. E. Frost, Jr., PhD, 1937, pages 437–441.</ref>
|Various Frequencies [[AM broadcasting|AM]], switched in 1975 to 90.9 [[FM broadcasting|FM]], & moved in 1983 to 89.7 [[FM broadcasting|FM]]
|Original: Technical & Training School License, Current: Class-A
|-
| 2XI
| [[WGY (AM)|WGY]]
| [[Schenectady, New York]]
| 20 February 1922
| AM 810&nbsp;kHz
| Class-A
|-
| 9ZP, 9CLS
| [[KGFX (AM)|KGFX]]
| [[Pierre, South Dakota]]
| The station's roots date back to 1912 when Dana McNeil, was first licensed as 9ZP. In 1916, he was licensed as 9CLS. According to the FCC's card file for the station, the broadcast license for KGFX was first issued on 15 August 1927, with the licensee listed as Dana McNeil, The station was originally at 1180&nbsp;kHz, moving to 580&nbsp;kHz in 1928. In 1932, it moved to 630&nbsp;kHz, where it remained until 1967.As of 2018 KGFX 1060AM continues to broadcast local content at 10&nbsp;kW power in Pierre, SD. With an FM translator broadcasting at 107.1{{List entry too long}}
| Various frequencies,
|
|-
| [[Radio 2XG|2XG]]
|
| New York City
| 1916
| Unknown
| Unknown<br />(see also Lee de Forest [above].)
|-
| [[Frank Conrad#Early radio work|8XK]], [[KDKA (AM)|8ZZ]]
| [[KDKA (AM)|KDKA]]
| [[Pittsburgh]], Pennsylvania
| 1916
| AM 1020&nbsp;kHz
| 75 watts (1916), Class-A (1920–present). Began simulcasting on shortwave in 1923 as 8XS.
|-
| [[Easter Rising|Irish rebel station]]
| none
| [[General Post Office (Dublin)|General Post Office]], [[O'Connell Street|Sackville Street]], [[Dublin]], Ireland
| 24 April 1916
| Morse code only (Despite this claimed{{where|date=August 2020}} by some{{who|date=August 2020}} to be "world's first broadcast" as transmission not aimed at specific target)
| converted ship transmitter
|-
| 9XM
| [[WHA (AM)|WHA]]
| [[University of Wisconsin–Madison]], [[Madison, Wisconsin]]
| 4 December 1916 (regular Morse code weather broadcasts; first voice broadcast in February 1919; regular programming January 1921)
| AM 970&nbsp;kHz
| Class-B
|-
|First direct communication Australia to the United Kingdom
|n/a
|[[Amalgamated Wireless (Australasia)]]; [[Ernest Fisk]]; Sydney
|1918
|AM 21&nbsp;kHz
|<ref name="Carty, Bruce page 25">Carty, Bruce, ''On the Air – Australian Radio History'', privately published Gosford NSW, page 25</ref>
|-
|7AC/7XC
|[[KJR (AM)|KJR]]
|Seattle, WA, USA
|1919
|AM 833&nbsp;kHz/619&nbsp;kHz, then various frequencies; currently AM 950&nbsp;kHz & FM 102.9&nbsp;MHz
|<ref name="The 100th Anniversary of KJR Seattle, 1919 to 2019">{{Cite web|url=https://www.radioworld.com/columns-and-views/roots-of-radio/kjr-seattle-1919-to-2019|title=The 100th Anniversary of KJR Seattle, 1919 to 2019|date=24 December 2019}}</ref>
|-
|[[:pt:Rádio Clube (Recife)|Rádio Clube de Pernambuco]]
|same name as well
|[[Recife]], Pernambuco,
|1919
|AM 720&nbsp;kHz
|Made the first radiophonic broadcast in Brazil, but the first radio officially acknowledged was [[Rádio Sociedade do Rio de Janeiro]] (actually, [[:pt:Rádio MEC|Rádio MEC]]). Also, it is one of the oldest stations in the world.{{List entry too long}}
|-
|[[Timeline of Australian radio|First Australian experiment in the broadcast of music]]
|n/a
|[[Amalgamated Wireless (Australasia)]]; [[Ernest Fisk]]; Sydney
|8 August 1919
|AM
|<ref name="Carty, Bruce page 25"/>
|-
|Doubleday-Hill radio department station<ref name="Telephone Downtown Soon">[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=731RAAAAIBAJ&sjid=VWgDAAAAIBAJ&pg=608,535339 "Telephone Downtown Soon"], "The Radio Amateur" by C. E. Urban, ''Pittsburgh Gazette Times'', 26 October 1919, Sixth section, page 13.</ref><ref name="news.google.com">[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=WX1RAAAAIBAJ&sjid=GGgDAAAAIBAJ&pg=1450%2C5123390 "Wireless Phone Installed by Local Firm"], "The Radio Amateur" by C. E. Urban, ''Pittsburgh Gazette Times'', 25 January 1920, Fifth section, page 9.</ref>
|[[KQV]]<ref>[https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=umn.319510008420257&view=1up&seq=260 "New Stations: Commercial Land Stations"], ''Radio Service Bulletin'', 1 November 1921, page 2.</ref>
|Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
|19 November 1919<ref name="Telephone Downtown Soon"/><ref name="news.google.com"/><ref>[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=bn1RAAAAIBAJ&sjid=GGgDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4211%2C684678 "Radiophone Concert Schedule"], "The Radio Amateur" by C. E. Urban, ''Pittsburgh Gazette Times'', 15 February 1920, Second section, page 4. "Messrs. Williams and Devinney" were Burton P. Williams and Robert C. Devinney.</ref>
|Currently AM 1410&nbsp;kHz
|Currently Class D
|-
| (Experimental Czech tests)
|
| [[Petřínská rozhledna]] (Petřín Lookout Tower), [[Prague]], [[Czechoslovakia]]
| 28 October 1919 (Experimental),<br />20 May 1920
| AM ??? kHz
| ?? kW
|-
| [[2MT]] (Marconi experimental station with a regular news service)
|
| Writtle, [[Chelmsford]], Essex, England
| 23 February 1920
| AM 107&nbsp;kHz
| 15&nbsp;kW
|-
| [[LOR Radio Argentina]]
| LOR
| [[Buenos Aires]], Argentina
| 27 August 1920
Continued daily commercial broadcast up to 1997
| AM 857&nbsp;kHz<ref>Revista Telegráfica, May 1923, Page 134</ref>
| 5 Watts initially, 500 Watts by 1921
|-
| 6ADZ
| [[KNX (AM)|KNX]]
| Los Angeles, California
| Summer 1920, granted broadcasting station license 1921
| AM 1070&nbsp;kHz
| Class-A
|-
| [[8MK]]
| [[WWJ (AM)|WWJ]]
| Detroit, Michigan
| 20 August 1920
| AM 950&nbsp;kHz
| Class-B
|-
| [[KDKA (AM)|KDKA]]
| same as original.
| [[Pittsburgh]], Pennsylvania
| 27 October 1920 (Aired as 8ZZ that night)
| AM 1020&nbsp;kHz
| Class-A ([[Clear-channel stations|Clear channel]])
|-
| [[WEW|9YK]]
| [[WEW]]
| [[St. Louis]], [[Missouri]]
| 21 April 1921 (as 9YK); 23 March 1922 (as WEW)
| AM 770&nbsp;kHz
| Class-D
|-
| WRR
| [[KTCK (AM)|KTCK]]
| [[Dallas]], Texas
| 4 August 1921 (broadcasts date back to 1920)
| AM 1310&nbsp;kHz
|
|-
| [[WBZ (AM)|WBZ]]
| Same as original.
| [[Boston]], Massachusetts
| 19 September 1921
| AM 1030&nbsp;kHz
| Class-A ([[Clear-channel stations|Clear channel]])
|-
| [[XEH (AM)|XEH-AM]]
| Same as original.
| [[San Nicolás de los Garza]], Nuevo León
| 9 October 1921
| AM 1420&nbsp;kHz
| Class-B
|-
|[[KYW (AM)|KYW]]
|same as original
|Chicago, Illinois (1921)<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=VMcnAAAAYAAJ&dq=kyw+wbu+chicago&pg=RA5-PA508 Radio broadcast-Volume 1-Radio Has Gripped Chicago-pages 503–511]</ref> <br />[[Philadelphia]], Pennsylvania (1934)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.otrr.org/FILES/Magz_pdf/Microphone/Microphone_34_11_30.pdf|title=New KYW Opens December 3rd (page 4)|date=24 November 1934|publisher=The Microphone|accessdate=14 July 2010}}</ref><br />[[Cleveland]], Ohio (1956)<br />Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (1965)<ref name="KYW Newsradio Station History">[http://kyw1060.com/pages/11853.php KYW Newsradio Station History] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070107021431/http://kyw1060.com/pages/11853.php |date=7 January 2007 }}, which details the evolution of the station from Chicago, to Philadelphia, to Cleveland and back to Philadelphia.</ref>
|11 November 1921
|AM 560&nbsp;kHz, 570&nbsp;kHz, 1020&nbsp;kHz (Chicago)<br />AM 1020&nbsp;kHz (Philadelphia)<br />AM 1100&nbsp;kHz (Cleveland))<br />AM 1060&nbsp;kHz (Philadelphia)
|Class-A ([[Clear-channel stations|Clear channel]])
|-
|Experimental broadcasts by Professor Robert Jack<ref>{{Cite web|title=Robert Jack (physicist)|url=https://teara.govt.nz/en/biographies/4j1/jack-robert}}</ref> of Otago University
|4XD
|Dunedin, New Zealand
|17 November 1921
|experimental
|New Zealand's first regular broadcasts of voice and music<ref>{{Cite web|title=NZHistory|url=https://nzhistory.govt.nz/people/robert-jack}}</ref>
|-
|[[2CM]]
|&nbsp;
|Charles Maclurcan; Sydney
|1921
|AM 214&nbsp;kHz
|[[Timeline of Australian radio|Australia's first experimental station]]<ref name="Carty, Bruce page 25"/>
|-
|Radio Journal de la Tour Eiffel<br />([[Eiffel Tower]] Newsreel)
|[[France Inter]]
|Paris, France
|1921
|"Long wave"<br />115&nbsp;kHz (2600 m)
|N/A
|-
|[[WCAT (South Dakota)|WCAT]]
|
|[[Rapid City, South Dakota]]
|1922
|AM 618&nbsp;kHz (1922–?)<br />AM 1200&nbsp;kHz 1928–1941<br />AM 1230&nbsp;kHz 1941–1952
|
|-
| 9-BC, 9-XR, 9-BY, WOC
|[[WOC (AM)|WOC]]
|[[Davenport, Iowa]]
| 1922
| 1420&nbsp;kHz (1942–present)
|Class-B
|-
|[[Radio K|WLB]]
|[[KUOM]]
|[[Saint Paul, Minnesota]]
|13 January 1922
| AM 770&nbsp;kHz
| Class-D
|-
| [[WEPN (AM)|WHN]]
| [[WEPN (AM)|WEPN]]
| [[Ridgewood, Queens|Ridgewood, New York]]
| February 1922,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.timesnewsweekly.com/common/whnradio.html |title=Archived copy |accessdate=30 July 2008 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110526053845/http://www.timesnewsweekly.com/common/whnradio.html |archivedate=26 May 2011 }}</ref> some sources cite 18 March 1922
| AM 833&nbsp;kHz
| Class-A
|-
| [[KLZ (AM)|KLZ]]
| same as original
| [[Denver]], Colorado
| 10 March 1922<ref>{{cite web |url=https://earlyradiohistory.us/pion622.htm#oldest |accessdate=21 January 2020|title=United States Pioneer Broadcast Service Stations}}</ref>
| AM 560 kHZ
| [http://www.KLZradio.com www.KLZradio.com], Colorado's First Station, Class-B
|-
|[[WTEL (AM)|WIP]]
|[[WTEL (AM)|WTEL]]
|[[Philadelphia]], Pennsylvania
|17 March 1922
| AM 610&nbsp;kHz
| Class-B
|-
|[[WLW]]
|[[WLW]]
|[[Cincinnati]], Ohio
|23 March 1922
| AM 700&nbsp;kHz
| Class-A ([[Clear-channel stations|Clear channel]])
|-
| [[WWL (AM)|WWL]]
| same as original
| [[New Orleans]], Louisiana
| 31 March 1922
| AM 870&nbsp;kHz
| Class A
|-
| [[WMAQ (AM)|WGU]]
| [[WSCR]]
| Chicago, Illinois
| 13 April 1922
| Originally AM 833&nbsp;kHz, became WMAQ at 750&nbsp;kHz on 2 October 1922, moved to 670&nbsp;kHz on 2 July 1923
| Class-A
|-
| [[KHJ (AM)|KHJ]]
| [[KHJ (AM)|KHJ]]
| Los Angeles, California
| 13 April 1922
| AM 720&nbsp;kHz, founded by C.R. Kierulff & Co., sold to Times-Mirror Company in late 1922
| Class-A
|-
| [[KFI]]
| [[KFI]]
| Los Angeles, California
| 16 April 1922
| AM 640&nbsp;kHz, founded by Earle C. Anthony
| Class-A
|-
| 4XD
| [[WBT (AM)|WBT]]
| [[Charlotte, North Carolina]]
| 18 December 1920, License granted 10 April 1922
| AM 1110&nbsp;kHz
| Class-A
|-
| KZN
| [[KSL (radio)|KSL]]
| [[Salt Lake City]], Utah and vicinity
| 6 May 1922
| AM 1160&nbsp;kHz(1941–present)
| Class A (Clear channel)
|-
| [[2LO]]
| [[2LO]]
| London, United Kingdom
| 11 May 1922
| 1 hour daily tests on 350 metres (857&nbsp;kHz) AM. Full service opened: 14 November 1922
|
|-
| [[2ZY]]
| [[2ZY]]
| [[Manchester]], United Kingdom
| 17 May 1922
| Test TXs: 350 metres (857&nbsp;kHz) AM. Full service opened 15 November 1922: 375 meters
|
|-
| KFBL
| [[KRKO (AM)|KRKO]]
| [[Everett, Washington, USA]]
| 26 August 1922<ref>{{cite web |url=https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DOC-338240A1.pdf |title=Radio Service Bulletin}}</ref>
| AM 1380&nbsp; kHz (1958–present)
| Class B (Regional)
|-
| [[CKAC (AM)|CKAC]]
| same as original
| [[Montreal]], Quebec/[[Montreal, Québec]], Canada
| 12 September 1922
| AM 730&nbsp;kHz
| Class-A
|-
| DN
| [[Radio Dunedin|4XD]]
| [[Dunedin]], New Zealand
| 4 October 1922
| originally AM 1431&nbsp;kHz, now AM 1305&nbsp;kHz and FM 99.8&nbsp;MHz
|
|-
| 9BT
| [[CFRC]]
| [[Kingston, Ontario]], Canada
| 7 October 1922
| AM 1490 (now FM 101.9&nbsp;MHz)
|Class-A
|-
| [[5IT]]
| [[5IT]]
| [[Birmingham]], United Kingdom
| 15 November 1922
| Not known
|
|-
| [[WNAX (AM)|WNAX]]
| same as original
| [[Yankton, South Dakota]]
| 25 November 1922
| AM 570&nbsp;kHz
|
|-
| [[WKAQ (AM)|WKAQ]]
| same as original
| [[San Juan, Puerto Rico]]
| 3 December 1922
| AM 580&nbsp;kHz
| Class-B
|-
| [[Radio Ceylon]]
| [[Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation]]
| [[Colombo]], Sri Lanka
| 1923 (experimental), 1925 (official launch) – present
| "Long wave" 375&nbsp;kHz
| 1500 W<ref>{{Cite web | url=http://mt-shortwave.blogspot.com/2012/04/story-of-radio-broadcasting-in-ceylon.html |title = Shortwave Central: The Story of Radio Broadcasting in Ceylon|date = 10 April 2012}}</ref>
|-
| [[WKBV]]<br />William Knox BrookVille
| Same as is
| [[Richmond, Indiana]] <br />[[Whitewater Broadcasting]]
| 1923
| AM 1000&nbsp;kHz 24/7
| Class B
|-
|[[:es:Radio Chilena|Radio Chilena]] (Chile Radio Company)
|CB66
|[[Santiago]], Chile
|October 1922 (experimental), 26 March 1923 (official launch) – 2005
|AM 660&nbsp;kHz
|
|-
| [[Czech Radio|Radiojournal]]
| Český rozhlas Radiožurnál
| [[Prague]]-[[Kbely]], [[Czechoslovakia]]
| 18 May 1923
| "Long wave"<br />292&nbsp;kHz (1025 m){{Verify source|date=May 2020}}
|<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.radio.cz/en/article/49702 |title=Czech Radio history |access-date=27 January 2007 |archive-date=20 August 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080820062554/http://www.radio.cz/en/article/49702 |url-status=bot: unknown }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Czech Radio history |url=https://www.radio.cz/en/static/history-of-radio-prague/czech-radio-history |website=Radio Prague International |accessdate=9 May 2020 |language=en}}</ref>
|-
| CYB "El Buen Tono"
| [[XEB-AM]] ([[Instituto Mexicano de la Radio]])
| [[Mexico City]], Mexico
| 23 September 1923<ref>[http://xeb.imer.gob.mx/acerca-de-la-xeb About XEB (in Spanish)] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130810150229/http://xeb.imer.gob.mx/acerca-de-la-xeb |date=10 August 2013 }}</ref>
| AM 1220&nbsp;kHz
| N/A
|-
|[[Timeline of Finnish radio|Finland's]] first private public broadcasting station. [[3NB]]
|3NB, [[Tampere]]
|[[Tampere]], [[Tavastia (historical province)|Tavastia]]
|1 November 1923
|AM kHz
|<ref>{{Cite web | url=http://yle.fi/aihe/artikkeli/2013/08/21/radiopioneerit-tamperelaisella-ullakolla |title = Radiopioneerit tamperelaisella ullakolla| date=21 August 2013 }}</ref>
|-
|[[Timeline of Australian radio|Australia's]] first '''official''' station. [[702 ABC Sydney|2SB]]; 2BL as from 1 March 1924
|702 ABC Sydney
|Sydney
|23 November 1923. One of six [[Sealed Set]] system stations;
|AM 855&nbsp;kHz
|<ref name="Carty, Bruce page 27">Carty, Bruce, ''On the Air – Australian Radio History'', privately published Gosford NSW, page 27</ref><ref name="ReferenceC">R R Walker, ''The Magic Spark: 50 Years of Radio in Australia'', The Hawthorn Press, Melbourne, 1973</ref>
|-
|XRO
|n/a
|Shanghai, China
|November 1923
|AM 1500&nbsp;kHz
|50 Watts (1923). First radio station in China.<ref>[http://www.shtong.gov.cn/dfz_web/DFZ/Info?idnode=79778&tableName=userobject1a&id=104472 第一节 无线广播], shtong.gov.cn</ref>
|-
|[[Radio National|2FC]]
|2RN, Radio National
|Sydney
|12 December 1923. One of six [[Sealed Set]] system stations;
|AM 273&nbsp;kHz
|<ref name="Carty, Bruce page 27"/><ref name="ReferenceC"/>
|-
|Radio Ibérica
|N/A
|[[Madrid]], Spain
|22 December 1923.;
|AM 729&nbsp;kHz
|N/A
|-
|19 September 1924
|[[Radio Belgrade]]
|[[Belgrade]], Serbia
|19 September 1924.;
|AM 684&nbsp;kHz
|N/A
|-
|[[Radio National|3AR]]
|3RN, Radio National
|[[Melbourne]], [[Victoria (Australia)]]
|26 January 1924. One of six [[Sealed Set]] system stations;
|AM 625&nbsp;kHz
|<ref name="Carty, Bruce page 47">Carty, Bruce, ''On the Air – Australian Radio History'', privately published Gosford NSW, page 47</ref><ref name="ReferenceC"/>
|-
| WES
| [[WLS (AM)|WLS]]
| Chicago, Illinois
| Owned by [[Sears, Roebuck and Company|Sears Roebuck]], WLS would come to stand for the World's Largest Store. Sears ran broadcasts from WMAQ studios as WBBX in March 1924. WES tests were conducted 9 to 11 April 1924. WLS would begin on 12 April and became one of 25 original 50,000 watt "Clear Channel" system stations;
| Originally AM 870&nbsp;kHz, AM 890&nbsp;kHz
| Class-A
|-
|[[720 ABC Perth|6WF]]
|720 ABC Perth
|[[Perth]], [[Western Australia]]
|4 June 1924. One of six [[Sealed Set]] system stations;
|AM 240&nbsp;kHz
|<ref>Carty, Bruce, ''On the Air – Australian Radio History'', privately published Gosford NSW, page 74</ref><ref name="ReferenceC"/>
|-
| N/A
| [http://www.radiobloemendaal.nl Radio Bloemendaal]
| [[Bloemendaal]], [[Netherlands]] <br />
| 15 June 1924
| originally AM 1500&nbsp;kHz (200m)<br />later AM 1223&nbsp;kHz (245 m)<br />currently AM 1116&nbsp;kHz (269 m)
| various
|-
|VOWR/8WMC
|800 AM
|St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
|24 July 1924
|800 AM
|[[VOWR|VOWR - Wikipedia]]
|-
| URI ([[Unione Radiofonica Italiana]]), 1-RO
| [[Rai Radio 1]]
| Rome, Italy <br />
| 6 October 1924
| AM 705 (425m) &nbsp;kHz
|-
|[[KOA (AM)|KOA]]
| same as original
| [[Denver]], Colorado, United States <br />
| 15 December 1924 One of 25 original 50,000 watt "Clear Channel" system stations
| AM850&nbsp;kHz
|
|-
| [[Statsradiofonien]]
| [[DR P1]]
| [[Copenhagen]], Denmark
| 1 April 1925 (experimental), license granted April 1926, Regular broadcast from April 1926
| "Long wave"
| N/A
|-|-
| WCSH
| [[WZAN]]
| [[Portland, Maine]]
| 1925
| "Long wave"
|
|-
| N/A
| [[Polskie Radio|Radio Poland]]
| [[Warsaw]], Poland
| 1 February 1925 (experimental), Regular broadcast from 18 April 1926
| "Medium wave"
| N/A
|-
| N/A
| [[Romanian Radio Broadcasting Company|Radio Romania]]
| [[Bucharest]], Romania
| Summer 1925 – 1927 (experimental), license granted March 1928, Regular broadcast from 1 November 1928
| "Long wave"
| N/A
|-
|[[2BE (Sydney)|2BE]]. Australia's first commercial station. Burgin Electric Company.
|n/a
|Sydney
|7 November 1924 to 6 November 1929
|AM 870&nbsp;kHz. (Wavelength later taken by [[2GB]].)<ref>Carty, Bruce, ''On the Air – Australian Radio History'', privately published Gosford NSW, page 28</ref>
|[[History of broadcasting|B Class]], commercial<ref name="ReferenceC"/>
|-
| [[WEBK (AM)|WEBK]]
| [[WOOD (AM)|WOOD]]
| [[Grand Rapids, Michigan]], United States
| 16 September 1924
| AM 1130&nbsp;kHz, presently on 1300&nbsp;kHz,
| Class-B
|-
|[[774 ABC Melbourne|3LO]]
|774 ABC Melbourne
|[[Melbourne]], [[Victoria (Australia)]]
|13 October 1924. One of six [[Sealed Set]] system stations;
|AM 175&nbsp;kHz
|<ref name="Carty, Bruce page 47"/><ref name="ReferenceC"/>
|-
|[[5MA]]
| n/a
|[[Adelaide]], [[South Australia]]
|April 1924 to early 1925. One of six [[Sealed Set]] system stations.
|Does not appear to have actually broadcast
|see [[Arthur William Jarrett]]
|-
|[[2UE]]. Australia's third commercial station, and the oldest commercial station still operating.
|[[2UE]]
|Sydney
|26 January 1925
|AM 1025&nbsp;kHz
|[[History of broadcasting|B Class]], commercial.<ref name="ReferenceC"/> Was originally going to broadcast as 2EU, but the callsign was reversed prior to the licence being issued on 7 November 1924.
|-
| [[NHK Radio 1|JOAK]]
| same as is
| Tokyo, Japan
| 22 March 1925
| AM 594&nbsp;kHz
|
|-
| [[CHRC (AM)|CHRC]]
| [[CHRC (AM)|CHRC]]
| [[Quebec City, Quebec]]/[[Quebec City, Quebec]], Canada
| 1 April 1926
| AM 800&nbsp;kHz
| Class-B. Final broadcast in 2012.
|-
| [[LRT Radijas|Lietuvos Radijas]]
| [[LRT Radijas]]
| Kaunas, Lithuania
| 26 June 1926
| AM 1961&nbsp;kHz
|
|-
|XOH, later COHB
|n/a
|[[Harbin]], China
|1 October 1926
|AM 1071&nbsp;kHz
|100 Watts, 1928 1&nbsp;kW. First radio station founded by Chinese.<ref>[http://shuju.zglz.gov.cn/BookRead.aspx?BookID=201708230023 黑龙江省志 广播电视志]</ref>
|-
| [[CFCO (AM)|CFCO]]
| same as is
| [[Chatham, Ontario]]/[[Chatham-Kent, Ontario]], Canada
| September 1927
| AM 630&nbsp;kHz
| Class-B
|-
| JODK
| [[HLKA]]
| [[Seoul]], South Korea
| 1927
| AM 711&nbsp;kHz
|
|-
| GOW, ZBW
| [[RTHK]]
| Hong Kong
| 30 June 1928 (GOW, now RTHK 3)
|
|
|-
| [[1XE]]
| became [[WGI (radio station)|WGI]] February 1922 (and WARC March 1925)
| [[Medford, Massachusetts]]
| 1916 sporadically, then 1919–1920 till April 1925
| ? – later on 833&nbsp;kHz
|
|-
| [[2XN]]
|
| [[City College of New York]], New York City
| 1913; 1920
|
|
|-
| [[2ZK]]
|
| [[New Rochelle, New York]]
| 1916
|
|
|-
| NSF/[[Algemene Vereniging Radio Omroep|HDO, later ANDO and AVRO]]
| [[Netherlands Public Broadcasting|NPO]]
| | [[Huizen]] (transmitter), [[Hilversum]] (studio), [[Netherlands]]
| 21 July 1923, from 1930 part of Dutch Public Radio
| AM 279&nbsp;kHz, 1927 also 1004&nbsp;kHz, today FM network
| 500 W, 1927 5&nbsp;kW
|-
| [[2RN]] (Irish Free State radio)
| [[RTÉ]] (Irish national radio & television)<ref>{{Cite web | url=http://www.rte.ie/archives/exhibitions/681-history-of-rte/ |title = History of RTÉ|website = [[RTÉ.ie]]}}</ref>
| [[General Post Office (Dublin)|General Post Office]] ([[O'Connell Street]]), [[Dublin]], Ireland
| 1 January 1926
| AM 380&nbsp;kHz, and from [[Cork (city)|Cork]] AM612&nbsp;kHz,
|
|-
| NDO, 50% time KRO, 50% NCRV
| [[Netherlands Public Broadcasting|NPO]]
| [[Huizen]] (transmitter), [[Hilversum]] (studio), [[Netherlands]]
| 1927, from 1930 part of Dutch Public radio
| AM 160&nbsp;kHz,1935 transmitter moved to Kootwijk, 1938 also Jaarsveld 722&nbsp;kHz, today FM network and 747/1251&nbsp;kHz
| Huizen 15&nbsp;kW, Kootwijk day 15&nbsp;kW, evening 120&nbsp;kW, Jaarsveld 20&nbsp;kW
|-
|[[2TM]]
|2TM
|Tamworth NSW
Australia
|27 February 1935
|1287&nbsp;kHz
|
|}


===FM or shortwave===
<h2>Table of Experimental Radio Stations</h2>
{| class="wikitable"
|+Experimental or early radio stations ([[FM Broadcasting|FM]] and [[shortwave]])
|-
|-
! Radio<br>[[Call-sign]]<br>(Original)
! Station<br />[[call-sign]]<br />(original)
! Radio<br>[[Call-sign]]<br>(Current)
! Station<br />[[call-sign]]<br />(current)
! City/Location
! City/location
! On Air
! On air
! Broadcast Frequency<br>([[AM Radio]] / [[FM Radio]])
! Transmission frequency<br />([[AM broadcasting|AM radio]] / [[FM broadcasting|FM radio]])
! [[list of broadcast station classes|Broadcast class]]
! [[list of broadcast station classes|Broadcast class]]
|-
|-
| [[KDKA]]
| [[PCGG]]
| N/A
| [[KDKA]]
| [[The Hague]], Netherlands
| 6 November 1919 – 11 November 1924
| Narrow-band FM, 570 m
| N/A
|-
| [[WWV (radio station)|WWV]] US Government [[Time signal|Time Service]]
| [[WWV (radio station)|WWV]]
| [[Fort Collins, Colorado]]
| "6 months before KDKA" (May 1920)
| 2.5&nbsp;MHz, 5&nbsp;MHz, 10&nbsp;MHz, 15&nbsp;MHz and 20&nbsp;MHz
| HF (Shortwave)
|-
| XS (1921-1929),<br />W8XK (1929-1939),<br />WPIT (1939-1940)<ref>"WESTINGHOUSE INTERNATIONAL STATIONS: UNDER NEW CALL LETTERS",
''The Palestine Post'' (1933-1950); Jerusalem, Israel [Jerusalem, Israel]22 Sep 1939: 7.</ref>
|
| [[Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania]]
| [[Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania]]
| November 1920 – December 1939<br />Owned and operated by [[Westinghouse Electric Corporation]]. Used to relay KDKA signal to AM rebroadcasters in other cities.<ref>http://explorepahistory.com/hmarker.php?markerId=1-A-3A5 {{Bare URL inline|date=September 2022}}</ref> Broadcast programming from [[KDKA (AM)|KDKA]], and also broadcast ''[[CBC North#Northern Messenger|Northern Messenger]]'' to the Arctic. Merged with WBOS (1940) and became a VOA transmitter (1942).
| [[1920]]
| 15,210&nbsp;kHz, 11,880&nbsp;kHz, 6,140&nbsp;kHz<ref>"QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS: Time Schedule and Channels Used by KDKA's ShortWave Transmitter--Call Is W8XK", ''The New York Times'' (1923-Current file); New York, N.Y. [New York, N.Y]17 Aug 1930: 120.</ref>
| AM 1020 kHz
|40&nbsp;kW (1937)<ref>{{cite news |title=The Canadian Northern Messenger Service |url=http://www.ontheshortwaves.com/Wavescan/wavescan180304.html |accessdate=29 September 2020 |work=Wavescan (Adventist World Radio)|date=4 March 2018}}</ref>
| Class-A ([[Clear channel]])
|-
|-
| [[XWA]]
| CFRC
| [[CINW]]
| [[CFRC-FM|CFRC]]
| [[Montreal, Quebec]]
| [[Kingston, ON]], Canada
| 27 October 1923
| [[December 1]], [[1919]] (Experimental),<br>[[May 20]], [[1920]]
|
| AM 940 kHz
|
| Class-A ([[Clear channel]])
|-
|-
| [[8MK]]
|[[PCJJ]]
|[[Radio Netherlands Worldwide]]
| [[WWJ]]
|[[Philips]] Laboratories at [[Eindhoven]], [[Netherlands]], moved to [[Hilversum]] in 1933.
| [[Detroit, Michigan]]
|The first shortwave station in Europe. 25 June 1926 (test transmissions began), and the first shortwave station in the world with its own dedicated programming rather than being a simulcast of an AM/MW or LW station such as [[KDKA (AM)|KDKA]]. Regular broadcast from 30 May 1927 to May 1940 when the station went dark due to the German occupation of Holland; resumed after liberation October 1945 – 1946 when Philips and other shortwave radio stations taken over by Radio Netherlands Worldwide. Sister station PHI broadcast in Dutch to the Dutch East and West Indies from 1928 to 1930 and 1934 to 1949.
| [[August 20]], [[1920]]
|30.2 metres shortwave
| AM 950 kHz
|
| Class-B?
|-
|-
| G2NM<ref>Clarricoats, John (1967). ''World at their fingertips'', pub. RSGB, pp. 130–132</ref>
| [[W1XOJ]]
|
| [[WAAF (FM)|WAAF]]
| Caterham, Surrey, England
| [[Westborough, Massachusetts]] /<br>[[Boston, Massachusetts]]
| 11 September 1927.
| [[1937]]
| 23 and 33 metres
| FM 107.3 MHz,<br>(Simulcasts on 97.7 MHz)
| 1&nbsp;kW
|-
| [[CKUA Radio Network|CKUA]]
| CKUA Radio Network
| [[Edmonton]], Alberta<br />(broadcast province-wide)
| 27 November 1927
| 500-watt (Original)<br />AM 580&nbsp;kHz (Edmonton)<br />Various FM frequencies province-wide
| B
|-
| [[VE9GW]]
| CRCX
| [[Bowmanville]], Ontario
| April 1930 – 1938 – used to relay [[CBLA-FM|CRCT]] (later CBL) to northern Ontario, northern Manitoba and the Canadian Arctic
| 6.095&nbsp;MHz (primarily), 11.810&nbsp;MHz, 24.380&nbsp;MHz
| 25 watt (initially), 200 watts (1031), 500 watts (1932)
|-
|HVJ
|[[Vatican Radio]]
|[[Vatican City]]
|12 February 1931
|
|10&nbsp;kW (originally)
|-
|[[HCJB]]
|HCJB
|[[Quito, Ecuador]]
|25 December 1931
|50.26 metres, later 6050&nbsp;kHz, 9745&nbsp;kHz, 11775&nbsp;kHz and 15155&nbsp;kHz.
| 200 watts (initially), 1,000 watt (1937), 10,000 watt (1940), 100,000 (1967), 500,000 (1981)
|-
| [[W8XH]]
|
| [[Buffalo, New York]]
| 18 March 1934 – July 1939. Replaced in 1944 with an FM station, now known as [[WTSS]].
| 51.4 & 41.0&nbsp;MHz
| [[Apex (radio band)|Apex (ultra-shortwave)]]
|-
| [[WGTR (Massachusetts)|W1XOJ]]
|
| [[Paxton, Massachusetts]]/[[Boston]], Massachusetts
| 1937
|
| Unknown
| Unknown
|-
|-
| W1XPW, briefly W65H
| [[W47NV]]
| [[WSM-FM]]
| [[WHCN]]
| [[Hartford, Connecticut]]
| 1939
| 102.9 FM
|
|-
|[[W2XMN]]
|
|[[Alpine, New Jersey]]
|1939 – 1946
|42.8&nbsp;MHz, later 44.1&nbsp;MHz
|
|-
| W2XDA (Schenectady)/W2XOY ([[New Scotland, New York|New Scotland]]), later WGFM
| [[WRVE]]
| [[Schenectady, New York]]
| 1939, 20 November 1940 as W2XOY<ref>[https://archive.org/stream/broadcasting19unse#page/n1165/mode/1up "Carnival Atmosphere"], ''Broadcasting'', 1 December 1940, page 76.</ref>
| Originally on FM 48.5&nbsp;MHz, now FM 99.5
| Unknown
|-
| [[WSM-FM (1941–1951)|W47NV]]
| N/A
| [[Nashville, Tennessee]]
| [[Nashville, Tennessee]]
| 1941 to 1951
| [[March 1]], [[1945]]
|
| FM 95.5 MHz,<br>(Not original frequency)
| Unknown
| Unknown
|}
|}


== See also ==
===Networks===
{| class="wikitable"
* [[History of radio]]
|+Early radio networks
* [[Timeline of radio]]
|-
* [[AM Radio]]
! Name
* [[FM Radio]]
! Full name
** [[FM broadcasting in the USA]]
! Location
! On air
! Notes
|-
| [[British Broadcasting Company]]
|
| United Kingdom
| 1922–1926
| Private commercial company made up of 26 stations by 1926. Nationalised to become the [[British Broadcasting Corporation]] ([[BBC Radio]]) in 1927.
|-
| [[CNR Radio]]
| Canadian National Railway Radio Department
| Canada
| 1923–1933
| First national radio network in North America.<ref name=arch>[http://hermis.cd.gov.ab.ca/paa/Details.aspx?ObjectID=PR0101&dv=True&deptID=1 CNR Company Fonds] {{dead link|date=July 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}, Provincial Archives of Alberta. Retrieved 22 January 2008</ref> Developed by the [[Canadian National Railway]] to provide en route entertainment for train passengers but also available to anyone within signal range. Consisted of 27 stations (3 owned and operated and up to 24 "phantom stations" – time leased on affiliated radio stations.
|-
| [[Broadcasting Company of America#Network operations and the "WEAF chain"|WEAF chain]]
| [[Broadcasting Company of America]]
| Northeast and Midwest United States
| 1923–1926
| Regional network of [[American Telephone & Telegraph Company|AT&T]]-owned radio stations with [[New York City]] radio station [[WNBC (AM)|WEAF]] as its hub. Grew to 27 stations (WEAF and 26 affiliates) stretching from Boston to [[Kansas City]] by the end of 1925 under the name [[Broadcasting Company of America]], Sold to [[RCA]] in 1926 and merged with RCA's [[WABC (AM)#WJZ New York City (1923–1953)|WJZ chain]] to form the [[National Broadcasting Company]] (NBC)
|}

==See also==
*[[History of radio]]
*[[Timeline of radio]]
*[[History of broadcasting]]
*[[AM broadcasting]]
**[[Extended AM broadcast band]]
*[[FM broadcasting]]
**[[FM broadcasting in the USA]]
**[[List of the initial commercial FM station assignments issued by the Federal Communications Commission on October 31, 1940]]
* {{annotated link|List of radios}}
*[[Oldest television station]]
*[[Time signal]]
* {{portal-inline|Radio}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Telecommunications}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:List of Oldest Radio Stations}}
{{bcast-stub}}
{{radio-stub}}
[[Category:Radio]]
[[Category:Culture-related timelines]]
[[Category:History of radio]]
[[Category:History of radio]]
[[Category:Years in radio]]
[[Category:Lists of radio stations|Oldest]]
[[Category:Radio pioneers]]
[[Category:Timelines of mass media|Radio]]
[[Category:Oldest things|Radio stations]]
[[Category:History-related lists of superlatives|Radio stations]]

Latest revision as of 14:25, 19 February 2024

It is generally recognised that the first radio transmission was made from a temporary station set up by Guglielmo Marconi in 1895. This followed on from pioneering work in the field by a number of people including Alessandro Volta, André-Marie Ampère, Georg Ohm and James Clerk Maxwell.[1]

The several potential contenders for the title of "oldest radio station" are listed below, organized by sign-on date. These are not restricted to radio broadcasting, i.e., the transmissions were not necessarily intended to reach a wide audience.

Stations[edit]

AM on mediumwave and longwave[edit]

Experimental and early radio stations (AM on mediumwave and longwave)
Station
call-sign
(original) 		Station
call-sign
(current) 		City/location On air Transmission frequency
(AM radio / FM radio) 		Broadcast class
Roberto Landell de Moura n/a São Paulo (between Paulista Avenue and Alto de Santana)[2] 1893
Guglielmo Marconi n/a Broadcast across his garden in Pontecchio, Italy.[1][3] 1895 Experimental
Although Australia's first officially recognised broadcast was made in 1906, some sources claim that there were transmissions in Australia in 1897, either conducted solely by Professor William Henry Bragg of the University of Adelaide[4][5] or by Prof. Bragg in conjunction with G.W. Selby of Melbourne.[1][List entry too long] n/a 1897 Experimental. Disputed in some sources.
Guglielmo Marconi, first trans-Atlantic transmission. n/a from Poldhu, Cornwall to Signal Hill, St. John's, Newfoundland.[1][3] December 1901 Experimental
(First official Morse Code transmission in Australia) n/a from Queenscliff, Victoria to Devonport, Tasmania 1906 Experimental
(Reginald Fessenden experimental alternator station) BO[6] Brant Rock, Massachusetts, United States 21 December 1906 (Audio tests from various locations from as early as 1900) AM 50 kHz (approximately) ? W
Lee de Forest (laboratory in the Parker Building) [?] New York City, New York, United States 1907 AM ? kHz (approximately) ? W
(Beloit College Professor Dr. Charles Aaron Culver) [WBCR, WBNB, WEBW] Beloit, Wisconsin, United States 1907[7] AM ? kHz (approximately) now airs on 90.3 FM. ? W
FN/SJN/6XF/6XE/KQW/"San Jose" KCBS San Jose, California/San Francisco, California 1909, 1921 (officially granted experimental license as KQW, become commercial in 1921, and KCBS in 1949) AM 740 kHz (Originally used 15 watts modulated with Carbon microphone) Class-B
XWA CINW Montreal, Quebec, Canada August 1914 – 1 December 1919 – May 1922 – 29 January 2010 AM 940 kHz (Not original frequency). Considered by many Canadians to be "First scheduled broadcast station;" prior call sign CFCF stood for Canada's First, Canada's Finest. Class-A (Clear channel); XWA Experimental and W/T School station licence starting end of 1914,[8] regular broadcasting test emissions starting 1 December 1919 with XWA being replaced in May 1922 by private commercial broadcasting licence CFCF;[9] AM station CINW ceased operations on 29 January 2010.
2YU WRUC Union College, Schenectady, New York 1915[10] Various Frequencies AM, switched in 1975 to 90.9 FM, & moved in 1983 to 89.7 FM Original: Technical & Training School License, Current: Class-A
2XI WGY Schenectady, New York 20 February 1922 AM 810 kHz Class-A
9ZP, 9CLS KGFX Pierre, South Dakota The station's roots date back to 1912 when Dana McNeil, was first licensed as 9ZP. In 1916, he was licensed as 9CLS. According to the FCC's card file for the station, the broadcast license for KGFX was first issued on 15 August 1927, with the licensee listed as Dana McNeil, The station was originally at 1180 kHz, moving to 580 kHz in 1928. In 1932, it moved to 630 kHz, where it remained until 1967.As of 2018 KGFX 1060AM continues to broadcast local content at 10 kW power in Pierre, SD. With an FM translator broadcasting at 107.1[List entry too long] Various frequencies,
2XG New York City 1916 Unknown Unknown
(see also Lee de Forest [above].)
8XK, 8ZZ KDKA Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 1916 AM 1020 kHz 75 watts (1916), Class-A (1920–present). Began simulcasting on shortwave in 1923 as 8XS.
Irish rebel station none General Post Office, Sackville Street, Dublin, Ireland 24 April 1916 Morse code only (Despite this claimed[where?] by some[who?] to be "world's first broadcast" as transmission not aimed at specific target) converted ship transmitter
9XM WHA University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 4 December 1916 (regular Morse code weather broadcasts; first voice broadcast in February 1919; regular programming January 1921) AM 970 kHz Class-B
First direct communication Australia to the United Kingdom n/a Amalgamated Wireless (Australasia); Ernest Fisk; Sydney 1918 AM 21 kHz [11]
7AC/7XC KJR Seattle, WA, USA 1919 AM 833 kHz/619 kHz, then various frequencies; currently AM 950 kHz & FM 102.9 MHz [12]
Rádio Clube de Pernambuco same name as well Recife, Pernambuco, 1919 AM 720 kHz Made the first radiophonic broadcast in Brazil, but the first radio officially acknowledged was Rádio Sociedade do Rio de Janeiro (actually, Rádio MEC). Also, it is one of the oldest stations in the world.[List entry too long]
First Australian experiment in the broadcast of music n/a Amalgamated Wireless (Australasia); Ernest Fisk; Sydney 8 August 1919 AM [11]
Doubleday-Hill radio department station[13][14] KQV[15] Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 19 November 1919[13][14][16] Currently AM 1410 kHz Currently Class D
(Experimental Czech tests) Petřínská rozhledna (Petřín Lookout Tower), Prague, Czechoslovakia 28 October 1919 (Experimental),
20 May 1920 		AM ??? kHz ?? kW
2MT (Marconi experimental station with a regular news service) Writtle, Chelmsford, Essex, England 23 February 1920 AM 107 kHz 15 kW
LOR Radio Argentina LOR Buenos Aires, Argentina 27 August 1920

Continued daily commercial broadcast up to 1997

AM 857 kHz[17] 5 Watts initially, 500 Watts by 1921
6ADZ KNX Los Angeles, California Summer 1920, granted broadcasting station license 1921 AM 1070 kHz Class-A
8MK WWJ Detroit, Michigan 20 August 1920 AM 950 kHz Class-B
KDKA same as original. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 27 October 1920 (Aired as 8ZZ that night) AM 1020 kHz Class-A (Clear channel)
9YK WEW St. Louis, Missouri 21 April 1921 (as 9YK); 23 March 1922 (as WEW) AM 770 kHz Class-D
WRR KTCK Dallas, Texas 4 August 1921 (broadcasts date back to 1920) AM 1310 kHz
WBZ Same as original. Boston, Massachusetts 19 September 1921 AM 1030 kHz Class-A (Clear channel)
XEH-AM Same as original. San Nicolás de los Garza, Nuevo León 9 October 1921 AM 1420 kHz Class-B
KYW same as original Chicago, Illinois (1921)[18]
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (1934)[19]
Cleveland, Ohio (1956)
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (1965)[20] 		11 November 1921 AM 560 kHz, 570 kHz, 1020 kHz (Chicago)
AM 1020 kHz (Philadelphia)
AM 1100 kHz (Cleveland))
AM 1060 kHz (Philadelphia) 		Class-A (Clear channel)
Experimental broadcasts by Professor Robert Jack[21] of Otago University 4XD Dunedin, New Zealand 17 November 1921 experimental New Zealand's first regular broadcasts of voice and music[22]
2CM   Charles Maclurcan; Sydney 1921 AM 214 kHz Australia's first experimental station[11]
Radio Journal de la Tour Eiffel
(Eiffel Tower Newsreel) 		France Inter Paris, France 1921 "Long wave"
115 kHz (2600 m) 		N/A
WCAT Rapid City, South Dakota 1922 AM 618 kHz (1922–?)
AM 1200 kHz 1928–1941
AM 1230 kHz 1941–1952
9-BC, 9-XR, 9-BY, WOC WOC Davenport, Iowa 1922 1420 kHz (1942–present) Class-B
WLB KUOM Saint Paul, Minnesota 13 January 1922 AM 770 kHz Class-D
WHN WEPN Ridgewood, New York February 1922,[23] some sources cite 18 March 1922 AM 833 kHz Class-A
KLZ same as original Denver, Colorado 10 March 1922[24] AM 560 kHZ www.KLZradio.com, Colorado's First Station, Class-B
WIP WTEL Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 17 March 1922 AM 610 kHz Class-B
WLW WLW Cincinnati, Ohio 23 March 1922 AM 700 kHz Class-A (Clear channel)
WWL same as original New Orleans, Louisiana 31 March 1922 AM 870 kHz Class A
WGU WSCR Chicago, Illinois 13 April 1922 Originally AM 833 kHz, became WMAQ at 750 kHz on 2 October 1922, moved to 670 kHz on 2 July 1923 Class-A
KHJ KHJ Los Angeles, California 13 April 1922 AM 720 kHz, founded by C.R. Kierulff & Co., sold to Times-Mirror Company in late 1922 Class-A
KFI KFI Los Angeles, California 16 April 1922 AM 640 kHz, founded by Earle C. Anthony Class-A
4XD WBT Charlotte, North Carolina 18 December 1920, License granted 10 April 1922 AM 1110 kHz Class-A
KZN KSL Salt Lake City, Utah and vicinity 6 May 1922 AM 1160 kHz(1941–present) Class A (Clear channel)
2LO 2LO London, United Kingdom 11 May 1922 1 hour daily tests on 350 metres (857 kHz) AM. Full service opened: 14 November 1922
2ZY 2ZY Manchester, United Kingdom 17 May 1922 Test TXs: 350 metres (857 kHz) AM. Full service opened 15 November 1922: 375 meters
KFBL KRKO Everett, Washington, USA 26 August 1922[25] AM 1380  kHz (1958–present) Class B (Regional)
CKAC same as original Montreal, Quebec/Montreal, Québec, Canada 12 September 1922 AM 730 kHz Class-A
DN 4XD Dunedin, New Zealand 4 October 1922 originally AM 1431 kHz, now AM 1305 kHz and FM 99.8 MHz
9BT CFRC Kingston, Ontario, Canada 7 October 1922 AM 1490 (now FM 101.9 MHz) Class-A
5IT 5IT Birmingham, United Kingdom 15 November 1922 Not known
WNAX same as original Yankton, South Dakota 25 November 1922 AM 570 kHz
WKAQ same as original San Juan, Puerto Rico 3 December 1922 AM 580 kHz Class-B
Radio Ceylon Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation Colombo, Sri Lanka 1923 (experimental), 1925 (official launch) – present "Long wave" 375 kHz 1500 W[26]
WKBV
William Knox BrookVille 		Same as is Richmond, Indiana
Whitewater Broadcasting 		1923 AM 1000 kHz 24/7 Class B
Radio Chilena (Chile Radio Company) CB66 Santiago, Chile October 1922 (experimental), 26 March 1923 (official launch) – 2005 AM 660 kHz
Radiojournal Český rozhlas Radiožurnál Prague-Kbely, Czechoslovakia 18 May 1923 "Long wave"
292 kHz (1025 m)[verification needed] 		[27][28]
CYB "El Buen Tono" XEB-AM (Instituto Mexicano de la Radio) Mexico City, Mexico 23 September 1923[29] AM 1220 kHz N/A
Finland's first private public broadcasting station. 3NB 3NB, Tampere Tampere, Tavastia 1 November 1923 AM kHz [30]
Australia's first official station. 2SB; 2BL as from 1 March 1924 702 ABC Sydney Sydney 23 November 1923. One of six Sealed Set system stations; AM 855 kHz [31][32]
XRO n/a Shanghai, China November 1923 AM 1500 kHz 50 Watts (1923). First radio station in China.[33]
2FC 2RN, Radio National Sydney 12 December 1923. One of six Sealed Set system stations; AM 273 kHz [31][32]
Radio Ibérica N/A Madrid, Spain 22 December 1923.; AM 729 kHz N/A
19 September 1924 Radio Belgrade Belgrade, Serbia 19 September 1924.; AM 684 kHz N/A
3AR 3RN, Radio National Melbourne, Victoria (Australia) 26 January 1924. One of six Sealed Set system stations; AM 625 kHz [34][32]
WES WLS Chicago, Illinois Owned by Sears Roebuck, WLS would come to stand for the World's Largest Store. Sears ran broadcasts from WMAQ studios as WBBX in March 1924. WES tests were conducted 9 to 11 April 1924. WLS would begin on 12 April and became one of 25 original 50,000 watt "Clear Channel" system stations; Originally AM 870 kHz, AM 890 kHz Class-A
6WF 720 ABC Perth Perth, Western Australia 4 June 1924. One of six Sealed Set system stations; AM 240 kHz [35][32]
N/A Radio Bloemendaal Bloemendaal, Netherlands
15 June 1924 originally AM 1500 kHz (200m)
later AM 1223 kHz (245 m)
currently AM 1116 kHz (269 m) 		various
VOWR/8WMC 800 AM St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada 24 July 1924 800 AM VOWR - Wikipedia
URI (Unione Radiofonica Italiana), 1-RO Rai Radio 1 Rome, Italy
6 October 1924 AM 705 (425m)  kHz
KOA same as original Denver, Colorado, United States
15 December 1924 One of 25 original 50,000 watt "Clear Channel" system stations AM850 kHz
Statsradiofonien DR P1 Copenhagen, Denmark 1 April 1925 (experimental), license granted April 1926, Regular broadcast from April 1926 "Long wave" N/A
WCSH WZAN Portland, Maine 1925 "Long wave"
N/A Radio Poland Warsaw, Poland 1 February 1925 (experimental), Regular broadcast from 18 April 1926 "Medium wave" N/A
N/A Radio Romania Bucharest, Romania Summer 1925 – 1927 (experimental), license granted March 1928, Regular broadcast from 1 November 1928 "Long wave" N/A
2BE. Australia's first commercial station. Burgin Electric Company. n/a Sydney 7 November 1924 to 6 November 1929 AM 870 kHz. (Wavelength later taken by 2GB.)[36] B Class, commercial[32]
WEBK WOOD Grand Rapids, Michigan, United States 16 September 1924 AM 1130 kHz, presently on 1300 kHz, Class-B
3LO 774 ABC Melbourne Melbourne, Victoria (Australia) 13 October 1924. One of six Sealed Set system stations; AM 175 kHz [34][32]
5MA n/a Adelaide, South Australia April 1924 to early 1925. One of six Sealed Set system stations. Does not appear to have actually broadcast see Arthur William Jarrett
2UE. Australia's third commercial station, and the oldest commercial station still operating. 2UE Sydney 26 January 1925 AM 1025 kHz B Class, commercial.[32] Was originally going to broadcast as 2EU, but the callsign was reversed prior to the licence being issued on 7 November 1924.
JOAK same as is Tokyo, Japan 22 March 1925 AM 594 kHz
CHRC CHRC Quebec City, Quebec/Quebec City, Quebec, Canada 1 April 1926 AM 800 kHz Class-B. Final broadcast in 2012.
Lietuvos Radijas LRT Radijas Kaunas, Lithuania 26 June 1926 AM 1961 kHz
XOH, later COHB n/a Harbin, China 1 October 1926 AM 1071 kHz 100 Watts, 1928 1 kW. First radio station founded by Chinese.[37]
CFCO same as is Chatham, Ontario/Chatham-Kent, Ontario, Canada September 1927 AM 630 kHz Class-B
JODK HLKA Seoul, South Korea 1927 AM 711 kHz
GOW, ZBW RTHK Hong Kong 30 June 1928 (GOW, now RTHK 3)
1XE became WGI February 1922 (and WARC March 1925) Medford, Massachusetts 1916 sporadically, then 1919–1920 till April 1925 ? – later on 833 kHz
2XN City College of New York, New York City 1913; 1920
2ZK New Rochelle, New York 1916
NSF/HDO, later ANDO and AVRO NPO Huizen (transmitter), Hilversum (studio), Netherlands 21 July 1923, from 1930 part of Dutch Public Radio AM 279 kHz, 1927 also 1004 kHz, today FM network 500 W, 1927 5 kW
2RN (Irish Free State radio) RTÉ (Irish national radio & television)[38] General Post Office (O'Connell Street), Dublin, Ireland 1 January 1926 AM 380 kHz, and from Cork AM612 kHz,
NDO, 50% time KRO, 50% NCRV NPO Huizen (transmitter), Hilversum (studio), Netherlands 1927, from 1930 part of Dutch Public radio AM 160 kHz,1935 transmitter moved to Kootwijk, 1938 also Jaarsveld 722 kHz, today FM network and 747/1251 kHz Huizen 15 kW, Kootwijk day 15 kW, evening 120 kW, Jaarsveld 20 kW
2TM 2TM Tamworth NSW

Australia

27 February 1935 1287 kHz

FM or shortwave[edit]

Experimental or early radio stations (FM and shortwave)
Station
call-sign
(original) 		Station
call-sign
(current) 		City/location On air Transmission frequency
(AM radio / FM radio) 		Broadcast class
PCGG N/A The Hague, Netherlands 6 November 1919 – 11 November 1924 Narrow-band FM, 570 m N/A
WWV US Government Time Service WWV Fort Collins, Colorado "6 months before KDKA" (May 1920) 2.5 MHz, 5 MHz, 10 MHz, 15 MHz and 20 MHz HF (Shortwave)
XS (1921-1929),
W8XK (1929-1939),
WPIT (1939-1940)[39] 		Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania November 1920 – December 1939
Owned and operated by Westinghouse Electric Corporation. Used to relay KDKA signal to AM rebroadcasters in other cities.[40] Broadcast programming from KDKA, and also broadcast Northern Messenger to the Arctic. Merged with WBOS (1940) and became a VOA transmitter (1942). 		15,210 kHz, 11,880 kHz, 6,140 kHz[41] 40 kW (1937)[42]
CFRC CFRC Kingston, ON, Canada 27 October 1923
PCJJ Radio Netherlands Worldwide Philips Laboratories at Eindhoven, Netherlands, moved to Hilversum in 1933. The first shortwave station in Europe. 25 June 1926 (test transmissions began), and the first shortwave station in the world with its own dedicated programming rather than being a simulcast of an AM/MW or LW station such as KDKA. Regular broadcast from 30 May 1927 to May 1940 when the station went dark due to the German occupation of Holland; resumed after liberation October 1945 – 1946 when Philips and other shortwave radio stations taken over by Radio Netherlands Worldwide. Sister station PHI broadcast in Dutch to the Dutch East and West Indies from 1928 to 1930 and 1934 to 1949. 30.2 metres shortwave
G2NM[43] Caterham, Surrey, England 11 September 1927. 23 and 33 metres 1 kW
CKUA CKUA Radio Network Edmonton, Alberta
(broadcast province-wide) 		27 November 1927 500-watt (Original)
AM 580 kHz (Edmonton)
Various FM frequencies province-wide 		B
VE9GW CRCX Bowmanville, Ontario April 1930 – 1938 – used to relay CRCT (later CBL) to northern Ontario, northern Manitoba and the Canadian Arctic 6.095 MHz (primarily), 11.810 MHz, 24.380 MHz 25 watt (initially), 200 watts (1031), 500 watts (1932)
HVJ Vatican Radio Vatican City 12 February 1931 10 kW (originally)
HCJB HCJB Quito, Ecuador 25 December 1931 50.26 metres, later 6050 kHz, 9745 kHz, 11775 kHz and 15155 kHz. 200 watts (initially), 1,000 watt (1937), 10,000 watt (1940), 100,000 (1967), 500,000 (1981)
W8XH Buffalo, New York 18 March 1934 – July 1939. Replaced in 1944 with an FM station, now known as WTSS. 51.4 & 41.0 MHz Apex (ultra-shortwave)
W1XOJ Paxton, Massachusetts/Boston, Massachusetts 1937 Unknown
W1XPW, briefly W65H WHCN Hartford, Connecticut 1939 102.9 FM
W2XMN Alpine, New Jersey 1939 – 1946 42.8 MHz, later 44.1 MHz
W2XDA (Schenectady)/W2XOY (New Scotland), later WGFM WRVE Schenectady, New York 1939, 20 November 1940 as W2XOY[44] Originally on FM 48.5 MHz, now FM 99.5 Unknown
W47NV N/A Nashville, Tennessee 1941 to 1951 Unknown

Networks[edit]

Early radio networks
Name Full name Location On air Notes
British Broadcasting Company United Kingdom 1922–1926 Private commercial company made up of 26 stations by 1926. Nationalised to become the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC Radio) in 1927.
CNR Radio Canadian National Railway Radio Department Canada 1923–1933 First national radio network in North America.[45] Developed by the Canadian National Railway to provide en route entertainment for train passengers but also available to anyone within signal range. Consisted of 27 stations (3 owned and operated and up to 24 "phantom stations" – time leased on affiliated radio stations.
WEAF chain Broadcasting Company of America Northeast and Midwest United States 1923–1926 Regional network of AT&T-owned radio stations with New York City radio station WEAF as its hub. Grew to 27 stations (WEAF and 26 affiliates) stretching from Boston to Kansas City by the end of 1925 under the name Broadcasting Company of America, Sold to RCA in 1926 and merged with RCA's WJZ chain to form the National Broadcasting Company (NBC)

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d Mimi Colligan, Golden Days of Radio, Australia Post, 1991
  2. ^ "Memórias de um Jornalista – Atualidades do mundo da Saúde" (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 25 January 2019.
  3. ^ a b "The Nobel Prize in Physics 1909".
  4. ^ "TIME LINE – ESTABLISHMENT OF WIRELESS INSTITUTE OF AUSTRALIA"
  5. ^ Bernard Harte, When Radio Was The Cat's Whiskers, 2002, privately published Dural, NSW
  6. ^ "United States: Brant Rock, Mass.", List of Wireless-Telegraph Stations of the World (1 August 1907 edition), page 24.
  7. ^ "Radio Station | WBCR 90.3 FM Beloit College Radio | United States". WBCR. Retrieved 17 March 2022.
  8. ^ "Report of the Department of the Naval Service for the Fiscal Year ending March 31, 1915"
  9. ^ Armstrong, R. (2015), "Broadcasting Policy in Canada", 2nd Edition, University of Toronto Press, p.23; "LE RADIO – Programme du 25 juin", La Presse newspaper, Saturday 24 June 1922
  10. ^ "Union College", Education's Own Stations by S. E. Frost, Jr., PhD, 1937, pages 437–441.
  11. ^ a b c Carty, Bruce, On the Air – Australian Radio History, privately published Gosford NSW, page 25
  12. ^ "The 100th Anniversary of KJR Seattle, 1919 to 2019". 24 December 2019.
  13. ^ a b "Telephone Downtown Soon", "The Radio Amateur" by C. E. Urban, Pittsburgh Gazette Times, 26 October 1919, Sixth section, page 13.
  14. ^ a b "Wireless Phone Installed by Local Firm", "The Radio Amateur" by C. E. Urban, Pittsburgh Gazette Times, 25 January 1920, Fifth section, page 9.
  15. ^ "New Stations: Commercial Land Stations", Radio Service Bulletin, 1 November 1921, page 2.
  16. ^ "Radiophone Concert Schedule", "The Radio Amateur" by C. E. Urban, Pittsburgh Gazette Times, 15 February 1920, Second section, page 4. "Messrs. Williams and Devinney" were Burton P. Williams and Robert C. Devinney.
  17. ^ Revista Telegráfica, May 1923, Page 134
  18. ^ Radio broadcast-Volume 1-Radio Has Gripped Chicago-pages 503–511
  19. ^ "New KYW Opens December 3rd (page 4)" (PDF). The Microphone. 24 November 1934. Retrieved 14 July 2010.
  20. ^ KYW Newsradio Station History Archived 7 January 2007 at the Wayback Machine, which details the evolution of the station from Chicago, to Philadelphia, to Cleveland and back to Philadelphia.
  21. ^ "Robert Jack (physicist)".
  22. ^ "NZHistory".
  23. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 26 May 2011. Retrieved 30 July 2008.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  24. ^ "United States Pioneer Broadcast Service Stations". Retrieved 21 January 2020.
  25. ^ "Radio Service Bulletin" (PDF).
  26. ^ "Shortwave Central: The Story of Radio Broadcasting in Ceylon". 10 April 2012.
  27. ^ "Czech Radio history". Archived from the original on 20 August 2008. Retrieved 27 January 2007.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  28. ^ "Czech Radio history". Radio Prague International. Retrieved 9 May 2020.
  29. ^ About XEB (in Spanish) Archived 10 August 2013 at the Wayback Machine
  30. ^ "Radiopioneerit tamperelaisella ullakolla". 21 August 2013.
  31. ^ a b Carty, Bruce, On the Air – Australian Radio History, privately published Gosford NSW, page 27
  32. ^ a b c d e f g R R Walker, The Magic Spark: 50 Years of Radio in Australia, The Hawthorn Press, Melbourne, 1973
  33. ^ 第一节 无线广播, shtong.gov.cn
  34. ^ a b Carty, Bruce, On the Air – Australian Radio History, privately published Gosford NSW, page 47
  35. ^ Carty, Bruce, On the Air – Australian Radio History, privately published Gosford NSW, page 74
  36. ^ Carty, Bruce, On the Air – Australian Radio History, privately published Gosford NSW, page 28
  37. ^ 黑龙江省志 广播电视志
  38. ^ "History of RTÉ". RTÉ.ie.
  39. ^ "WESTINGHOUSE INTERNATIONAL STATIONS: UNDER NEW CALL LETTERS", The Palestine Post (1933-1950); Jerusalem, Israel [Jerusalem, Israel]22 Sep 1939: 7.
  40. ^ http://explorepahistory.com/hmarker.php?markerId=1-A-3A5 [bare URL]
  41. ^ "QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS: Time Schedule and Channels Used by KDKA's ShortWave Transmitter--Call Is W8XK", The New York Times (1923-Current file); New York, N.Y. [New York, N.Y]17 Aug 1930: 120.
  42. ^ "The Canadian Northern Messenger Service". Wavescan (Adventist World Radio). 4 March 2018. Retrieved 29 September 2020.
  43. ^ Clarricoats, John (1967). World at their fingertips, pub. RSGB, pp. 130–132
  44. ^ "Carnival Atmosphere", Broadcasting, 1 December 1940, page 76.
  45. ^ CNR Company Fonds [permanent dead link], Provincial Archives of Alberta. Retrieved 22 January 2008
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