Today in Wheeling History: December 6—WWVA received its first broadcast license, becoming West Virginia’s pioneering radio station (1926).
WWVA’s first station license was issued on December 6, 1926 to electronics teacher and wireless pioneer John C. Stroebel, Jr., authorizing operation at 860 kilocycles from his home along National Road in Wheeling; one week later, at 2 a.m. on December 13, he threw the switch on a 50-watt basement transmitter and the station’s inaugural broadcast crackled across the Ohio Valley. Within a year, WWVA had opened studios in the Hawley Building downtown and secured approval to expand dramatically, ultimately becoming a 50,000-watt powerhouse; early programming mixed recorded music, informal announcements, local amateur performances, and children’s shows, augmented by network affiliation in 1931 for national news and soaps. In 1933, WWVA launched the Wheeling Jamboree, a country music institution that billed itself as the nation’s second-longest-running program after the Grand Ole Opry, later syndicated nationally and entwined with the city’s theater life. During the catastrophic 1936 flood, WWVA sustained 92½ hours of continuous emergency broadcasting, coordinating relief and information across the Upper Ohio Valley. The station later moved to 1170 kHz and Class A clear-channel status, projecting Wheeling’s voice across multiple states at night; after format changes in the late 20th century, WWVA today operates as NewsRadio 1170, while the Jamboree’s legacy continues through community efforts and archival collections at the Capitol Theatre.
To learn more: Ohio County Public Library, Wheeling WV (https://tinyurl.com/5c8c5mwz) (https://tinyurl.com/47nkreey) (https://tinyurl.com/536yc5jf); World Radio History (https://tinyurl.com/mshyrycy), West Virginia Public Broadcasting (https://tinyurl.com/bddedr5b), Wikipedia (https://tinyurl.com/2jx2aerk) (https://tinyurl.com/4maaw93c), Wheeling Jamboree (https://tinyurl.com/42mk3j5u), Weelunk (https://tinyurl.com/4ktx6ptm)
Photo credits: Ohio County Public Library, Wheeling WV; World Radio History, American Radio History, Wikimedia Commons
WWVA’s first station license was issued on December 6, 1926 to electronics teacher and wireless pioneer John C. Stroebel, Jr., authorizing operation at 860 kilocycles from his home along National Road in Wheeling; one week later, at 2 a.m. on December 13, he threw the switch on a 50-watt basement transmitter and the station’s inaugural broadcast crackled across the Ohio Valley. Within a year, WWVA had opened studios in the Hawley Building downtown and secured approval to expand dramatically, ultimately becoming a 50,000-watt powerhouse; early programming mixed recorded music, informal announcements, local amateur performances, and children’s shows, augmented by network affiliation in 1931 for national news and soaps. In 1933, WWVA launched the Wheeling Jamboree, a country music institution that billed itself as the nation’s second-longest-running program after the Grand Ole Opry, later syndicated nationally and entwined with the city’s theater life. During the catastrophic 1936 flood, WWVA sustained 92½ hours of continuous emergency broadcasting, coordinating relief and information across the Upper Ohio Valley. The station later moved to 1170 kHz and Class A clear-channel status, projecting Wheeling’s voice across multiple states at night; after format changes in the late 20th century, WWVA today operates as NewsRadio 1170, while the Jamboree’s legacy continues through community efforts and archival collections at the Capitol Theatre.
To learn more: Ohio County Public Library, Wheeling WV (https://tinyurl.com/5c8c5mwz) (https://tinyurl.com/47nkreey) (https://tinyurl.com/536yc5jf); World Radio History (https://tinyurl.com/mshyrycy), West Virginia Public Broadcasting (https://tinyurl.com/bddedr5b), Wikipedia (https://tinyurl.com/2jx2aerk) (https://tinyurl.com/4maaw93c), Wheeling Jamboree (https://tinyurl.com/42mk3j5u), Weelunk (https://tinyurl.com/4ktx6ptm)
Photo credits: Ohio County Public Library, Wheeling WV; World Radio History, American Radio History, Wikimedia Commons
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