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American Ambassadors of the Airwaves
Midwest East North Central
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Great Seal of the USA
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© www15.uta.fi
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The most powerful and influential AM broadcasters of this region are essentially represented
by the cities of Chicago, Cincinnati and Cleveland with a slight touch of Detroit.
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WGN Chicago still wrapped its logo with a globe when sending this card to
confirm reception in New Zealand in 1971
© David Ricquish Collection, Radio Heritage Foundation
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These 22 stations are identified by us as the most powerful and influential AM broadcasters
operating in the Midwest East North Central region of the USA between 1922 and 1983.
They reflected both the tastes of their local audiences and an emerging national culture
with entertainment, news, sports, advertising and information beamed to millions of
local listeners across the eastern Midwest region, throughout the USA and across
international borders worldwide.
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Chicago Exhibition of American Design 1941
© WPA American Design, Wiki
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Ambassadors of the Airwaves
The 7 unlimited clear channel A stations [marked by ‘A’ and in bold type] within this
region were created by the North American Radio Broadcasting Agreement [NARBA] on March 29 1941
and their reign ended on July 1 1983 when the Regional Agreement for the Mediumwave Broadcasting
Services in Region 2 came into effect. We call them the American Ambassadors of the Airwaves
because they were heard for over 60 years in places far and wide around the world by 1983.
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Powel Crosley, Jr
President and founder of The Crosley Radio Corporation
WLW Cincinnati OH 500kW 700 AM
© WLW 500,000 Watts publicity brochure, Eric Shackle Collection, Radio Heritage Foundation
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Approaching 100 Years of service
In this feature we look back to mid 1983 and the call signs that these 22 stations were
known by at the time. Many are still broadcasting and some are now approaching 100 years
of service to their communities today. That is a remarkable record of achievement for a
technology now seen as increasingly old fashioned.
The B stations were almost as widespread in their coverage but faced some limitations
and the C stations had to share frequencies and were rather less known the further
away from the hometowns they proudly served.
Our 22 most influential and powerful AM radio stations serving the Midwest East North Central
region are classified as:
| Chicago IL | 670 | WMAQ | A |
| | 720 | WGN | A |
| | 780 | WBBM | A |
| | 890 | WLS | A |
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WLS Chicago had moved into ownership of the ‘Prairie Farmer’ newspaper by 1934 when it confirmed reception in New Zealand
© Eric Shackle Collection, Radio Heritage Foundation
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| | 1000 | WCFL | B |
| | 820 | WAIT | C |
| | 1160 | WJJD | C |
| Cincinnati OH | 700 | WLW | A |
| | 1530 | WCKY | B |
| Cleveland OH | 1100 | WKYC | A |
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WKYC Cleveland OH sent this confirmation card to a listener in New Zealand for reception in 1971
© David Ricquish Collection, Radio Heritage Foundation
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| | 850 | WJW | C |
| | 1220 | WGAR | C |
| Detroit MI | 760 | WJR | A |
| | 1130 | WCX | C |
| | 1500 | WLQV | C |
| Fort Wayne IN | 1190 | WOWO | B |
| Haillie WI | 680 | WOGO | C |
| Indianapolis IN | 1070 | WIBC | C |
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WIBC with 50kW Day/10kW Night reached New Zealand in 1951 and sent this confirmation card
© Keith Robinson Collection, Radio Heritage Foundation
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| Madison WI | 1070 | WTSO | C |
| Milwaukee WI | 1130 | WISN | C |
| Muskegon MI | 1520 | WKJR | C |
| Superior WI | 710 | WDSM | C |
Obviously over this nearly 50 year period from WWII almost to the fall of the Berlin Wall,
there are countless events, personalities, and stories to be told. This feature is a just
a once over taster of those years.
Clear Channel FAQ and Birthdays
| 670 | WMAQ | 1922 | April 13 | We Must Answer Questions |
| 720 | WGN | 1922 | May 19 | World’s Greatest Newspaper |
| 780 | WBBM | 1924 | Feb 08 | World’s Best Battery Maker |
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WBBM Chicago has been heard frequently in New Zealand and sent this confirmation card for ‘clear channel’ reception in 1971
© David Ricquish Collection, Radio Heritage Foundation
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| 890 | WLS | 1924 | April 12 | World’s Largest Store |
| 700 | WLW | 1922 | March 22 | World’s Largest Wireless |
| 1100 | WKYC | 1923 | Sep 26 | KY [from KYW] Cleveland |
| 760 | WJR | 1922 | May 4 | W Jewett Radio – Phonograph |
The New 500,000 watt WLW
“Here is power that will carry broadcasts to radio listeners throughout the
whole of the Unites States, Canada and Mexico – and under favorable conditions,
throughout the entire world! The new WLW stands as a lasting monument to the broad
vision, glowing genius and tireless activity of Powel Crosley, Jr., President of
The Crosley Radio Corporation, who has, from the very beginning of radio broadcasting,
held steadfast to the indomitable purpose of providing the largest number of radio
listeners with the best possible radio entertainment.”
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WLW publicity booklet © Eric Shackle Collection, Radio Heritage Foundation
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“That this has been accomplished is perhaps indicated in the fact that hundreds
of telegrams, cables, telephone calls and letters from all parts of the world report
reception and quality such as these listeners have never heard before.”
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Home of WLW publicity booklet
© Eric Shackle Collection, Radio Heritage Foundation
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Industrial Heartland
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Towers on the Detroit River = The City that Cars Built
© Black Star, Cities of the North Central States, Lands & Peoples VI,
1960 The Grolier Society NY.
Radio Heritage Foundation Collection
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The Midwest East North Central region contains some of the most well known industrial
heartland cities of the USA having a strong ethnic representation of immigrants from
Germany, Ireland, England, Poland, Italy, France and Scandinavia. Their music, their
voices, their languages, cultures and traditions found their way on to the local airwaves
alongside the All American culture that flowed in from other regions, the nation-wide
radio and TV programs and the movement of people into and out of the region as local
economies underwent change.
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Heart of Indianapolis – The Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument
© Ewing Galloway, Cities of the North Central States, Lands & Peoples VI,
1960 The Grolier Society NY.
Radio Heritage Foundation Collection
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The local airwaves also reached listeners in other regions and across the world. Today,
less and less local voices and music grace the airwaves as station ownership becomes even
more consolidated in fewer hands and local radio stations become just mere marketing brands
with network radio programs from out of town or more often from out of state replacing
local personalities and local interests. The All American radio “cookie cutter” has
reached the Midwest East Central North region.
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Planes-Eye View of Columbus, Ohio
© Chamber of Commerce, Columbus, Ohio. Cities of the North Central States, Lands & Peoples VI, 1960 The Grolier Society NY.
Radio Heritage Foundation Collection
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2010 Population Data
| Total: | 46.422m |
| Male: | 49.1% |
| Female: | 50.9% |
| Under 18: | 24.0% |
| Over 65: | 13.4% |
These are the main metropolitan areas now found in the region. They are increasingly
replacing the individual cites that once provided the variety found on the dials of our
22 most influential and powerful AM radio stations of the 1922-1983 years as detailed
in the following section:
Top 10 Metropolitan Statistical Areas 2010
| 1 | Chicago IL | 9.537m |
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WMAQ Chicago broadcast from studios in The Merchandise Mart Building when confirming
reception from New Zealand in 1975
© David Ricquish Collection, Radio Heritage Foundation
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| 2 | Detroit MI | 4.295m |
| 3 | Cincinnati OH-KY-IN | 2.137m |
| 4 | Cleveland OH | 2.065m |
| 5 | Columbus OH | 1.967m |
| 6 | Indianapolis IN | 1.954m |
| 7 | Milwaukee MI | 1.570m |
| 8 | Grand Rapids MI | 1.017m |
| 9 | Dayton OH | 0.802m |
| 10 | Akron OH | 0.706m |
Top 10 Cities 1950
| 1 | Chicago IL | 3.621m |
| 2 | Detroit MI | 1.850m |
| 3 | Cleveland OH | 0.915m |
| 4 | Milwaukee WI | 0.637m |
| 5 | Cincinnati OH | 0.504m |
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WCKY Cincinnati ‘5000 watts Cleared Channel Unlimited Time’ confirmed a report of reception in New Zealand in 1934
© Eric Shackle Collection, Radio Heritage Foundation
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| 6 | Indianapolis IN | 0.427m |
| 7 | Columbus OH | 0.376m |
| 8 | Toledo OH | 0.304m |
| 9 | Akron OH | 0.275m |
| 10 | Dayton OH | 0.244m |
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Steel Plant in Youngstown, Ohio during the Night Shift
© Ewing Galloway The North Central States: Facts and Figures. Lands & Peoples VI, 1960 The Grolier Society NY.
Radio Heritage Foundation Collection
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Thanks for the Memories
We hope this brief look at our 22 of the most influential and powerful AM radio stations
from the Midwest East North Central region brings back familiar happy memories for those
of you ‘remember when’ and if you have your own stories about these stations in those days
you’d like to share with others here then write to us
and we’ll be looking forward to them!
The Good Old Days
“It gives us a great deal of pride to hear that our station is being heard at such a great
distance. Your letter was circulated through the Program, Engineering, Sales and Announcers
Departments where it was very much enjoyed. Martin F Hogan, General Manager WCFL”
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WCFL Chicago enjoyed hearing from a listener in New Zealand in 1953
© Keith Robinson Collection, Radio Heritage Foundation
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If this is just a “history lesson” for those of you who were never able to enjoy the power
of these American Ambassadors of the Airwaves, the local voices, the local music and traditions and
other memories your parents and grandparents still talk about today.... we hope you’ve enjoyed your
visit and will go back to the demands of today feeling a little refreshed, nourished and
more understanding of ‘the good old days’ and even feeling a little more connected to your heritage.
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Chicago World’s Fair 1933 poster
Weimer Pursell, Neely Printing Co., Chicago
© Wikipedia
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Enjoy other features in this series “American Ambassadors of the Airwaves” covering the remaining regions of the USA from 1941-1983 and the most influential and powerful AM radio stations of the era as they appear. Images are from our collections of radio broadcasting memorabilia of these AM broadcasters as heard by New Zealand listeners.
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WOWO Fort Wayne IN confirmed reception in New Zealand in 1945
© Keith Robinson Collection, Radio Heritage Foundation
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^Top
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 "WGN QSL")
 "American Design poster 1941")
 "Powel Crosley, Jr")
 "WLS QSL")
 "WKYC QSL")
 "WIBC QSL")
 "WBBM QSL")
 "WLW publicity booklet")
 "WLW publicity booklet")
 "Towers on the Detroit River")
 "Heart of Indianapolis")
 "Planes-Eye View of Columbus")
 "WMAQ QSL 1975")
 "WCKY QSL 1934")
 "Steel Plant in Youngstown")
 "WCFL QSL 1953")
 "Chicago World’s Fair 1933 poster")
 "WOWO QSL 1945")
