1954 in radio
Encyclopedia
The year 1954 in radio involved some significant events.
Events
- 1 February: KECA and KECA-FM, both in Los AngelesLos Angeles, CaliforniaLos Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, change call letters to KABCKABCKABC may refer to:* KABC , a radio station licensed to Los Angeles, California, United States* KABC-TV, a television station licensed to Los Angeles, California...
and KABC-FMKLOSKLOS is an FM rock music radio station based in Los Angeles, California, that debuted in 1969. The station is owned by Cumulus Media. It is home to the nationally broadcast Mark & Brian radio show, and Off The Record host Uncle Joe Benson.-History:...
, reflecting their owners, ABCABC News RadioABC News Radio is the radio service of ABC News, a division of the ABC Television Network. Formerly known as ABC Radio News, ABC News Radio feeds, through Cumulus Media Networks, newscasts on the hour to its more than 2,000 affiliates...
-United Paramount Theaters. - 1 April: ABCABC News RadioABC News Radio is the radio service of ABC News, a division of the ABC Television Network. Formerly known as ABC Radio News, ABC News Radio feeds, through Cumulus Media Networks, newscasts on the hour to its more than 2,000 affiliates...
-United Paramount Theaters, owners of WENR-Chicago, purchases time-share counterpart WLSWLSWLS may refer to:* White light scanner, a device for measuring physical geometry* WLS , a radio station * WLS-FM, a radio station * WLS-TV, a television station...
-Chicago from Sears, Roebuck and Co., and merges both stations under the WLS calls (their FM sister station would keep the WENR calls until 1965). - 17 November: WJW (AM) in Cleveland, OhioCleveland, OhioCleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
(today WKNRWKNRWKNR — branded ESPN 850 WKNR — is a commercial sports radio station licensed to Cleveland, Ohio. Owned by Good Karma Broadcasting, WKNR is the primary Cleveland affiliate for ESPN Radio; together with sister station WWGK, WKNR is often referred to as ESPN Cleveland.WKNR is the Cleveland affiliate...
) is sold by William M. O'Neill to Storer BroadcastingStorer BroadcastingStorer Broadcasting, Inc. was an American company which owned several television and radio stations in the northeast United States. It was incorporated in Ohio in 1927, and sold its broadcasting properties in 1983.-1920s—1940s:...
.
Debuts
- January 3: WSTNWAOCWAOC is a radio station broadcasting a Sports radio format. Licensed to St. Augustine, Florida, USA, the station serves the Jacksonville area. The station is currently owned by Phillips Broadcasting, LLC and features programing from ESPN Radio, The Sport Buffet and Motor Racing...
debuts as a 1 kW daytimer at St. Augustine, Florida. - January 20 - The National Negro NetworkNational Negro NetworkThe National Negro Network was a black-oriented radio programming service in the United States founded on January 20, 1954 by Chicago advertiser W. Leonard Evans, Jr.. It was the first black-owned radio network in the country, and its programming was broadcast on up to 45 affiliates...
is formed.
Closings
- March 30 - Rocky FortuneRocky FortuneRocky Fortune was the title of an American radio drama that aired weekly on NBC Radio beginning in October 1953 . The series ended its run in March 1954 after 25 episodes. The program was created by George Lefferts...
, a half-hour detective drama starring Frank SinatraFrank SinatraFrancis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an American singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became an unprecedentedly successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, after being signed to Columbia Records in 1943. Being the idol of the...
, aired its final episode on NBCNBC Red NetworkThe NBC Red Network was one of the two original radio networks of the National Broadcasting Company. After NBC was required to divest itself of its Blue Network , the Red Network continued as the NBC Radio Network.It, along with the Blue Network, were the first two commercial radio networks in the...
. - September 25 - EscapeEscape (radio program)Escape was radio's leading anthology series of high-adventure radio dramas, airing on CBS from July 7, 1947 to September 25, 1954. Since the program did not have a regular sponsor like Suspense, it was subjected to frequent schedule shifts and lower production budgets, although Richfield Oil signed...
ends its run on CBSCBSCBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
.
Births
- January 12 - Howard SternHoward SternHoward Allan Stern is an American radio personality, television host, author, and actor best known for his radio show, which was nationally syndicated from 1986 to 2005. He gained wide recognition in the 1990s where he was labeled a "shock jock" for his outspoken and sometimes controversial style...
, shock jockShock jockShock jock is a slang term used to describe a type of any radio broadcaster who attracts attention using humor that a significant portion of the listening audience may find offensive. The term is usually used pejoratively to describe provocative or irreverent broadcasters whose mannerisms,...
radio personality - August 22 - Kurt AndersenKurt AndersenKurt Andersen is an American novelist who is also host of the Peabody-winning public radio program Studio 360, a co-production between Public Radio International and WNYC. In 1986 with E. Graydon Carter he co-founded Spy magazine, which they sold in 1991; it continued publishing until 1998...
, American novelist, columnist and public radio host - September 8 - Joe CiprianoJoe CiprianoJoe Cipriano is an American voice over actor.-Career:Joe Cipriano began his career as a broadcaster in Waterbury, Connecticut , while still in high school. Since then he has worked for the NBC, ABC, Fox and CBS TV and radio networks...
, American voice over actor and radio personality - November 20 - Steve DahlSteve DahlSteven Robert Dahl has been an American radio personality and humorist for more than thirty years. He is currently podcasting, and releases the podcasts for download daily from his own website as well as the iTunes store...
, has been an AmericanUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
radio personalityRadio personalityA radio personality is a person with an on-air position in radio broadcasting. A radio personality can be someone who introduces and discusses various genres of music, hosts a talk radio show that may take calls from listeners, or someone whose primary responsibility is to give news, weather,... - December 5 - Peter Arbogast, American sportscaster