Portland Radio

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One of Portland’s first radio station licenses was granted to The Portland Telegram and the first broadcast was heard on November 21, 1921 from the Telegram’s offices in the Pittock Block. It was reported that one of the receiving stations in Portland was able to make a wax cylinder record from a number sung by Mrs. Mischa Pelz. This was slightly over a year after one of the first radio station broadcasts was heard in Pittsburgh from KDKA.

Westinghouse was a leading radio manufacturer and they wanted to increase radio sales, so they established a radio station that offered regular programming. They teamed with local Pittsburgh ham operator Dr. Frank Conrad to coincide their first broadcast with the Harding-Cox presidential election when the nation’s first election results were heard in Pittsburgh over KDKA on November 2, 1920.

“Greetings from Adam & Eve and KDKA”

Just as controversy surrounds the first broadcast in Pittsburgh, Portland has a little uncertaintity about the first broadcast here as well. It was reported that an earlier broadcast went out from Portland five months before the Telegram’s station went on the air. On June 26, 1921, at the first Northwest Radio Association Convention, Charles Austin reportedly broadcast phonograph music to radio operators on ships in Portland’s harbor and it was heard as far away as Astoria from station 7XF.

After President Warren G. Harding gave the address for the burial services of the Unknown Soldier in Washington D.C., on armistice day in 1921, the demand for a national radio news service began to grow.

Early view of the KGW Studio in the Oregonian Building Tower

The Oregonian Publishing Company, publisher of the daily Oregonian newspaper, was granted the 98th Radio License in the country and their signal hit the airwaves on March 25, 1922 with the call letters KGW as Portland’s first station used for commercial purposes. They purchased a 50-watt experimental transmitter from the Portland office of the Shipowners Radio Service. The studio, as shown above, was housed on the 11th floor of The Oregonian Building Tower at Sixth & Alder Streets. The transmitter was located on the 13th floor. The antenna consisted of a 70-foot, four-wire inverted "L"-type flattop, suspended between a 60-foot mast on top of the building and a 95-foot tower on the nearby Northwestern Bank Building.

R.G. Calvert supervised the operation and Richard “Dick” Haller was the program director. Their aim was to give their listeners news fresh from the press with the best music and outstanding speakers. KGW’s early announcers and writers were usually former newspaper employees, and the first engineers and technicians came from the ranks of former maritime wireless radio operators.

When the station first went on the air, 5,000 radio sets were said to have tuned in. Speakers included The Oregonian’s Editor, Edgar Piper and Mayor George Baker. There was also an opera singer, a novelist and a live musical presentation. Dick Haller became known as KGW’s “Million-Dollar Voice” and his broadcasts were very popular. He would go on to a successful career with NBC in San Francisco.

As an early radio station experiencing tremendous popularity, KGW implemented many innovative new broadcasting ideas. KGW set itself apart from the other stations by having the first radio variety show in the nation, the first audience participation show, the first quiz program, the first library program, the first radio debate, the first in-school listening program and the first singing commercial. In 1925, on-air advertising became a source of KGW’s operating revenue. KGW produced the first-ever singing commercial for Sears, Roebuck and Company in the late 1920s.

KGW was the first station in Oregon to affiliate with a national broadcasting service when they carried the inaugural program of the National Broadcasting Company’s Orange Network on April 5, 1927. The Orange Network was known as the NBC Pacific Coast Network.

The nationally famous Hoot Owls, officially known as "The Order of Hoot Owls Roosting in the Oregonian Tower" aired from 1923 to 1933 as a 2-1/2 hour variety show that was broadcast to over one million listeners. Their slogan soon became "Keep Growing Wiser," whose initial letters represented the KGW call letters. The only other show that rivaled the Hoot Owls in popularity was Amos & Andy which first aired in Portland in 1928 on KFEC, which had studios on the fifth floor of Meier & Frank.

One of the performers on the Hoot Owls program, Mel Blanc, achieved fame as the author of cartoon characterization in later years in Hollywood where he became the nation’s voice for cartoon characters such as Elmer Fudd and Bugs Bunny. Blanc, who received his high school education in Portland, joined the program in 1927. Nicknamed "The Grand Snicker" on the Hoot Owls, Blanc became well known for his comedy, as well as his skills as a storyteller, ad-libber, musician, vocalist, and, later, orchestra pit conductor.

Blanc left KGW in 1933 and moved down the hall to perform on sister station KEX in the popular "Cobwebs and Nuts" program, before moving to Hollywood in 1935. While working on animated cartoons at Warner Brothers studios in Southern California, he became known as the "man of a thousand voices." During his early years in Portland radio, Blanc laid the foundation for many of his later cartoon voices and comedy routines.

One of KGW’s managers who was highly respected in the radio business was Arden X. Pangborn and he found his way to Hollywood as well. KGW newsman Tom McCall went on to become Governor of Oregon. Ted Hallock worked at KGW and later went on to serve in the Oregon Senate from 1963 to 1983.

After airing for a short time on KFEC, Amos & Andy moved to KGW in 1929 and then to KOIN in 1939.

Amos & Andy became part of the eastern NBC Blue Network schedule on August 19, 1929. Under special arrangements, the program began airing on the Orange chain, NBC's Pacific Coast Network and it was heard over KGW at 8:30 pm beginning on November 28, 1929. By 1931, Amos & Andy had become a national phenomenon with nearly 40 million listeners. Amos & Andy moved to the NBC Red Network in 1935. On April 3, 1939 the program moved to CBS and it was heard locally on KOIN.

KGW became part of the NBC Red Network in July of 1936 when the NBC Orange Network was fazed out. It was announced on September 1, 1942, "There will be no more Red Network, it will simply be “NBC". The Blue Network was designated as a separate company in January 1942 in preparation for future sale. On October 12, 1943, NBC Chairman David Sarnoff sold The Blue Network to Edward J. Noble, owner of Lifesavers Candy Company. The Blue Network name was changed to the American Broadcasting Co. (ABC) on June 15, 1945.

When Si Newhouse, owner of The Oregonian, wanted to sell KGW and concentrate on his newspaper business, he sold it to Mrs. Scott Bullitt of the King Broadcasting empire in Seattle and her Portland business partners on November 1, 1953. Mrs. Bullitt had over 40 years of influence in Portland broadcasting.

On December 17, 1956, KGW Radio ended their long-time affiliation with NBC when they became an affiliate of ABC.


	Konnie G Worth was popular at KGW

KGW-TV signed on the air on December 15, 1956

Much of KGW’s early programming was live and locally produced


	In the 1950’s, Television came to Portland, and Radio began to take a back seat in the importance of people’s lives. It was only a given that some of the successful radio stations would make the leap to Television Broadcasting. Hence, today we have KGW TV and KOIN TV, however their radio forerunners have disappeared.

KOIN Radio signed on the air in Portland on November 9, 1925 as KQP and it was founded by Harry Read. C.W. Myers was the Business Manager at The Portland News and he was responsible for the operation of KQP. The call letters were changed to KOIN on April 12, 1926. The Portland News purchased KOIN on November 8, 1926.

On August 25, 1929 ABC gave control of its leased land lines to CBS so the Columbia chain could continue to feed its Western affiliates. On September 1, 1929 CBS programming began on KOIN as part of what CBS dubbed the "Columbia Northwest Unit" comprising KOIN Portland, KVI Tacoma (now Seattle) & KFPY Spokane (later know as KXLY).

The Oregon Journal acquired KOIN on February 28, 1931 and C.W. Myers became President of KOIN. Live music made up 8 out of 12 programs during the day and KOIN maintained its own orchestra of versatile musicians and in the early days. The first conductor of KOIN’s Orchestra was Mischa Pelz.

Live programs on KOIN originated from the Heathman Hotel

By 1931, KOIN had 60 employees, many of them musicians. Many of KOIN’s programs aired nationally and they won several awards for the station. Jane Powell, who was born Suzanne Burce in Portland, Oregon on April 1, 1929, began her singing career on KOIN radio at the age of seven.

The Burce family moved to Los Angeles in the early 1940s and Jane Powell landed a part on the radio show, "Hollywood Showcase." She sang an aria from "Carmen," and impressed the audience. As a result, she was booked on the Charlie McCarthy radio show and offered an MGM contract. Powell shot to fame on the silver screen in leading roles at MGM and went on to find enormous success in the movies.

The war years of the 1940’s were big at KOIN as they promoted the sale of War Bonds and collected donations for the war effort, setting records. During the 1950’s, television came to Portland and KOIN moved to larger quarters with television studios. By 1958, KOIN was one of only six radio stations in the country with musicians on the staff. In 1971, live music broadcasts were dropped completely.


	The KOIN KLOCKERS debuted on December 8, 1930 and they were so popular that they made the transition to KOIN TV


	In 1977, the call letters for KOIN Radio were changed when they traded an old KOIN for a new KYTE. The KYTE flew away with the disco era and another Portland icon was lost in the name of progress.

KXL Radio hit the airwaves on November 27, 1926 and the Howling Order of Portland Tom Cats quickly became a popular feature of KXL programming which originated from the Multnomah Hotel. KXL was the “Voice of Portland”, it was also known as “The Telegram Station” because of its affiliation with The Portland Telegram.

In 1926, the Western Broadcasting Company, which was owned by Vincent I. Kraft of KJR in Seattle, decided to build a West Coast network of super-stations. On December 18, 1926, they launched KYA in San Francisco and on Christmas Day that same year, KEX signed on as their Portland affiliate while KGA began broadcasting in Spokane. A few months later, they launched KPLA in Los Angeles.


	Herman Kenin’s Multnomah Hotel Orchestra was broadcast live from the Multnomah Hotel over KEX in 1928

On October 3, 1928 programming from KJR debuted on KEX when the "ABC Northwest" network (as it was called) land lines reached Portland. Before this, all programming on KEX was local. On October 7, 1928 ABC Northwest began an alliance with the Columbia Broadcasting System, bringing CBS programming to Portland and the Pacific Coast States for the first time over ABC land lines. There were programmed ABC nights and CBS nights.On August 20, 1929, it was learned that ABC President, Adolph F. Linden had failed to secure additional financing to shore up the network’s mounting financial burden. Just 27 days before the beginning of the Depression, on October 1, 1929, the former ABC land lines in the Northwest connecting KJR, KEX & KGA were under new control of Ralph A. Horr and those lines became the Northwest Broadcasting System, the NBS chain.

In October of 1931, it was announced that KEX, which was owned by parent, Northwest Broadcasting Company with its NBS Network based in Seattle at flagship KJR, was now a subsidiary of the National Broadcasting Company.

KEX Announcer Earl Fagan did live remote broadcasts from the Peacock Ballroom at Lotus Isle Amusement Park in 1931

On October 18, 1931, KEX carried the inaugural broadcast of the new NBC Gold Network at 8:00 am P.S.T. Also known as the Pacific Gold Network, it was NBC's Western link, carrying many programs from NBC's Blue Network from the East. Also joining the Gold Network on this date were: KPO San Francisco, KECA Los Angeles, KJR Seattle, KGA Spokane, KFSD San Diego & KTAR Phoenix. By this time it should be noted that most programming on the NBC Orange Network (KGW) came from the NBC Red Network.

On August 25, 1933 KEX was sold to the Oregonian Publishing Company, which already owned KGW Radio. A year later, KEX was moved into The Oregonian building to the 7th floor, with new sister station KGW on August 30, 1934. A dedication broadcast was held at 8:00 pm on that date.

In January 1942, KEX's Blue Network affiliation became independent from NBC as a sale was in the works to meet new requirements of antitrust laws. It was announced on September 1, 1942,’There will be no more Red Network, it will simply be “NBC"’. On October 12, 1943, NBC Chairman David Sarnoff sold The Blue Network to Edward J. Noble, owner of Lifesavers Candy Company. The Blue Network name was changed to the American Broadcasting Co. (ABC) on June 15, 1945.

When laws were passed to keep an entity from owning more than one radio station, KEX was sold again. On December 28, 1944, the 5,000 watt KEX was sold to Westinghouse Radio Stations, Inc. This sale was a result of the FCC's new duopoly ruling. The Oregonian kept KGW. That same year, Portland’s beloved morning man, Barney Keep, started his career at KEX where he continued in the same time slot till he retired 35 years later on Valentines Day, February 14, 1979.




	At night, several of Portland’s stations could be heard up and down the coast from Washington to California and east to Montana.

On June 15, 1945 The Blue Network changed it name to the American Broadcasting Co. and KEX became Portland's ABC station.

Westinghouse Broadcasting couldn’t settle for a low-watt station, so in 1947, they built a brand new, million-dollar 50,000 watt transmitter in Clackamas, Oregon to broadcast their signal up and down the coast at night. KEX Became the West Coast Powerhouse of Westinghouse. When Westinghouse broke ground for the new building, they used the same spade that was used by the late Dr. Conrad of KDKA when he broke ground for the new Pittsburgh transmitter.

On April 8, 1948, KEX raised its power to 50,000 watts at 6:30 pm. KEX was Oregon's first full power station. On December 17, 1956, KEX became the only full time 50,000 watt independent in the West, when ABC moved to KGW Radio. KGW Radio’s NBC Network affiliation moved to KGON in Oregon City.


	KEX on-air staff promoted Grandma’s Cookies.


	Cecil and Sally were featured on KEX in Portland

"Cecil and Sally" were the air names of Johnny Patrick and Helen Troy, who developed the musical comedy routine while working together at KYA in 1928. The serial program debuted on the West Coast connection of the short-lived ABC network, and moved to KPO and NBC after the former network went bankrupt in 1929. Patrick wrote the scripts and sang; Troy sang and played the piano and organ. Her character, "Sally," endeared herself to West Coast listeners with her girlish lisp, referring to her partner as "Theethil."

The program ran on NBC until 1933, and was among the earliest radio shows to be nationally syndicated via electronic transcription — large, long-playing phonograph discs — by MacGregor & Ingram, a pioneering recording company.

Johnny Patrick (born John Patrick Goggan in 1905) wrote more than a thousand scripts for "Cecil and Sally" during its run. A successful playwright and Hollywood screenwriter following his early years in radio, he adapted Vern J. Sneider's novel "The Teahouse of the August Moon" for the stage in 1953, which earned him a Pulitzer Prize and a Tony Award. In 1956, he wrote the screenplay for the motion picture version of "Teahouse," which starred Marlon Brando and Glenn Ford.

Patrick also wrote the screenplays for "Three Coins in the Fountain" (1954), "Love Is A Many-Splendored Thing" (1955), "High Society" (1956), "Les Girls" (1957), "Some Came Running" (1958), "The World of Suzie Wong" (1960) and "The Shoes of the Fisherman" (1968). In later life, he retired to St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands. He died in 1995 at the age of 90.

San Francisco-born Helen Troy appeared in several radio programs after "Cecil and Sally," including the 1937 series "Texaco Town" on the CBS Radio network, in which she played the comical "Saymore Saymore." The fast-talking comedienne had a brief career in motion pictures, making her film debut in George M. Cohan's "Song and Dance Man" (playing a character named "Sally," no less) and playing alongside such stars as Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland in "Thoroughbreds Don't Cry" (1937) and Spencer Tracy in "Big City" (1937). She died at the age of 38 in 1942.

Gene Autry acquired KEX on September 1, 1962 and made it part of Golden West Broadcasters, Inc.

Those next two decades were some of KEX’s best years. Who could forget Music Director Bob Swanson, who also sang in Barber Shop Quartets, and funny man Jimmy Hollister, who switched from the afternoon drive time to take over the morning slot when Barney Keep retired in 1979? And there was the sinister Vic Ives who hosted Old Time Radio on KEX on weeknights as well as Sinister Cinema on late-night TV. Lest we forget “Full Color Radio” and veteran newsman Jim Howe, Darrel Aune’s sports broadcasts and Dennis Norton, traffic.




		Bob Swanson, Music Director




		Bob Swanson was another Portland favorite who started at KEX in 1966 in the noon to 3:00 pm time slot and he remained there until he retired in 1996. On March 14, 1984, KEX was sold to Taft Television & Radio Company.

KFWV signed on the air for the first time on October 12, 1925 and it was owned by Wilbur Jerman, Inc. KFWV's first studio location was in the home of Wilbur Jerman at what is now 2025 SE 58th Avenue. From September 1926 to March 1927, KFWV was located at The Sovereign Hotel at what is now 1207 SW Broadway. In March of 1927, they moved to five suites at The Broadway Theatre Building at what is now 622 SW Salmon Street where the station used "The Voice of Broadway" as their air slogan.

On June 24, 1927, what had been known as KFWV became KWJJ, which was named for Wilbur Jeffrey Jerman, President of the station as well as technical adviser and operator. He operated the station with his partner John C. Egan, Station Manager & Secretary-Treasurer. The "Federal Radio Commission" was beginning to grant requested call letters. Before this, the FRC, later known as the FCC, would sequentially assign most call letters to new stations which had no significance.


	John C. Egan, Station Manager & Secretary-Treasurer is seen is this photo on the right at the KWJJ Studio Building at 1011 SW 6th Avenue. KWJJ had moved to this building in 1941.


	An unidentified announcer at KWJJ in 1944 at the KWJJ Studio Building

Specializing in sports broadcasts, KWJJ also had numerous religious programs. As early as 1947, KWJJ's nickname was “JJ”. Later, KWJJ featured Popular Music when DJ Sammy Taylor was playing songs like "Rock Around The Clock" by Bill Haley & His Comets in 1955. KWJJ became Portland's ABC station on April 1, 1959 when KGW Radio went independent, (KGW had first dropped NBC for ABC on December 17, 1956. NBC then moved to KGON 1520). When KWJJ joined the ABC Network, they featured "Don McNeil's Breakfast Club" & "Paul Harvey News & Comment". KWJJ changed it's format to Country & Western on March 1, 1965.


	Interior view of the KPOJ AM & FM Transmitter at Mt. Scott in 1956


	Radio Schedule from 1949

Who out there remembers hearing Dick Novak on KPOJ (call letters for Portland Oregon Journal)? Dick Novak's “Rhythm Room” debuted on April 11, 1955 at 9:30 pm. The four and a half hour live, remote broadcast originated from Scotty's Hamburgers at 12th and Sandy. In the following months, he began broadcasting from Amato’s Supper Club on Broadway. Dick also hosted KGW TV’s Portland Bandstand every Saturday afternoon beginning in 1958. Red Robinson took over as host of the show in 1959 when Dick Novak returned to KPOJ. The remotes ended on KPOJ when the station’s format was changed to "Music of Yesterday" on April 25, 1960. I remember listening to Dick on KPOJ in the mornings in the 1960’s.

In the early 1950’s, kids would rush home from school to hear Uncle Bob and the Squirrel Cage. When Walt Disney started the Mickey Mouse Club, Uncle Bob m