December 7 In Radio History

In 1921...KWG-AM in Stockton, California began broadcasting. KWG is one of the oldest broadcasting stations in USA, signing on November 22, 1921. It is considered the first commercially licensed radio station west of the Mississippi River although not the first radio station to be founded on the West Coast — see KCBS (AM).  Until 1988, KWG used a T-antenna type transmitting antenna mounted on two 60-meter tall wooden poles, making KWG one of the last broadcast stations to use this type of antenna.

In 1938...The St. Louis Dispatch begins a two-year experiment to deliver newspapers by radio facsimile, first transmission via W9XZY


In 1941... Japanese planes attacked the home base of the U.S. Pacific fleet at Pearl Harbor on the Hawaiian island of Oahu, launching America's entry into World War Two. The Imperial Japanese Navy conducted a surprise military strike against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The attack was intended to prevent the U.S. Pacific Fleet from influencing the war that the Empire of Japan was planning in Southeast Asia against Britain and the Netherlands, as well as the U.S. in the Philippines. The base was attacked by a total of 353 Japanese aircraft, in two waves, launched from six aircraft carriers. Four U.S. Navy battleships were sunk and four other battleships were damaged. The Japanese also sank or damaged three cruisers, three destroyers, an anti-aircraft training ship and one minelayer. A total of 188 U.S. aircraft were destroyed, 2,402 American personnel were killed and 1,282 were wounded.

In 1943...Folk singer/songwriter Harry Chapin, whose songs include "Cat's in the Cradle," was born. He died in a car accident on July 16, 1981 at 38

In 1960...WABC-AM, debuted its "Top 40" format. Compliments of musicradio77.com, the Top40 WABC tribute site.  Here's the Day One line-up:

6AM     HERB OSCAR ANDERSON
10:00   Breakfast Club - Don McNeill
11:00   CHARLIE GREER
1:00     FARRELL SMITH
3:00     JACK CARNEY
6:00     Newscope
7:30     CHUCK DUNAWAY
10:00   SCOTT MUNI
12Mid   BIG JOE'S HAPPINESS EXCHANGE
4:00A   BILL OWEN

 Plus, here's an early WABC aircheck.  July 3, 1961 was Dan Ingram's first day on-air at WABC.

In 1977…Peter Goldmark, developer of the LP (long playing) 33 1/3 rpm record and the first commercial color television system, was killed in a car accident at the age of 71.

In 1994...Radio personality Howard Stern talked a man out of trying to kill himself.