January 19 In Radio History

In 1903..the first Transatlantic Radio broadcast took place. King Edward VII and President Theodore Roosevelt spoke with one another in a coded radio transmission between Cape Cod, Massachusetts and Cornwall, England.


In 1905...Radio pioneer, Anne Shumacker Hummert, was born. She was the leading creator of daytime radio serials during the 1930s and 1940s, responsible for more than three dozen drama series.

George Klein

In 1923...WMC 790 AM in Memphis, Tennessee began broadcasting. The station currently airs Fox Sports Radio.

In addition to sports talk shows, WMC-AM features longtime Memphis disc jockey George Klein's weekly tribute program to Elvis Presley. Klein and Presley were close friends and confidantes during the latter's lifetime and the former's long stint on WHBQ-AM.

The station's license is currently held by Entercom Communications, which it purchased from CBS in September 2006.


In 1943...the FCC endorsed Restricted Radio Operator Permits.




In 1943...Rock singer Janis Joplin was born. She died of a heroin overdose on October 4, 1970 at 27.




In 1998...Hall of Fame rockabilly singer Carl Perkins died. He was 65.


In 2005...Clear Channel Radio began its rollout of HD Digital Radio Multicasts in 28 Markets.




In 2006...Singer Wilson Pickett died. He was 64.