June 15 Radio History

In 1945...NBC Blue Network becomes the American Broadcasting Company.

The company’s history traces to 1926, when the Radio Corporation of America (now RCA Corporation) and two other firms founded the National Broadcasting Company (NBC) to operate a nationwide radio broadcasting network.

NBC expanded so rapidly that by 1927 it found itself with an excess of affiliates in the same cities, so it split its programming into two separate networks, called the Red and the Blue networks.

After the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) declared in 1941 that no company could own more than one radio network, NBC in 1943 sold the less-lucrative Blue Network to Edward J. Noble, the millionaire maker of Life Savers candy, who initially renamed it the American Broadcasting System before settling on the name the American Broadcasting Company, Inc. (ABC).

1947 Advertisement

ABC was the smallest of the major radio networks and distinguished itself by hiring popular singer Bing Crosby to perform on a weekly variety series. As a precondition for his employment, Crosby required that he be allowed to prerecord the program for later broadcast; as a result, ABC became a pioneer in the field of magnetic recording.


In 1958...Jan & Dean's "Surf City" was released to radio.


In 1966...Capitol released the Beatles' newest US album, a compilation of sorts entitled Yesterday and Today, featuring a bizarre cover by arty photographer Robert Whitaker where the group, dressed in butcher smocks, is surrounded by decapitated baby dolls and raw meat.

The ensuing outrage forces the label to rush-release a new version with the group sitting in and around a large steamer trunk. Despite popular rumor, the photo has never been proven as a statement by the group on Vietnam or Capitol's practice of "butchering" their UK albums for US releases; Whitaker alone remains responsible for the idea, which at least one Beatle later described as "gross" and "stupid." Capitol merely stuck the new "trunk cover" over the original, and therefore, steamed "Butcher Covers" of the album are among the most popular collectibles in existence.


In 1968...Sandy Beach did his last show on WDRC, Hartford, Connecticut before moving to WKBW, Buffalo, New York.  Today, Beach does the 9a-12n show on N/T WBEN 930 AM.

Sandy Beach

Sandy Beach is a WKBW Radio legend and one of the most recognized names in Buffalo Radio history. Throughtout his career he has worked in Buffalo, Hartford, Dallas, San Francisco, and Milwaukee as an on-air talent.

He was also program director for NBC and Capital Cities/ABC. His most recent success has been the #1 PM Drive personality on Newsradio 930 WBEN.

Sandy is a three time nominee for Billboard Magazine Personality of the Year. In May of 2003, Sandy was inducted into the Buffalo Broadcasters Hall of Fame.


In 2014...Iconic radio personality (American Top 40)/cartoon voicist Casey Kasem died of complications from Lewy body dementia at the age of 82. His remains were laid to rest six months later in Oslo, Norway. (See original posting: Click Here)