WKBN History

[Towntalk]

 Broadcasting in the early years in Youngstown weren't easy for broadcasters and three of the earliest stations had short lives due in no small part to the fact that there was no commercial advertising revenues, so because of this, the stations were only on the air a limited time each day.

Finally, two stations went on the air that would eventually merge into one and that was WMBW and WKBN, and strangely enough, they were on the same frequency – 1400 kc, and arrangements had to be made between the two stations as to when they would when they would be on the air, something that would cause listener confusion.

Then a blow hit that could have put both stations off the air when the federal regulatory agency governing agency sought to revoke a large number of licenses and both WKBN and WMBW were on the closure list.

A meeting was called by the officers of both stations seeking a merger, and it was decided that WMBW would merge with WKBN, and enter the local YMCA who stepped in and intervened with the regulators to save WKBN, and the move was approved by the feds, and WKBN was relocated in the downtown YMCA building until the 1950's when it built its own facility – studios – transmitter, and added television, becoming Youngstown's first television station.

When the Columbia Broadcasting System was born, WKBN became a charter member, and while the radio unit would eventually drop CBS, the television unit kept its CBS affiliation to this day.

During those early years after WKBN was on the air, the FCC reassigned the Ohio State University station WOSU to the same frequency as WKBN, and WKBN was required to go silent for a portion of its broadcast day, and this would go on for several years before the FCC lifted the silent time for WKBN so that it could go back to a full time schedule.

cf:
http://www.maag.ysu.edu/oralhistory/cd1/OH12.pdf






Daily silent periods when WKBN was off the air
9:00 am to 11:00 am
1:00 pm to 3:00 pm
On Sundays WKBN maintained a full schedule

[Towntalk]

   My pleasure. 

[AllanY2525]

OMG - I must have had a rough week.....already on my OWN website....


....and I just KNEW there was a reason I took those photos.  Wish I could have
gotten permission to salvage all of the built in cabinets, transom window and
windows seat from that dining room for my house on Woodbine - they were
beautiful, solid oak pieces and just the right sizes to fit my bay window....

[Towntalk]

Try this:
http://allthingsyoungstown.net/warren_p_williamson_home/index.html

[AllanY2525]

I photographed the residence of WKBN's founder shortly before it
was demolished - gave digital copies and scans of an old city
directory listing the address to the Mahoning Historical society.

I wish I could find my backup copies....

[Towntalk]

When WKBN offices and studios were down on North Champion Street in the YMCA building.

http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-Station-Albums/WKBN-Album.pdf