It was most likely in September 1907 that Portland broadcasting began. I thought I'd at least post a thread commemorating this centennial milestone.

We don't know the actual date, so I've held off posting this until now, not wanting to precede the event. The station was operated as a telegraph relay and identified itself with the calls "PE".

You can read more about this on the "Portland Radio History" page of pdxradio under the title "PE: Portland's First Wireless Station".

Great ! Here is a link:

http://feedback.pdxradio.com/show.cgi?tpc=995&post=134977#POST134977

Love that picture of Council Crest park!

So we have for "firsts" in Portland something like this:

First Broadcast... PE, Sept. 1907
First "AM" (music) Broadcast... 7XF, Summer 1921
First FM Broadcast... KGW-FM, May 7, 1946
First Stereo (AM-FM Mode)... KPAM/KPFM ? 1958 ?
First Stereo FM (Multiplex)... KPFM, Dec. 16, 1961
First Quad FM... KQIV, Sept. 15, 1972
First AM stereo ?
First Digital IBOC... KGON ?

Corrections, Fill in the blanks, other radio broadcasting milestones? anybody?

Jr tech: I'm impressed, you've been taking notes!

First "AM" (voice) Broadcast... 7ZI, March 1921
First "AM" (music) Broadcast... 7XF, by June 1921
First "AM" (advertisement) Broadcast... 7XF, August 1921*
First "AM" (news) Broadcast... 7XF, March 13, 1922 at 7:45pm
First FM Broadcast... KGW-FM, May 7, 1946 at 5:45pm
First Stereo (AM-FM Mode)... KPAM/KPFM, Feb 8, 1953 at 12:30pm+
First Stereo FM (Multiplex)... KPFM, Dec 16, 1961 at 12:00pm

* Remick's Song & Gift Shop.
+ At the time the word stereo wasn't used, it was called third dimensional sound.

I don't have much on AM stereo, if someone does, please chime in. I know KSGO began in June 1988 with Motorola C-QUAM.

OK, someone what was that firsr advertisment, someone should know.

KGW 620 was in stereo as of June 1985 using the Motorola system they must have started stereo broadcasts sometime in 1984 thus making them the first AM stereo station in Portland. also KKSN 910 was in stereo around the same time using the Kahn/Hazeltine system

Yes! "Broadcast Profile" reports KGW using Motorola C-QUAM in early 1983 and KKSN 910 using Kahn in 1983.

Nwokie: Check my earlier post, the advertiser is listed below the ad listing.

I thought that would be right I found that info in a list of AM stereo stations on another forum related to AM stereo broadcasting. That list was all the AM stereo stations in the United States as of June 1985 using either the Harris, Motorola, Kahn/Hazeltine, or Magnavox stereo systems.

I know that a friend, who was a classical music fan, had a small Sony AM stereo portable in the early to mid 80's... He got it because the *only* station in town that he could get that broadcast much classical music was AM and *was* Stereo. I don't remember what the station was, however.

the only radios that Sony made in the early 80s were the SRF-A1 which was a Walkman unit a radio only one though and the SRF-A100 which was a table radio and ran on AA cells I think both radios are collector's items today if they are in good condition and both used if I remember right the CX20111 AM stereo decoder IC, a custom one made by Sony for multi-system AM stereo decoding. That decoder IC was also used in some of Sony's shortwave receivers as the synchronous detector in that particular application the decoder was locked into the Harris mode but with a mod could decode Motorola C-QUAM as well. Icom used a different IC in the R-75 communications receiver the IC that they used was the Motorola MC13022A which is a C-QUAM decoder chip which is useless as the Motorola system does not use synchronous detection

Jr tech: The Classical station was KKSN 910. I have a copy of a bumper sticker circa 1983 which reads: "Classic Stereo 91 AM, KKSN".

It seems to me I remember KGW making a big thing about being the first AM to broadcast in stereo as they were the first to "broadcast". According to people "in the know", KQIV never broadcast in quad; it was all a publicity stunt! Even if they had, no one would have been able to hear them because there was no FCC standard in place until many years later and by then, quad receivers were no longer being made and broadcasters(and the general public)had lost interest.

Those Sony portables kicked a$$ on AM. Sony also had a great boombox with the same AM circuitry as the SRF-A100, narrow/wide switch and ability to recieve the various types of AM stereo transmissions.(the CFS-6000) which also had an auto reverse cassette deck with Dolby B NR and an auxillary input. I found one a couple of years ago at Value Village for $20.

Not too useful now, since most AMs limit their freq response to 5kHz--and most are talk formats anyway! I do have a mini 10mW AM Stereo transmitter, but I haven't fired it up lately. KISN sounded good on it when they were still simulcasting on 1390, though.(and in mono)

I remember getting a quick tour of the 62KGW/KINK studios after my failed attempt to win on channel 8's old "On The Spot" game show in the mid 80's. One of the 62KGW offices had one of those "Baby on Board" type signs except it said "Motorola C-Quam Stereo on Board." I never remember hearing anything on air about stereo, though.

KEX was stereo, too for a while. I remember hearing Blazer games with full stereo separation on KEX--don't know if they were in stereo on the Blazers' run on KGW. (Dave Bell might be able to elaborate more on this.)

Stations in PDX that I know(or think) were stereo at one time:

620 KGW
860 KPAM(during its initial music phase)
910 KKSN
970 KBBT--and whatever else the call signs of the week were before and after.
1010 KZRC(YEAH!! Zed Rock!)
1040 K-love, whatever
1080 KWJJ
1190 KEX
1360 KUIK(they advertised stereo for a very short time, but I don't know if they actually installed an encoder or not.)
1450 KBPS(the only one left right now--and a late starter)
1520 KSGO/KFXX(THE X!!)
1640 Radio Disney, religious, whatever

Down the Valley:

590 KUGN(they used the Kahn/Hazeltine system)
840 KDBS(?) Eugene-they sounded pretty good
880 KWIP(they played it up big time, they may even have had a minor "dignitary" push the button to turn it on--I don't remember clearly)
1280 in Eugene at one time I think was in Stereo(1980's)
1390 KSLM
1490 KBZY(I'm not 100% sure about this one, maybe RickSalemRadio could chime in)

That's about it.

Eugene's 1280, then KYKN (Country), was Motorola. This was around '83-84.

Randy: Wow! That's a pretty inclusive stereo list.

it is really inclusive but it is a shame that many of those stations are no longer stereo because of corporate policy or the fact that they were running systems other than Motorola C-QUAM and did not want to change over when the system became the standard in 1993. The only stereo station left where I am is CKMX 1060 which is from Calgary and only is receivable at night might have to get my own part-15 AM stereo transmitter at some point.

There was a brief period of time when every major AM was stereo. I remember KXL also but am not connecting right now what the others were. It was printed in the Oregonian so Craig, you could probably find it during one of your fact finding journeys. The only other big station no one's mentioned is 1330 so that was probably it. Wasn't 1230 stereo during its KMUZ/K-Bach phase?

>>Randy: Wow! That's a pretty inclusive stereo list.

Uh, you mean Qpatrickedwards.

At this moment KDBS 840 is still stereo, but I'm not sure the signal is so great anymore. I thought maybe my MCS FM/AM Stereo tuner was at fault (I paid $4 for it at Goodwill), but when I recently borrowed my brother's '97 T-Bird it sounded just as grungy on that AM stereo radio. Could both radios be out of alignment? The problem sounds almost like FM multipath and goes away when I switch to mono.

Yes KMUZ broadcast Motorola C-QUAM beginning in 1992. By 1983 KXL was well into their News/Talk format, running Talknet evenings. There is no mention of KXL stereo.

They were News/Talk alright but still stereo!

I forgot all about KMUZ 1230 and KKPZ 1330 being in stereo! Was that the same KMUZ that was a combo with the then new 94.7 fm?

I have never heard of KXL ever being in stereo either. Maybe Kent Randles would know.

This is too much stereo talk for me right now, since I engineer/program an FM station in mono.

I liked Talknet..."Tune in, turn on...da da da...Talknet..." Bruce Williams was one of their hosts that I remember the most.

Yes, KMUZ 1230 was a combo with KMUZ-FM 94.7.

Talknet also featured: Sally Jessy Raphael, Bernard Meltzer & Harvey Ruben.

"Someone to talk to, someone who cares."

When I said 1330, I was thinking of KUPL.

So our list of "firsts" in Portland looks something like this:

First Broadcast (code)... PE, Sept. 1907
First "AM" (voice) Broadcast... 7ZI, March 1921
First "AM" (music) Broadcast... 7XF, by June 1921
First "AM" (advertisement) Broadcast... 7XF, August 1921*
First "AM" (news) Broadcast... 7XF, March 13, 1922 at 7:45pm
First FM Broadcast... KGW-FM, May 7, 1946 at 5:45pm
First Stereo (AM-FM Mode)... KPAM/KPFM, Feb 8, 1953 at 12:30pm+
First Stereo FM (Multiplex)... KPFM, Dec 16, 1961 at 12:00pm
First Quad FM... KQIV, Sept. 15, 1972 **
First AM stereo... KGW, Early 1983
First Digital IBOC... KGON ?

* Remick's Song & Gift Shop.
+ At the time the word stereo wasn't used, it was called third dimensional sound.
**According to people "in the know", KQIV never broadcast in quad; it was all a publicity stunt!

Still missing a date (and perhaps station) for IBOC. Thanks for all the updates/comments !

got another one
First AM IBOC...KEX 2005

I may also add 2 more milestones that I found in Craigs' postings on the history side:

First "K" call... KGG, March 15, 1922++
First Network Broadcast... KGW, April 5, 1927***

++ was 7XG
*** NBC Orange

I'm thinking KUGA-AM was broadcasting in stereo using the Kahn system in the early 80's...I was there...but old age has dimmed the exact date..Ted Hicks our "merlin the magician" would know. I still have 2 of the Sony radios...small portable for remotes and a desk model...both are terrific receivers. And I think I was one of a handful who bought a Sony am/am stereo, fm stereo cassette deck for a car...worked great.

make that KUGN-AM damn fingers.....

Another that should be listed:

First "AM" (commercial) Broadcast... KGW, Mar 25, 1922 at 12:00pm***

***Standard broadcast station.

KGON-HD2 began Feb 16, 2006 at 3:11pm

I can't find KEX. Must have missed writing it down. Check pdxradio past posts. I have to leave for work.

I guess we should also add:

First HD3... KOPB-HD3, April 6, 2007

I am certain that the first HD (I am guessing KGON, 2004 or early 2005) was documented on this site, but posts from that era are gone
KEX-HD turn on posts are missing also, I think

Randy asked why an AM stereo station sounded so lousy on a 1997 car radio. A friend had the same problem when he visited me. It may not be a problem with newer vehicles because electronics is cheap these days, but there was a period when many car radios had AM receivers that were not "stereo aware". As a result, AM stereo stations sounded muddy, just as they would if you played them on an AM receiver built before AM stereo existed. The standard radio that came in my 2003 vehicle sounds really good on AM -- better, in fact, than any car radio I ever saw in the 1960s. As a result, I regularly listen to music on AM, and only really miss the stereo on songs recorded after about 1978, when FM first started to catch on in this area (Edmonton, Alberta, Canada).

That 1997 car radio used to sound great on KKNX.

Would that be Cool 880 out of Edmonton that you listen to, Adiant? I get it on Star Choice, but it is in mono and they only pipe one of the stereo channels to the sat feed. You can hear either the Mamas or the Papas, but not both the Mamas and the Papas!

So...you can hear Dee Dee but you don't get Dick? Swoosh!: That was the sound of my mouth being washed out with soap.

Oops! I was in a bit of a hurry to leave for work earlier and rushed to get the data posted. I thought the KGON date was a little late but that's all I had on a "Post-it" in my KGON file. I didn't think the date was old enough to have been part of my KGON History. It was and I have a few other dates on this event also:

Oct 6, 2004 KGON tests HD at about 12:30pm.
Oct 14, 2004 KGON granted Special Temporary Authority.
Oct 21, 2004 KGON begins HD operation.

Qpatrickedwards: Yes, CHQT (Cool 8-80) is the AM stereo station I was referring to. They have had problems from time to time, feeding only one stereo channel, but it usually didn't last long, and typically would be on a single pre-recorded show. I've noticed the problem both off-air and on their cable FM feed, which is further up the audio channel, before audio compression takes place.

Alberta is a large province, but only has two remaining AM stereo stations left: Oldies formatted CHQT-880 Edmonton and the aforementioned Country CKMX-1060 in Calgary.

Randy: dunno what else to say about the 1997 car radio, except that my friend found it weird that CHQT was the only AM station on his car radio dial that sounded bad. And it sounded great, at the same time, on my car radio. Maybe he came to town at a time when no other AM station was playing music!

Doing a google search I found KEX went IBOC in April 2005.

So now our list of "firsts" in Portland looks something like this:

First Broadcast (code)... PE, Sept. 1907
First "AM" (voice) Broadcast... 7ZI, March 1921
First "AM" (music) Broadcast... 7XF, by June 1921
First "AM" (advertisement) Broadcast... 7XF, August 1921*
First "AM" (news) Broadcast... 7XF, March 13, 1922 at 7:45pm
First "K" call... KGG, March 15, 1922**
First AM (commercial) Broadcast... KGW, March 25, 1922 at 12:00pm***
First AM Network Broadcast... KGW, April 5, 1927****
First FM Broadcast... KGW-FM, May 7, 1946 at 5:45pm
First Stereo (AM-FM Mode)... KPAM/KPFM, Feb. 8, 1953 at 12:30pm+
First Stereo FM (Multiplex)... KPFM, Dec. 16, 1961 at 12:00pm
First Quad FM... KQIV, Sept. 15, 1972 ++
First AM stereo... KGW, Early 1983
First FM Digital IBOC... KGON, Oct. 21, 2004
First AM Digital IBOC... KEX, April, 2005
First IBOC HD2... KGON-HD2, Feb. 16, 2006 at 3:11pm
First IBOC HD3... KOPB-HD3, April 6, 2007


* Remick's Song & Gift Shop.
** was 7XG
***Standard broadcast station.
**** NBC Orange
+ At the time the word stereo wasn't used, it was called third dimensional sound.
++ According to people "in the know", KQIV never broadcast in quad; it was all a publicity stunt!


Thanks for the updates! Any corrections, additions ? Perhaps SCA, RBDS ?

Note: I put AM in quotes for the first few events because I am guessing that these were modulated spark gap, not "true" AM transmissions, anybody have any info on the nature of these transmissions?

Not sure if you could ever track this one down, as who was first, but I found it interesting, in the 1980s, to watch the local FM stations here change their audio equalization. As I recall, one PD resisted for several months, but was getting killed in the ratings, so soon followed suit. He was the same one who had earlier refused to play Michael Jackson, but ended up giving in on that, too, after Thriller had been out almost 6 months.

Not sure if you've noticed, but there is a Hall & Oates song, perhaps "One on One", that got its great sound by doing that same equalization themselves, before FM stations adopted it. If I listen to it on FM today, I find it "hit you in the face" harsh because of the "double" equalization.

> At this moment KDBS 840 is still stereo, but I'm
> not sure the signal is so great anymore.

I was in Eugene about two months ago, and I noticed that, too. It seemed like there were a few things that were out of alignment. For instance, when the news breaks came up, the sound was much louder on one channel than the other. I was impressed that they were running stereo at all, as the stereo had been off the last time that I drove through Eugene, over a year ago.

Of course, nobody else had AM Stereo, and 1280 had this very muddy sounding ~5kHz audio (without IBOC sidebands).

"According to people 'in the know,' KQIV never broadcast in quad; it was all a publicity stunt!"

Not a publicity stunt, really, but a case of getting ahead of ourselves.

In the fall of 1971, KQIV (KQ4) staff members met with James Gabbert, the owner of KIOI (K-101) in San Francisco, and returned home very excited. K-101 had successfully transmitted true four-channel audio for the first time on a single FM station using Quadraplex, a process invented by Lou Dorren. The FCC was concerned, however, with certain technical issues that had to be resolved before it would give Quadraplex its blessing.

Recently, I spoke with Lou Dorren and he explained some of the background. Dorren’s plan was to select one FM station in several cities to conduct long-term testing of Quadraplex and to provide hi-fi shops in those cities with modified stereo receivers to demonstrate Quadraplex to their customers. In anticipation of being on the ground floor of this new and exciting technology, despite ongoing delays in FCC approval for long-term testing, outdoor billboards announcing the station's arrival blanketed the Portland-area and proudly proclaimed, "Credibility is back. KQ4 Quadraphonic FM 107."

The FCC finally approved Quadraplex, in 1986, but by that time no one cared and KQ4 was just a memory.

sounds a bit like what happened to Dolby FM that never caught on either and with AM stereo by the time that the FCC decided on a standard it was almost too late. IBOC might be the same way I can say from personal experience that getting the digital signals on AM is nightmarishly difficult in fringe areas even with good antennas and any noise will pretty much kill the signals FM is really difficult as well in fringe areas but it is not quite as big a feat to have a decent antenna in a small space.

blazers games on kgw62 mid or late 80's were in AMstereofor sure.I dont think any blazers games on KEX were stereoat all.kex was mono until1992 approx. time to dump HDand resume cquam!!OK?

it is starting to look that way I can't get KEX HD up here occasionally I might be able to when using a loop but with a longwire there is no chance at all not even the call letters will show up on the screen and I can hear the digital sidebands on 1180 and 1200 quite readily although on 1180 there is a radio station in the background I have IDed that one as KLAY Lakewood which is near Seattle.

Correction:

First "K" call... KGN, June 1915 *1

*1 = This was the first KGN "code" station owned by Northwest Electric Co. The later, more well known KGN was owned by Northwestern Radio Manufacturing Co. which was originally 7XF.

I want to note, even though the KGG calls will be taken off the list, You have the earlier call 7XG as wrong. KGG was 7XI originally. It was KYG which was originally 7XG.

First FM SCA... KQFM, 1970 *2

*2 = Programming on the SCA was "Muzak". This date is very hard to pin point since it wasn't part of commercial listening and therefore not covered in newspapers.

Here's something I didn't think of until now:

First AM Combo... KOIN/KALE, Sept 21, 1932

1970 seems extremely late for the first SCA in Portland. I was just doing research for tomorrow's Today in History, which includes the death of the man (Jack Stark) who brought competition to Muzak in Vancouver (Canada). The date was 1962, somewhere between August and December. CHQM-FM went stereo in August and the SCA was used to feed Q Music. I don't have a date for CKLG-FM's SCA to be used for Muzak in Vancouver.

Unlike broadcast quad, Dolby FM existed and there were radios or tape decks built with it. KINK and whatever was on 105.1 at the time, ran it. I'm not sure of any others. I know my tape deck decoded it.

Adiant: You're absolutely right! Muzak came to the Portland area in 1957. Audio Electronics Co. was based in Beaverton at 1026 S.W. Hall Blvd. The firm designed, installed & maintained communication systems. Their "Music By Muzak" franchise was delivered over phone lines. In 1963 David M. Myers purchased Audio Electronics, then in 1969 he purchased KQFM to deliver Muzak via SCA to cut costly phone lines.

KSKD ran and advertised Dolby Stereo in its heyday...I think I remember seeing KSKD tee-shirts with the Dolby symbol on them.

One of my buddies in high school had a dolby decoder for FM. It just seemed to make the sound a bit muddy. I've never been a big fan of Dolby anyway...I'm just glad that we don't bother with most of it anymore with the near death of analogue tape based audio.

Dolby C for cassette use was actually pretty good technology...used a lot in the 80's/early 90's...was always a hassle when the setting was left on on a normal tape.

> Muzak came to the Portland area in 1957. Audio
> Electronics Co. was based in Beaverton at 1026
> S.W. Hall Blvd. The firm designed, installed &
> maintained communication systems. Their "Music By
> Muzak" franchise was delivered over phone lines.

I'm pretty sure that the "Muzak" amplifier that I have came out of this system. It is a 20W amplifier with a transformer-balanced input. The output is a push-pull pair of 6L6s, with multiple secondaries that can be configured to drive 4 Ohms, 125 Ohms, or 500 Ohms. The only odd thing about this amplifier is that it uses octal tubes throughout, which seems somewhat behind the times for a 1950s design.

So now our list of "firsts" in Portland looks something like this:

First Broadcast (code)... PE, Sept. 1907
First "K" call... KGN, June 1915*
First "AM" (voice) Broadcast... 7ZI, March 1921
First "AM" (music) Broadcast... 7XF, by June 1921
First "AM" (advertisement) Broadcast... 7XF, August 1921**
First "AM" (news) Broadcast... 7XF, March 13, 1922 at 7:45pm
First AM (commercial) Broadcast... KGW, March 25, 1922 at 12:00pm***
First AM Network Broadcast... KGW, April 5, 1927****
First AM Combo... KOIN/KALE, Sept 21, 1932
First FM Broadcast... KGW-FM, May 7, 1946 at 5:45pm
First Stereo (AM-FM Mode)... KPAM/KPFM, Feb. 8, 1953 at 12:30pm+
First Stereo FM (Multiplex)... KPFM, Dec. 16, 1961 at 12:00pm
First FM SCA... KQFM, 1970 ++
First Quad FM... KQIV, Sept. 15, 1972 +++
First AM stereo... KGW, Early 1983
First FM Digital IBOC... KGON, Oct. 21, 2004
First AM Digital IBOC... KEX, April, 2005
First IBOC HD2... KGON-HD2, Feb. 16, 2006 at 3:11pm
First IBOC HD3... KOPB-HD3, April 6, 2007

* This was the first KGN "code" station owned by Northwest Electric Co. The later, more well known KGN was owned by Northwestern Radio Manufacturing Co. which was originally 7XF.
** Remick's Song & Gift Shop.
*** Standard broadcast station.
**** NBC Orange
+ At the time the word stereo wasn't used, it was called third dimensional sound.
++ Programming on the SCA was "Muzak".
+++ According to people "in the know", KQIV never broadcast in quad; it was all a publicity stunt! FCC caution trumped a premature advertisement campaign.


Thanks for the updates! Any corrections, additions ? Perhaps RBDS, Dolby FM ?

Note: I put AM in quotes for the first few events because I am guessing that these were modulated spark gap, not "true" AM transmissions, anybody have any info on the nature of these transmissions?

Kq4, I thought you'd prefer "publicity stunt" over "scam" or "ruse"! "Hoax" is the word I meant to use. Thanks for clearing it up. It's not that you couldn't hear matrix quad if you had the proper receiver but any stereo station would do the same thing! It's similar to when my surround sound amplifier defaults to "pro logic".

Semoochie, whatever you call it, we never should have let our desire to be first overpower our common sense in dealing with the cautious FCC!

what is the highpoint and lowpoint of portlann radion the last 100 years?
which station broadcast the war of the worlds?

The War of the Worlds broadcast was Oct. 30, 1938 on the CBS network...KOIN would have been the Portland CBS station at the time. Was that a high point or low point ? (or just a point)

W of W (second half) is being played on Sirius #118 (Radio classics) right now... chilling!

Kq4, I wasn't taking you to task at all. It was never my intention to malign KQIV. I was merely repeating what I thought was printed and later, explaining what I meant, as I have a tendency to do even after learning more information that disputes it. Thanks again!

Thanks to "Web Archive" for saving this post from October 4, 2003:

---------"WAR OF THE WORLDS" Shocks Portland & The Northwest---------
65 years ago this month the Country was shaken by a program on the Columbia Broadcasting System. It was Orson Welles' adaptation of "War of The Worlds". Most of you know the story and the hysteria that occurred during and after the broadcast on the East coast. For a national look at this story, check out the link featuring "The New York Times". The script is also available here.

http://www.members.aol.com/jeff1070/wotw.html

But what happened in Portland & the Northwest?

It was Sunday October 30, 1938, Halloween eve and "The Oregon Journal" newspaper was running it's daily radio column ad "Studio Air-Flo, KOIN/KALE". Both stations were owned by The Journal. Among other programs highlighted in this column was: An invasion of the earth by inhabitants of Mars will be the imaginary theme of Orson Welles, when the "Mercury Theatre On The Air" broadcasts an adaptation of H.G. Wells' "War of The Worlds" over KOIN today at 5 p.m.

That's right, 5:00PM which would have made it 8:00PM Eastern time. This was a Live broadcast across America. Most programs were in 1938. There was no time to warn the West, what was to come.

PORTLAND STATIONS 10-30-38
KGW 620 NBC-Red
KOIN 940 CBS
KWJJ 1040
KEX 1180 NBC-Blue
KALE 1300 Don Lee-Mutual
KXL 1420
KBPS 1420

On Monday October 31, 1938 the front page of "The Oregonian" far right hand corner read: All Nation Agog, Realistic Radio Drama Causes Hysteria, Play About 'Men From Mars' Invading World Taken to be Real Thing.

The front page of "The Oregon Journal" far right hand corner read: Radio Play Quiz Begun After Panic, Nation-wide Hysteria Follows 'Realistic' Presentation of Invasion From Mars; Federal Agency Investigates Program. A large picture of 23 year old Orson Welles with a CBS microphone appears with the U.P. article. Above the picture reads: Brought 'Men From Mars'. Below the picture an article: Orson Welles 'Sorry' Feared Play 'Too Dull'.

From "The Oregonian" which owned rival stations KGW & KEX, comes the best local coverage, headline read: 'War of Worlds' Shakes Portland, Calls Pour in by Hundreds to Newspaper Office. (Now the complete story)

A wave of hysteria that swept across the United States Sunday night as the result of a realistic radio dramatization of H.G. Wells' "War of The Words" reached all the way to Portland, 2500 miles from the scene of the fictional disaster.

The telephone switchboard of "The Oregonian" was swamped by hundreds of excited calls. Queries kept members of the newspaper's editoral department and of radio stations KGW and KEX busy. Several persons rushed into the business offices of "The Oregonian" on the street floor, demanding information.

Police Kept Busy
Dozens of calls were made to "Portland Police" radio operators (KGPP). Most of the callers demanding to know what protection the city could offer and what place might be safe in event the wholesale destruction spread to the Pacific coast.

Radio station KOIN which released the program in Portland, reported it was able to answer 500 of the volley that swamped it's switchboard. The station received complaints that three women had fainted and a doctor was called for one, the elderly mother of a retired army officer.

At Washougal, Wash., a man was reported to have loaded his family into a car and to have driven frantically through the streets looking for a haven of refuge.

The Portland office of the Western Union Telegraph company was jammed with persons seeking to send telegrams to relatives in the East, inquiring as to their safety.

At Concrete, Wash., (32 miles East of Mount Vernon.) Women fainted and men prepared to take their families into the mountains for safekeeping when electric power failed.

This From The Journal: Just as an announcer was "choked off" by "poisonous gas" in what he had just said might be the "last broadcast ever made" the town plunged into darkness. One man bolted from his home, grabbed a small child by the arm and headed for the pine forests. "The Oregonian": For a time the village of 1000, verged on mass hysteria.

Elsewhere in the Northwest calls poured into newspaper and press association offices by the thousands. Seattle newspaper switchboard operators reported many hysterical calls from persons wanting to know if it was true New York had disapeared beneath the Atlantic ocean.

SEATTLE STATIONS 1938
KVI 570 CBS (Tacoma)
KIRO 710 CBS
KXA 760
KOMO 920 NBC-Red
KJR 970 NBC-Blue
KRSC 1120
KTW 1220
KOL 1270 Don Lee-Mutual
KMO 1330 Don Lee-Mutual (Tacoma)
KVL 1370

From "The Oregon Journal" local headline read: Many Portlanders' Hair On End During Broadcast.
(Now the complete story)

Radio's "destruction of the world by Martians" got a rise out of many Portlanders' early Sunday evening. Like their Eastern relatives, some Portlanders' hair stood on end when "news flashes" in the dramatization by Orsen Welles of H.G. Wells' "War of The Worlds" over CBS and KOIN-The Journal from 5 to 6 p.m. carried the word that "here they come, tall as skyscrapers...they're throwing a heat wave...etc."

Don Price and George McGowen, on duty at KOIN-The Journal studios, said that they answered about 100 telephone calls (note: 100, The Oregonian reported 500) to reassure persons it was "all a dramatization."

The "War of The Worlds" dramatization was a presentation of the "Mercury Theatre On The Air", a Columbia chain sustaining program heard each Sunday over the network from New York City.

The Journal switchboard was "swamped" during the play and calls came in intermittently through the evening, the operator reported. Apparently unlike some other cities, no telegrams of inquiry were sent via Western Union to Eastern 'folks'. (note: The Oregonian said it was jammed.)

A member of The Journal staff returning from the coast, was informed by a panic-stricken McMinnville service station attendant, "There's no use buying any gasoline. The worlds coming to an end!" The Journal man insisted on getting his gasoline and driving along.

Sought Baptism, Absolution
Grants Pass Ore., Oct. 31.-(AP)-A Grants Pass minister confirmed the report today that after last night's fantastic radio drama of an invasion of the United States by men from Mars, several persons called in excitement at his home seeking baptism and the benefits of religion.

The End

If you would like to read more about the "Mercury Theatre On The Air" or hear any of their programs, including this one, check out:

http://www.unknown.nu/mercury/

"Kq4, I wasn't taking you to task at all."

I never took it that you were, Semoochie! Just happy I could fill in some more of the history!

Craig, you deserve more than just gratitude for unearthing so many wonderful gems about local radio history -- especially when you are about to make some of your own! Could this become a yearly tradition like the Great Pumpkin? I love it.

"The Craig Addams Family Spooktacular" will be undead from the Rock-n-Roll Cafe tonight. BTW, just because you and twenty other friends look great as Wonder Woman, Elvira and the Bride of Frankenstein, does not mean you ought to all congregate around the window at the same time. The job is difficult enough in a four walled booth. Heaven help him if the Seven Lady Godivas show up.

All brevity aside, it promises to be a great evening for the kids. Mr. Addams will have the ghastly greats, so tuck the speakers behind the pumpkins on the porch, fill a bowl of candy, and listen for the doorbell. Not in Portland? You still have a ghost of a chance to hear the groovy ghoulies. The spirits will be streaming worldwide at www.khits1067.com and you can call Craig toll free if the show is sending shivers across a faraway yard to Trick or Treaters. :o)

==========================================================

Happy Birthday Portland Radio! This is a really great thread and I am enjoying all the contributions. Since you kind folks were talking about an unintentional social experiment conducted by Orson Welles -- arguably the greatest natural talent of his generation -- I have a purely nerdy anecdote:

Last summer, while helping a local engineer move to a new house, I was handed a 10 1/2" reel and told to keep it for my efforts. It was the copy of War of the Worlds from 1520 that he had rescued from the dumpster. I have very fond memories of the old time radio overnights on KYXI as a kid, and of WotW on Halloween.

Call me corny, but among my reels, I consider it priceless. I suppose it is not as groovy as a transcription record -- although it is old enough to need to be baked before playing it again. A big heartfelt thanks to all the board ops who graced my youth with the good stuff!

Littlesongs: Thanks! Correction: The show will be done at the K-Hits studios. I need CD players for sound effects and background "Witch" are not available at the K-Hits Corner studio.

LOL! Well, I guess that saves you from the eye candy, but I hope there will be at least a dish there "spirited" away from the day crew. I'm looking forward to the show! Hopefully -- if the ghosts of radio legends wander the halls tonight -- Orson won't park himself in front of the bathroom. :0)

Craig, I really enjoyed the show last night. I am glad I recorded it and tucked it in my audio scrapbook. It was a great way to kick off our second century of broadcasting. :0)

Kq4 and Semoochie, you are two of my favorites here. When you fight it is like watching a Sunday morning bicycle joust between paper boys. The collision is brief -- and heaps of valuable information are scattered all over the place. Thanks gentlemen!

Glad you enjoyed it, I had a blast doing it but I can't take all the credit. Brad Dolbeer, APD put the music together after my suggestions. Brad also thought of additional great cuts I had forgotten about. John Hugill wrote & produced all the sweepers as well as the 60 second promo that ran before the show, so it was a K-Hits team effort.

You're very welcome, Little. Happy you enjoy our memory morsels!

I don't quite know what to say. If you think that was a fight, you must never have been married! At least, that's the way I hear other couples behave. I always just assume my wife is right. Thank you!

I was tuned into 1190USING KLOSS MODEL ONE RADIO last nite.center tuned to TRY TOaviod the noise.BUT,I COULD STILL HEAR THE NOISE!!!!WHY???WHAT HAPPENED TO THE CONCEPT OF A CLEAN SIGNAL,KEX?