【Move to another page】
Quote
https://ift.tt/2yvgdIe
WGM (defunct)
Thomas H. White: Creating new page "WGM (defunct)" for discontinued Atlanta radio station
'''WGM''' was an [[Atlanta, Georgia]] AM radio broadcasting station, operated by the ''Atlanta Constitution'' newspaper from March 17, 1922 to July 29, 1923. Although the station had gained national prominence, it was shut down by its owner after just over a year of operation. Its equipment was donated to [[Georgia Institute of Technology|Georgia Tech]], where it was used in early 1924 to help set up radio station WBBF (later WGST, now [[WGKA]] AM 920).
==History==
[[File:Atlanta Constitution Radio Department page (06AUG1922).jpg|thumb|250px|right|The ''Constitution's'' weekly "Radio Department" page provided extensive coverage of WGM activities (August 1922)<ref>"The Sunday Constitution's Radio Department", page 3 of the August 6, 1922 issue of the ''Atlanta Constitution''.</ref>]]
In early 1922 there was growing interest by the general public about the introduction of radio broadcasting. On December 1, 1921 the U.S. Department of Commerce, which regulated radio at this time, adopted a regulation formally establishing a broadcasting station category, which set aside the wavelength of 360 meters (833 kHz) for entertainment broadcasts, and 485 meters (619 kHz) for market and weather reports.<ref>[https://ift.tt/2tmJ37A "Alterations and Corrections: Miscellaneous"], ''Radio Service Bulletin'', January 3, 1922, page 10.</ref> By the end of the year there were over 500 authorized stations in the United States.
In many communities there was competition to be the first to start a station. In Atlanta both of the two major newspapers, the ''Journal'' and the ''Constitution'', began plans to establish stations.<ref>The ''Journal'' was an afternoon newspaper, while the ''Constitution'' published in the morning. The two papers came under common ownership in 1950, and were merged into the ''Journal-Constitution'' in 2001.</ref> The ''Journal'' would be first to get a station on the air, inaugurating [[WSB (AM)|WSB]] on March 15, 1922. Two days later, on March 17, the ''Constitution'' received its own telegraphed authorization for a broadcasting station, with the randomly assigned call letters '''WGM''', valid for transmitting on both wavelengths.<ref>[https://ift.tt/2lk07r9 "New Stations: Commercial Land Stations"], ''Radio Service Bulletin'', April 1, 1922, page 2.</ref> The paper's review of the potential benefits of the new service was enthusiatic: "Although radio news service is still in its infancy, there is every evidence that it is only a question of a very few months when it will be considered as an imperatively necessary source of information." and "It is not a fad. It is an industrial revolution."<ref>"Radio Telephone License Granted to Constitution", ''Atlanta Constitution'', March 17, 1922, pages 1-2.</ref>
WGM's debut broadcast began at 7:00 p.m. that evening. Because the newspaper had not yet procured a radio transmitter, the broadcast was made using a transmitter located at the Georgia Railway and Power company, that it had been using for its own amateur station, 4FT. The newspaper announced that broadcasts from WGM were planned to be conducted nightly, from 7 to 7:30 and 9 to 9:30 o'clock. In addition, the paper predicted that "it is believed that in a very few months there will not be a southern community that will not be hanging on the radio telephone to a man, woman and child during the hours The Constitution is broadcasting".<ref>"Constitution's Radio Service Broadcasted For First Time Friday", ''Atlanta Constitution'', March 18, 1922, page 1.</ref>
Because WSB was also transmitting on 360 meters, the two newspapers had to establish a time sharing agreement allocating broadcast hours. Competition was so fierce between the two that WSB's manager, Lambdin "The Little Colonel" Kay, banned any person who had previously appeared on WGM from broadcasting over WSB.<ref name="rogers">[https://ift.tt/2tmYGvN "The Voice of the South"], ''Peachtree Parade'' by Ernest Rogers, pages 73-75.</ref>
WGM's use of the Georgia Railway and Power transmitter came to an end in late May, when the power company received its own broadcasting station authorization, as WDAW. The newspaper announced that WGM was suspending operations until a new transmitting facility could be constructed.<ref>"WDAW New Call Letters Given Power Company", ''Atlanta Constitution'', May 27, 1922, page 1.</ref> In early July WGM resumed operations from its "radio plant" atop the ''Constitution'' building.<ref>"Leide's Program Introduces WGM", ''Atlanta Constitution'', July 7, 1922, page 14.</ref> (During this pause WGM's license was temporarily deleted,<ref>[https://ift.tt/2li8sf3 "Alterations and Corrections: Commercial Land Stations"], ''Radio Service Bulletin'', June 1, 1922, page 8.</ref> then reinstated, with the same call letters and owner.)<ref>[https://ift.tt/2yob6cB "New Stations: Broadcasting Stations"] ''Radio Service Bulletin'', November 1, 1922, page 2.)</ref>
In September 1922 the Department of Commerce set aside a second entertainment wavelength, 400 meters (750 kHz) for "Class B" stations that had quality equipment and programming.<ref>[https://ift.tt/2lkBieZ "Amendments to Regulations: Regulation 57"], ''Radio Service Bulletin'', September 1, 1922, pages 10-11.</ref> Both WSB and WGM were assigned to this new wavelength, with WGM introducing the use of its new home-built 500-watt transmitter. In May 1923 additional "Class B" frequencies were made available, with Atlanta allocated 700 kHz,<ref>[https://ift.tt/2yob7NH "Radio Conference Recommendations: New Wave Lengths"], ''Radio Age'', May 1923, page 11. Beginning with these assignments radio stations ended the practice of broadcasting their market reports and weather forecasts on the separate 485 meter wavelength.</ref> and WSB and WGM were reassigned to this new shared frequency.<ref>[https://ift.tt/2yob7NH "Class B Calls and Waves"], ''Radio Age'', June 1923, page 12.</ref> That summer WGM's schedule was reported to be 7 to 8 p.m. and 10:30 to 12:30 p.m. Eastern Time daily except on Wednesdays, which was Atlanta's "silent night" when stations in the area remained off the air in order aid listeners attempting to pick up weak distant signals.<ref>"Distant Concerts", ''Fort Worth Star-Telegram'', August 12, 1923, Radio section, page 3.</ref>
Although WGM was a high-powered station providing extensive and varied programming, on July 22, 1923 a front page ''Constitution'' headline announced that the station would be shutting down at the end of the month, with the station's assets to be contributed to Georgia Tech, so that the college could establish its own station.<ref>"Donation by the Constitution Enables Tech to Institute Advanced Radio Instruction", ''Atlanta Constitution'', July 22, 1922, page 1.</ref> WGM made its final broadcast on the evening of July 29, 1923.<ref>"The Final WGM Concert to be Notable Broadcast", ''Atlanta Constitution'', July 29, 1923, page 5.</ref> The Commerce Department officially deleted the station's license effective August 28, 1923.<ref>[https://ift.tt/2li8sf3 "Strike out all particulars for the following named stations"], ''Radio Service Bulletin'', September 1, 1923, page 10.</ref>
Financed largely through the ''Constitution's'' donation, the new Georgia Tech station, WBBF (later WGST, now [[WGKA]])<ref name="first">[https://ift.tt/2llOdxa "New Stations: Broadcasting Stations"], ''Radio Service Bulletin'', February 1, 1924, page 3. Although much of the equipment used by WBBF had been inherited from WGM, the Department of Commerce treated WGM and WBBF as separate stations, and current Federal Communications Commission records list January 7, 1924 as WGKA's "first license date".</ref> began operating in early January 1924. During the station's debut broadcast on January 14, college president [[Marion L. Brittain|M. L. Brittain]]'s opening speech lauded "the generosity of Editor [[Clark Howell]] and The Constitution", with the newspaper reporting that Brittain also had "expressed the gratitude of the institution to The Constitution for presenting without cost to Tech the powerful broadcasting equipment".<ref name="sends">"Tech Sends First Message To Radio Fans of America" by Parks Rusk, ''Atlanta Constitution'', January 15, 1924, page 1.</ref>
==References==
[[Category:Radio stations in Georgia|GM]]
[[Category:1922 establishments in Georgia]]
[[Category:1923 disestablishments in Georgia]]
[[Category: Defunct radio stations in the United States]]
==History==
[[File:Atlanta Constitution Radio Department page (06AUG1922).jpg|thumb|250px|right|The ''Constitution's'' weekly "Radio Department" page provided extensive coverage of WGM activities (August 1922)<ref>"The Sunday Constitution's Radio Department", page 3 of the August 6, 1922 issue of the ''Atlanta Constitution''.</ref>]]
In early 1922 there was growing interest by the general public about the introduction of radio broadcasting. On December 1, 1921 the U.S. Department of Commerce, which regulated radio at this time, adopted a regulation formally establishing a broadcasting station category, which set aside the wavelength of 360 meters (833 kHz) for entertainment broadcasts, and 485 meters (619 kHz) for market and weather reports.<ref>[https://ift.tt/2tmJ37A "Alterations and Corrections: Miscellaneous"], ''Radio Service Bulletin'', January 3, 1922, page 10.</ref> By the end of the year there were over 500 authorized stations in the United States.
In many communities there was competition to be the first to start a station. In Atlanta both of the two major newspapers, the ''Journal'' and the ''Constitution'', began plans to establish stations.<ref>The ''Journal'' was an afternoon newspaper, while the ''Constitution'' published in the morning. The two papers came under common ownership in 1950, and were merged into the ''Journal-Constitution'' in 2001.</ref> The ''Journal'' would be first to get a station on the air, inaugurating [[WSB (AM)|WSB]] on March 15, 1922. Two days later, on March 17, the ''Constitution'' received its own telegraphed authorization for a broadcasting station, with the randomly assigned call letters '''WGM''', valid for transmitting on both wavelengths.<ref>[https://ift.tt/2lk07r9 "New Stations: Commercial Land Stations"], ''Radio Service Bulletin'', April 1, 1922, page 2.</ref> The paper's review of the potential benefits of the new service was enthusiatic: "Although radio news service is still in its infancy, there is every evidence that it is only a question of a very few months when it will be considered as an imperatively necessary source of information." and "It is not a fad. It is an industrial revolution."<ref>"Radio Telephone License Granted to Constitution", ''Atlanta Constitution'', March 17, 1922, pages 1-2.</ref>
WGM's debut broadcast began at 7:00 p.m. that evening. Because the newspaper had not yet procured a radio transmitter, the broadcast was made using a transmitter located at the Georgia Railway and Power company, that it had been using for its own amateur station, 4FT. The newspaper announced that broadcasts from WGM were planned to be conducted nightly, from 7 to 7:30 and 9 to 9:30 o'clock. In addition, the paper predicted that "it is believed that in a very few months there will not be a southern community that will not be hanging on the radio telephone to a man, woman and child during the hours The Constitution is broadcasting".<ref>"Constitution's Radio Service Broadcasted For First Time Friday", ''Atlanta Constitution'', March 18, 1922, page 1.</ref>
Because WSB was also transmitting on 360 meters, the two newspapers had to establish a time sharing agreement allocating broadcast hours. Competition was so fierce between the two that WSB's manager, Lambdin "The Little Colonel" Kay, banned any person who had previously appeared on WGM from broadcasting over WSB.<ref name="rogers">[https://ift.tt/2tmYGvN "The Voice of the South"], ''Peachtree Parade'' by Ernest Rogers, pages 73-75.</ref>
WGM's use of the Georgia Railway and Power transmitter came to an end in late May, when the power company received its own broadcasting station authorization, as WDAW. The newspaper announced that WGM was suspending operations until a new transmitting facility could be constructed.<ref>"WDAW New Call Letters Given Power Company", ''Atlanta Constitution'', May 27, 1922, page 1.</ref> In early July WGM resumed operations from its "radio plant" atop the ''Constitution'' building.<ref>"Leide's Program Introduces WGM", ''Atlanta Constitution'', July 7, 1922, page 14.</ref> (During this pause WGM's license was temporarily deleted,<ref>[https://ift.tt/2li8sf3 "Alterations and Corrections: Commercial Land Stations"], ''Radio Service Bulletin'', June 1, 1922, page 8.</ref> then reinstated, with the same call letters and owner.)<ref>[https://ift.tt/2yob6cB "New Stations: Broadcasting Stations"] ''Radio Service Bulletin'', November 1, 1922, page 2.)</ref>
In September 1922 the Department of Commerce set aside a second entertainment wavelength, 400 meters (750 kHz) for "Class B" stations that had quality equipment and programming.<ref>[https://ift.tt/2lkBieZ "Amendments to Regulations: Regulation 57"], ''Radio Service Bulletin'', September 1, 1922, pages 10-11.</ref> Both WSB and WGM were assigned to this new wavelength, with WGM introducing the use of its new home-built 500-watt transmitter. In May 1923 additional "Class B" frequencies were made available, with Atlanta allocated 700 kHz,<ref>[https://ift.tt/2yob7NH "Radio Conference Recommendations: New Wave Lengths"], ''Radio Age'', May 1923, page 11. Beginning with these assignments radio stations ended the practice of broadcasting their market reports and weather forecasts on the separate 485 meter wavelength.</ref> and WSB and WGM were reassigned to this new shared frequency.<ref>[https://ift.tt/2yob7NH "Class B Calls and Waves"], ''Radio Age'', June 1923, page 12.</ref> That summer WGM's schedule was reported to be 7 to 8 p.m. and 10:30 to 12:30 p.m. Eastern Time daily except on Wednesdays, which was Atlanta's "silent night" when stations in the area remained off the air in order aid listeners attempting to pick up weak distant signals.<ref>"Distant Concerts", ''Fort Worth Star-Telegram'', August 12, 1923, Radio section, page 3.</ref>
Although WGM was a high-powered station providing extensive and varied programming, on July 22, 1923 a front page ''Constitution'' headline announced that the station would be shutting down at the end of the month, with the station's assets to be contributed to Georgia Tech, so that the college could establish its own station.<ref>"Donation by the Constitution Enables Tech to Institute Advanced Radio Instruction", ''Atlanta Constitution'', July 22, 1922, page 1.</ref> WGM made its final broadcast on the evening of July 29, 1923.<ref>"The Final WGM Concert to be Notable Broadcast", ''Atlanta Constitution'', July 29, 1923, page 5.</ref> The Commerce Department officially deleted the station's license effective August 28, 1923.<ref>[https://ift.tt/2li8sf3 "Strike out all particulars for the following named stations"], ''Radio Service Bulletin'', September 1, 1923, page 10.</ref>
Financed largely through the ''Constitution's'' donation, the new Georgia Tech station, WBBF (later WGST, now [[WGKA]])<ref name="first">[https://ift.tt/2llOdxa "New Stations: Broadcasting Stations"], ''Radio Service Bulletin'', February 1, 1924, page 3. Although much of the equipment used by WBBF had been inherited from WGM, the Department of Commerce treated WGM and WBBF as separate stations, and current Federal Communications Commission records list January 7, 1924 as WGKA's "first license date".</ref> began operating in early January 1924. During the station's debut broadcast on January 14, college president [[Marion L. Brittain|M. L. Brittain]]'s opening speech lauded "the generosity of Editor [[Clark Howell]] and The Constitution", with the newspaper reporting that Brittain also had "expressed the gratitude of the institution to The Constitution for presenting without cost to Tech the powerful broadcasting equipment".<ref name="sends">"Tech Sends First Message To Radio Fans of America" by Parks Rusk, ''Atlanta Constitution'', January 15, 1924, page 1.</ref>
==References==
[[Category:Radio stations in Georgia|GM]]
[[Category:1922 establishments in Georgia]]
[[Category:1923 disestablishments in Georgia]]
[[Category: Defunct radio stations in the United States]]
June 20, 2018 at 01:45AM
