KWSU Radio Station Records, 1916-1977

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Washington State University Libraries Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections Pullman, WA 99164-5610 USA (509) 335-6691 Inquiries

Archives 56
KWSU Radio Station
Records, 1916-1977

The records of KWSU Radio Station were transferred to the University Archives, Washington State University Libraries, in April 1979 (UA 79-12) in accordance with the approved records schedule. Previously accessioned material concerning KWSU Radio Station has also been incorporated. The records were processed in August 1980 by Linda Scott Lilles.

Number of Containers: 25
Linear Feet of Shelf Space: 15
Approx. Number of Items: 19,420

ORGANIZATIONAL HISTORY

KWSU Radio (originally known as KFAE) is one of the oldest and largest university-owned radio stations in the United States. It began broadcasting from the Mechanic Arts Building on the WSU campus on December 10, 1922. The initial funds for the station came from equal donations by the Agricultural Extension Service, the Associated Students of Washington State University, and the Pullman Chamber of Commerce. The three men most responsible for creating the station were: H. V. Carpenter, Dean of the College of Engineering; Frank F. Nalder, Director of General Extension Service; and Homer Dana, Professor of Electrical Engineering. The goals for the station as outlined by Dr. Nalder have not changed since they were formulated in 1922: to provide an information and cultural service to a wide area of population, to draw on the expertise of the faculty and present their findings, to provide a vehicle for further research in broadcasting and to train young people in the use, operation, and "human service" of radio.

In the early years KWSU Radio shared the same frequency with KTW, a station owned by the First Presbyterian Church of Seattle. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regulated the use of the common frequency with a "Time Sharing Agreement" in 1931. KTW Radio was given exclusive use of the frequency at limited times--Sundays, Thursday evenings, and holidays. Problems arose with this arrangement in 1956 when KTW began to expand its broadcasting time. KTW petitioned the FCC for permission to operate simultaneously with KWSU; KWSU countered by filing for unlimited use of the frequency. The FCC held hearings in 1960 in an attempt to solve the problem. After investigating the situation the FCC awarded KWSU the right to broadcast from 6:30 a.m. to 11:15 p.m. each day; KTW, designated a "daytime" station, was allowed to broadcast during daylight hours and also from 11:15 p.m. to 6:30 a.m.

The station has grown tremendously both in its physical facilities, broadcasting time, and programming capabilities. It has expanded from its first location in the College of Mechanic Arts and Engineering to a home in the Edward R. Murrow Communications Center, which was completed in 1976. The Center also houses KWSU-TV and classrooms and offices for the Department of Communications. The first course of instruction in radio was offered at Washington State University in 1929. Courses in broadcasting are offered as one of six possible majors in the Department of Communications. Originally scheduled for only four and one-half hours of air time per week in 1922 at 250 watts of power, KWSU now broadcasts with 5000 watts for over 120 hours per week. It was affiliated with National Educational Radio (NER), a precursor of National Public Radio. KWSU Radio News uses the services of Associated Press, United Press International wire services and audio, and National Public Radio.

Burt Harrison, manager of KWSU Radio from 1959 to 1976, was very active in the movement to establish what became the Public Broadcasting Act. He helped lay the legislative and financial groundwork for a network of national public radio stations. In 1970 KWSU Radio was designated as one of the 92 "qualified National Public Radio" stations. KWSU Radio broadcasts programs from the National Public Radio network and also produces programs for the network's national distribution.

Directors and managers of KWSU Radio:
H. V. Carpenter 1922-1937
Kenneth E. Yeend 1938-1942
Glenn Jones 1943-1945
Frederic Hayward 1946-1947
Allen Miller 1948-1958
Burt Harrison 1959-1976

ARRANGEMENT AND DESCRIPTION

The records of KWSU Radio Station consist of approximately 19,420 item of correspondence, program scripts, and program and transmitter logs. The logs comprise almost half of the collection. The material is arranged in three series. The first series, correspondence, is divided into three subseries: Federal Communications Commission, KTW Radio Station, and KWSU Radio Station. All three sub-series are arranged alphabetically by topic. The Federal Communications Commission sub-series dates from 1916 to 1974 with the bulk of the material from 1930 to 1960. The material includes station license and application form, construction permits, financial reports, engineering exhibits and plans. The second sub-series, KTE Radio Station, dates from 1937 to 1972 with the bulk covering the period 1958 through 1967. This subseries is comprised of station and license applications, Time Sharing Agreements with KWSU, engineering exhibits, and legal correspondence between KWSU and Leonard Marks, attorney for KWSU, in the KTW-KWSU hearing before the Federal Communications Commission from 1960 to 1961. The third sub-series, KWSU Radio Station, includes correspondence to and from listeners, graduates, ex-students, and Mary Avery, Washington State University Library Archivists, concerning her program "Washington Archives," and the textbook she wrote on Washington State history. Other material consists of remodeling plans and blueprints of the radio station, brochures describing the station and its history and service, speeches written by Burt Harrison, Station Manager for seventeen years, press releases, program information and announcements. This sub-series covers the period from 1922 to 1977 with the bulk dating from 1966 to 1976. The second series, Program, consists mainly of program scripts, dating from 1928 to 1976, with the majority of the material from the mid-1950's to the mid-1960's. The series is arranged alphabetically by title of program or topic. The largest collection of scripts is Burt Harrison's commentaries, "Behind the Mike," dating from 1964 to 1976. The programs include agricultural extension broadcasts, musical and literary programs, dramatic productions, and school broadcasts. Most of these programs were locally produced. There is some correspondence concerning the "High School Interviews" and "News" in the Palouse area programs from 1936 to 1938.

The final series, the Log series, is divided into four sub-series: Program Log Books, Program Log Sheets, Transmitter Log Books, and Transmitter Log Sheets. They are arranged chronologically with the earliest logs placed at the beginning of the sub-series. The Program Log Books sub-series dates from 1922 to 1936 and consist of three books; two books covering the period from 1922 to 1925 and the third book covering the period of 1936. During the years 1922 to 1925, KWSU was known as Radio Station KFAE. The second sub-series, Program Log Sheets, cover the years from 1949 to 1973 inclusively except for the years 1961 and 1967. The third sub-series, Transmitter Log Books, dates from 1923 to 1934 with the exception of the years 1932-1933. The final subseries, Transmitter Log Sheets, dates from 1954 to 1960 inclusively. The program logs are a daily inventory of programs broadcast from sign-on to sign-off while the transmitter logs are records kept by station engineers concerning checks on equipment and radio emergency broadcast tests.

SERIES LIST

                                                                      CONTAINERS

Series 1: Correspondence:
  Subseries 1.1: Federal Communications Commission, 1916-1974            1
  Subseries 1.2: KTW Radio Station, 1937-1972                            1-2
  Subseries 1.3: KWSU Radio Station, 1922-1977                           2
Series 2: Programs, 1928-1976                                            2-5
Series 3: Logs:
  Subseries 3.1: Program Log Books, 1922-1936                            6
  Subseries 3.2: Program Log Sheets, 1949-1973                           6-21
  Subseries 3.3: Transmitter Log Books, 1923-1934                        21
  Subseries 3.4: Transmitter Log Sheets, 1954-1960                       22-26

CONTAINER LIST

Box	Folder	Description	# of Items

Series 1: Correspondence, 1916-1976
Subseries 1.1: Federal Communications Commission, 1916-1974

		Application
	1	Full Time, 1956, 1958	12
	2	On 1230--kf 10, 1942-1948	88
	3	On 1030 kc--1943, 1942-1964	3
	4	Proposed on 1030 kc, Report by Raymond Wilmotte, 1944	1
	5	Proposed on 1110 kc 1947, 1947-1949	11
	6	Auxiliary Transmitter, 1954-1962	19
	7	Basic Emergency Broadcast System Plan, 1966-1969	9
	8	Construction Permit, 1927-1959	12
	9	Dickson, Pollard--Complaint, 1969-1970	33
	10	Financial Report, Annual, 1938-1949	12
	11	Form Back-Dated, 1938-1943	5
	12	General Correspondence, 1931-1962	183
		License
	13	Application Form, 1916-1950	72
	14	Renewal (1957), 1956	8
	15	Renewal Worksheets, 1952-1953	2
	16	Station, 1916-1960	35
	17	Rules and Regulations, 1974	2
	18	Section 3.182 Change Comments, 1957	2

Subseries 1.2: KTW--Radio Station, 1937-1972

		Application(s)
	19	5 W, 1958	3
	20	License Renewal--1959, 1958-1959	5
	21	Station, 1948-1956	2
	22	General Correspondence, 1959-1967	59
		KTW--KWSU Hearing (1956-1960)
	23	Engineering Exhibits, 1958-1972	10
	24	FCC Documents, 1957-1967	45
	25	General Correspondence, 1937-1967	87
	26	Hearing Exhibits, 1960-1961	15
	27	KTW Exhibits as Revised on August 22, 1960, 1960-1961	3
	28	Marks, Leonard, 1956-1962	54
	29	KTW-KWSU Time Sharing Agreement, 1939-1965	37

Subseries 1.3: KWSU--Radio Station, 1922-1977

	30	Alpha Epsilon Rho, 1961	1
	31	Alterations, 1948-1961	39
	32	Announcements, n.d.-1948	3
		Avery, Mary
2	33	Radio Fan Mail, 1962-1968	54
	34	Radio Permissions, 1966-1968	53
	35	Text Permissions, 1955-1966	102
	36	Brochures, 1947-1973	5
	37	Budget, 1933	1
	38	Certificates of Appreciation, 1969-1971	5
	39	Engineering, 1923	1
	40	Graduates and Ex-Students, 1971-1976	91
	41	Harrison, Burt, 1968-1976	33
	42	Hoover, Hubert, 1925	2
	43	Miller, Allen, 1968	1
	44	National Broadcasting Company, 1949-1955	15
	45	Old Fiddlers' Contest, 1935	2
	46	Press News, ca. 1930-1940	10
	47	Program, 1922-1977	31
	48	Station, 1926-1953	25
	49	Statistics, 1928-1949	6
	50	Survey, Diary by Mark Munn, 1956-1958	14
	51-54	Traffic, 1966-1976	377

Series 2: Programs, 1928-1976

3	55	Adventures in Melody, 1959-1963	51
	56	Agricultural Extension Radio Broadcasts, 1928-1940	68
	57	Ask the Professor, 1940	2
	58	At the Console, 1959-1960	51
	59-66	Behind the Mike, 1964-1967, 1969-1976	436
	67	Bryan, E.A., Address on "Peace and War" No. II, 1930	1
	68	Cavalcade of Music, 1957-1958	41
	69	Eastern Washington Library Program, 1938	7
	70	Farm and Home Program, 1936-1946	5
	71-72	Farm Flashes, 1932	97
	73	Farm Program, 1950-1951	4
	74	4-H Broadcasts, 1929-1930	17
	75	Fourth Row Center, 1952-1967	25
		Fred Waring
	76	Half Hours, 1958-1962	21
	77	Saturday, 1956-1962	65
4	78-80	The Globe Turns, 1937-1939	86
		Here is Music
	81	General, 1959-1965	159
	82	Special Occasions, 1959-1965	14
		High School
	83	Interviews, 1936-1938	10
	84	News, 1936-1938	87
	85	Show/Parade, 1937-1938	30
	86	Highlights in American News, 1937-1938	20
	87	Little Joe the Green Hand, 1940-1942	41
	88	Make Mine Music, 1957-1959	12
	89	Music by Mantovani, 1959-1963	57
	90	Music by Melachrino, 1957-1959	46
	91	Music Scripts--Christmas, 1959-1964	16
	92	The Northwest Newsreel, 1938	12
	93	Our Radio Community, 1938-1939	15
	94	Pressing Agricultural Issues, 1933	9
	95-96	Production Scripts, ca. 1953	30
	97	Production Spot Announcements, 1953	4
	98	Prologue to the 60's, n.d.	1
	99	The School Hour, 1937-1939	33
	100	School of the Air, 1939-1942	9
	101	Scripts, Various, 1928-1940	31
5	102	Shakespeare Scripts Aired 1969, 1966-1969	19
	103-104	Soil Conservation Services, 1938-1940	77
	105	Song of America, 1969	1
	106	Sound Track, 1959-1962	65
	107	Thirty Minute Theatre, 1957-1958	9
	108	Trailing News Around the World, 1938-1939	39
	109	Twilight Serenade, 1958-1966	23
	110	Dialectics, (Vol. 1, No. 2), April 1938	3
	111	The Projector, (Vol. 1, No. 1), January 1938	3

Series 3: Logs, 1922-1973
Subseries 3.1: Program Log Books, 1922-1936

6		Station KFAE Log Book, 1922-1924	1
		Station KFAE Log Book, 1924-1925	1
		KWSU Log Book, 1936	1

Subseries 3.2: Program Log Sheets, 1949-1973

7		1949	710
8		1950	710
9		January 1, 1931 - September 30, 1951	526
10		October 1, 1951--September 30, 1952	710
11		October 1, 1952--October 31, 1953	770
12		November 2, 1953--December 31, 1954	768
13		1955	710
14		1956	710
15		1957	710
16		1958	710
17		1959	710
18		1960	710
19		January 1, 1968--September 30, 1971	2270
20		October 1, 1971--December 31, 1973	2470

Subseries 3.3: Transmitter Log Books, 1923-1934

21		March 26, 1923--December 23, 1930
		December 29, 1930--December 31, 1931
		January 6, 1934--December 21, 1934

Subseries 3.4: Transmitter Log Sheets, 1954-1960

22		1954	350
23		1955-1956	700
24		January 1, 1957--June 30, 1959	875
25		July 1, 1959--December 31, 1960	525