Radio Articles

When a group of local businessmen got together to build St. Louis’ “superstation” in 1925, their agreement included a chance for some corporate self-promotion.

That superstation went on the air December 24, 1925 with the call letters KMOX, but this wasn’t the set of call letters the organizers had wanted. Their group was called “The Voice of St. Louis, Incorporated,” so they sought KVSL. This request was turned down by the federal government. The group responded with a second request, this for KMO. The government had already assigned those letters to a West Coast maritime station. Finally, on the third attempt, the local group got what they sought, and KMOX was assigned to St. Louis in early December.

This group of men realized the promotional power of radio in that era. There were already several stations operating in St. Louis: KSD, KFUO, WEW, WSBF, WIL, KFQA, WMAY, KFVE and KFWF. Of these, WEW was owned by St. Louis University, KFWF by the St. Louis Truth Center, KFUO by the Lutheran Church, WMAY by the Kingshighway Presbyterian Church and KFQA by The Principia, all of which were non-profit institutions. Although some people felt the use of the public radio waves for advertising was not appropriate, many stations had been doing it since 1922 when WEAF in New York set the precedent.

So the new radio station, KMOX, would have the power to reach large audiences throughout the Midwest during the day and across the nation at night. While the investors were portrayed as civic-minded folks who wanted to put St. Louis on the map with the new station, a second motivation became obvious early in 1926. It was then that the regular program schedule of KMOX was announced.

Beginning January 4, entire program blocks were allocated to the companies that had invested in the Voice of St. Louis. The Merchants Exchange provided live reports throughout the broadcast day, with live coverage of the closing. The St. Louis Globe-Democrat provided news updates from the Associated Press. Brown Shoe Company had a program for children Monday and Friday nights at 7:00, featuring Buster Brown and his dog Tige. This was followed by F.C. Taylor Fur Company’s program of “interesting features.”

A Globe-Democrat article also told of an afternoon show “of particular interest to women” presented by the C.F. Blanke Tea and Coffee and Candy companies. “There will be short talks on problems peculiar to the housewife and the care of the household. These talks will be interspersed with musical numbers.”

Another investing corporation, Stark Brothers Nurseries and Orchards, tried to apply a weekly program revolving around a schoolhouse theme to their business. “The schoolmaster will discuss with his ‘class’ problems that relate to the planting of fruit trees, the planting of gardens, the care of the lawn and landscaping of yards and estates. Messages from Luther Burbank and other nationally known figures will be incorporated into the work of the ‘school.’ Many interesting romances of the fruit world will be discussed.”

The concept of sponsored hours proved successful. A year later, program listings indicated many of the same shows were still running. The early investors in KMOX really got their money’s worth, with their advertising messages broadcast to the masses.

(Reprinted with permission of the St. Louis Journalism Review. Originally published 12/00)

The following editorial appeared in the St. Louis Times October 28th [1929] and their praise of WIL efforts is appreciated:

“Children and the Radio

“Have you ever tuned in on the Saturday morning programs of Station WIL in which children of the St. Louis grade schools are the guest artists? The artistic ability of our youthful home talent will undoubtedly prove a revelation.

“The programs are conducted each Saturday morning beginning at 11:30, under the auspices of the St. Louis Police Department, and are possessed of value other than vehicles of entertainment. The plan originated several years ago with the unselfish enterprise and civic vision of Patrolman Richard L. Palmer who still acts as master of ceremonies. He voluntarily gave liberally of his time and effort to properly organize the school children for this purpose, and the results were so successful that Chief Gerk, quick to realize the full value of the undertaking, officially ordered the programs to be continued.

“Foremost among the benefits of this splendid activity are a truer and closer understanding and friendship between the school children and the members of the police force, with a resultant spirit of cooperation, and a marked increase in interest and improvement on the part of the grade school pupils in their musical and literary endeavor. Loyal, law-abiding, beneficial citizenship in the rising generation must inevitably spring from such effort.

“Enthusiastic commendation is due Chief Gerk, Patrolman Palmer. Station WIL and all others identified with the movement for the public service they are rendering and the results they are attaining.” 

(WIL Newsletter 11/15/1929)

KMOX, The Voice of St. Louis, Inc.
Members of: Columbia Broadcasting System and National Association of Broadcasters

One of the recognized leading broadcasting stations in the United States from the standpoint of power, programs, dependability, coverage and established good will, broadcast for the first time on Christmas Eve, 1925, and represents the vision and the cooperative effort of an imposing group of civic and industrial interests in the Middle west.

In order that transmission of the Voice of St. Louis might approach the maximum of efficiency without, however, effecting a monopoly of the air, in this vicinity, the giant 5,000 watt station is situated 14 miles from the heart of St. Louis.

The broadcasting is accomplished through remote control through studios located in the heart of the downtown district.

KMOX attracts letters in just about any number, letters reflecting a degree of loyalty and gratitude which is constantly a surprise to our unit holders.

The Station itself averages well over one thousand pieces of unsolicited mail per week, with a distribution as follows:
Central States  50%
Metropolitan Area 28%
East Coast  10%
Southern States  6%
West Coast   3%
Canadian Prov.  2%
Rocky Mt. Reg.  1%

The underwriters of KMOX receive their mail direct, bringing the total station mail up to easily 10,000 per week.

The underwriters of the Voice of St. Louis, fortunately, realized from the inception of the station, that their returns from radio would be dependent upon what they put into it. In usefulness, in friendliness, and in sincerity.

This attitude has resulted in a consistent policy of giving to the public the type of entertainment when, where and how they want it, carrying the best of music to thousands in cities, as well as in remote communities and creating real personality so that thousands feel that they know us intimately.

KMOX, because of station popularity and public service, has use of a clear wave channel, meaning more thorough coverage for the advertiser, as the only other stations using the same frequency at any time are of limited range and are located close to the Atlantic and Pacific seaboards.

The Voice of St. Louis claims a circulation and territory served of within 150 miles of St. Louis, in which area there are –
1,000,000 homes
4,818,654 people
1,180,000 radio listeners
381,810 telephones
738,400 passenger automobiles
$22,257,500,000.00 purchasing power

KMOX, “The Voice of St. Louis,” is underwritten as a Civic Enterprise by the following St. Louis business houses: Funston-Fouke Fur Company; St. Louis Globe-Democrat; Hamilton-Brown Shoe Company; International Heating Company; Kilgen Organ Company; Mayfair Hotel; St. Louis Merchants Exchange; Pevely Dairy Company; Pierce Petroleum Corporation; St. Louis Radio Trades Association; Skouras Bros. Enterprises; St. Louis Southwestern Railway; Stark Brothers Nurseries and Orchards, Co.; F.C. Taylor Fur Company; Wagner Electric Corporation.

(Beginning November 11, 1928, KMOX will greet you regularly, without interruption in its service, about five points lower on your dial. The new order by the Federal Radio Commission assigns 1090 kilocycles, or 275.1 meters exclusively to KMOX, with the same 5000 watts power.)

She was known as Susie, The Gal from the Hills, but the simplicity of the name was misleading. This was a woman who knew music!

Born in 1919 and named Mary Louise Wesnitzer, the Casey, Ill., native was playing classical piano by age 9. Three years later, she developed a fondness for what she called “simple home folk songs,” and that was the basis for her long career as a radio performer.

In 1937, fresh from graduation at East St. Louis High School, she began hosting a regular program over WTMV called “Can You Stump Susie?” The premise was that this teenage girl knew over 5,000 songs, so it was unlikely her listeners could come up with one she didn’t know. A gifted musician on piano, harmonica, mandolin, Gibson guitar, banjo and bass, Susie kept the listeners of WTMV entertained for six years.

Those years at WTMV had sown the seeds for Susie’s national prominence. She was named the National Hillbilly Association’s female champion vocalist in 1938. A year later she was asked to be a part of the Hillbilly Stars’ Championship Jamboree. She’d formed a band, The Sons of the Ozarks, in 1939. It consisted of five men and Susie, but World War II forced a breakup when most of the men were called to the service.

Susie moved her radio show across the river in 1942, appearing on WEW. By 1943, she was a regular on KWK’s Shady Valley Gang program, which also meant national exposure over the Mutual Network. An unexplained wanderlust took hold in 1944 when she left the St. Louis area for a radio job in Baton Rouge, but she returned to the Shady Valley gig by the fall of 1945.

That affiliation was officially terminated by the end of the year. By this time she had written over 30 songs. This was an era when songwriting could lead to a substantial income stream, with writers getting fees from sheet music publishers as well as record sales. It appears she also did a lot of club appearances while actively seeking another job on the radio.

That job came at WTMV in 1948, where Susie landed a Sunday afternoon request show. That exposure led to a job offer from WIL in 1949, which was apparently patterned after the WTMV program.

It was at WTMV that Susie displayed a sort of copycat creativity in which she took a cue from Les Paul (a former St. Louis radio personality on KMOX.)

As described by writer Chuck Acree: “Suzie (sic), the ‘Girl (sic) of the Hills’ on station WTMV in East St. Louis, has added to her program the trick of singing a duet with herself. The trick is accomplished by means of a recording. Suzie sings the melody of a song and it is recorded. Then the recording is played on the air and Suzie sings harmony.

“Suzie planned on building herself up to a quartet by this method but the station management squelched the idea on the basis that she might demand a quartette’s pay.”

Even before St. Louis had radio stations, it had radio broadcasts.

A group of enthusiasts calling itself the St. Louis Radio Association would get together to share information about building transmitters and receiving sets. By 1922, they had gone beyond technical talk and had begun producing programs as well. But the problem of how to let other interested people know about their broadcasts loomed.

This was a time when many people were building crystal sets in an effort to be a part of the very small audience that was hearing a very limited number of radio broadcasts. A couple stations had been licensed in the country, but there were several others broadcasting without a government license.

Word of the St. Louis broadcasts was spread by the St. Louis Star, which claimed to be working with the local association to further “the development of the wireless telephone in this district. Of the 1,200 owners of wireless receiving sets in St. Louis and the adjacent territory, more than 350 belong to the association, which has been a pioneer in the field.”

The Star, in a bit of shameless self-promotion, referenced the working relationship with the association as “one of the most important steps forward in the history of newspapers and wireless telephony in this section of the United States.”

Robert Coe, who was selling radio reception equipment at the time, mentioned in his memoirs that he would often arrange in advance for an amateur broadcast to be held at a specific time so he could conduct a successful reception demonstration. At times, his arrangements involved a small monetary payment to the broadcasters of $5.00.

What made these few early local broadcasts even more interesting is the fact that some were concerts produced in private homes and sent out over transmitting equipment housed within the homes. For example, on Feb. 16, 1922, the broadcast originated from 3148 Halliday, the home of Dr. Charles Klenk. He and his son Carl had built a transmitter capable of being heard 1,000 miles away under favorable nighttime conditions.

The amateur station, designated 9AAU, had received confirmed reception correspondence from Denver, New Orleans, Buffalo and Savannah. The good doctor and his son produced a musical program for broadcast that would rival many later network efforts. Acts included the Vessellas Italian Band, Rega Dance Orchestra, Hawaiian Guitars, soloists Fredric Persson, Mario Chamlee, John McCormack, B. Hubermann and Paul Frankel and the Esplanade Hotel Orchestra. While there is no knowledge of how this could have been done, it does appear that many musical performances were “live” rather than simply playing records.

Dr. Klenk, a medical pathologist, was the president of the radio association. In an earlier broadcast from a member’s home in Webster Groves, Klenk had been a featured speaker, along with author Harlan Eugene Read. Entertainment that evening included Max Steindel, a cellist with the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, along with an act that was currently performing at the Orpheum Theater.

The Klenk broadcast was heard throughout the metro area, with phone calls coming in from listeners who had requests for specific songs to be played. A subsequent report in the Star indicated Dr. Klenk had burned out “two vacuum tubes and had to work with three tubes. However, this did not interfere with the transmission.”

A week later the broadcast came from the Benwood Company at 1110 Olive downtown, which had constructed its own broadcast studio. That studio had made its first local broadcast two weeks before. Company owners Lester Arthur “Eddie” Benson and William Wood were actively involved in building radio transmitters. Less than a month later KSD was conducting experimental broadcasts from studios a half-block away from the Benwood Company, using a transmitter the two men built.

Nearly 7200 letters and post cards have been received by Charley Stookey, announcer and advisor on the Early Morning Farm Folks Hour, since the program went on the air on October 3rd.

Replies have come from all but six states of the United States, Canada, Mexico, Alaska, Panama and New Zealand, and the program establishes a record not only with volume of mail but listener coverage. Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Nevada, Arizona and Utah are the only states who have not either sent in a reply or some gift characteristic of their sections of the country.

Illinois leads all the states with 1010 replies, Texas is second with 410 and Missouri third with 386. More than 100 letters have come from Canadian listeners.

This early program heard from 5:30 to 7 a.m. each morning features Wyoming Jack, the lovable cowboy; Len Johnson and his Ozark Mountaineers; Sunny Joe and his banjo; Sad Sam and his accordion and Ken Wright at the organ. Scarcely a day goes by without a gift of some sort coming to the group in the form of food for immediate consumption or some oddity of the section from which it comes. A curious counter has been set up outside the KMOX studios where the presents are displayed. They include everything from bottles of water and sand from the Gulf of Mexico to cocoanuts and fruit from Florida.

A sample letter:

Deering, Alaska

Dear Mr. Stookey:

Just a note to say your program is coming in fine. It’s just 5:45 a.m. your time and 1:30 a.m. by ours.

Please have “Jack” sing “Strawberry Roon” over again sometime if this letter reaches you, as he sure comes in clear.
I am at a trading post just south of the Arctic Circle, and the store is full, all sitting around taking in every word you send out.
Your weather report stated 38 above, light snow for St. Louis. Ours is clear with 20 degrees below zero.

Warren Ferguson

(Originally published in Radio and Entertainment 1/21/1933).