What, Exactly, Was First About KDKA?

 

Two of our experts take on the question as we approach the centennial

BY PAUL MCLANE 

PUBLISHED: SEPTEMBER 22, 2020

What, exactly, was “first” about KDKA’s broadcast on Nov. 2, 1920?

As history articles in Radio World demonstrate, there really was no single “first day” of “radio.” Various dates and organizations could lay claim to some or all of the honor depending on how one defines it. 

Radio history fans are well aware of this, but many others are not.

In celebrating the upcoming KDKA anniversary, most people are likely to say something like “Radio started in November 1920.” I wasn’t happy with this simplification, so I turned to two of RW’s favorite radio history writers, John Schneider and James O’Neal.

Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/y69dh8b8

The history of KDKA at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KDKA_(AM)

You Tube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q7jmrnKY-7k

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ElfrE1d3QeY

Radio Bloopers UK available on You Tube

The 2009 Radio Bloopers UK has been posted to YouTube http://www.youtube.com/ . This edition's main theme is "It's important to teach your staff how to operate the equipment" and "Be aware of what you are reading before you say it out loud". This is the third annual collection, occasional bad language on all of the compilations which can be found by putting radiobloopersuk in the YouTube search engine.

There's also a website that regularly posts audio of various UK radio bloopers, that is frequently updated. The site is Radiofail: http://radiofail.wordpress.com/
(worldxclub/Contact Magazine via Alan Roe)

BBC Worldwide launches new channels on You Tube

BBC Worldwide and YouTube have announced the renewal of their global partnership for BBC Worldwide YouTube channels and short-form videos. The extension ensures that the BBC’s most watched programming will remain available to YouTube’s massive online audience.

In addition, BBC Worldwide has launched its new YouTube channel Explore with BBC Worldwide
http://www.youtube.com/user/ BBCExplore with clips making their YouTube premiere from renowned BBC factual shows including ‘Amazon with Bruce Parry’ and the Louis Theroux series such as ‘Gambling in Las Vegas’. Other new clips include ‘The Race for Everest’ and ‘Extreme Dinosaurs’. The channel joins recently launched Food from BBC Worldwide http://www.youtube.com/bbcfood with clips from classic cookery programs.

In the coming weeks, BBC Worldwide will unveil dedicated channels for comedy and natural history clips and a US only channel
(R Netherlands Media Network Weblog)

Breaking News: National Radio destroyed in Chad

Published: February 03, 2008 10:41 AM
NDJAMENA (AFP)--The main market in Ndjamena and the national radio station were destroyed Sunday by fires and looting, witnesses told AFP, as fighting raged between rebels and government forces in Chad's capital. One witness said: "The public market was partly set on fire in the morning after a helicopter (belonging to government forces) fired a rocket at rebels."
Additional coverage at Smart Money:

http://www.smartmoney.com/news/on/index.cfm?story=ON-20080203-000172-1041

NDJAMENA (AFP) - Fierce fighting with tanks and helicopter strikes rocked the Chad capital for a second day Sunday as rebels surrounded President Idriss Deby in his palace and hundreds of foreigners fled the country.

With international aid organisations reporting bodies in the streets and hundreds of people wounded, anti-tank and automatic weapons fire was heard around the presidential palace, where Deby has been holed up since Friday.
Extended coverage via AFP:
http://www.afp.com/english/news/stories/080203155352.93iwfts4.html

Chad state radio put out of action by looters

Chad state radio went off the air on Saturday as rebels advanced into the capital, opposition leader Ibni Oumar Mahamat Saleh said. He made the claims in a telephone call from the central African nation’s embattled capital, N’Djamena. Saleh said rebels had entered the city and shooting that had erupted in the morning appeared to have died down. He said there were no soldiers in his neighbourhood and the state broadcaster had gone off the air in the morning.
(Source: Press Association)

Update 1645 UTC Sunday 3 February: More fighting is reported in N’Djamena. AFP reported this morning that government helicopters had attacked a column of rebels in the south of the city heading towards the main radio station. No broadcasts were monitored yesterday evening on 4905 kHz, which had been putting strong signals into Europe in recent days (see attached comment from Dr Derek Lynch).
On Sunday afternoon, the AFP news agency reported that the radio station had been “destroyed today by fires and looting.” Witnesses said the radio station had been pillaged by a mob that smashed broadcasting equipment and made off with computers. That suggests it was put out of action rather than totally destroyed.

(Source: R Netherlands Media Network Weblog)

You Tube Videos of fighting in Chad

In the absence of TV reports from Chad, I came across some videos posted on YouTube by members of Stop Genocide Now, who were at a hotel in N’Djamena, Chad, as the rebel forces entered the city. The group have now been evacuated. These are very high quality videos.

Fightiing in N'Djamena Part 1:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-591773356432160371&q=fight+hotel&total=1608&start=0&num=100&so=1&type=search&plindex=11

Part 2:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6406575157381111031&q=fight+hotel&total=1608&start=0&num=100&so=1&type=search&plindex=13

Part 3:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mj2N5L5zf3U

(Source: You Tube/R Netherlands Media Network Weblog)