Wwj 950 radio

WWJ. He soon became one of the country’s foremost early sportscasters, and called both the 1935 and ’36 World Series games for NBC.In 1923, WWJ moved to 517 meters (580 kHz), sharing the frequency with the new Detroit Free Press station WCX (now WJR), and then in 1925 it moved to 850 kHz, operating full-time with a new 1 kW transmitter. After the company’s new parking garage was completed across 3rd Avenue in 1926, the transmitter moved into the garage building, and two new towers suspended the antenna 265 feet above street level between the garage and the paper warehouse.(WWJ was shifted to 920 kHz in 1928, and then to its current 950 kHz frequency in the NARBA Treaty realignment of 1941.)Showcase StationAs radio entered its “golden age” in the 1930s, backed by the ample resources of the Scripps-Howard newspaper chain, no expense was spared to make WWJ a first-class station.When the NBC Red Network was organized in 1926, WWJ became its Detroit affiliate. In 1936, a new showplace five-story studio building was built for a cost of $1 million, and an opulent 5 kW transmitter building and new tall tower were inaugurated. Both structures were designed by the famed Detroit architect Albert Kahn.A new studio building, designed by Detroit architect Albert Kahn and built at a cost of $1 million, opened in 1936. It was across Lafayette Boulevard from the Detroit News buildings. An underground tunnel connected the structures. Author’s collectionIn 1936 WWJ raised power to 5,000 watts and moved from the News building to this new transmitter building and tower on Eight Mile Road. Like the studio building opened that same year, the transmitter building was designed by Albert Kahn. Its granite block façade was highlighted by leaded glass windows towering above the doors.Author’s collectionFrequent remote broadcasts originated from a fleet of remote trucks and the Detroit News aircraft. “Radio Jake,” the WWJ Interference Engineer, prowled the city in his own vehicle, solving interference complaints for citizens as a free public service.The Detroit News had operated WWJ entirely as a goodwill service to the public. By 1928, it had reportedly invested $466,000 in the station, despite earning not a penny in return.There was no way knowing if WWJ benefited the company through increased newspaper sales. This was the conundrum of radio in the late 1920s — it was now an essential public service, but had no clear source of revenue. It was not until advertising was permitted in the early 1930’s that radio became a profitable medium.Aerial view of the WWJ towers on the roof of the Detroit News building, 1937. The Detroit River and Ambassador Bridge are in the background. By this date, the main transmitter was located on Eight Mile Road and these towers were used for backup. They were dismantled in 1943, their steel donated to the war effort. Author’s collection.WWJ was continually at the forefront experimenting with new broadcast technologies. In 1938, it transmitted a radio newspaper during overnight hours to facsimile printers in

Published September 23, 2022 10:43pm EDT CHESTERFIELD TWP., Mich. (FOX 2) - WWJ 950 journalist Jim Matthews was killed and his girlfriend and their two kids hurt in what police are calling a murder and attempted suicide that happened midday Friday. Police say they were called to the home on Bayview Drive off Hooker Road around noon after the attack took place. Officers say Matthews’ girlfriend, a 35-year-old woman, escaped the horrifying scene with their 5-year-old daughter. Investigators say the woman had been stabbed multiple times. The little girl was also hurt, and their 10-year-old boy was found tied up on a closed with head trauma. The woman and boy are in critical condition and the girl was hospitalized in stable condition Friday evening. Authorities say they found the 54-year-old male suspect in the basement, overdosing and suffering from self-inflicted wounds. Investigators say a gun was not involved. Police tell Fox 2 the woman flagged down a passing driver who called 911. The suspect was an invited guest into the home, according to sources, and according to the Macomb County prosecutor was overdosing on heroin when police found him. He was brought back with Narcan and is hospitalized in stable condition. The news hitting close to home for WWJ NewsRadio 950 anchor Jackie Paige and her colleagues while live on air… "We are updating our top story this afternoon. It’s very difficult to report. Our overnight news anchor Jim Matthews was killed this afternoon in Chesterfield Township." FOX 2’s Charlie Langton also reports for WWJ NewsRadio and knew Jim Matthews well. "Something like this I never would have expected it in a million years," Langton said. "When he was off at 5 a.m. I was just coming in at 5 a.m., so I would see him. He always had a nice word, always had something good to say. He was just a great guy." Related: Chesterfield murder victim ID'd as WWJ News anchor Jim Matthews Neighbors of Matthews were also shocked. "I think it’s crazy. I can’t make sense of it," said Thomas Teague. "I just got a ton of phone calls of them telling me what happened and she was laying outside bound and gagged." His colleagues fought through their emotions as they remembered Matthews on air. " He would often talk to co-workers about his children and their adventures at school," Paige said during an on-air tribute. "He was a consumate professional and was dedicated to WWJ and the broadcasting industry. He loved delivering the latest news to his listeners every night. "There have been many tears shed in our newsroom this afternoon. Our thoughts and our prayers go out Jim's family." Crime and Public SafetyMacomb County

Local residences. In 1936, it inaugurated an experimental “Apex” high-fidelity AM station, W8XWJ, broadcasting on 41,000 kHz from the top of the Penobscot Building skyscraper.In 1940, this was converted to W45D, one of the nation’s first FM stations (now WXYT-FM). And in 1947, WWJ-TV took to the airwaves (now WDIV).The WWJ transmitter room in 1963. Transmitter engineer Ed Boyes is at the control desk. Author’s collectionThe 65-year relationship between WWJ and the Detroit News ended in 1985, when The Gannett Company bought the newspaper and spun off WWJ/WJOI to a group of local businessmen. Then in 1989, they were purchased by CBS Radio, who invested in a major power increase to 50 kW in 2000.In 2017, CBS Radio merged with Entercom, today’s owner of WWJ, which coincidentally also owns pioneer stations KDKA and KNX. The original WWJ de Forest transmitter was donated to the Detroit History Museum in 1959, where it can be seen on display today.For more of John Schneider’s history articles, including other centennial stations that were heard prior to the famous KDKA broadcast of 1920, visit www.radioworld.com/author/johnschneider.

Fred Lathrop is at the controls of WWJ in 1922. The Western Electric 1-A 500-watt transmitter is rear left, with its electrical control panel at right. The desk contains only a microphone, audio amplifier, radio receiver and a wavemeter (frequency monitor). A room behind the transmitter contains a motor-generator set and banks of storage batteries, which supply DC power to the transmitter; power rectifier tubes had not been invented. Credit: Author’s collectionScripps now poured considerable resources in his radio operation. A new WWJ studio/office suite was built on the fourth floor of the building. A 290-foot antenna was stretched between the News building and the Fort Shelby Hotel in 1921, and a 500-watt Western Electric transmitter was installed in 1922, only the second factory-made broadcast transmitter in the country.With these improvements, WWJ was now being heard across the country at night. By summer, there was a full-time staff of nine. Live broadcasts of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra began in February, and in May a new 16-piece WWJ Orchestra was organized, consisting mostly of symphony musicians. Regular church services were broadcast on Sundays.The WWJ operating staff in 1922. Back row, from left: unknown; Walter Hoffman, engineer; Genevieve Champagne, secretary; Keith Bernard; Elton Plant, announcer. Front: Charles Kelly, station manager; Howard Campbell, engineer; Bill Holliday, program manager; G. Marshall Witchell, reporter. Four more engineers are not shown. Author’s collectionStar performers appeared on the station, including Fanny Brice and Fred Waring and his Pennsylvanians. Nightly news reports with running commentary were delivered by Albert Weeks, billed as “The Town Crier.” Children’s bedtime stories were being read nightly.As local live talent was hired to broadcast on WWJ, some refused to believe there was really an invisible audience hearing their performances. They were accustomed to the immediate feedback of a live audience, but the microphone offered only silence.When future radio comedian Will Rogers made his first ever radio broadcast over WWJ in October, 1922, he didn’t believe that people were really listening: “I don’t think you can hear me,” he announced. “If this isn’t the bunk, let me know if you can hear me.”To his great surprise, he received letters and postcards from all over the Midwest. Even Henry Ford had heard him, using a receiving set he had built himself.Live remote play-by-play broadcasts on WWJ began in October, 1924, when Chief Announcer Edwin “Ty” Tyson called a University of Michigan football game from the stadium. The university allowed just this one broadcast because the stadium was already sold out, but when they were flooded with ticket requests for the next game they agreed to allow regular broadcasts.Renowned sports announcer Ty Tyson joined WWJ as an announcer in 1922 and broadcast a variety of events before being recognized for his sportcaster abilities. He broadcast Tigers games on radio from 1927 to 1942, then on television from 1947–51, and then returned to radio. Tyson retired in 1953 and died in 1968. Credit: Author’s collectionIn 1927, Tyson broadcast the entire season of Detroit Tigers home games over