WFDF 910 Is 98 Today! WJR Was 98 May 3.

[CK-722]

WWJ will soon be 100, this year or next, depending on which criterion you use. But many other stations count their experimental licenses as part of their History. WKAR turns 98 later this year, by the station license criterion. WWJ (8MK), WFDF (8ZH), and WKAR all had experimental licenses first.

[MWmetalhead]

I believe WWJ turns 100 this year. They've been running vignettes periodically to celebrate that accomplishment.

[CK-722]

I go by The FCC History Card for WWJ. I'll attempt to link it. It takes a while to download.

http://licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/prod/c ... r_id=68876

Here's a list of the 100 Oldest Stations in the US.

https://www.oldradio.com/archives/gener ... ldest.html

Many stations had experimental licenses that preceded the "commercial" licenses. 8ZH was associated with the Flint Police Department. The experimental license for WKAR preceded the "commercial" license. Many universities had experimental radio stations associated wth their PHY and ENG Departments.

[CK-722]

WWJ must have one of the largest History Card files that there is! No wonder it took so long to load.

The History Card says WWJ was first licensed on 10-13-21. It also says that they were WBL until 1928. Perhaps they IDed as both WBL and WWJ, like WCX and WJR? But if we grant that they signed on experimentally in 1920, we must also consider that WFDF and WKAR can also validly include those experimental stations in their History. A few years ago, there was some controversy when WFDF stated on the air that they were the oldest radio station in Michigan. I'd love to see whatever records they had that support that claim. I'll have to ask the recognized Flint Historian who used to post here if he has ever seen those records.

The other interesting revelation is that it appears like WWJ experimented for around six years before the 5 kW Night DA was finally licensed. WWJ had interference petitions filed by both WPEN Philadelphia and KPRC Houston. It also refers to Tower 2 as the "center tower". Perhaps that just meant the reference tower of the array? It also appears that WWJ operated with 5 kW Night nondirectional "to overcome interference" between about 1935 and 1941. It was repeatedly renewed.

[Deleted User 15342]

Happy Birthday WFDF it’s a shame as to what happened to 910.