What was the first radio station in Riverside County?
Periodically, people write with questions about some aspect of local history. Often, they are relatively simple. However, a few months ago, I was given the question, What was the first radio station in Riverside County? Its these types of questions, that neither I nor anyone else has thought about, that intrigue me the most. My short yet ineffectual answer is, It depends on what you call a radio station. I realize that is sort of a cop-out, but it is not without its reasons, so here goes. In the earliest days of radio, during the 1900s and 1910s, pretty much anyone with a radio had a station. Radios were used as a means of back-and-forth communication (they were originally referred to as wireless telegraphy). This was largely the realm of the military, especially the Navy, and amateurs who talked to each other and tried to pick up signals from far and wide. Although finding the first of these in Riverside County is difficult, one clue comes to us from the earliest days of the United States involvement in World War I. In April 1917, Congress stipulated that all private radios were to be shut down and dismantled for the duration of the war. With that edict, on April 20 of that year, Riverside County Sheriff Frank Wilson went around to all six known radio stations in Riverside and informed them that they must dismantle their equipment within 24 hours. At this time, there was no regulation of radio operators, and it was feared that persons unfriendly to the United States might communicate with ships at sea, or cut in on government messages.  According to the April 21, 1917, Riverside Enterprise, there were the aforementioned six stations in Riverside, and an equal number in the rest of the county. Unfortunately, the article did not say exactly where those others were. Regardless, we can deduce that in 1917, there were some 12 radio stations within the county. However, if we only want to consider commercial radio stations, i.e. the ones listened to for news and entertainment, then that honor seems to go to KPRO, the Riverside-based radio station that began transmitting Oct. 1, 1941. With 1,000 watts of power, KPRO was four times as powerful as KFXM, the station in San Bernardino. KPRO was located on Russell Street, east of Orange Street, and it was said that the studio could entertain an audience of 200 guests. Programming was available daily from 5 a.m. to 1 a.m.  After World War II, KPRO was joined by KCMJ in Palm Springs. This radio station began broadcasting Feb. 10, 1946. The first voice heard over that radio station was that of Horace Heidt, the well-known band leader and one of Palm Springs most noted residents, according to some accounts. Of course, there would be many more radio stations throughout the county, but these seem to be the first examples. If anyone knows of earlier commercial stations, Id like to know. If you have an idea for a future Back in the Day column about a local historic person, place or event, contact Steve Lech and Kim Jarrell Johnson at backinthedaype@gmail.com.