NTE2ua56.xml Guide to the KWSU Radio Station Records 1916-1977 KWSU Radio Station Records Finding aid prepared by Linda Scott Lilles Washington State University Libraries Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections © 2022 Finding aid encoded by Suzanne James-Bacon. 2022 Finding aid written in English. English. Finding aid based on DACS 2nd Edition ( Describing Archives: A Content Standard). Washington State University Libraries, Manuscripts, Archives and Special Collections Archives 56 KWSU (Radio station : Pullman, Wash.) KWSU Radio Station Records 1916-1977 15 Linear feet of shelf space 25 Boxes The records of KWSU Radio Station consist of correspondence, program scripts, and program and transmitter logs. Collection materials are in English

KWSU Radio (originally known as KFAE, then KWSC) is one of the oldest and largest university-owned radio stations in the United States. It began broadcasting from the Mechanic Arts Building on the WSU campus on December 10, 1922. The initial funds for the station came from equal donations by the Agricultural Extension Service, the Associated Students of Washington State University, and the Pullman Chamber of Commerce. The three men most responsible for creating the station were: H. V. Carpenter, Dean of the College of Engineering; Frank F. Nalder, Director of General Extension Service; and Homer Dana, Professor of Electrical Engineering. The goals for the station as outlined by Dr. Nalder have not changed since they were formulated in 1922: to provide an information and cultural service to a wide area of population, to draw on the expertise of the faculty and present their findings, to provide a vehicle for further research in broadcasting and to train young people in the use, operation, and "human service" of radio.

In the early years KWSU Radio shared the same frequency with KTW, a station owned by the First Presbyterian Church of Seattle. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regulated the use of the common frequency with a "Time Sharing Agreement" in 1931. KTW Radio was given exclusive use of the frequency at limited times--Sundays, Thursday evenings, and holidays. Problems arose with this arrangement in 1956 when KTW began to expand its broadcasting time. KTW petitioned the FCC for permission to operate simultaneously with KWSU; KWSU countered by filing for unlimited use of the frequency. The FCC held hearings in 1960 in an attempt to solve the problem. After investigating the situation the FCC awarded KWSU the right to broadcast from 6:30 a.m. to 11:15 p.m. each day; KTW, designated a "daytime" station, was allowed to broadcast during daylight hours and also from 11:15 p.m. to 6:30 a.m.

The station has grown tremendously both in its physical facilities, broadcasting time, and programming capabilities. It has expanded from its first location in the College of Mechanic Arts and Engineering to a home in the Edward R. Murrow Communications Center, which was completed in 1976. The Center also houses KWSU-TV and classrooms and offices for the Department of Communications. The first course of instruction in radio was offered at Washington State University in 1929. Courses in broadcasting are offered as one of six possible majors in the Department of Communications. Originally scheduled for only four and one-half hours of air time per week in 1922 at 250 watts of power, KWSU now broadcasts with 5000 watts for over 120 hours per week. It was affiliated with National Educational Radio (NER), a precursor of National Public Radio. KWSU Radio News uses the services of Associated Press, United Press International wire services and audio, and National Public Radio.

Burt Harrison, manager of KWSU Radio from 1959 to 1976, was very active in the movement to establish what became the Public Broadcasting Act. He helped lay the legislative and financial groundwork for a network of national public radio stations. In 1970 KWSU Radio was designated as one of the 92 "qualified National Public Radio" stations. KWSU Radio broadcasts programs from the National Public Radio network and also produces programs for the network's national distribution.

The records of KWSU Radio Station consist of correspondence, program scripts, and program and transmitter logs. The logs comprise almost half of the collection.

The first series, Correspondence, is divided into three subseries: Federal Communications Commission, KTW Radio Station, and KWSU Radio Station. The Federal Communications Commission sub-series dates from 1916 to 1974 with the bulk of the material from 1930 to 1960. The material includes station license and application form, construction permits, financial reports, engineering exhibits and plans. The second sub-series, KTE Radio Station, dates from 1937 to 1972 with the bulk covering the period 1958 through 1967. This subseries is comprised of station and license applications, Time Sharing Agreements with KWSU, engineering exhibits, and legal correspondence between KWSU and Leonard Marks, attorney for KWSU, in the KTW-KWSU hearing before the Federal Communications Commission from 1960 to 1961. The third sub-series, KWSU Radio Station, includes correspondence to and from listeners, graduates, ex-students, and Mary Avery, Washington State University Library Archivists, concerning her program "Washington Archives," and the textbook she wrote on Washington State history. Other material consists of remodeling plans and blueprints of the radio station, brochures describing the station and its history and service, speeches written by Burt Harrison, Station Manager for seventeen years, press releases, program information and announcements. This sub-series covers the period from 1922 to 1977 with the bulk dating from 1966 to 1976.

The second series, Programs, consists mainly of program scripts, dating from 1928 to 1976, with the majority of the material from the mid-1950's to the mid-1960's. The largest collection of scripts is Burt Harrison's commentaries, "Behind the Mike," dating from 1964 to 1976. The programs include agricultural extension broadcasts, musical and literary programs, dramatic productions, and school broadcasts. Most of these programs were locally produced. There is some correspondence concerning the "High School Interviews" and "News" in the Palouse area programs from 1936 to 1938.

The final series, the Log series, is divided into four sub-series: Program Log Books, Program Log Sheets, Transmitter Log Books, and Transmitter Log Sheets. The Program Log Books sub-series dates from 1922 to 1936 and consist of three books; two books covering the period from 1922 to 1925 and the third book covering the period of 1936. During the years 1922 to 1925, KWSU was known as Radio Station KFAE. The second sub-series, Program Log Sheets, cover the years from 1949 to 1973 inclusively except for the years 1961 and 1967. The third sub-series, Transmitter Log Books, dates from 1923 to 1934 with the exception of the years 1932-1933. The final subseries, Transmitter Log Sheets, dates from 1954 to 1960 inclusively. The program logs are a daily inventory of programs broadcast from sign-on to sign-off while the transmitter logs are records kept by station engineers concerning checks on equipment and radio emergency broadcast tests.

The material is arranged in three series. Series 1 is divided into three sub-series, each arranged alphabetically by topic. Series 2 is arranged alphabetically by title of program or topic. Series 3 is divided into four sub-series, each arranged chronologically.

This collection is open and available for research use.

Copyright restrictions may apply.

[Item description]

KWSU Radio Station Records, 1916-1977 (Archives 56)

Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections, Washington State University Libraries, Pullman, WA.

The records were transferred to the WSU University Archives, in April 1979 (UA 79-12) in accordance with the approved records schedule. Previously accessioned material concerning KWSU Radio Station has also been incorporated.

The records were processed in August 1980 by Linda Scott Lilles.

This collection is indexed under the following headings in the online catalog. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons, or places should search the catalog using these headings.

Avery, Mary W. (Mary Williamson), 1907-1975 Harrison, Burton Dwight, 1917- KWSU (Radio station : Pullman, Wash.) -- Records and correspondence KWSC (Radio station : Pullman, Wash.) -- Records and correspondence KFAE (Radio station : Pullman, Wash.) -- Records and correspondence KWSC (Radio station : Pullman, Wash.) KFAE (Radio station : Pullman, Wash.) College radio stations -- Research -- Washington (State) Radio stations -- Research -- Washington (State) -- Pullman Radio in secondary education Media and Communication Washington (State) Colleges and Universities Series 1: Correspondence, 1916-1976 Subseries 1.1: Federal Communications Commission, 1916-1974 Application 1 1 Full Time 1956, 1958 12 items 1 2 On 1230--kf 10 1942-1948 88 items 1 3 On 1030 kc--1943 1942-1964 3 items 1 4 Proposed on 1030 kc, Report by Raymond Wilmotte 1944 1 item 1 5 Proposed on 1110 kc 1947, 1947-1949 11 items 1 6 Auxiliary Transmitter 1954-1962 19 items 1 7 Basic Emergency Broadcast System Plan 1966-1969 9 items 1 8 Construction Permit 1927-1959 12 items 1 9 Dickson, Pollard--Complaint 1969-1970 33 items 1 10 Financial Report, Annual 1938-1949 12 items 1 11 Form Back-Dated 1938-1943 5 items 1 12 General Correspondence 1931-1962 183 items License 1 13 Application Form 1916-1950 72 items 1 14 Renewal (1957) 1956 8 items 1 15 Renewal Worksheets 1952-1953 2 items 1 16 Station 1916-1960 35 items 1 17 Rules and Regulations 1974 2 items 1 18 Section 3.182 Change Comments 1957 2 items Subseries 1.2: KTW--Radio Station, 1937-1972 Application(s) 1 19 5 W 1958 3 items 1 20 License Renewal--1959 1958-1959 5 items 1 21 Station 1948-1956 2 items 1 22 General Correspondence 1959-1967 59 items KTW--KWSU Hearing (1956-1960) 1 23 Engineering Exhibits 1958-1972 10 items 1 24 FCC Documents 1957-1967 45 items 1 25 General Correspondence 1937-1967 87 items 1 26 Hearing Exhibits 1960-1961 15 items 1 27 KTW Exhibits as Revised on August 22, 1960 1960-1961 3 items 1 28 Marks, Leonard 1956-1962 54 items 1 29 KTW-KWSU Time Sharing Agreement 1939-1965 37 items Subseries 1.3: KWSU--Radio Station, 1922-1977 1 30 Alpha Epsilon Rho 1961 1 item 1 31 Alterations 1948-1961 39 items 1 32 Announcements n.d.-1948 3 items Avery, Mary 2 33 Radio Fan Mail 1962-1968 54 items 2 34 Radio Permissions 1966-1968 53 items 2 35 Text Permissions 1955-1966 102 items 2 36 Brochures 1947-1973 5 items 2 37 Budget 1933 1 item 2 38 Certificates of Appreciation 1969-1971 5 items 2 39 Engineering 1923 1 item 2 40 Graduates and Ex-Students 1971-1976 91 items 2 41 Harrison, Burt 1968-1976 33 items 2 42 Hoover, Herbert 1925 2 items 2 43 Miller, Allen 1968 1 item 2 44 National Broadcasting Company 1949-1955 15 items 2 45 Old Fiddlers' Contest 1935 2 items 2 46 Press News, circa 1930-1940 10 items 2 47 Program 1922-1977 31 items 2 48 Station 1926-1953 25 items 2 49 Statistics 1928-1949 6 items 2 50 Survey, Diary by Mark Munn 1956-1958 14 items 2 51-54 Traffic 1966-1976 377 items Series 2: Programs, 1928-1976 3 55 Adventures in Melody 1959-1963 51 items 3 56 Agricultural Extension Radio Broadcasts 1928-1940 68 items 3 57 Ask the Professor 1940 2 items 3 58 At the Console 1959-1960 51 items 3 59-66 Behind the Mike 1964-1967, 1969-1976 436 items 3 67 Bryan, E.A., Address on "Peace and War" No. II 1930 1 item 3 68 Cavalcade of Music 1957-1958 41 items 3 69 Eastern Washington Library Program 1938 7 items 3 70 Farm and Home Program 1936-1946 5 items 3 71-72 Farm Flashes 1932 97 items 3 73 Farm Program 1950-1951 4 items 3 74 4-H Broadcasts 1929-1930 17 items 3 75 Fourth Row Center 1952-1967 25 items Fred Waring 3 76 Half Hours 1958-1962 21 items 3 77 Saturday 1956-1962 65 items 4 78-80 The Globe Turns 1937-1939 86 items Here is Music 4 81 General 1959-1965 159 items 4 82 Special Occasions 1959-1965 14 items High School 4 83 Interviews 1936-1938 10 items 4 84 News 1936-1938 87 items 4 85 Show/Parade 1937-1938 30 items 4 86 Highlights in American News 1937-1938 20 items 4 87 Little Joe the Green Hand 1940-1942 41 items 4 88 Make Mine Music 1957-1959 12 items 4 89 Music by Mantovani 1959-1963 57 items 4 90 Music by Melachrino 1957-1959 46 items 4 91 Music Scripts--Christmas 1959-1964 16 items 4 92 The Northwest Newsreel 1938 12 items 4 93 Our Radio Community 1938-1939 15 items 4 94 Pressing Agricultural Issues 1933 9 items 4 95-96 Production Scripts, circa 1953 30 items 4 97 Production Spot Announcements 1953 4 items 4 98 Prologue to the 60's undated 1 item 4 99 The School Hour 1937-1939 33 items 4 100 School of the Air 1939-1942 9 items 4 101 Scripts, Various 1928-1940 31 items 5 102 Shakespeare Scripts Aired 1969, 1966-1969 19 items 5 103-104 Soil Conservation Services 1938-1940 77 items 5 105 Song of America 1969 1 item 5 106 Sound Track 1959-1962 65 items 5 107 Thirty Minute Theatre 1957-1958 9 items 5 108 Trailing News Around the World 1938-1939 39 items 5 109 Twilight Serenade 1958-1966 23 items 5 110 Dialectics, (Vol. 1, No. 2) April 1938 3 items 5 111 The Projector, (Vol. 1, No. 1) January 1938 3 items Series 3: Logs, 1922-1973 Subseries 3.1: Program Log Books, 1922-1936 6 Station KFAE Log Book 1922-1924 1 item 6 Station KFAE Log Book 1924-1925 1 item 6 KWSU Log Book 1936 1 item Subseries 3.2: Program Log Sheets, 1949-1973 7 1949 710 items 8 1950 710 items 9 January 1, 1931 - September 30, 1951 526 items 10 October 1, 1951--September 30, 1952 710 items 11 October 1, 1952--October 31, 1953 770 items 12 November 2, 1953--December 31, 1954 768 items 13 1955 710 items 14 1956 710 items 15 1957 710 items 16 1958 710 items 17 1959 710 items 18 1960 710 items 19 January 1, 1968--September 30, 1971 2270 items 20 October 1, 1971--December 31, 1973 2470 items Subseries 3.3: Transmitter Log Books, 1923-1934 21 March 26, 1923--December 23, 1930 21 December 29, 1930--December 31, 1931 21 January 6, 1934--December 21, 1934 Subseries 3.4: Transmitter Log Sheets, 1954-1960 22 1954 350 items 23 1955-1956 700 items 24 January 1, 1957--June 30, 1959 875 items 25 July 1, 1959--December 31, 1960 525 items