On January 26, 1925, WOC formed a network and joined forces with radio station WEAF. In September 1927, WOC became a charter member of the new NBC radio network.

Now, it is an accepted fact that KDKA in Pittsburgh was the first and yet we received our license only months after this. This was a permit to broadcast. At that time, because the whole broadcasting industry was in its infancy and it was underneath the Department of Congress. Peculiarly, the Department of Congress was headed at that time by Herbert Hoover who of course is our foremost Iowan and of course the only President of the United States from this state.

It is interesting that the early records were kept by this Department and they were 3x5 file cards. They used to put the dates in the right hand corner by pencil. Eventually they had many request. Radio was a very exciting thing in those days and it was also a very expensive thing because it was several years after the early 1920's before there was a paid commercial. The first paid commercial was on WEAF in New York which later became WNBC which was the radio outlet for NBC. WEAF 2 did the first hookup in radio that went coast to coast. They did this by telephone in 1926, I believe.

It is rather interesting that we think that we are the 2nd oldest licensed station. In some documents regarding the General Electric station in New York, WGNY, they were referred to as the third oldest licensed station. WGNY went on the air on Feb 21st, 1921 which confirms that WOC is most likely the second oldest station since it started three days earlier.

In regards to all of these early stations, KDKA was a pilot Westing House station, an industry can really develop it because they have the financial backing. Many of the early stations drained fortunes from people who were excited hearing this tremendous thing, putting sound waves through the air by putting crystals together and putting on ear phones. They really lost so very much money. It so happens that the person who brought WOC from Rock Island to Brady Street hill, which is an excellent receiving point for radio and television, B.J. Palmer, thought that this was a miraculous thing. It took Palmer 42 years to achieve the modern broadcasting WOC building. While the early radio stations had unusual housing, they might be away from downtown or on the top floor of an office building.

Jon Book provides an aerial photo taken in the early 50's of WOC's original building. The tower in the picture had a microwave transmitter antenna mounted on the top and all TV program video and audio were linked to the Bettendorf Iowa tower site. Transmitter operators would keep all levels to broadcast standards according to the FCC requirements. This tower was removed during the late 90's. The garage structure has changed a little but is still standing to this very day. Back then WOC AM and WOC FM audio were sent to the transmitter site by equalized broadcast telephone lines. In 1985, WOC AM KIIK FM switched from telephone program lines to microwave signals when the break up of the telephone companies occurred.

In the early years of television, in order to have a license and fulfill your requirements, you had to be on the air two and one-half hours a day. Before WOC signed on October 31st, 1949, we tested our equipment by giving out news broadcast. The first one was on October 6th, 1949. These newscasts would go on at 9am and last until noon. Back in that day, there was a test pattern. The old test pattern would be aired and people would adjust the controls on their television sets and finally there would be something on the screen. These newscast would go forty-five minutes of test patterns followed by 20 to 40 minutes of news followed by forty five minutes of test patterns and then a repeat of the news! The early records of the growth of early television are really fantastic.

The days of radio must have been the most exciting. The strides that were made in such a short time were really quite fantastic. One of the great monuments to radio is Radio City Music Hall in New York. Today it seems outdated because the rooms are smaller than in a beautiful brand new building. You can however, catch some of the aura during that particular time.

One of the earliest people to work at WOC radio station was the first chief engineer. WOC was then located at the top of Brady Street hill where the clock is. WOC radio was located on the top floor of one of the buildings. The engineers name was Frank Elliott. BJ Palmer made sure to get the most qualified people. Mr. Elliott became the 4th President of NAB (National Association of Broadcasters). There are abbreviations such as the FCC and the NAB, however, WOC is older than either of them. The FCC (Federal Communications Commission) had to become established because the industry was growing and there needed to be a governing body. The NAB came about by the gathering together of early broadcasters who came together to compare how they were broadcasting. In those early days, they didn't call up somebody and order a piece or a part, they actually had to make it themselves. So they would gather together to share ideas.

In those days, all of the broadcasters would hang up a huge map of the world. People would send in postcards and say "I heard you in Paris, France or I heard you in China." WOC in the 1920's was heard all around the word. It was a very strong station and later on, WOC and the others could not be as strong due to overlap of stations. In May 1924 in the New York Journal, William Randolph Hearst declared to an Eastern U.S. audience (and at that time they were using crystal sets) that if you can't get WOC in Davenport, Iowa, there is something wrong in your set! It is really interesting that WOC was being listened to in New York City but that was the situation at the time.

Some of the pictures of the old equipment, it really is amazing to see the sophistication and quality and of the ones installed at WOC.

Image from the City of Davenport Archives