WAAT (AM)

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WAAT (833 AM) was a radio station located in Jersey City, New Jersey, which was active for much of 1922 under a temporary authorization.

Contents

History

Information about WAAT is somewhat limited. The monthly issues of the Radio Service Bulletin regularly reported the status of stations operating under standard licenses. However, in general this publication did not include information about temporary stations like WAAT.

Amateur station 2IA

1923 cartoon referencing Frank Bremer's broadcasts over amateur station 2IA and temporary broadcasting station WAAT WAAT, Jersey City, New Jersey humorous cartoon (1923).gif
1923 cartoon referencing Frank Bremer's broadcasts over amateur station 2IA and temporary broadcasting station WAAT

Although WAAT was officially assigned to the Jersey Review newspaper, most of its operation was conducted by that paper's radio editor, Frank V. Bremer. Bremer had extensive experience as a radio operator and pioneering broadcaster, starting with his amateur station, 2IA, located at his home at 3613 Boulevard in Jersey City, New Jersey. [2] As part of his activities he is said to have hired out 2IA for $50 to the Jersey Journal for a one-hour New Year's program that began at 11:30 p.m. on December 31, 1921, [3] for which the newspaper reportedly paid him $50. [4] Ten days later a second newspaper, the Jersey Review, teamed up with Bremer to present a regular schedule of twice-weekly programs over 2IA. [5]

Broadcasting station WAAT

Initially, there were no formal standards in the United States for radio stations making transmissions intended for the general public, and numerous stations under various classifications made entertainment broadcasts. However, effective December 1, 1921, the Department of Commerce, regulators of radio at this time, adopted a regulation that formally created a broadcasting station category, and stations were now required to hold a Limited Commercial license authorizing operation on wavelengths of 360 meters (833 kHz) for "entertainment" broadcasts or 485 meters (619 kHz) for "market and weather reports". [6]

To conform with the new requirements, the Jersey Review applied for and was issued a temporary broadcasting station authorization with the sequentially assigned call letters of WAAT, for operation on the 360-meter "entertainment" wavelength. The temporary authorization listed only two days of operation, April 16 and 19, 1922, with the station continuing to broadcast out of Bremer's home.

Most stations issued temporary authorizations provided programming for special events, and were active for only a few days. In contrast, WAAT subsequently maintained a two-programs-a-week schedule. [7] Because there was the single wavelength, 360 meters, available for entertainment broadcasts, in congested areas like the New York City region the local stations were required to set up a timesharing schedule, and WAAT was the region's only temporary station to be assigned timeslots. [8] The WAAT broadcasts lasted for 10 months, finally ending in October 1922. [9]

Bremer returned to the broadcasting airwaves four years later, with a new station licensed on August 19, 1926, to the Bremer Broadcasting Corporation in Jersey City. It was initially assigned the call letters WKBD, [10] however, the next month Bremer was permitted to reclaim the WAAT call sign used in 1922. [11] [12]

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References

  1. ↑ "Gone But Not Forgotten" (cartoon), Radio News, July 1923, page 29.
  2. ↑ "Second District", Amateur Radio Stations of the United States (June 30, 1920, edition), page 29. The "2" in 2IA's call sign indicated that the station was located in the second Radio Inspection district, and the fact that the leading "I" fell in the range of A-W meant that it was operating under a standard amateur station license.
  3. ↑ "Jersey Journal New Year Greetings, by Wireless, Heard Country Over", Jersey (City) Journal, January 3, 1922, page 10.
  4. ↑ "Chronology of Milestones: Commercial Aspects", The first quarter-century of American Broadcasting by Edward P. J. Shurick, page 176. (This source incorrectly lists the station call sign as "WAAT", which would not be used until the following April. At this time Bremer was still operating as amateur station 2IA.)
  5. ↑ "WAAT, Jersey Review Claims Pioneer Honor" by Frank V. Bremer, Radio Digest, June 24, 1922, page 5.
  6. ↑ "Miscellaneous: Amendments to Regulations", Radio Service Bulletin, January 3, 1922, page 10.
  7. ↑ "Jersey Paper Broadcasts High Class Programme", Radio Dealer, July 1922, page 76.
  8. ↑ "Make First Co-operative Effort to Equalize Air Usage", Radio Dealer, June 1922, page 12.
  9. ↑ "Jersey City's Radio Station Has Successful First Test", Jersey Journal, August 30, 1926, page 11.
  10. ↑ "New Stations: Broadcasting Stations" Radio Service Bulletin, August 31, 1926, page 3.
  11. ↑ "New Radio Station Gets Old Name", Jersey (City) Journal, September 11, 1926, page 1.
  12. ↑ "Alterations and Corrections: Broadcasting Stations", Radio Service Bulletin, September 30, 1926, page 8.
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