November 1948
The world's most powerful FM station comes to Birmingham!



Today, the WBRC-TV studio facility sits in front of this building, used for many years to house Channel 6's transmitter plant after the FM station went silent.


As tall as the original, self-supporting WBRC-FM tower appeared, its height is dwarfed by the WBRC-TV tower which rises here today.

(RIGHT) Pizitz was ready with a supply of FM radios, so you could listen...

WBRC-FM wasn't with us very long.  All attempts at trying to sell the public on the virtues of FM radio fell flat ... it would be another three decades before FM knocked AM off its throne.  WBRC chose to take the FM off the air, so the building and tower could be used for Mrs. Hanna's new experiment: television.  WBRC-TV Channel 4 signed on in July 1949. (It would move to Channel 6 in 1953).

The second incarnation of WBRC-FM was launched in 1959, although with a far lower power, broadcasting at 106.9 on the dial.



For the radio geek on your shopping list, how about one of those Emerson "Conqueror" FM sets?  (Please?)

"Good night, and
may God Bless."

WVOK, barely a year old, was still at its original 10,000 watts of power ... approval for 690's current 50 kilowatts was yet to come.






"Mother Knows Kellogg's Best." 
Thank goodness, because Father always gets the cheap, generic stuff.


10/25/2008 -- 145 PM EDT

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