WCCO transmitter site near Anoka in 1930. From 1930 station brochure at radiotapes.com

Ninety years ago today (either October 1 or 2, 1924, depending on the source, the call letters WCCO were first heard over the airways. According to Wikipedia, the station came on the air on October 2.  But according to this 1949 station brochure, the actual sign-on date was October 1.

The new call sign was reported in the radio section of the Milwaukee Journal on October 12.  It reported that WLAG radio had recently been refinanced by the Twin Cities Chamber of Commerce and the Washburn-Crosby Milling Company, and now bore the new call letters WCCO.  The article notes that the station carried the usual afternoon and evening features and concerts, but also noted the schedule of the station’s extensive market reports.

The station originally came on the air in 1922 as WLAG, but closed down in early 1924.  Civic pride demanded that the Twin Cities have a radio station, and a group of investors, primarily the Washburn-Crosby Company (predecessor to General Mills) financed the station, which took the call letters WCCO in honor of its benefactor.

The station originally operated on 720 kilocycles, but in 1928 was granted clear-channel status and moved to 810 kilocycles.  It’s familiar frequency of 8-3-0 is a result of the 1941 North American Radio Broadcasting Agreement, which moved the vast majority of U.S. broadcast stations up the dial slightly to accommodate Mexican clear-channel stations.

References

WCCO history at WCCO website

Historical materials at radiotapes.com

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