Today marks the 80th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor, December 7, 1941. Here are some of our previous posts covering this event:
- Broadcasting and Pearl Harbor.
- Pearl Harbor Radio Coverage.
- More Pearl Harbor Audio Clips.
- Keep indoors. Lie down. Turn off the lights. Turn on the radio.
- Remember Pearl Harbor, 1942
The clipping at left is from the December 20, 1941, issue of Radio Guide, the first to go to press after the attack. Very few blackouts were necessary in the Continental United States, but in the first days after Pearl Harbor, there were some fears that the Pacific Coast might be vulnerable to attack. So some radio stations went dark for a few nights in Washington, Oregon, and California. It probably wasn’t necessary after the 20th, but Radio Guide included this list of 50,000 watt stations throughout the country. If local stations went dark, this list could be consulted to find other stations carrying the same network programming.