Menu Close

The History of Cleveland Radio & TV

The History of Cleveland Radio & TV – An Introduction

Ohio broadcast history started more than 100 years ago when radio pioneer Warren Cox put station WA8CS on the air from his home at East 38th and Payne Avenue. That station, later rechristened with the call letters WHK-AM, was the first in the state and at the time one of only six in the entire country. Electronic media would soon become a part of our daily lives and helped guide America through some of its most critical years. Radio and television as we know it is changing rapidly, and so much of the audio and visual record is being lost. To document that rich history, the Cleveland Association of Broadcasters is partnering with the Northeast Ohio Broadcast Archive(s) to present moments and personalities that helped shape our lives. Some of the stations, events and radio / TV professionals will be familiar, while others may not have received the recognition they deserved. We invite you to visit the CAB site on a regular basis as we continue to add photos and print materials, as well as audio and video content in the coming months.

The WHK studios in the 1920s.
WNBK-TV would transition to KYW and eventually WKYC-TV.
WNBK-TV would transition to KYW and eventually WKYC-TV.
A WNBK camera operator and reporter outside police headquarters.
A WNBK camera operator and reporter outside police headquarters.
The WEWS test pattern that began and ended its broadcast days in the early years.
The WEWS test pattern that began and ended its broadcast days in the early years.
Renowned actor Jimmy Stewart prepares for WEWS-TV’s first broadcast in 1947
Renowned actor Jimmy Stewart prepares for WEWS-TV’s first broadcast in 1947
The WXEL-TV studios and transmitter. WXEL would become WJW-TV.
The WXEL-TV studios and transmitter. WXEL would become WJW-TV.

You can help in the preservation effort. Along with supporting the Cleveland Association of Broadcasters, we ask that you help the Northeast Ohio Broadcast Archive(s) (NEOBA) with additional sound (taped radio shows & TV airchecks), video, photos, printed material and even artifacts (promotional items, giveaways, etc.) that we can preserve for future research. Contact NEOBA’s Mike Olszewski at: neobroadcastarchives@gmail.com