Radio Station WADC

Radio Station WADC in Akron, Ohio went on the air in 1925. WADC was a charter member of the CBS Radio Network, being one of the 16 stations that aired the first CBS network program on September 18, 1927. The station soon opened new studios in Tallmadge and increased its power to 5,000 watts. Its frequency jumped around from 1160 to 1010 to 1260, and to 1320 after the FRC's General Order 40 went into effect on November 11, 1928. On March 29, 1941, it moved to 1350 kHz as part of the NARBA frequency shifts. As the CBS affiliate during the 1930s and 1940s, WADC was the leading Akron radio station, rivaled later only by WAKR after it took to the air in 1940. Akron had no NBC Red affiliate, since WTAM's signal from Cleveland covered the area. WADC's success was symbolized by the two-story art-deco WADC Building, which was completed on May 6, 1949, and became a local landmark on the southeast corner of Main and Mill Streets in downtown Akron. The entire second floor of the building was occupied by the station's studios and offices. Currently operating under call sign WARF, it is one of the few radio stations continuously running for over 100 years.

In 1950 Richard Levering wrote a research paper about the early years of WADC. The link below has his original document.

View "WADC's First Ten Years" by Richard Levering

In 1955 WADC broadcast a one-hour program with highlights from the first 30 years. The link below has the original WADC radio script of that program which included these personalities: Red Hageman, Merv Robertson (an early station announcer), Bob Wilson and Fred Bock. Also on the program were organist Chic Herr and the Denny Thompson Orchestra.

View the WADC 30th Anniversary Program radio script