A National Treasure: WSM Nashville

The Friday before Christmas, I was driving from Cleveland to Troy, NY, to pick up my daughter and bring her back to Cleveland to celebrate the holiday with the rest of the family. It’s about a nine-hour drive, so I had plenty of time to listen to my music files, internet streams, Pandora, SiriusXM, or the old reliable radio.

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Topics: Radio History, Broadcast History, WSM Nashville

Vintage Audio: Atwater Kent Model 84

From the dawn of broadcasting in the early1920s through the mid-1930s, the name Atwater Kent was synonymous with top-quality radios. Their commitment to excellence, in both cabinet construction and electronic assembly, is one of the reasons so many of their sets are still around and in working condition. There are several A-Ks in the attic, but none have been featured in FitA. Until now. This month, the 1932 Model 84 will be showcased, along with a history of the man and his company.

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Topics: Vintage Radio Technology, Vintage Electronics, Radio History

The Quest for the Perfect Control Room

The arrangement of equipment in radio studio control rooms was often the result of a tussle between programmers and engineers. In one extreme, the control room may have been a dream for jocks to operate, but a nightmare for techs to service. Too far the other way, and you had a setup that could be easily serviced, but required an octopus to operate. Most were a compromise (although some would be better termed a stalemate).

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Topics: Radio History, Studio Technology, Broadcast Engineering