KJR in Seattle, begun by amateur radio operator Vincent I. Kraft in 1921, was the first radio station to be licensed in the Pacific Northwest. Shortly thereafter, radio station KOMO began as KFQX in 1924, operated by the American Radio and Telephone Company, under the ownership of Roy Olmstead (1886-1966) and Alfred M. Hubbard. In 1926 KOMO was relaunched under Birt F. Fisher, and funded by a new corporation named the Totem Broadcasters, owned by twelve of the largest businesses in Seattle. Each business committed to sponsor a portion of the unsold air time, in exchange for on-air mention of the company’s contribution. In 1933 KOMO took over the operations of KJR from NBC, with Birt F. Fisher managing both stations. The two Totem Broadcasters stations, KOMO and KJR, were the local affiliates for both the NBC Red and Blue Networks, giving them access to most of the nation's best radio programming.
In this image is of the master control room with an announcer in the broadcasting booth beyond.
This image is from a photograph album entitled, "Totem Broadcasters: KOMO, KJR," and captioned, "Pictures of Totem Broadcasters' Studios in the Skinner Building, in Seattle."
Caption information source: http://www.theradiohistorian.org
Physical Description: 1 photographic print mounted on linen : b&w ; 7.5 x 10.5 in.
Additional Information: Digital copy of this item available thanks to funding from a 2016 Institute for Museum and Library Services grant. Metadata updated as part of a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services administered by the Library Services and Technology Act, through the Washington State Library, a division of the Office of the Secretary of State.
