WHD Radio: The Early Broadcasting History of West Virginia University
The dawn of radio broadcasting in the United States was a period of rapid experimentation and evolving regulation. Long before the modern era of digital streaming, universities and private entities navigated a complex landscape of wavelengths and licenses to bring information and entertainment to the public. One such early venture was WHD, a station established by West Virginia University.
The Regulatory Landscape of Early Radio
From 1912 until the creation of the Federal Radio Commission in 1927, the Department of Commerce was the primary body regulating radio stations in the U.S. In the earliest days, there were virtually no restrictions on which stations could broadcast to the general public. This changed on December 1, 1921, when new regulations introduced the Limited Commercial license.
Under these rules, broadcasting was restricted to specific designated wavelengths based on the content of the transmission:
- 360 meters (833 kHz): Reserved for entertainment broadcasts.
- 485 meters (619 kHz): Reserved for market and weather reports.
The Rise and Fall of WHD
On March 16, 1922, West Virginia University was granted a license to operate WHD on the 360-meter entertainment wavelength. The call sign, WHD, was not chosen for a specific meaning but was randomly issued from a list of available letters. The establishment of the station was driven primarily by Dr. Chauncey W. Waggoner, the head of the university's physics department.
Because the government only provided a single wavelength for entertainment, WHD could not broadcast freely. The station was required to enter into time-sharing agreements with any other local stations also operating on the 360-meter frequency to avoid interference.
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Programming and Operations
By late April, WHD announced a projected broadcast schedule. The station typically aired daily in the evenings from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. and again from 7:00 to 7:30 p.m. Sundays featured a different slot, running from 10:45 a.m. to noon. Despite these scheduled times, the station functioned primarily for experimental purposes, producing very few actual entertainment or informational programs.
The venture was short-lived. The university eventually concluded that the financial cost of maintaining the broadcasting station outweighed the benefits it provided. Consequently, the license was allowed to expire, and WHD was officially deleted on November 19, 1923.
The Path Back to the Airwaves
Although WHD ceased operations, the university's connection to radio continued. In the early 1930s, a local commercial station called WMMN opened a studio in Morgantown. WMMN provided the university with a daily 20-minute time slot, which was used to broadcast "School of the Air" programs.
It would be several decades before the university established its own independent presence again. In 1982, West Virginia University returned to the airwaves with the launch of the educational station WWVU-FM.
Key Facts
- WHD License Date: March 16, 1922.
- Primary Founder: Dr. Chauncey W. Waggoner (Head of Physics).
- Operating Frequency: 360 meters (833 kHz).
- Closure Date: November 19, 1923.
- Successor Educational Station: WWVU-FM (established 1982).
| Era/Year | Entity | Role/Status |
|---|---|---|
| 1922–1923 | WHD | Experimental university-licensed station |
| Early 1930s | WMMN | Commercial partner for "School of the Air" |
| 1982 | WWVU-FM | Establishment of educational radio station |
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was responsible for starting WHD?
Dr. Chauncey W. Waggoner, who served as the head of the physics department at West Virginia University, was the person primarily responsible for the station's establishment.
Why did WHD have to share its broadcast time?
Because the Department of Commerce only designated one wavelength (360 meters) for entertainment, WHD had to create time-sharing agreements with other local stations using that same frequency to prevent signal overlap.
Why was WHD shut down in 1923?
The university determined that the costs associated with running the broadcasting station exceeded the benefits it provided, leading them to let the license expire.
What happened to university broadcasting after WHD?
In the early 1930s, the university used a 20-minute daily slot on the commercial station WMMN for its "School of the Air" programs, and later established WWVU-FM in 1982.
What were the specific wavelengths for radio in 1921?
Under the Limited Commercial license, entertainment was restricted to 360 meters (833 kHz), while market and weather reports were restricted to 485 meters (619 kHz).