Radio Station KOE

Not much is known about radio station KOE. According to Department of Commerce records, the station was licensed to the Spokane Chronicle Newspaper on 12 April 1922 and the license was deleted on 7 October 1922. For images of the station's first license, see the photo gallery below. For information about the station's transmitting plant, antenna, and other technical aspects of the station click here. The frequency it used was 833 kHz, a frequency shared by other stations at the time. Accounts by old-timers concerning KOE are sketchy and they seem to confuse KOE and KFZ perhaps because KOE and KFZ used the same frequency.

The Spokane Chronicle was owned by the Cowles Family. The Cowles family got back into broadcasting in 1946 when they bought KHQ-AM from Louis Wasmer. As of the time of this writing, the Cowles Family owned KHQ-TV.

If anyone has any information about KOE which is not included here please let me know. My email address is wjharms@!radiotowers.info (remove the "!" character).

Compiled and Edited by Bill Harms - updated on 21 September 2008

SOURCES:

  1. A Chronology of AM Radio Broadcasting; compiled by Jeff Miller last revision: Dec. 24, 1997; last accessed at http://www.demajo.net/radio/timeline.htm on 30 June 2005.
  2. Commercial and Government Radio Stations, 30 June 1922, Pages 73-78 Department of Commerce, Washingon, DC
  3. KOE License Record, Description of Apparatus, and Schedule of Station and Apparatus. 12 April 1922. Commission of Navigation, Department of Commerce, Washington, DC. Copied from the National Archives, RG Number 173.
  4. Radio Service Bulletin, 1 May 1922, #61, Pages 19-22 Department of Commerce, Washingon, DC.

PHOTO GALLERY

Copies of KOE's first license and associated documents copied from the Department of Commerce files at the National Archives.

This the cover page for the license. It is not dated and does not have have the station's callsign on it. It does have the stations owner, the Spokane Chronicle on it. (National Archives)

Applicant's Description of Apparatus. This is the station's application for license. It includes a recommendation by the radio district supervisor for a provisional license. (National Archives)

Schedule of Station and Apparatus. This was filled out by the Department of Commerce and is the document that provides the license for the station to operate. The station's callsign appears here. (National Archives)

LINKS TO INDIVIDUAL
STATION HISTORIES

  • Emil Olson's station - Said to be the first station in Spokane to broadcast music
  • KFZ - Licensed by Doerr-Mitchell Company - The first licensed commercial broadcast station in Spokane
  • KOE - Licensed by the Spokane Chronicle Newspaper
  • KFDC/KFPY/KXLY - Humble beginnings to major market force
  • KHQ - 1922 to present
  • KFIO/KLYK/KSPO etc - Claims to be the oldest operating station in Spokane
  • KGA - Started in 1927
  • KREM - Started broadcasting in the late 1940's in Downtown Spokane.
  • KNEW/KJRB - became Spokane's number one top 40 station in the 1960's.
  • KVNI - The Voice of North Idaho
  • KZUN Opportunity - "The Voice of Spokane Valley" from 1955 to 1985.
  • KCFA and KMBI - now owned and operated by the Moody Bible Institute.
  • KUDY etc
  • KPEG/KEZE/KCKO - Started out as an all-female station with the all announcers named Peg. Made a splash as a country station in the 1960's.
  • KLFF Mead - The short history of "Clef Radio"
  • KDNC/KXXR/KSVY - Started out on the Moran Prairie and ended up in the Spokane Valley.
  • KTWD - Spokane's first commercial FM only station and first FM Stereo station. Established in 1966 by Terry Denbrook.

COMING SOON

  • Which station is the oldest station in Spokane? - Look here for the interesting answer

OTHER NEAT LINKS