Crosley Broadcasting Corporation [a "regional", mostly midwestern version of the larger, nation-wide RCA/NBC], founded by radio manufacturing pioneer Powel Crosley, Jr., was an early operator of radio stations in the United States. Powel Crosley Jr ( September 18, 1886 &ndash March 28, 1961) was an American Inventor, Industrialist, and The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Based in Cincinnati, Ohio, Crosley's flagship station was WLW (AM). WLW is a Clear channel radio station located in Cincinnati Ohio, run by Clear Channel Communications and broadcasting on 700 kHz AM. Most of its broadcast properties adopted callsigns in which the first three letters were "WLW", which stood for "[the] World's Largest Warehouse" -- indicative of the short-lived, but innovative industrial / manufacturing "empire" [certainly ahead of its time (and, hence, unsuccessful) in terms of fuel-efficient cars] of the Crosley brothers. Ironically, by the 1970's the Crosley name had ceased to exist in the memory of most US citizens (as would that of its major successor company, Avco, a decade later); but many of the "WLW-" station call-letters persist (see below). And, as of 2005 (possibly even today), the deserted ruins of a major Crosley manufacturing facility could / can be seen on the west side of I-75, just north of the area where the Cincinnati Museum of Natural History [previously the Union Central train terminal] is currently located and where "Crosley Field" once stood [renamed from "Reds Stadium" after a Crosley syndicate purchased the Cincinnati Reds from Sidney Weil and his associates (who had rescued the Reds from bankruptcy in 1929, but subsequently ran out of immediately available cash) in 1933]. Sic transit gloria to all!
During World War II, the company built the Bethany Relay Station in Butler County, Ohio's Union Township, one mile west of its transmitter for WLW, for the Office of War Information. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including The Voice of America 's Bethany Relay Station was located in Butler County Ohio 's Union Township about 25 miles (40 km north of Cincinnati Butler County is a County located in the state of Ohio, United States. West Chester Township, formerly known as Union Township, is a township located in the southeast corner of Butler County in the southwestern part of WLW is a Clear channel radio station located in Cincinnati Ohio, run by Clear Channel Communications and broadcasting on 700 kHz AM. The United States Office of War Information (OWI was a US government agency created during World War II to consolidate government information services It operated as many as five shortwave stations, using the callsigns WLWK, WLWL, WLWO, WLWR and WLWS. It operated the facility for the government until 1963; the impressively huge broadcast transmission towers (on the east side of I-75, between Dayton and Cincinnati and just south of a branded theme-park) still exist. Year 1963 ( MCMLXIII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.
In 1945, the Crosley interests were purchased by Aviation Corporation. Year 1945 ( MCMXLV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar Avco Corporation is a subsidiary of Textron which operates Textron Systems Corporation and Lycoming. The radio and appliance manufacturing arm changed its name to Avco, but the broadcast operations continued to operate under the Crosley name, until they adopted the Avco name in 1968. Avco Corporation is a subsidiary of Textron which operates Textron Systems Corporation and Lycoming. Year 1968 ( MCMLXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.
From the 1950s through the 1970s, Crosley (or Avco) operated a small television network in which programs were produced at one of its stations and broadcast on the other Crosley stations in the Midwest, and occasionally by non-Crosley stations as well. Since all of the Crosley television stations in Ohio were affiliated with NBC (with the exception of WLWI in Indianapolis, Indiana, an ABC affiliate), the Crosley programming fit into the NBC network program schedule, and some programs were even picked up for broadcast by the entire NBC network, such as Midwestern Hayride [on which Rosemary Clooney often performed] and Breakfast Party. The National Broadcasting Company ( NBC) is an American Television network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's WTHR channel 13 is a Television station serving the Indianapolis Indiana metropolitan area The American Broadcasting Company ( ABC) is an American Television network. Rosemary Clooney ( May 23, 1928 &ndash June 29, 2002) was an American Singer and actress whose warm radiant Other programs originated on the Crosley (or Avco) network included The Paul Dixon Show and The Ruth Lyons 50-50 Club, later hosted by Bob Braun. Paul Dixon was a daytime Television Celebrity and Talk show host in Cincinnati Ohio. Bob Braun ( April 20, 1929 - January 15, 2001) was a local television and radio personality in Cincinnati Ohio. The Phil Donahue Show started in 1967 originating from WLWD in Dayton, Ohio. Phillip John "Phil" Donahue (born December 21, 1935 in Cleveland Ohio) is an American media personality and Writer, best known as Year 1967 ( MCMLXVII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the 1967 Gregorian calendar. Dayton is a city in southwestern Ohio, United States. It is the County seat and largest city of Montgomery County. The Jerry Springer Show also started from WLW-T in Cincinnati, by then owned by Multimedia, Inc., and was distributed nationwide by its syndication division, Multimedia Entertainment, which had formerly been owned by Avco (as Avco Embassy Program Sales). The Jerry Springer Show is a television Tabloid talk show hosted by Jerry Springer, a former politician broadcast in the United States and other Multimedia Inc is a now-defunct media company that owned 10 daily Newspapers three weekly newspapers two Radio stations five Television stations Multimedia Entertainment (formerly Avco Embassy Television) was a American television production/distribution company originally formed in 1968.
In 1968 Avco, which had just purchased Embassy Pictures, consolidated its television operations into Avco Embassy Television. Year 1968 ( MCMLXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Embassy Pictures Corporation (previously known as Avco Embassy Pictures and later Embassy Film Associates) was an independent studio and distributor responsible for Multimedia Entertainment (formerly Avco Embassy Television) was a American television production/distribution company originally formed in 1968.
Beginning in 1975, Avco sold all of its broadcasting holdings. Year 1975 ( MCMLXXV) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. In 1975, it sold WLWC-TV in Columbus, WLWI-TV in Indianapolis, WOAI-AM/FM/TV in San Antonio, and WWDC-AM/FM in Washington D.C.; in 1976, it sold WLW-AM and WLWT-TV in Cincinnati, WLWD-TV in Dayton, and its Avco Embassy Television and Avco Embassy Program Sales divisions; in 1977, it sold KYA-AM/FM in San Francisco and WRTH-AM in Wood River-St. Louis. Columbus is the Capital and the largest city of the US state of Ohio. Washington DC ( formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, the District, or simply D Year 1976 ( MCMLXXVI) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Also 1977 (album by Ash. Year 1977 ( MCMLXXVII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays The City and County of San Francisco is the fourth most populous city Wood River is a city in Madison County, Illinois, United States.
The closest thing to a "successor" to Avco Broadcasting was Multimedia, Inc. , to whom Avco sold flagship TV station WLW-T, as well as Avco Embassy Television and Avco Embassy Program Sales in 1976. In December 1995, Gannett (who, coincidentally, owned former Crosley station WXIA-TV in Atlanta) acquired Multimedia, Inc. Year 1995 ( MCMXCV) was a Common year starting on Sunday. Events of 1995 , while the respective syndication division was acquired by MCA Universal. MCA Inc (or Music Corporation of America) was an American Corporation in the music and television businesses By 1997, all of the original Crosley radio and television properties had been sold off by its successor companies, with the exception of WTHR in Indianapolis, which is still owned by an affiliate of the Dispatch Broadcast Group. Year 1997 ( MCMXCVII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1997 Gregorian calendar WTHR channel 13 is a Television station serving the Indianapolis Indiana metropolitan area The Dispatch Broadcast Group is a media company based in Columbus Ohio.
Broadcast outlets operated by Crosley Broadcasting or its successor Avco included:
AM Radio Stations
- WLW: 700 kHz in Cincinnati, Ohio
- WINS: 1010 kHz in New York, New York from 1946 to 1953
- WSAI: 1360 kHz in Cincinnati, Ohio from 1928 to 1945 (acquired thereafter by the "Gordon Broadcasting Company", this station played a significant role in the commercialization of "rock radio" during the 1950's)
- WOAI: 1200 kHz in San Antonio, Texas
- WWDC: 1260 kHz in Washington, DC
- KYA: 1260 kHz in San Francisco, CA
- WRTH: 590 kHz in Wood River, IL/St. Louis, MO
FM Radio Stations
- WLWA: 101. WLW is a Clear channel radio station located in Cincinnati Ohio, run by Clear Channel Communications and broadcasting on 700 kHz AM. WINS (1010 kHz known on-air as "Ten-Ten WINS", is a radio station in New York City, owned by CBS Radio. The City of New York WSAI is an AM radio station broadcasting out of Cincinnati Ohio. Washington DC ( formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, the District, or simply D The City and County of San Francisco is the fourth most populous city The World Radio TV Handbook, known also with the Acronym WRTH, is a directory of virtually every radio and TV station Wood River is a city in Madison County, Illinois, United States. 1 MHz in Cincinnati, Ohio - Frequency occupied since 2006 by WIZF
- WLWB: 97. 5 MHz in Dayton, Ohio
- WLWF: 96. Dayton is a city in southwestern Ohio, United States. It is the County seat and largest city of Montgomery County. WLVQ is an FM radio station in Columbus Ohio, United States, broadcasting on 96 3 MHz in Columbus, Ohio — Now WLVQ
- WOAI: 102. Columbus is the Capital and the largest city of the US state of Ohio. WLVQ is an FM radio station in Columbus Ohio, United States, broadcasting on 96 5 MHz in San Antonio, Texas
- WWDC: 101. 1 mHz in Washington, DC
- KYA: 93. Washington DC ( formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, the District, or simply D 3 mHz in San Francisco, CA
Television Stations
- All are currently NBC affiliates (though WLWA/WXIA and WLWI/WTHR were ABC affiliates when they were owned by Crosley/Avco). The City and County of San Francisco is the fourth most populous city The National Broadcasting Company ( NBC) is an American Television network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's The American Broadcasting Company ( ABC) is an American Television network.
| Current DMA# | Market | Station | Years Owned | Current Owner |
| 9. A media market, broadcast market, media region, designated market area, DMA or simply market is a region where the Population | Atlanta | WLTV/WLWA 2/8/11 (now WXIA 11) | 1951-62 | Gannett Company |
| 25. WXIA-TV channel 11 is an NBC -affiliated television station in Atlanta Georgia. Gannett Company Inc ( is a publicly-traded media Holding company based in the United States. | Indianapolis | WLWI 13 (now WTHR) | 1957-74 | VideoIndiana, Inc. WTHR channel 13 is a Television station serving the Indianapolis Indiana metropolitan area , part of the Dispatch Broadcast Group |
| 32. The Dispatch Broadcast Group is a media company based in Columbus Ohio. | Columbus | WLWC 3/4 (now WCMH 4) | 1949-76 | Media General |
| 33. Columbus is the Capital and the largest city of the US state of Ohio. WCMH-TV, channel 4 is a television station in Columbus Ohio, affiliated with the NBC television network and owned by Media General. Media General Inc. is a Media company based in the Southeastern United States. | Cincinnati | WLWT 4/5 | 1948-76 | Hearst-Argyle |
| 37. WLWT, also known as News 5, is a Television station in Cincinnati Ohio, broadcasting locally on VHF channel 5 as an NBC affiliate Hearst-Argyle Television Inc ( is a broadcasting company in the United States. | San Antonio | WOAI-TV 4 | 1965-75 | Newport Television |
| 58. Newport Television LLC is a television station Holding company founded by Providence Equity Partners and Sandy DiPasquale in 2007 to acquire the television | Dayton | WLWD 5/2 (now WDTN 2) | 1947-76 | LIN TV |
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