Radio has been around for over a century.  It was both the telephone and the telegraph that led to the birth of it. “The radio has been the first device to allow for mass communication.” (Wyman, Logan.) Telegraphs and radios were nearly the same thing during the early stages. The only real difference was that radio could transmit its signals wirelessly (Verma, Samidha). The time period from the 1920s to the 1950s was considered the golden age of radio due to its tremendous popularity. It was a form of portable entertainment for many Americans whether it played music, comedies, or talk shows ("The Development of Radio").

Radio has been a major aspect of both my father’s and grandfather’s lives. Not only has it been a job and a source of income for both, it is their passion. My grandpa grew up during radio’s prime years, which sparked his interest. This interest  grew and led to a career. Because of his lifelong passion for radio, I decided to interview him on his life involving radio and how my family's broadcasting company came to be what it is today.

My grandfather, Edward, was surrounded with radio from the start. He had a small radio next to his bed that he would listen to every night. This wasn’t enough for him, however. Even at a young age, his interest in talking over the radio was prevalent. In 1953, he got his ham radio license, opened a door to a greater interest and passion in the field. Although radio was an interest, Ed didn't enter that field right out of high school.

Ed attended night school at Brown College seeking a degree in electrical engineering. During the day hours, he would work at different jobs throughout the years, all of which were in electronics. After a few years, a radio station out of St. Paul, Minnesota contacted his teacher and offered him a job as their chief engineer. He worked there for six months before being contacted by a previous employer, Cetchell Carlson. They asked if he would return to work for them as they needed help in their development of colored TV. He still had a desire to work in broadcasting.

KTRF, a small radio station in Thief River Falls, Minnesota, contacted Ed. They offered him a job as their chief engineer. KTRF was a mess. He worked there about a year, and in that time he put the station back together.

“How bad was the station?” I asked my grandpa.

“Well, there were 21 dead mice in the transmitter that the station had been running on.” He replied.

“Was it difficult to get the station running how it should be?” I asked.

“The station was in rough shape but nothing that hard work couldn't fix. It took a couple others along with myself to bring the station to a quality that was acceptable.” He replied.

His talent, passion, and hard work were noticed and he received a phone call from the Gates Radio Company out of Quincy, Illinois. They asked for him to consider the move to help them build a radio station from the ground up. The location of the station would be Sheldon, Iowa. He accepted the offer and got ready to move his family from Thief River Falls. Before he and his family moved, however, Ed applied for a broadcasting license in Park Rapids, Minnesota knowing that there is opportunity for a successful business in that area.

Ed built the station in Iowa and worked there for a year before being called to active duty by the Air Force. He was held on active duty at a base in Nebraska for 45 days and was then released. Upon his return to Sheldon, Ed had discovered that his position had been filled and his family was faced with another change. This wasn't too problematic, as he had received an offer at KLIZ Radio in Brainerd, Minnesota. He worked there as an engineer, salesman, and on air personnel. During his stay at KLIZ, the construction permit was granted for KPRM in Park Rapids. In Ed’s off hours and weekends, he began the construction.

In 1962, Ed resigned from KLIZ and finished the construction of the station in Park Rapids. December 2, 1962, marked the day that the telegram from the Federal Communications Commissions was received giving Ed authorization to put KPRM on the air. At 7:30 PM, the station was on the air broadcasting at 100 watts. The first thing he broadcasted was the second half of the Park Rapids vs Bemidji basketball game. His broadcasting company was on it's way to becoming a successful business.

1966 marked the year that Ed moved the business to it's current location. He built a new building, tower, and also put an FM station on air. This FM station was 100,000 watts strong, which was the second, full power (100,000 watt) FM in Minnesota. While this may seem great, it had one major downfall. Almost every home in Park Rapids had problems with their TV’s due to the frequency of the new FM. This forced Ed to apply to change the frequency so the problem could be solved. It was granted and the FM was moved to 97.5 where it currently is today. He still had the drive to expand the coverage of his stations.

Ed decided that the best way to cover more area was to build in different towns. He put an FM on 107.1 and an AM on 1480, both located in Fosston, Minnesota. He still wasn't satisfied, so he built another station in Walker, Minnesota. He was trying to expand his stations across the area as far as he could. This was disrupted when he discovered that his Fosston stations were overlapping the signals of the Park Rapids stations. This forced him to shut down the stations in Fosston. Ed also built a station in Brainerd that he sold after a couple years with an offer he couldn't refuse. After selling that station, he built another one in Verndale, Minnesota and then proceeded to build a new station out of Bemidji, Minnesota. Ed sold the Bemidji station in 2014 to the Catholic church.

It is clear that Ed built up broadcasting from nothing but a dream and a passion. He has taken his original station from operating at 100 watts to its present power of 50,000 watts, which is the maximum. He has also modernized the electronics in the station at Park Rapids, making it capable of controlling every location of his.

Ed has taken childhood passion for radio and built a business that supports his family. He has eight kids, seven of which have either followed his path in electrical engineering or are currently working at the radio station in Park Rapids. There is only one thing that has ever been bigger than his love for radio, and that is his love of family. Balancing the two wasn't, and isn’t, always easy, but in the end, it has brought everyone closer together.

Works Cited

"The Development of Radio." PBS. PBS. Web. 11 Jan. 2016.
Verma, Samidha. "Invention Story of Radio." Anonymous. Web. 11 Jan. 2016.
Wyman, Logan. "The History of the Radio." The History of the Radio. Web. 11 Jan. 2016.