I was wondering the other day if broadcasters has ever decreased. In modern times, it seemed possible that as listeners move away from the AM band. But it has not happened yet. Even in Canada where the AM band is almost shuttered, those same broadcasters largely moved to new frequencies on the FM band. To find even a rumor of such a reduction, you have to go back to the very inception of commercial radio broadcasting. In my research I found a single Radio World article from November 18th, 1922 which indicates an actual reduction in the number of broadcasters. Spoiler: the title was just click-bait.
Now in 1922 that claim was more plausible, even while it came packaged with an exaggerated concern that radio might die out altogether. Today we see equally dramatic predictions of death for all kinds of media: AM, FM, satellite radio, TV, cable, and newspapers. Much like the perennial dire predictions on the death of rock n' roll, it was all premature. The end of radio was not a real threat in 1922 any more than it would be in 2020. Here was the situation:
In October 1922 a total of 56 radio (land) stations were licensed to broadcast and 22 were deleted. That's a net increase of only 24 radio stations. But by the first week of November there were a total of 533 broadcasting stations operating. 19 of them were operating on 400 meters and 519 of them on 360 meters. It sounds a bit crowded. But somehow by the end of that week another 11 more station were licensed. These are listed below. The Frequency is in meters, and the power in watts.
| City/State | Frequency | Power | Callsign | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pendleton, OR | 360 | 100 | KFFE | Eastern Oregon Radio Co. |
| Macon, GA | 360 | 750 | WMAZ | Mercer University |
| Council Bluffs, IA | 360 | 10 | WPAF | Peterson's Radio Co. |
| Lincoln, NE | 360 | 250 | WSAS | State of Nebraska |
| Austin, TX | 360 | 100 | WNAS | Texas Radio Corporation |
| David City, NE | 360 | 20 | WRAR | Jacob C. Thomas |
| Walla Walla, WA | 360 | 50 | KFCF | Frank A. Moore |
| Honolulu, HI | 360 | 40 | KYQ | Electric Shop |
| State College, PA | 360 | 1 | WPAB | Pennsylvania State Coll. |
| Waco, TX | 360 | 50 | WWAC | Sanger Bros |
| Springfield, MA | 360 | 600 | WBZ | Westinghouse Electric |
That said, there are some incongruities in the list Radio World published (above). Most of the entries seem to belong to the "Additions" list from the November Bulletin. But KYQ wasn't granted in the November Bulletin, it was listed in December. Also WBZ signed on in September of 1921. It has no business being on the list at all. But that does not address the 27 stations excluded from their list. More here. Below are the actual additions from issues 65 - 68 of the Department of Commerce Radio Bulletins of 1922. The month of November had more new radio stations, not fewer.
September 1st, 1922 - No. 65 (46 new stations)
October 1st, 1922 - No. 66 (49 new stations)
November 1st, 1922 - No. 67 (38 new stations)
December 1st, 1922 - No. 68 (38 new stations)
So where did this panic-mongering originate? The below 21 stations Radio World listed as deleted in that fateful month in October of 1922. In the Commerce Department Bulletin they used the phrase "Strike Out All Particulars."
| City/State | Frequency | Callsign | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Savannah, GA | 360 | WGAV | B.H. Radio Co |
| Bluefield, WV | 360 | WHAJ | Daily Telegraph |
| Corinth, MS | 360 | WHAU | Corinth Radio Supply |
| Worcester, MA | 360 | WDAT | Delta Electric Co. |
| Toledo, OH | 360 | WHU | The William Duck Co. |
| Erie, PA | 360x | WJT | Electric Equipment Co. |
| Yakima, WA | 360 | KQT | Electric Power & appliance |
| Zanesville, OH | 360x | WPL | Fergus Electric Co. |
| Carrollton, MO | 360x | WLAB | George F. Grossman |
| Lindsborg, KS | 360 | WDAD | Central Kansas Radio Supply |
| Portland, OR | 360 | KYG | Wiliam P. Hawley Jr. |
| Holyoke, MA | 360 | WHAX | Holyoke Street Railway |
| Buffalo, NY | 360 | WWT | Mccarthy Bros & Ford |
| Springfield, MA | 360 | WIAP | Radio Development Corp |
| New Orleans, LA | 360 | WBAM | I.B. Rennysen |
| Rochester, NY | 360 | WHQ | Times Union Inc |
| Butte, MT | 360 | KFBF | F. H. Smith |
| Jacksonville, FL | 360 | WCAN | Southeastern Radio Telephone |
| Spokan, WA | 360 | KOE | Spokane Chronicle |
| Norwood, OH | 360 | WIAL | Standard Radio Service Co. |
| Portsmouth, OH | 360 | WDAB | H.C. Summer & Son |
| Richmond, VA | 360 | WBAZ | Times Dispatch Publishing |
But this list too is somewhat dubious. The Department of Commerce Radio Bulletin combines deletions in the same section as corrections. Again the Radio World list and the Bulletin are similar, but not identical. From the published list Radio World excludes WMT. Possibly just human error. But maybe here is where the panic began.
In October (Bulletin No. 66) the Commerce Department deleted KUXP, KDMK, KDIZ,WSK, KDGT, and WBAT; a mere six stations. In September (Bulletin No. 65) they deleted only two: KNR, and KZI. The previous August (Bulletin No. 64) they deleted just 3 stations: WQX, KDRO, and WQC. So perhaps in November, when the Alterations list suddenly grew by an exponential order a little panic set in.
