The early years of U.S. radio were marked by the rapid development of stations across the country, many of which would go on to become legendary. Between 1920 and 1930, hundreds of radio stations were established, each playing a crucial role in shaping the broadcast landscape. Here is a compilation of radio stations that were operational during this formative decade:
- KABC – San Antonio, TX
- KALE – Portland, OR
- KARK – Little Rock, AR
- KASA – Elk City, OK
- KBPS – Portland, OR
- KBTM – Paragould, AR
- KCMC – Texarkana, AR
- KCRC – Enid, OK
- KCRJ – Jerome, AZ
- KDB – Santa Barbara, CA
- KDFN – Casper, WY
- KDKA – East Pittsburgh, PA (operated by Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Co.)
- KDLR – Devils Lake, ND (Radio Electric Co. & Wilson Insurance Agency)
- KDN – San Francisco, CA (Leo J. Meyberg Co.)
- KDP – Seattle, WA (Saint James Cathedral, temporary)
- KDPM – Cleveland, OH (Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Co.)
- KDPT – San Diego, CA (Southern Electric Co.)
- KDYL – Salt Lake City, UT (Intermountain Broadcasting Co.)
- KDYM – San Diego, CA (Savoy Theater)
- KDYN – Redwood City, CA (Great Western Radio Corporation)
- KDYO – San Diego, CA (Carlson & Simpson)
- KDYQ – Portland, OR (Oregon Institute of Technology)
- KDYR – Pasadena, CA (Pasadena Star-News Publishing Co.)
- KDYS – Great Falls, MT (The Tribune)
- KDYU – Klamath Falls, OR (Herald Publishing Co.)
- KDYV – Salt Lake City, UT (Cope & Cornwell Co.)
- KDYW – Phoenix, AZ (Smith Hughes & Co.)
- KDYX – Honolulu, HI (Star Bulletin)
- KDYY – Denver, CO (Rocky Mountain Radio Corporation)
- KDZA – Tucson, AZ (Arizona Daily Star)
- KDZB – Bakersfield, CA (Frank E. Siefert)
- KDZD – Los Angeles, CA (W. R. Mitchell)
- KDZE – Seattle, WA (Rhodes Brothers Dept Store)
- KDZF – Los Angeles, CA (Automobile Club of Southern California)
- KDZG – San Francisco, CA (Cyrus Peirce & Co.)
- KDZH – Fresno, CA (Fresno Evening Herald)
- KDZI – Wenatchee, WA (Electric Supply Co.)
- KDZJ – Eugene, OR (Excelsior Radio Co.)
- KDZK – Reno, NV (Nevada Machinery & Electric Co.)
- KDZL – Ogden, UT (Rocky Mountain Radio Corporation)
- KDZM – Centralia, WA (E. A. Hollingworth)
- KDZP – Los Angeles, CA (Newberry Electric Corporation)
- KDZQ – Denver, CO (Motor Generator Co.)
- KDZR – Bellingham, WA (Bellingham Publishing Co.)
- KDZT – Seattle, WA (Seattle Radio Association, temporary)
- KDZU – Denver, CO (Western Radio Corporation)
- KDZW – San Francisco, CA (Claude W. Gerdes)
- KDZX – San Francisco, CA (Glad Tidings Tabernacle)
- KDZZ – Everett, WA (Kinney Brothers & Sipprell)
- KECA – Los Angeles, CA
- KEJK – Beverly Hills, CA (R. S. Macmillan)
- KELW – Burbank, CA (Earl L. White)
- KERN – Bakersfield, CA
- KEX – Portland, OR (Western Broadcasting Co.)
- KFAB – Lincoln, NE (Nebraska Buick Auto Co.)
- KFAC – Glendale, CA (Glendale Daily Press)
- KFAD – Phoenix, AZ (Electrical Equipment Co.)
- KFAE – Pullman, WA (State College of Washington)
- KFAF – San Jose, CA (Alfred E. Fowler)
- KFAN – Moscow, ID (University of Idaho)
- KFAP – Butte, MT (Standard Publishing Co.)
- KFAQ – San Jose, CA (City of San Jose)
- KFAR – Hollywood, CA (Studio Lighting Service Co., O. K. Olsen)
- KFAT – Eugene, OR (Dr. S. T. Donohue)
- KFAU – Boise, ID (Boise High School)
- KFBF – Butte, MT (Butte School of Telegraph, F. H. Smith)
- KFBG – Tacoma, WA (First Presbyterian Church)
- KFBH – Marshfield, OR (Thomas Musical Co.)
- KFBI – San Francisco, CA (Flying Broadcasters Inc.)
- KFBJ – Boise, ID (Idaho Radio Supply Co.)
- KFBK – Sacramento, CA (Kimball-Upson Co.)
- KFBL – Everett, WA (Leese Brothers)
- KFBM – Astoria, OR (Cook and Foster)
This extensive list represents just a portion of the many radio stations that were operational in the U.S. during the 1920s, each contributing to the diverse and rapidly expanding world of broadcast media. From early pioneers like KDKA in Pittsburgh, which famously became the first commercial radio station, to smaller stations in rural towns, these stations helped shape the media landscape of the era and set the stage for the growth of the radio industry as we know it today.