Sports have always brought people together.
Be it traveling to the stadium all prepped up in your favorite team’s merch or gathering around the television with a bowl full of hot wings to watch the latest match. Sports serve as the best icebreaker among a group of diverse people.
And it’s not something new; this has been happening since the time people relied on the radio for their fill of sports updates. Yes! That’s true. I remember my dad and I used to wait eagerly for football match broadcasts more than anything.
Once again, I was missing my dad as he’s not around anymore and got nostalgic for those adrenaline-filled happy times.
Hey guys, it’s me, Stacy, and today’s article is my way of reminiscing memorable moments spent with my dad. He’s the one who got me edged up about sports, and radio broadcasts played a huge role in shaping my personality.
I will talk about the history of sports radio broadcasting today, so buckle up; you’ve got a lot of information coming your way.
Let’s get started!
A Brief History Of Sports Radio Broadcasting
Although the first official radio channel featuring sports talk was launched in 1964, the off-record unofficial history goes way back.
In the early 1920s, when commercial radio was still in the budding phase, the sole purpose of radio transmission was to carry out military communication. It was out of bounds to imagine broadcasting as a source of entertainment or recreation.
In 1920, Detroit’s WWJ station innovated to put the scores for the World Series games on-air for sports enthusiasts to enjoy. Over the years, it became a norm, and audiences developed a taste for detailed summaries of the games instead of just the final scores.
The KDKA station catered to that mass appeal by broadcasting the live play-by-play of the baseball match between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh Pirates at the Forbes field. That game on the 5th of August, 1921, was a milestone in the history of radio.
Later that year, RCA went on-air with the same sports series in the fall, and the trend of sports broadcasting continued to evolve.
When radio sports did become a thing, it was in the lines of other soap operas and news broadcasts. People didn’t have the privilege of listening to it from the comfort of their homes and enjoyed it in public with a group of other listeners. That just confirms what I said earlier, sports and radio bring people together, forming a unique community of its own.
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The First Few Radio Broadcasts
While some people prefer experiencing sports in its full flair, in a stadium roaring with spectators, introverted homebodies like to enjoy it from their safe abodes. Sports broadcasting came in as a boon for the latter.
1. First Football Radio Broadcast
This broadcasting event dates back to 1912, when Professor F.W. Springer launched an experimental station for people to dial in. Whoever in the University of Minnesota tuned into the specified frequencies could listen to the first-ever broadcast of the football game.
Unfortunately, not many people appreciated this event as it happened on a small scale, and only a handful of listeners were involved. But that doesn’t make it any less eventful since it was a stepping stone in the journey of sports radio broadcast.
A better and more accessible football game was delivered on sports radio talk in 1921 by Harold Arlin on the KDKA channel. This one created much more buzz than the previous one and even received some local sponsors. Just so you know, the game was played between the University of Pittsburgh and West Virginia University.
2. First Boxing Radio Broadcast
The audience didn’t just enjoy famous sports like football or baseball but also tuned in to listen to boxing matches. Interestingly, the first boxing match was broadcasted not long after the baseball one in 1921, on the 11th of April.
Famous sportswriter, Florent Gibson, then reported the match between Johnny Dundee and Harold Pitler live on KDKA. Even though the fight ended with no conclusive decision and without a winner, the reportage played a pioneering role.
Famous Presenters Of All Time
A major part of the popularity of sports broadcasting revolved around the emotions inflicted by the presenters. Some of these announcers were so skilled and impactful that they could connect with the audiences on a deep level and people used to look forward to listening to them.
I bet everyone knows about the sports presenting years of our former president, Ronald Raegan. He started his career as an announcer in the Iowa football games in university and went ahead to help redefine Chicago Cubs games for the WHO station in his later years.
Walter Cronkite, the former news announcer from CBS TV, also came into the world of broadcasting by being a reporter for the Oklahoma college football games.
History is filled with countless such names, but one that stands out is Graham McNamee. He was considered the best in the field for his passionate involvement in sports and intense discussions on sports events.
Ted housing, Andrew Right, and Grantland Rice are a few other notable sportscasters of all time who played a key role in shaping sports radio broadcasting.
Final Words
It is impossible to have an exact idea of the future of sports radio talk, but it can be estimated that these channels are not going anywhere for the time being.
According to the data, there are more than 780 FM and AM sports stations in the US, and around eighty percent of listeners say they listen to radio stations for insights on sports events like the Super Bowl.
I know, on the face, it looks like that radio is dead and the industry isn’t going anywhere, but the statistics tell a different story. And honestly? Being an old-school person, I love that.
See you next time!