WBBR and Jehovah's Witnesses

The Watchtower, December 1, 1924 
WBBR was established in February 1924 by the Peoples Pulpit Association—later the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York—a corporation owned by the Jehovah's Witnesses, formally opening on February 24. The initial facility was located at Rossville, Staten Island. Radio owners on Staten Island complained that WBBR's religious programs and Bible studies, originating from a pair of 200-foot (61 m) wooden masts, were hard to tune out and blocked reception of other New York stations. It was the first radio station owned by the group: by 1926, there were six, including WORD at Chicago and four stations in Canada. 
The station operated on 720 kHz, but not full-time. In 1927, after it objected to its assignment to share time with station WHAP, WGL was moved to share with WBBR, and the two stations wound up broadcasting over each other one April night in a dispute over time allotments. The result was a spring and summer of legal fighting among stations for frequencies, which included an application to share with WJZ, one of the most important stations in the United States, that attracted national attention. It was ultimately assigned 1170 kHz until the 1928 General Order 40 reallocation, when it moved to 1300 kHz, retaining its power level of 1,000 watts. This frequency was shared by three other stations: WEVD, WHAZ in Troy, New York, and WHAP, which later became WFAB and was deleted in 1938 when it was bought by WEVD. WBBR, WEVD and WHAZ moved to 1330 kHz in 1941 under NARBA. WBBR was allowed to increase power to 5,000 watts during the day in 1947. The station presented light music, Bible readings, lectures, and newscasts. Between 1930 and 1947 and again from 1950 to 1957, the station's main studios were at the Jehovah's Witnesses complex at 124 Columbia Heights in Brooklyn.
Category:WBBR
Category:Jehovah's Witnesses