21 April – On her 21st birthday, a speech by Princess Elizabeth, the future Queen Elizabeth II, is broadcast from Cape Town (where the royal family is on tour), delivering a pledge of service to the British Commonwealth.[1]
1 June – Publication of the first number of Radio Nacional de España's fortnightly programme magazine Sintonía.
2 June – The Guiding Light is revived by CBS Radio after being canceled by NBC Radio the previous November. CBS would air "TGL" until 2009 on both radio and television.
20 October – Radio rights for the World Series in North American baseball sell for $475,000 for 3 years.
24 October – Francis Poulenc's Sinfonietta receives its world premiere in a broadcast concert from London having been commissioned by the BBC for the first anniversary of their Third Programme.[2]
18 November – The BBC links up with stations around the globe in the programme BBC Covers the World.
(date unknown) – Philco Radio Time starring Bing Crosby, on the ABC Radio network, introduces taped broadcasting to primetime network radio.[3] The show has formerly been recorded on large wax transcription disks.[3]
6 October – Philip Odell, a fictional detective created by Lester Powell and played by Canadian actorRobert Beatty, is heard for the first time on BBC radio in Lady in a Fog.
January 6 - KWPC, Muscatine, Iowa, begins broadcasting on 860 kHz with 250 W power (daytime only).
February – WBPZ, Lock Haven, Pennsylvania, begins broadcasting as a Mutual affiliate on 1230 kHz with 250 W of power.[7]
31 March – WNBD-FM, Daytona Beach, Florida, begins broadcast operations.[8]
4 April – WSVS, Crewe, Virginia, begins broadcasting on a frequency of 650 kHz.[9]
5 April – WRRZ, Clinton, North Carolina, begins broadcast operations on 880 kHz. with 1 KW of power.[10]
10 April – KCNA begins broadcasting on 580 Kcs in Tucson, Arizona.[11]
20 April – WMLO, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, begins broadcasting on 1290 kHz with 1 kW of power.[12]
23 April – WFNS-FM, Burlington, North Carolina, begins broadcasting.[13]
27 April – WFAK, Charleston, South Carolina, begins broadcasting on 730 kHz with 1 kW of power.[14]
27 April – WEEK, Peoria, Illinois, begins broadcasting on 1350 kHz with 1 kW of power.[15]
30 April – WMCK, Pittsburgh, begins broadcasting on 1360 kHz.[16]
3 May – WSIC (1400 kHz, 250 W) and WSIC-FM (96.5 MHz), Statesville, North Carolina, begin broadcasting simultaneously with WSIC a Mutual affiliate and WSIC-FM duplicating the AM station's programming.[17]
5 May – WRON, Ronceverte, West Virginia, begins broadcasting as a Mutual affiliate on 1400 kHz with 250 W of power.[18]
9 May – KPBX, Beaumont, Texas, begins broadcasting on 1380 kHz.[19]
12 May – KATL, Houston, Texas, begins broadcasting on 1590 kHz with 1 KW of power.[20]
14 May – KULA, Honolulu, begins broadcasting as an ABC affiliate.[21]
16 May – KDIX, Dickinson, North Dakota, begins broadcasting on 1230 kHz with 250 W of power.[22]
18 May – WATG-FM, Ashland, Ohio, begins broadcasting on 100.7 MHz.[23]
1 August – WEBJ, Brewton, Alabama, begins broadcasting on 1240 kHz with 250 W power.[45]
3 August – KVER, Albuquerque, New Mexico, begins broadcasting on 1490 kHz with 250 W power.[46]
4 August – WIKY, Evansville, Indiana, begins broadcasting on 820 kHz with 250 W power.[47]
8 August – WIMS, Michigan City, Indiana, begins broadcasting on 1420 kHz with 1 KW power.[48]
10 August – KRUL, Corvallis, Oregon, begins broadcasting on 1340 kHz with 250 W.[49]
10 August – WFTW, Fort Wayne, Indiana, begins broadcasting on 1090 kHz with 1 KW power.[50]
11 August – KOLN, Lincoln, Nebraska, begins broadcasting as a Mutual affiliate on 1400 kHz with 250 W power.[51]
11 August – WLOS, Asheville, North Carolina, begins broadcasting on 1380 kHz with power of 5 KW (daytime) and 1 KW (night).[52]
13 August – WJPG-FM (now WIXX-FM), Green Bay, Wisconsin, begins broadcasting on 101.1 MHz.[53]
15 August – KSEI-FM, Pocatello, Idaho, begins broadcasting on 96.5 MHz.[54]
15 August – KTIL, Tillamook, Oregon, begins broadcasting on 1590 kHz with 250 W power.[55]
17 August – WPDX, Clarksburg, West Virginia, begins broadcasting on 750 kHz with 1 KW power, daytime only.[56]
August – WIBV, Belleville, Illinois, begins broadcasting on 1060 kHz with 250 W power.[57]
1 September – WWVA-FM, Wheeling, West Virginia, begins broadcasting on 98.7 MHz.[58]
10 September – WHCC, Waynesville, North Carolina, begins broadcasting on 1400 kHz with 250 W power.[59]
14 September – WRFD, Worthington, Ohio, begins broadcasting on 880 kHz with 5 KW power (daytime only).[60]
14 September – KWBR-FM, San Francisco, California, is dedicated, broadcasting on 97.3 MHz.[61]
14 September – KDYL-FM, Salt Lake City, Utah, begins broadcasting on 98.7 MHz.[62]
19 September – KONG-FM, Alameda, California, begins broadcasting on 104.9 MHz.[63]
21 September – KSLO, Opelousas, Louisiana, begins broadcasting on 1230 kHz with 250 W power.[64]
29 September – WNMP, Evanston, Illinois, begins broadcasting on 1590 kHz with 1 KW power.[65]
September – WTNC, Thomasville, North Carolina, begins broadcasting on 790 kHz with 1 KW power.[66]
4 October – WGBA, Columbus, Georgia, begins broadcasting on 620 kHz with 1 KW power.[67]
5 October – WSWN, Belle Glade, Florida, begins broadcasting on 900 kHz with 1 KW power.[68]
5 October – WBYS, Canton, Illinois, begins broadcasting on 1560 kHz with 250 W power (daytime only).[69]
5 October – WLAD, Danbury, Connecticut, begins broadcasting on 800 kHz with 250 W power (daytime only).[70]
5 October – KSBS, Kansas City, Kansas, begins broadcasting on 105.9 MHz.[71]
8 October – KUSN, San Diego, California, begins broadcasting on 1510 kHz with 5 KW daytime and 1 KW nighttime power.[72]
8 October – KTXL, San Angelo, Texas, begins broadcasting as a Mutual affiliate on 1340 kHz with 250 W power (full-time).[73]
13 October – WBBC, Flint, Michigan, begins broadcasting on 1330 kHz with 1 KW power full-time.[74]
15 October – KYNO, Fresno, California, begins broadcasting on 1300 kHz with 1 KW power full-time.[75]
15 October – KWIL-FM, Albany, Oregon, begins broadcasting on 101.7 MHz.[76]
15 October – WKPB, Knoxville, Tennessee, begins broadcasting on 93.3 MHz.[77]
19 October – KGIL, San Fernando, California, begins broadcasting on 1260 kHz with 1 KW power full-time.[78]
19 October – KURV, Edinburg, Texas, begins broadcasting on 710 kHz with 250 W power (daytime only).[79]
19 October – WPGH, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, begins broadcasting on 1080 kHz with 1 KW power (daytime only).[80]
19 October – KOKX, Keokuk, Iowa, begins broadcasting on 1310 kHz with 250 W power (daytime only).[81]
21 October – WHUC, Hudson, New York, begins broadcasting on 1230 kHz with 250 W power.[80]
22 October – WJTN-FM begins broadcasting on 93.3 MHz.[82]
22 October – KSFH-FM, San Francisco, California, begins broadcasting on 94.9 MHz.[83]
26 October – KVFD-FM, Fort Dodge, Iowa, begins broadcasting on 102.7 MHz.[84]
27 October – WMBM, Miami Beach, Florida, begins broadcasting on 800 kHz with 1 KW power.[85]
28 October – WFRL, Freeport, Illinois, begins broadcasting on 1570 kHz with 1 KW power.[86]
28 October – WHBF-FM, Rock Island, Illinois, begins broadcasting on 98.9 MHz.[87]
29 October – KBMT-FM, San Bernardino, California, begins broadcasting on 99.9 MHz.[88]
(undated) November – WKLF begins broadcasting on 980 kHz with 1 KW power.[89]
(undated) November – WSID, Baltimore, Maryland, begins broadcasting on 1570 kHz with 1 KW power.[90]
1 November – WSLQ-FM, Roanoke, Virginia, begins broadcasting as WSLS on 99.1 MHz with 4,700 watts of power.[citation needed]
2 November – WCEC and WCEC-FM, Rocky Mount, North Carolina, begins broadcasting—the AM station on 810 kHz with 1 KW power (daytime only) and the FM station at 100.7 MHz.[91]
3 November – KGO-FM, San Francisco, California, begins broadcasting on 106.1 MHz.[92]
8 November – WGST-FM, Atlanta, Georgia, begins broadcasting on 94.1 MHz.[93]
8 November – KRUS, Ruston, Louisiana, begins broadcasting as a Mutual affiliate on 1490 kHz with 250 W power (full-time).[94]
9 November – KLIF, Dallas, Texas, begins broadcasting on 1190 kHz with 1 KW power.[95]
10 November – WLAW-FM, Lawrence, Massachusetts, begins broadcasting on 93.7 MHz.[96]
10 November – WHMA-FM, Anniston, Alabama, begins broadcasting on 100.5 MHz.[97]
16 November – WJPD, Ishpeming, Michigan, begins broadcasting on 1240 kHz with 250 W power (full-time).[98]
16 November – KXEL-FM, Waterloo, Iowa, begins broadcasting on 105.7 MHz.[99]
16 November – KCRK, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, begins broadcasting on 96.9 MHz.[100]
17 November – KVNJ-FM, Fargo, North Dakota, begins broadcasting on 92.3 MHz.[101]
20 November – WJLK-FM, Asbury Park, New Jersey, begins broadcasting on 104.7 MHz.[102]
26 November – WVLK, Versailles, Kentucky, begins broadcasting as a Mutual affiliate on 1500 kHz with 1 KW power (full-time).[103]
27 November – WBMD, Baltimore, Maryland, begins broadcasting on 750 kHz with 1 KW power (daytime only).[104]
29 November – WTRF, Wheeling, West Virginia, begins broadcasting as a Mutual affiliate on 1290 kHz with 1 KW power.[105]
29 November – WTRF-FM, Wheeling, West Virginia, begins broadcasting on Channel 236.[105]
(undated) December – WBOW-FM begins broadcasting on 101.1 MHz.[106]
1 December – WAFM, Birmingham, Alabama, begins broadcasting on 99.5 MHz.[107]
1 December – WSJS-FM, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, begins broadcasting on 104.1 MHz.[108]
2 December – KREL, Goose Creek, Texas, begins broadcasting on 1360 kHz with 1 KW power (full-time).[109]
3 December – KSET, El Paso, Texas, begins broadcasting on 1340 kHz at 250 W (full-time).[110]
5 December – WHOO, Orlando, Florida, begins broadcasting as an ABC affiliate on 990 kHz with 10 kW power (daytime only).[111]
5 December – WTTH, Port Huron, Michigan, begins broadcasting on 1360 kHz with 1 KW power (daytime only).[112]
5 December – WTTH-FM, Port Huron, Michigan, begins broadcasting on 99.1 MHz.[112]
7 December – WSKI, Montpelier, Vermont, begins broadcasting on 1240 kHz with 250 W power.[113]
7 December – KFRM, Concordia, Kansas, begins broadcasting on 550 kHz with 5 KW power. All of its programming originated in the studios of KMBC, Kansas City, Missouri—the first arrangement of its kind to be licensed by the Federal Communications Commission.[114]
7 December – WHVA-FM, Poughkeepsie, New York, begins broadcasting on 104.7 MHz.[115]
7 December – WLEC, Sandusky, Ohio, begins broadcasting on 1450 kHz with 250 W power (full-time).[116]
12 December – KXAR, Hope, Arkansas, begins broadcasting as a Mutual affiliate on 1490 kHz with 250 W power.[117]
14 December – WCAV, Norfolk, Virginia, begins broadcasting on 860 kHz with 1 KW power (daytime).[118]
17 December – KVON, Napa, California, begins broadcasting on 1440 kHz with 500 W power (full-time).[119]
20 December – KCRG, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, begins broadcasting on 1600 kHz with 5 KW power.[120]
21 December – WSGN-FM, Birmingham, Alabama, begins broadcasting on 93.7 MHz.[121]
21 December – WHBS-FM, Huntsville, Alabama, begins broadcasting on 95.1 MHz.[121]
25 December – KURV-FM, Edinburg, Texas, begins broadcasting on 104.9 MHz with 1 KW effective radiated power.[122]
29 December – WKAT-FM, Miami Beach, Florida, begins broadcasting on 93.1 MHz.[123]
31 December – WOPT-FM, Oswego, New York, begins broadcasting on 104.7 MHz.[124]
5 August – Robert Krulwich, American topical broadcast presenter.
1 October – Jane Dornacker (died 1986), American rock musician, actress, comedian and WNBC traffic reporter; killed in helicopter crash while live on air.
^Cox, Jim (2008). This Day in Network Radio: A Daily Calendar of Births, Debuts, Cancellations and Other Events in Broadcasting History. McFarland & Company, Inc. ISBN978-0-7864-3848-8.