At that time, there were competition for private broadcasting license between Radio Tohoku (not related to the former name of Akita Broadcasting), an unnamed local newspaper in Aomori, and Tohoku Broadcasting.[1]: 22–23 In April 1953, Tohoku Radio and Tohoku Broadcasting made a settlement, and Tohoku Broadcasting cancelled its application for a broadcasting license in Aomori Prefecture, and the two cooperated fully.[1]: 26 In August of the same year, Radio Tohoku received its broadcasting license which was then renamed to Radio Aomori on September 26.[1]: 27
Radio Aomori was then established on September 30, 1953.[2] A day before its establishment, they conducted trial radio broadcasts.[1]: 30 On October 12, 1953, Radio Aomori officially started broadcasting.[1]: 20 Upon its launch, Radio Aomori wasn't receivable to southern parts of the prefecture.[1]: 31 This was later resolved when the Hirosaki relay transmitter was opened in 1956.[1]: 39 According to a survey conducted by the local government of Aomori Prefecture in 1957, Radio Aomori accounted for 76.2% in audience share compared to NHK Radio 1's 21%.[1]: 41
Expansion to TV broadcasting and further developments on radio
Radio Aomori started preparing to broadcast on TV since August 1955, and obtained a TV broadcast license in October 1957.[1]: 44 They conducted trial broadcasts on September 14, 1959, and officially started TV broadcasting on October 1 of the same year.[1]: 44 RAB initially intended to join JNN. However, before it started broadcasting it was discovered that Nippon TV were the most favorable.[1]: 44 In October 1961 to reflect the rapid development of their television broadcasting, Aomori Radio changed its name to Aomori Broadcasting.[1]: 50 In 1965, RAB joined the JRN and NRN networks at the same time, avoiding costs of having another AM radio station in the prefecture.[1]: 59
RAB started color TV broadcasting in 1966[1]: 60 and expanded to uninterrupted sign-on to sign-off broadcasts in May 1970.[1]: 46 On April 1, 1975, RAB started airing TV Asahi programming as it joined ANN after ATV withdrew from being an ANN affiliate.[1]: 80 RAB then withdrew from airing ANN programming when Asahi Broadcasting Aomori opened on October 1, 1991, and continued to air Fuji TV programming.[1]: 117
In 1991, RAB won 7 awards in the 1991 Japan Commercial Broadcasters Association Award.[1]: 116 Since Video Research started conducting rating surveys in Aomori on 1989, RAB continued to be number 1 in terms of TV rating.[1]: 40
