History of WKIP - A station signs on the air in Poughkeepsie

The Beginning......

On Wednesday night June 5, 1940, at 6pm Eastern Daylight Time, radio station WKIP went on the air from new, modern studios at the Nelson House. The evening opened with News from the Poughkeepsie Eagle-News. At 6:15, Ed Rozell, sports editor for the Poughkeepsie Eagle News, gave the day in sports. This was followed at 6:30pm by a Dinner Concert and the show "It's a Date" at 7:00pm. At 8:00pm, the formal opening ceremonies took place on the "WKIP Presents" program. Featured speakers that evening included Alderman William Duggan, Rabbi Abraham Haselkorn, representing the area clergy association, Richmond Meyer, president of the Rotary Club, Jesse Wetsel, president of the Chamber of Commerce, and Richard E. Coon, a co-owner and founder of the Poughkeepsie Broadcasting Corporation. More programs followed at 9:30pm and the station concluded its broadcast day at 11pm.

While Richard Coon was executive editor at the Poughkeepsie Evening Star, he led the effort to bring a radio station to Poughkeepsie. Along with Judge John E, Mack, Dr. Henry MacCracken, Charles Mitchell, James Townsend, John Grubb and Mrs. Arthur Parks, the Poughkeepsie Broadcasting Corporation was formed. He solicited the help of Dutchess County’s number one citizen, President Franklin Roosevelt, to get the station’s license. President Roosevelt formally welcomed WKIP to the Hudson Valley in a special broadcast from the Summer White House on August 19, 1940. Mr. Coon later sold the WKIP to the Poughkeepsie Newspapers, Inc. in 1944.

President Roosevelt with Judge Mack

Courtesy McCabe and Mack, LLC

WKIP was the first radio station between New York City and Albany on the east side of the Hudson River. For the first time, listeners in Poughkeepsie could receive a reliable radio signal and did not have to deal with fading or static while trying to tune in a New York City station. This advantage was used in WKIP ads.

The station debuted on 1420 kilocycles. On March 29, 1941, the FCC’s recently adopted new frequency allocation plan for AM radio went into effect, and WKIP moved to its present day spot on the dial of 1450.

WKIP was fortunate to have a network affiliation – the NBC Blue Network, (NBC’s network for smaller markets). This allowed the station to carry such network programs as The Green Hornet, Easy Aces, and I Love a Mystery. Due to FCC regulations adopted in the late 1930s, NBC was required to divest one its networks. It kept the NBC Red Network, and the Blue Network was sold. On June 15, 1945, it became the American Broadcasting Company, or ABC. ABC’s most famous morning property, the Breakfast Club with Don McNeil, was heard every morning from Chicago. Over the years, ABC’s rich history and commitment to news meant that WKIP listeners benefited from such great names as Alex Dreier, Arthur Van Horne, Don Gardiner, Edward P. Morgan, Paul Harvey, Joe Templeton, and Howard Cosell. WKIP remained an affiliate of ABC until 2001, when the current owners Clear Channel Communications dropped the affiliation and picked up CNN Radio. .

WKIP History - Page 2