Radio: Bridging the Distance Across Rural Utah

Radio: Bridging the Distance Across Rural Utah

Today, we have 24 hour news channels and TikTok to share breaking news and current trends. But for Utahns isolated by distance in the early 20th century, the radio did a tremendous job of connecting residents in rural communities to each other and to the larger world.

“Hello, hello, hello! This is KZN. KZN, the Deseret News, Salt Lake City calling. KZN calling! Greetings!”

In 1922, these words crackled over the airwaves emanating from one of Utah’s first radio stations. Although radio was nothing new in big cities like New York or Chicago, few broadcasters existed in Utah and nearly no one owned a radio receiver. Shortly after KZN’s initial broadcast, radio sets were installed at a rapid rate in Utah homes. And as radios became more common, listeners were eager to hear news and cultural programming in real time. Radio technology bridged the gap between communities separated by distance, offering people a way to connect through shared information and culture.

KZN wasn't Utah's only radio station. Several popped up during the early decades of the twentieth century, although very few survived the 1920s. Early on,  KZN aired programs daily for 30 minutes. The station soon lengthened the broadcast time to an hour and a half each evening. Listeners from all over Utah -- and even neighboring states! -- wrote to the station expressing joy at listening to the broadcast.

At first, KZN listeners heard scripture and religious messages, but content soon broadened to include concerts and dance music aired live from the LDS School of Music, the Hotel Utah Roof Garden, and the Dance Pavillion at Saltair. Children's programming offered songs and stories. Even comedy shows and national sports were broadcast over Utah's airwaves.

Radio quickly became more than a source of entertainment, and Utah listeners eagerly followed -- in real time -- news and current events happening in the state and nation. Public officials saw the potential to relay information across radio waves, and in 1923 thousands of Utahns around the state heard KZN's broadcast of US President Warren Harding speaking from Salt Lake City's Tabernacle. Some stations geared programming toward rural families specifically by providing market reports, weather forecasts, and other agriculturally-focused offerings.

As the popularity and accessibility of radios increased, more Utahns became connected. Isolated pockets of the state now felt part of a broader American experience that included current news, music, and pop culture. Radio technology brought communities a little closer, making vast distances seem a little smaller.

By Mikee Ferran for Utah Humanities © 2024

Image: Early Radio, c1920. KZN was among the first radio stations in Utah, launched in 1922. After 1924 the station’s call letters shifted to KSL, a name that has stuck through changes of ownership. Once transmitters and receivers became more widely spread, radio technology helped bridge distances in Utah. Image courtesy Utah Historical Society.

The Beehive Archive is a production of Utah Humanities. Find sources and the whole collection of past episodes at www.utahhumanities.org/stories.

2024-11-18