WGAZ/WSBT Station records
Collection
0169-MMC
The WGAZ/WSBT Station Records contain information pertaining to the origins and early operations of radio station WGAZ/WSBT in South Bend, Indiana. WGAZ was Indiana's first commercial radio station, owned by the South Bend Tribune newspaper. WGAZ broadcast its first commercial radio program on July 3, 1922. The station was started and managed by Tribune staff member, Eugene Leuchtman. In 1925, the station's call letters were changed to WSBT. WSBT-TV began in 1952, becoming America's first commercially-built UHF station. The collection dates from 1922 to 1973 with the bulk of the material dating from 1922 to 1955. Contents include station logbooks covering the mid to late 1920s containing program and performance notes as well as technical records; historical commentary concerning the station, including several handwritten notes as well as a printed promotional brochure with important dates in the station's history; publicity material, consisting mostly of newspaper clippings from the South Bend Tribune; a few items of station related correspondence and a couple of miscellaneous items including a 1972-1973 calendar of WSBT history.
There are no restricted files in this collection.
Photocopies or digital surrogates may be provided in accordance with Special Collections and University Archives duplication policy.
Copyright resides with the creators of the documents or their heirs unless otherwise specified. It is the researcher's responsibility to secure permission to publish materials from the appropriate copyright holder.
Archival materials may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal and/or state right to privacy laws or other regulations. While we make a good faith effort to identify and remove such materials, some may be missed during our processing. If a researcher finds sensitive personal information in a collection, please bring it to the attention of the reading room staff.
0.50 Linear Feet
The collection dates from 1922 to 1973 with the bulk of the material dating from 1922 to 1955. Contents include station logbooks covering the mid to late 1920s containing program and performance notes as well as technical records; historical commentary concerning the station, including several handwritten notes as well as a printed promotional brochure with important dates in the station's history; publicity material, consisting mostly of newspaper clippings from the South Bend Tribune; a few items of station related correspondence and a couple of miscellaneous items including 1972-1973 calendar of WSBT history.
This collection is arranged in one series:
Mr. Justin Meacham, promotion manager for WSBT, donated the Collection to the Broadcast Pioneers Library in August 1976.
Materials were placed into acid-free folders and acid-free boxes.
Part of the Special Collections and University Archives