Founding of Marion Radio, WMRN

Radio station WMRN was established through a carefully planned and professionally executed effort that unfolded during 1940 and culminated in Marion, Ohio’s first locally based radio broadcasts late that year. In the years that followed, the station expanded its service to include FM broadcasting, reflecting broader changes in radio technology and listener habits.

Planning and Authorization

WMRN was founded by the Marion Broadcasting Company, with Robert T. Mason of Fremont, Ohio, serving as president and treasurer. Mason brought prior experience in broadcasting, publishing, and national news organizations and directed the creation of WMRN as a fully licensed commercial station rather than an experimental or temporary operation.

During mid-1940, Marion Broadcasting Company announced plans to construct a radio station to serve Marion and the surrounding region. After evaluating multiple locations, Mason selected Marion based on its geographic position, civic infrastructure, and ability to sustain a locally focused broadcast service. He emphasized cooperation with civic, educational, and cultural organizations and the importance of programming rooted in local interest.

The Federal Communications Commission granted the company a construction permit, authorizing the building of station facilities and a test period prior to the issuance of a full operating license.

Construction and Facilities

Construction of WMRN’s studio and transmitter facilities began on a site along North Main Street, approximately one-quarter mile north of the Marion city limits. The project was overseen by J. L. McConnell, a Chicago-based engineer, with Robert Archibald of Chicago serving as general contractor. Marion Broadcasting Company stated publicly that as much subcontracting work as possible would be performed locally.

The station was engineered as a 250-watt AM facility, originally assigned to 1500 kilocycles on the broadcast band. Its projected service radius was approximately 25 miles, reaching an estimated population of 91,000. The transmitting system included a 65-foot vertical antenna, with electrical power supplied by the Marion-Reserve Power Company.

In advance of the station’s launch, Marion Broadcasting Company appointed its initial commercial representatives, establishing an operational and advertising structure prior to the start of regular broadcasting.

Test Broadcasts and Licensing

As construction neared completion, WMRN conducted test broadcasts during early morning hours while awaiting final authorization from the Federal Communications Commission. Station officials had anticipated beginning regular service earlier in December, but final FCC approval did not arrive during the morning hours of the scheduled opening day.

The station remained prepared to begin broadcasting immediately upon receipt of federal authorization.

First Regular Broadcast (AM)

WMRN officially began regular broadcasting on December 23, 1940. According to contemporaneous reporting in The Marion Star, final FCC approval was received shortly after noon, and the station’s first regular program aired at 1:15 p.m.

Broadcasting on opening day continued through the afternoon and evening, with WMRN announcing plans for daily operation between 7:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m. Listeners were instructed to find the station at 1500 on the AM radio dial.

With that broadcast, Marion became home to its first radio station, providing a permanent local platform for news, music, public information, and community programming.

Frequency Change (1941)

WMRN originally signed on in December 1940 broadcasting at 1500 kilocycles. In early 1941, the station shifted to 1490 kilocycles as part of the nationwide frequency reallocation mandated by the North American Regional Broadcasting Agreement (NARBA), which took effect in the United States in March 1941. This federally ordered change affected hundreds of AM stations simultaneously and was not unique to WMRN. The reassignment placed WMRN on what became a standard local-channel frequency, where it has continued to operate in the decades since.

Expansion to FM Broadcasting (1953)

As radio technology advanced and FM broadcasting gained wider acceptance, WMRN expanded its service beyond AM.

According to reporting in The Marion Star, WMRN-FM began broadcasting on May 6, 1953, when the station placed a new FM transmitter into service at 6:30 a.m. The FM operation transmitted on 106.9 megacycles (FM channel 295) and operated in conjunction with the existing AM facilities.

The FM transmitter and a new transmitting tower at the WMRN site had been under construction for several weeks prior to the launch. Initial FM broadcasts were conducted under a temporary permit, pending receipt of a permanent license from the Federal Communications Commission. Hours of operation and programming on FM mirrored those of the AM station during the initial phase.

The addition of FM broadcasting marked a significant milestone in WMRN’s development, extending the station’s reach and audio fidelity while reflecting the broader post-war transition toward FM radio across the United States.

Legacy of the Founding Period

From its establishment in 1940 through its expansion into FM broadcasting in the early 1950s, WMRN evolved from a newly constructed local AM station into a multi-band broadcast operation. Its founding and early growth reflect the broader transformation of American radio from a single-band medium into a diversified broadcast service rooted in local communities.

Primary sources:
The Marion Star, 1940–1953 (construction announcements, licensing coverage, opening-day report, and FM launch coverage)

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Editorial confidence note

All dates, times, frequencies, names, locations, and technical details presented here are derived from contemporaneous newspaper reporting and established federal broadcast history. Later recollections are preserved elsewhere in the archive as oral history and are not substituted where primary documentation exists.