As It Was - Episode 2258
Radio Station KMED had been operating since the 1920s in Oregon’s Rogue Valley when a second radio emerged in the late 1930s with the backing of Grants Pass Courier Publisher Amos Voorhies.
The publisher had long been interested in radio, and the newspaper ran regular columns on industry trends and how to build and adjust radios. The Courier installed radio receivers in the Women’s Building for the 1922 Josephine County Fair and later in its own offices. People gathered outside the Courier to listen to reports broadcast from far-off locations, and some of the news made the front page of the Courier, as well.
In 1933, William B. Smullin and Voorhies built an AM station in Eureka, Calif. Encouraged by their success, they decided to create radio station KUIN in Grants Pass. Affiliated with the Mutual Network, the 100-watt station began broadcasting in 1937, showcasing the community’s events and happenings. Like KMED in Medford, KUIN gave Grants Pass community pride.
KUIN became known as KAGI in the 1950s. Today those call letters belong to Southern Oregon University’s Jefferson Public Radio network.
Source: Kramer, Ronald. "Western States Museum of Broadcasting: History of Radio in Southern Oregon." Western States Museum Broadcasting. Web. 20 Sept. 2013.
