WSY-AM

WSY was a 500-Watt AM radio station operated by Alabama Power in the early 1920s. The station's first studio was located at 1921 Powell Avenue. It later moved to the radio department, on the top floor of the downtown Loveman's department store. As one of the country's earliest radio stations, it had the ability to reach people as far away as Canada and Cuba.

History

Alabama Power started WSY as Alabama's first licensed radio station (and the 127th in the U.S.A.) on April 24, 1922 as a way to communicate to employees at isolated steam plants and rural work crews. Not long after, the company began receiving letters from residents across the state thanking them for broadcasting things like weather reports and making suggestions. Alabama Power responded by adding interviews, stock quotes, an orchestra composed of Alabama Power employees, a show featuring a Tuskegee Institute quartet, and five Birmingham church services to their programming.

In January 1923, the station's studio was moved to the radio department in the top floor of Loveman's downtown department store. By the fall of that year, the station was so successful Alabama Power faced having to hire employees dedicated solely to running the station. The company opted instead to get out of the radio business. The station's equipment was donated to Alabama Polytechnic Institute, which would later become Auburn University, and used to launch WAPI-AM in 1925.

References

• Spencer, Thomas. (February 6, 2007). "Early days of radio on display." The Birmingham News.
• "WSY: 1922–1992". PDF (1992).
• "History of WAPI." (n.d.) WAPI-AM. Accessed February 7, 2007.