Can you imagine a radio station’s signal reaching as far as Canada? KZEP-AM in San Antonio, once known as WOAI, boasts such a powerful reach. It’s called “The 50,000 Watt Blowtorch of South Texas” for a reason. KZEP-AM, originally WOAI, first crackled to life on September 25, 1922. Owned then by the Southern Equipment Company, its call letters were randomly assigned. This makes KZEP-AM, in its previous incarnation as WOAI, one of the westernmost stations with a “W” call sign. Its early broadcasts emanated from a building at Romana and St. Mary’s Streets, with a 500-watt transmitter, a powerhouse for its time. KZEP-AM, then WOAI, joined the NBC Red Network in the 1930s. It delivered the best of radio’s golden age, from dramas and comedies to news and sports. The station even survived a B-29 bomber crashing into its transmitter tower in 1956, a testament to its resilience. In the decades that followed, KZEP-AM, formerly WOAI, transitioned from music to talk radio. It became the flagship station for iHeartMedia. It even served as the radio home for the San Antonio Spurs. So, the next time you’re in San Antonio, remember the legacy of KZEP-AM, a station whose powerful signal has echoed across North America for over a century. From its early days as WOAI to its current format, it’s a story of adaptation, survival, and the enduring power of radio.
Центральный дом работников искусств
Step through the grand wooden doors of the Central House of the Workers of Art, and you’ll be transported to