I recently had the pleasure of attending the California Historical Radio Society’s (CHRS) “Radio Day by the Bay” event in Alameda, California. This year marked the organization’s 50th anniversary, and the event was a vibrant celebration of radio’s rich history and enduring legacy.
With a long history of making radios and supporting the radio industry, C. Crane was a proud sponsor. Sharing the space with iconic local stations like KFRC and KPFA was a great experience, and the CHRS museum store was a treasure trove of fascinating memorabilia. Getting to see their new location under construction offered a promising outlook for the future of radio preservation.
A highlight for many, myself included, was the captivating exhibit on early radio technology. Witnessing the evolution of radio from its primitive beginnings to the 1920s was truly awe-inspiring. The knowledgeable CHRS guides provided invaluable insights, and their passion for radio history is evident in their detailed explanations.
These folks at CHRS go above and beyond to keep radio history alive. They offer classes on how to fix radios, educational programs, and even teach you how to be an amateur radio operator! Their dedication to ensuring radio’s legacy lives on is truly commendable. I especially regretted not taking pictures of their impressive radio repair area!
Another highlight was the live auction! They had tons of old radios, all beautifully restored by CHRS members – you could tell how much skill and care went into them. We even met a retired gentleman who now teaches radio repair – what a way to give back! One of my favorite moments was the lively jazz band that brought the venue to life. The blend of history, music, and community spirit reminded me why radio is such a powerful medium—it connects us in ways few other technologies can.
You can also find more highlights here:
CHRS website: https://californiahistoricalradio.com/2024-radio-day-by-the-bay-live-in-alameda/
video: https://youtu.be/nn6r-xwFeE8?si=0t0C1nn_pg9N84Ss
This event was a great reminder of C. Crane’s Bay Area roots. It was such a pleasure to speak with customers in person and reminisce about their favorite Bay Area radio legends such as Bill Wattenburg and Gene Burns. Did you know our story actually started here? Back in the early 80s, our founders, Bob and Sue Crane, moved north to our current city of Fortuna and couldn’t get their favorite station, KGO radio. That’s when Bob figured out an antenna solution to bring the signal in, and tried advertising on KGO! They started selling antennas from their kitchen table, and that’s how C. Crane radio was born!
As we continue to innovate at C. Crane, events like this inspire us to honor the past while looking toward the future. I invite you to explore the incredible work being done at CHRS; it’s inspiring to see organizations like CHRS keeping radio history alive!
We’d love for you to share your favorite radio memory. After all, it’s these connections that keep the spirit of radio alive.
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I’m 74. Got my first only FM Radio in 1962 (I think very early FM) and loved station WBAI out of NYC. I still have the radio and instructions. Might have the box. It works (long live tubes?!) very well. I keep it as an antique and not looking to sell or donate it. Thanks for your blog.
Those old radios are beautiful! And someone teaching how to repair them is fantastic! Thanks for these interesting stories.
I remember listening to college football games on Saturday evening on my little transistor radio. I would just listen for a broadcast, not knowing who was playing. I remember listening to LSU playing one Saturday evening, the crowd was so loud that you could barely hear the announcer. Sometimes I could get a game from the West coast. I’m in Nebraska, so the West coast games, and games from the S.E. would be what I would usually get.
Im 71 years on planet earth and my first radio was a transistor radio made by Zenith. Have loved radio since. So sad to see WCBS 880 bite the dust. From all along the East Coast one could check on what was going on in New York
Yep, I was shocked that such a mainstay of AM in the Big Apple could not continue. Our only remaining AM station in my town has been switched to a syndicated sports talk network also.
Always a radio bug. It would be so good if my CC WIFI 2 could go back into service it was such a great product. It could do everything.
DM
Army signal corps veteran, from Vietnam, with teletype and early computers. communication has come a long way.
when stuck in traffic i pull out my ccrane skywave ssb and tune in to to the trucker channel 27185 i can also listen to pirate radio and even airplanes !
Really enjoyed the article and the video and ATR! (All Things Radio). Thanks for putting this out there. I visit San Jose a few times a year (from Wisconsin) and will get to the museum in Alameda one of these times!