MISSION STATEMENT
The purpose of the Archives of Iowa Broadcasting is to establish and maintain a permanent collection of materials relating to the history, development and contribution of radio and television in Iowa, to be housed at Wartburg College. The electronic information era which was born and developed in the 20th century and is being carried forward in the 21st century rests on a foundation of radio and television experience. A significant part of that early experience took place in the state of Iowa. It is important that this history be preserved and made accessible for current and future study. The Archives of Iowa Broadcasting are dedicated to that objective.
Watch this video, produced in 2006, for an introduction to the Archives of Iowa Broadcasting; the video is hosted by archives administrator and co-founder Dr. Jeff Stein and archives co-founder and broadcasting hall of famer, the late Grant Price.
WHAT'S NEW?
» June 2010: Archives administrator Dr. Jeff Stein will speak on the topic "Making Waves: The People & Places of Iowa Broadcasting" at the Story City library on June 22 at 7 p.m. The presentation is sponsored by Humanities Iowa.
» May 2010: New web site launched to better incorporate vintage audio and video clips and photos. The site was created by Jeff Hackbarth, who also designed the original site in 2005. The redesign was two years in the making, and involved about 150 hours worth of work to date.
» March 2010: The Archives are featured during "Festival" on Iowa Public Television as part of a program on television children's shows.
More news...
THIS WEEK IN HISTORY
June 30: Engineers at Des Moines' newest television station prepared for the next day's inaugural broadcast on Channel 8. KRNT-TV (now KCCI-TV) went on the air for the first time on July 1, 1955. The Register and Tribune won the right to the license, with their KRNT radio winning out over KSO (which, ironically, was at one time also owned by the R and T).
July 1: The first television station in the state of Illinois outside of Chicago signs on from downtown Rock Island on Saturday, July 1, 1950. WHBF-TV served many Iowa residents in the Quad Cities as the local CBS affiliate, and for more than a decade, also aired ABC programs on a delayed basis. The establishment of WHBF-TV at channel 4 required WOC-TV to move from channel 5 to channel 6 as part of a realignment of station channel assignments by the FCC in 1952.
