The Grand Island FCC Monitoring Station was a federal radio monitoring station located near Grand Island, Nebraska. It was the first federal radio monitoring station built in the United States.
Grand Island FCC Monitoring Station | |
 | |
| Location | Grand Island, Nebraska |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 40°55′25.58″N 98°26′04.73″W / 40.9237722°N 98.4346472°W |
| NRHP reference No. | 73001064 |
| Added to NRHP | January 16th, 1973 |
Operating under the Federal Radio Commission and later the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the station provided frequency measurement services for both government and civilian sources.
History
editDuring the early days of AM radio, interference caused by unintended frequency variations was a major issue. In February 1929, funding was allocated to the Radio Division of the Department of Commerce for the construction of a constant-frequency monitoring radio station. The location of Grand Island, Nebraska was chosen due to both its proximity to the geographic center of the United States and the favorable radio conditions provided by the flat terrain.[1]
The building plans were prepared by the Navy's Bureau of Yards and Docks and construction began in 1929. Construction was completed in 1930 and full scale operation began in 1932 under the Federal Radio Commission.
The site was transferred to the new Federal Communications Commission (FCC) by the Communications Act of 1934.[2]
Legacy
editThe Grand Island Monitoring Station was entered into the National Register of Historic Places on January 16, 1973.[2] It is the first FCC property with that designation. It ceased operation in June 1996.[3]
References
edit- ^ Annual Report of the Chief of Radio Division to the Secretary of Commerce for the Fiscal Year Ended June 30, 1929 (PDF) (Report). 1929-07-01.
- ^ a b "Nebraska SP Grand Island FCC Monitoring Station". Records of the National Park Service, Series: National Register of Historic Places and National Historic Landmarks Program Records, Box: Nebraska, ID: 73920775. U.S. National Archives.
- ^ McKinney, John (Summer 1996). "A Historical Sketch of the Grand Island Monitoring Station". QCWA (2): 48–51.
- "Grand Island Monitor Station (Part 1)" (PDF). Radio-Craft. 3 (8): 460–461, 489. February 1932.
- "U.S. (Grand Island) Monitor Station (Part II)" (PDF). Radio-Craft. 3 (9): 527, 557. March 1932.