Crosley and WLW: a broadcasting legacy in review.

McClure, R., with Stern, D., & Banks, M. A. (2006). Crosley: The story of two brothers and a business empire that transformed the nation. Cincinnati, OH: Clerisy Press. 502 pages.

The Crosley brothers, Powel and Lewis, were pioneers and innovators in radio manufacturing, broadcasting technology, and national radio programming via the world's only 500,000 watt "Nation's Station," WLW in Cincinnati. In addition, their operations included appliance and automobile manufacturing, as well as ownership of the National League Cincinnati Reds baseball team.

There have been a few books written about Powel Crosley and WLW, but none have brought his brother Lewis equally to the forefront. Crosley: The Story of Two Brothers and a Business Empire that Transformed the Nation corrects this imbalance. Rusty McClure, descendent of the Crosley brothers, is the lead author. Michael A. Banks provides the historical perspective, while writer David Stern's creative nonfiction writing style enlivens the text.

Powel was the visionary businessman, innovator, and entrepreneur, while his younger brother Lewis was the practical manager who engineered Powel's dreams. While Powel was bigger than life, Lewis remained behind the scenes. Together, they were a "formidable combination." (p. 113).

Most of McClure's book covers the golden years of WLW radio, which started in 1922. Early broadcasts consisted of all-volunteer programming and no advertising. Initially, the Crosleys did not intend WLW to make money, only to sell more Crosley radios.

During broadcast radio's infancy, Powel was a charter officer of the National Association of Broadcasters, as well as a member of the Radio Manufacturer's Association. His connections with Herbert Hoover, then Secretary of the Department of Commerce, and RCA's David Sarnoff, proved important. Powel contributed to long-term national broadcasting policy, influencing the development of network radio and broadcast musical performance rights. For example, he was instrumental in supporting the creation of Broadcast Music Inc. (BMI).

By 1926, live orchestral music comprised most of WLW's program content, but it also began to offer dramas, as well as some country music for its many rural listeners. NBC began its network operations the same year, followed by CBS in 1927. Although WLW continued to produce its own programming, it became an NBC affiliate. With network radio a reality, the Crosleys turned to advertising to support WLW's programming and to supplement the bottom line of their corporation. The advertising revenue helped to pay for "the increasing expenses of talent, license fees, equipment, and technical staff ..." (p. 213).

WLW programming innovations included one of the earliest educational series, known as the Ohio School of the Air. It developed a unique news program entitled, The March of Time, featuring actors and sound effects in the dramatization of top news stories. This was the first of many WLW programs to be distributed to both the NBC and Mutual Broadcasting radio networks. Finally, WLW introduced the first "soap opera," Ma Perkins, with Cincinnati-based Procter & Gamble's Oxydol soap as the sponsor.

Between 1934 and 1939, WLW was granted permission to broadcast at a tremendous 500,000 watts under an experimental license granted by the federal government. Its earlier adopted theme, "The Nation's Station," was now indeed a fact. WLW's signal could be heard from as far away as Alaska and Latin America, and it commanded the highest broadcast advertising rates. The nation's station continued to target rural American listeners. By the late 1930s, WLW introduced additional popular country radio programs such as the Boone County Jamboree (later known as the Midwestern Hayride as it made the transition to television).

WLW's growing roster of radio talent in the 1930s and 1940s continued to rival the national radio networks. In fact, it introduced many of the following personalities to the national audience: Eddie Albert, Red Barber, Rosemary Clooney, Doris Day, Anita Ellis, Red Foley, Jane Froman, Peter Grant, the Ink Spots, Grandpa Jones, Durward Kirby, Ruth Lyons, the Mills Brothers, Red Skelton, Merle Travis, Fats Waller, and Andy Williams.

Crosley provides a personal glimpse of the prominence of Powel and Lewis. Interviews of family, friends, and colleagues present an intriguing look at the brothers' triumphs and challenges. Other significant sources include Lawrence Wilson Lichty's dissertation The Nation's Station: A History of Radio Station WLW (1964), and Dick Perry's memoir, Not Just a Sound: The Story of WLW (1971).

Crosley is a lasting testimony to the heritage of Powel and Lewis. Although Crosley Company sold its broadcasting and appliance divisions to AVCO (Aviation Corporation) near the end of World War II, the Crosley legacy lived on through AVCO's daytime and syndicated broadcast innovations. These included Ruth Lyons's 50-50 Club and The Phil Donahue Show, both of which created the daytime talk show genre. Today the Nation's Station, WLW, is still on the air operating at 50,000 watts and resides at the same clear-channel 700 kHz AM frequency.

John Schlipp (M.S.L.S., University of Kentucky) is an Assistant Professor of Library Services at Northern Kentucky University. His research interests include intellectual property and the history of media communications.