In March 1922, the Improvement Era carried a short article by editor Edward H. Anderson about the exciting possibilities of the newly invented vacuum tube amplifier – those glass tubes seen inside antique radios and other early- to mid-20th century gadgets. Such tubes amplified electric signals to such an extent that for the very first time, the human voice could be heard by telephone from one coast to the other. Why, Bro. Anderson wrote, “It is not impossible that, by 1925, or sooner, the President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints may be able to deliver his sermons in the Salt Lake Tabernacle and be heard by congregations assembled in every settlement of the Church from Canada to Mexico, and from California to Colorado.”

Two months later, on Saturday, 6 May 1922, the next step in fulfilling that prophecy took place as a small group of men and women gathered on the roof of the Deseret News Building on Salt Lake City’s South Temple street, to inaugurate radio station KZN – now KSL. This post is an attempt to reconstruct that initial broadcast, the earliest known broadcast of LDS teachings. (The Deseret News had, however, been broadcasting a nightly 9:00 newscast since 22 November 1920, using the facilities of station 6ZM; no record exists of their having broadcast Mormon content.)

At 8:00 p.m., Nathan O. Fullmer, business manager of the Deseret News, stepped to the microphone. Nate had worked for months with engineer Harry Carter Wilson to build a transmitter from scratch (AT&T’s monopoly on the sales of transmitters made purchasing a transmitter too expensive for either the newspaper or the Church), and he opened the program with this announcement ((The contemporary Deseret News article reports it was “Flash” Wilson who spoke these words. That is the most immediate report, but all other sources credit Nate Fullmer. I think it more likely that Nate Fullmer, as Deseret News management, was the speaker, and that Flash Wilson was probably too busy with the technical work to speak.

In any case, Jack Cannon, the Deseret News’ reporter on the roof that night, felt the thrill of the technological progress: “The Deseret News entered the radio field on November 2, 1920. At that time was furnished a nightly broadcast of news items by telegraph. It was soon observed that the installation of a radio phone, whereby all could be listeners regardless of knowledge of codes, would be a wonderful step forward. To this end The News commenced installation of the first big radio phone in Utah about three months ago. Operator Wilson and his force of assistants have for the past few weeks been working on the machine day and night in order to have it ready for today’s dedication.”)):

Hello, hello, hello! This is KZN. KZN, the Deseret News, Salt Lake City calling. KZN calling! Greetings! The Deseret News sends its greetings to all of you far and wide.

By means of this radio station The Deseret News proposes to serve you daily with news bulletins, music, weather reports and other data of interest. Because of the opportunity of rendering further public service the Deseret News has constructed this big radio station.

To all of you who are listening The Deseret News extends its greetings.

A complete program for each day’s entertainment will be printed in The Deseret News daily.

… at least, that is the report of what was said. It may not have been said at the 8:00 broadcast with which we’re concerned, but may have been said earlier in the afternoon, during the station’s 3:00 p.m. inaugural broadcast. KZN’s lineup for that first day was:

3:00 p.m. – Opening announcement,
3:05 p.m. – News bulletins.
3:10 p.m. – Weather reports.
3:15 p.m. – Musical program.
3:30 p.m. – Announcement.

Then they took a break for a couple of hours, returning at 6:00 p.m.:

6:00 p.m. – Baseball scores, Pacific Coast league, American league, National league.
6:15 p.m. – Musical program.

Another break, then:

8:00 p.m. – Dedication of station.
8:15 p.m. – News bulletins.
8:25 p.m. – Weather report.
8:30 p.m. – Musical program.
8:45 p.m. – Conclusion.

But however and by whomever the program was opened, Nate soon introduced Heber J. Grant, president of the Church, who said:

This is my message to the people of the world, a quotation from the Doctrine and Covenants, known as section 76, a revelation to Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon.

And this is the gospel, the glad tidings, which the voice out of the heavens bore record unto us—that he came into the world, even Jesus, to be crucified for the world, and to bear the sins of the world, and to sanctify the world, and to cleanse it from all unrighteousness; that through him all might be saved whom the Father had put into his power and made by him; …

For we saw him, even on the right hand of God; and we heard the voice bearing record that he is the Only Begotten of the Father—that by him, and through him, and of him, the worlds are and were created, and the inhabitants thereof are begotten sons and daughters unto God. [Doctrine and Covenants 76:40-42, 23, 24]

This is the end of the quotation.

I bear witness to all mankind that Joseph Smith was a prophet of the true and the Living God.

He was followed by C. Clarence Neslen, mayor of Salt Lake City, who said:

Personally, I am particularly interested in this accomplishment on the part of this paper because I earned, or at least received my first money from this institution, as a boy, and worked hard in this institution for sixteen years. It is a pleasure, on behalf of this city, to congratulate them and to send a few words of greetings to you listeners wherever you may be.

It is fitting, of course, to have this word of greeting come in the springtime, at the beginning of new things. Here in Salt Lake we are now enjoying beautiful spring weather and we presume that is the case throughout this inter-mountain country. We have passed through a rather severe winter – a trying winter– but I am sure, from indications here, times are improving, things are getting better, and there is nothing but hope and cheer before us, and we should all feel encouraged and decide to go forth with renewed energy, undertaking those things that lie before us.

I feel to congratulate the people of this state and this inter-mountain country for the fortitude which they manifested in the trials they had before them during the recent winter. Nowhere, perhaps, could we find such stability, such conservation and such fortitude on the part of the people under such trying conditions. We were calm and deliberate, and we all feel that we have withstood the storm, and now that things are brighter, it is a pleasure to congratulate each other over this wonderful invention that has been made possible here for us to use, through the enterprise and the liberality of this, one of the leading newspapers of the western country.

I send personal greetings, my greetings on behalf of this city, to you all and will now bid you good-bye.

Augusta Winters Grant, wife of Heber J. Grant, then spoke. In part, she said:

I think this is one of the most wonderful experiences of our lives. I am glad I live in this age when every day, almost every hour, brings us some new invention. I would not be surprised if we were talking to the planets before many years. This is one of the most wonderful inventions of this or any other age.

She was followed by Anthony W. Ivins, one of President Grant’s counselors:

When the Mormon pioneers entered the Salt Lake valley, in 1847, at which time the Pony Express was the most rapid means of communicated news from one point to another, they little dreamed that before a period of seventy-five years had passed, their children would talk to the world by wireless.

George Albert Smith then stepped to the microphone.

I have had many unique experiences in my life. I had the privilege of riding the first bicycle that came into Salt Lake City, and the first pattern of safety bicycle that came here. I talked in the first telephone that came here and have talked over the long distance telephone from San Francisco to new York. I have heard the Pacific and the Atlantic oceans rumbling over the wires. I have also had the pleasure of riding in an airplane from Brussels to London, at the rate, part of the time, of one hundred miles an hour.

I have lived to see many wonderful things occur, as predicted by the prophets of old, wherein it was stated that when the Book of Mormon should first come forth, the Lord would commence his work among the nations, and we have lived to see more wonderful inventions during the period of time since the coming forth of the Book of Mormon, that would contribute to the comfort and satisfaction of the human family, than have occurred in all the balance of time, since the world was created.

And, now, to cap the climax, we have the opportunity of talking over a wireless telephone, and having it broadcast to very many stations, scattered at intervals anywhere from five hundred to one thousand miles away. I had the privilege once of sending the first wireless telegram that was ever received by president Joseph F. Smith, when I was out in the Atlantic Ocean, but I look upon this wireless telephone as the culmination of all the marvelous experiences to which the human fammily has thus far been heir, and I congratulate the people who live in this wonderful land of liberty, this country which is always foremost in matters of invention, and I am grateful, indeed, that my lot has been cast among a people who look forward to every good thing for the benefit and uplift of mankind.

At some point in the program, President Grant, uncomfortable in the radiating heat from an electric heater that had been placed on the roof for the comfort of the broadcasters, was distinctly heard over the air saying:

Turn off the heat.

I have found no record of any concluding words for this segment of the day’s programming; the broadcast lasted 15 minutes, and was followed by the scheduled news bulletin.

It was only a few words, a testimony and a few words of scripture selected by Heber J. Grant, but it was the beginning.

.

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left to right: Nathan O. Fullmer, Anthony W. Ivins, George Albert Smith, two unidentified men (the one wearing earphones may be Harry Carter Wilson), Augusta Winters Grant, Heber J. Grant, C. Clarence Neslen, George J. (“Jack”) Cannon.