More Historic News Airchecks Available on WCCO Radio Page

  SEVERE WEATHER COVERAGE - WCCO-AM (830)

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Read more about the

May 6, 1965 tornado outbreak - click here

1965 Tornado Coverage Scoped Highlights: 

#1 10 MB#2 10 MB

TWIN CITIES TORNADO OUTBREAK (May 1965)

On May 6, 1965, the worst tornadoes in Twin Cities history struck the western and northern metro area. There were five tornadoes in the metro area, with another tornado just to the west in Sibley and McLeod Counties. Four of the tornadoes were rated F4 on the Fujita Scale, one was an F3 and another was an F2. Thirteen people were killed and 683 were injured.

MAY 6, 1965 - Five hours of continuous and dramatic coverage below:

WCCO-AM (830) – Coverage of the Twin Cities tornado outbreak from 7:10 pm to 12:12 am with Charlie Boone, Dick Chapman, Chuck Lilligren and others: #1 - #2 - #3 - #4 - #5 - #6 - #7 - #8 - #9  (mp3 files range 21 to 40 MB)

MAY 7, 1965 - The Day After:

WCCO-AM (830) - More than six hours of coverage the day after the deadly and devastating Twin Cities tornadoes including Roger Erickson (helicopter reports), Chuck Lilligren, Maynard Speece, Howard Viken, Bob DeHaven, Jerry Brennan, Joyce Lamont, Dick Chapman, Dick Enroth, Jergan Nash, Bob West, Randy Merriman. File sizes range from 14-37 MB. (provided by Bill Lund, Digital on Location, Woodbury, MN)

 
  • 6:30-7:00 am: Includes commercials for Geigy Atrazine Seeds, Pall Mall Cigarettes, Standard Oil Dealers, Peterson Mercury, Northwestern National Bank, Farmers & Mechanics Bank, Dexol Bleach, Camel Cigarettes.
  • 7:45-8:15 am: Includes CBS News Roundup with Neil Strawser and commercials for Northwest Orient Airlines, Milk Foundation, Old Gold Cigarettes, Twin Cities Area Rambler Dealers, Standard Oil, St. Paul Pioneer Press, Kent Cigarettes, Apache Office Park, Ozark Airlines, First National Bank of Minneapolis.
  • 7:45-8:15 am: Includes First Bank Notes and commercials for Peters Hot Dogs, Pennzoil Motor Oil, Federated Insurance, Bill Boyer Ford, O’Brien Paint.
  • 8:15-9:20 am: Includes commercials for Crystal Sugar, Beep Drink from Cloverleaf, Cloverleaf Milk, Twin City Federal, Schweigert, Shell Heating Oil, Upper Midwest Council for Better Vision, Old Gold Cigarettes, Pronto Golf Brand Lawn Seeds, Standard Oil Dealers.
  • 11:45 am-12:20 pm: Includes commercials for Eggsquist Pastries, Coke, Old Dutch Potato Chips, Underwood Chicken Spread, Dekalb, Nash Instant Coffee, Smith-Douglass Fertilizer, Dow Chemical Company, Travelers Insurance.
  • 1:00-1:15 pm: Includes commercials for MLA Insurance, Underwood Chicken Spread, Fridgedare, Bisquick .
  • 2:35-3:00 pm: Includes Party Line with Charlie Boone & Roger Erickson and commercials for Miracle White, Yardley Fragrances Perfume, Peters Hot Dogs and Sandwiches, Century Insurance, Coke, Fels Brands, Schmitt Music Company, Franklin Cottage Cheese, Nash Coffee.
  • 3:00-3:30 pm: Includes CBS News with Douglas Edwards, Boone in the Afternoon and commercials for Look Magazine, Total Cereal, Northwestern National Bank, Hansord Pontiac, Old Dutch Potato Chips, Plymouth Optical.
  • 3:30-4:00 pm: Includes Dimension with Mike Wallace (interviewing Henry Fonda), Boone in the Afternoon and commercials for Fridgedare, Camel Cigarettes, Yardley Perfume, Gift House Stamps, Northland Ice Cream, Fritos Corn Chips, New Blue Raindrops, Total Cereal.
  • 4:15-4:50 pm: Includes Boone in the Afternoon, Coffee Break with Allen Gray and commercials for Page Tissue, Old Gold Cigarettes, Hills Brothers Coffee, Century Insurance, Fells Brands, Pennzoil, American Express, Hansord Pontiac, Mobile, Equitable Life Insurance.
  • 4:50-5:20 pm: Includes Point of Law with Charlie Boone, VIP Show with Howard Viken and commercials for Ford, Travelers Insurance, Mileage and Direct Service Stations and Gas, Camel Cigarettes, Northern Pacific Railroad, Scotts Turf Builder, Fels Laundry Brands, Shell’s Heating Oil, Northrup King.

    MORE SEVERE WEATHER COVERAGE AIRCHECKS

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  • July 6, 1966 Tornado coverage with Ray Christensen, Dick Chapman, Franklin Hobbs, Arv Johnson and  Chuck Lilligren #1 21 MB - #2 21 MB (provided by Curt Lundgren)

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  • June 14, 1968 Morning after coverage of the deadly tornado in Tracy, MN with Franklyn Hobbs, Roger Erickson, news director Jim Bormann (reporting from Tracy), Jergen Nash and Howard Viken.  The tornado was an F5 that killed nine people and injured 150 others. #1 12 MB  #2 12 MB (provided by Mark Durenberger)
     
  • June 14, 1981  Tornado Coverage -  #1 9 MB -   #2 8 MB
  • July 18, 1986   Tornado Coverage - #1 21 MB - #2 23 MB - #3 22 MB - #4 22 MB  (KARE-TV video tornado coverage: #1  #2)

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  • July 23, 1987  Coverage of the "1987 Super Storm." The Twin Cities metro area was hit with a powerful line of thunderstorms producing tornadoes, damaging straight line winds and historic flooding. #1 14 MB - #2 15 MB - #3 20 MB - Audio is not studio quality, but is very interesting to listen to. (provided by Todd Kosovich with audio enhancement by Mark Durenberger)

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  • October 31, 1991 Halloween Blizzard of 1991 with Charlie Boone, Roger Erickson, Dick Chapman, Eric Eskola, Dean Spratt, Jerry Peterson, Karen Filloon and more. - 20 MB

HUBERT H. HUMPHREY RECORDINGS/AIRCHECKS (1946-1978)

  • 8/18/1946 - WCCO-AM (830) - Minneapolis Mayor Hubert H. Humphrey reading the newspaper comics from the Minneapolis Tribune during the "Stay At Home" campaign during a polio outbreak. Frank Butler hosts the show with music by Toby Prin. Humphrey's children, Skip and Nancy, also appear on the show. 21 MB (provided by Todd Kosovich)  FYI: The Minnesota State Fair was cancelled that year due to outbreak of polio. The Star Tribune has published a story about this broadcast including photos.
  • 1977 - Senator Humphrey revealed he was suffering from terminal bladder cancer. In October, President Carter honored Humphrey by giving him command of Air Force One for his final trip to Washington DC. which included an address to the Senate. The following are two news reports:

    WCCO-AM Rich Holter & Roger Mudd - 10/25/1977 - 8 MB /  CBS Radio Newsbreak Charles Osgood - 10/26/1977 - 4 MB

  • January 1978 - WCCO-AM Humphrey death coverage (brief silence between segments)  #1  20 MB -  #2  20 MB

    

Evacuation Route image provided by Todd Kosovich

 

WCCO RADIO CIVIL DEFENSE RECORDINGS (1961)

WCCO-AM (830) - A very rare set of recordings of civil defense announcements from 1961 that would have aired on WCCO Radio in the event of a probable or actual enemy (nuclear) attack. These announcements were pre-recorded by WCCO announcers Howard Viken, Dick Chapman and Governor Elmer Andersen, and most likely would have aired from the station's transmitter facility in Coon Rapids, MN which included a fallout shelter.  8 MB (provided by Curt Lundgren)           


Twin Cities Public Television Almanac host Cathy Wurzer and Jim du Bois of the Minnesota Broadcasters Association talk about the history of the Emergency Broadcasting System (January 31, 2014).

Click on photo to view the video.

Civil Defense Recording played on TPT's Almanac is posted above.

CONELRAD brochure (provided by Jeff R. Lonto)

Jeff Lonto writes, "I thought you might be interested in this CONELRAD brochure that is in a packet of Civil Defense literature that I have. The packet says on the outside that it contains information "For Your Survival!"


THE BIG EBS (Emergency Broadcast System) MISTAKE OF 1971

WCCO-AM (830) - EBS False Alarm Error - A rare recording - as it sounded on WCCO during the Howard Viken Show on February 20, 1971 with follow-up reports and coverage on 'CCO Radio and CBS Radio. See below for more details. - 6 MB

On the morning of Saturday, February 20, 1971, Wayland S. Eberhardt, a civilian teletype operator, was going about his routine duties at the National Emergency Warning Center at Cheyenne Mountain, Colorado. One of the functions of “the Mountain” during this era was to send out the weekly Emergency Broadcast System (EBS) test directive to the nation’s radio and television stations. They were also responsible for sending out the real warning. When stations received these messages they compared it against a card to determine what action to take. At 7:33 a.m. local time on that fateful Saturday, Mr. Eberhardt, a fifteen-year veteran of his job, fed the wrong tape into the transmitter. He was later quoted by the New York Times as saying “I can’t imagine how the hell I did it.Text source.

WOWO-AM (Fort Wayne, Indiana) EBS False Alarm Error - February 20, 1971

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(courtesy of the History of WOWO website)


WCCO-AM (830) - Emergency Alert System National Test (11/9/2011) - 2 MB


COVERAGE OF THE ASSASSINATION OF PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY (11/22/1963)

Six hours of coverage the shooting and death of President John F. Kennedy as covered on WCCO-AM and CBS Radio on November 22, 1963. (mp3 files range from 20-34 MB) (provided by Bill Lund, Digital on Location, Woodbury, MN)

12:40-1:45 PM - #1   #2

1:45-3:00 PM -   #1   #2

3:00-4:00 PM -   #1   #2

4:08-4:52 PM -   #1   #2

5:45-7:20 PM -   #1   #2    #3

CBS Radio: Allan Jackson and Dallas Townsend (New York), Nelson Benton (Dallas Parkland Memorial Hospital), Dan Rather (Dallas), Robert Pierpoint (Dallas), Wells Church (Washington DC), Roger Mudd (Washington DC), George Herman (Washington DC), Alexander Kendrick (London), Charles Von Fremd (Washington DC), Stuart Novins (Moscow), Bernard Eismann (New York), Paul Niven (White House), Daniel Schorr (Bonn), Vin Maloney (Boston), Nelson Benton (Dallas), Peter Stursberg (Ottawa), Winston Burdett (Rome), Peter Kalischer (Tokyo), Richard Hottelet (New York), and Marvin Kalb (Washington DC).

WCCO-AM: Jergan Nash, Maynard Speece, Dick Chapman (interviewing people outside the WCCO building as the news of JFK’s death broke and news reports) and Arv Johnson. Plus, Charlie Boone, Jergen Nash and Ray Christensen with notices of event cancellations/postponements, special church services, etc.

In addition, comments from MN Governor Karl Rolvaag, former MN Governor Elmer Anderson, WI Governor John Reynolds, former President Dwight Eisenhower and UN Ambassador Adlai Stevenson, Plus, a portion of President Kennedy’s breakfast speech to the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce the morning of his death.


ABC Radio - Thanks to broadcast historian Todd Kosovich, RadioTapes is able to present more than five hours of ABC Radio coverage of the shooting/death of President Kennedy including the online premiere of coverage following the announcement that President Kennedy had died. The recordings start with "Music in the Afternoon" program interrupted by breaking news of the shooting of President Kennedy. #1  #2  #3  #4  #5  #6  #7  #8  #9  #10  #11  #12  #13  #14  #15  #16 (mp3 recordings 13 and 24 MB)

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Don Gardiner (anchor) with reports from Bob Clark (Dallas), Pete Clapper (Capitol Hill), Stuart Klein, John Rolfson (Washington DC), Quincy Howe (commentary), John Scali (Hawaii), John Casserly (Rome), Irv Chapman (Washington DC), Ted Koppel (United Nations), Sam Jaffe (Moscow), Walter Forges (national editor), Bernard Kaplan (Paris), Bob Lindley (Buenos Aires), Paul Harvey commentary (also on aircheck #13), Bill Downs (Andrews Air Force Base), Bill Sheehan (London), Bruce Morton (London), Alex Dreier (Chicago), and others. Plus, interviews with various senators, congressmen and religious leaders including Minnesota’s Senator Hubert Humphrey plus former President Eisenhower, speech from President Johnson, a tribute from the BBC, and much more.


NBC Radio - Coverage of the shooting/assassination of President John F. Kennedy - Bulletin  #1   #2  #3 (1 MB each) Continuous Coverage #1 25 MB - #2 24 MB (provided by Todd Kosovich)


Voice of America shortwave broadcast as they struggle with CBS saying JFK is dead and NBC saying JFK is still alive. 7 MB (provided by Todd Kosovich)

WRUL Shortwave - Radio New York Worldwide - JFK assassination coverage in English and Spanish including reports from ABC Radio - 12 MB (provided by Todd Kosovich)



Here is a great site featuring hundreds of hours of video and audio associated with the life and death of President John F. Kennedy: DVP's Video and Audio Archive


COVERAGE OF THE ASSASSINATION OF DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. (April 4-5, 1968)

WCCO-AM (830):

  • April 4, 1968 - Breaking news coverage of the assassination of Dr. King by WCCO Radio and CBS Radio with Gary Shepard and Daniel Shorr plus an address to the nation by President Lyndon Johnson - 10 MB
  • April 5, 1968 – CBS Radio News - Special Report with Douglas Edwards - 26 MB (provided by Todd Kosovich)

COVERAGE OF THE ASSASSINATION OF SENATOR ROBERT F. KENNEDY (June 5-8, 1968)

WCCO-AM (830) / CBS Radio / NBC Radio / NBC TV / KNX-AM - A collection of airchecks covering the shooting, death, funeral mass and more of Robert F. Kennedy. Thanks to Larry Haeg Jr. (LH) and Todd Kosovich (TK) for most of these historic recordings.

  • June 5, 1968 – CBS Radio report of Mutual Radio’s Andrew West’s shooting coverage 6 MB (TK)
  • June 5, 1968 – KNX-AM (Los Angeles) - The recording begins with a minute of California local returns

                 followed by the first word of the RFK shooting #1 19 MB - #2 20 MB (TK)

  • June 5, 1968 – WCCO-AM – Breaking news coverage with Franklin Hobbs including CBS Radio coverage - 13 MB
  • June 5, 1968 – CBS Radio coverage   #1 22 MB - #2 22 MB - #3 27 MB - #4 6 MB   #5 30 MB - #6 26 MB (all previous LH) -

                 #7 28 MB (TK)

  • June 8, 1968 – CBS Radio: Funeral Mass St. Patrick's Cathedral – #1 31 MB - #2 31 MB - #3 32 MB - #4 30 MB (LH

                (near the end of Part #4, a bulletin announces that James Earl Ray, the murderer of Martin Luther King, had been caught)

  • June 8, 1968 – CBS Radio: Washington DC train arrival of RFK’s body – #1 32 MB - #2 29 MB (LH)

 

 

 

COVERAGE OF THE APOLLO 1 TRAGEDY - (1967)

WCCO/CBS Radio breaking news coverage of the Apollo 1 tragedy (January 27-28, 1967). A cabin fire during a launch pad test at Cape Canaveral killed all three crew members: Command Pilot Virgil "Gus" Grissom, Senior Pilot Edward H. White and Pilot Roger B. Chaffee. Includes Winston cigarette commercial. -11 MB

COVERAGE OF THE FLIGHT OF APOLLO 11 - (1969)

  • July 20, 1969 - WCCO-AM / CBS RadioFirst steps on the moon - CBS Radio Reid Collins & Neil Strawser 10 MB

                 (provided by Todd Kosovich)

  • July 21, 1969 - WCCO-AM / CBS RadioLunar Liftoff - 29 MB
  • July 21, 1969 - Group W Radio - Lunar Liftoff - 3 MB (provided by Todd Kosovich)
  • July 24, 1969 - NBC Television (audio) - Splashdown - 19 MB (provided by Todd Kosovich)

COVERAGE OF THE FLIGHT OF APOLLO 12 - (1969) (provided by Todd Kosovich)

  • Nov 19, 1969 - ABC Radio - Live coverage of Apollo 12 Moon landing - #1   #2  (11 MB each) (provided by Todd Kosovich)

COVERAGE OF THE FLIGHT OF APOLLO 13 - (1970)

WCCO-AM (830) - Coverage by WCCO Radio and CBS Radio of the flight of Apollo 13

Apollo 13 was the seventh manned mission in the American Apollo space program and the third intended to land on the Moon. The lunar landing was aborted after an oxygen tank exploded two days into the flight, crippling the service module upon which the Command Module depended. Despite great hardship caused by limited power, loss of cabin heat, shortage of potable water, and the critical need to jury-rig the carbon dioxide removal system, the crew returned safely to Earth. The flight was commanded by James A. Lovell with John L. "Jack" Swigert as Command Module pilot and Fred W. Haise as Lunar Module pilot. (Wikipedia)


ABC Radio coverage airchecks (provided by Todd Kosovich)

  • April 11, 1970 - Lift Off Coverage (20 MB)
  • April 14, 1970 - 12:05 AM - Coverage of Apollo 13 problems including NASA news conference (18 MB)  
  • April 14, 1970 - Continuing Coverage - 1:00 AM (16 MB) - 1:30 AM (17 MB)

BREAKING NEWS COVERAGE OF THE SHOOTING OF GEORGE WALLACE IN (1972)

In 1972, Alabama Governor and Democratic Presidential Candidate, George Wallace, was shot five times while campaigning in Laurel, Maryland. Wallace was hit in the abdomen and chest, and one of the bullets lodged in his spinal column, leaving him paralyzed from the waist down for the rest of his life. A five-hour operation was needed that evening, and Wallace had to receive several units of blood in order to survive. Three others who were wounded in the shooting also survived. The shooting and Wallace's subsequent injuries put an effective end to his bid for the Democratic Presidential nomination.

WCCO-AM (830) - Breaking news coverage on the shooting of George Wallace as reported by CBS Radio and WCCO Radio including reports from CBS Radio's Reid Collins, Bernard Kalb, and others, along with WCCO Radio's Charlie Boone, Steve Edstrom, Dick Chapman, Jergen Nash, and Steve Cannon - May 15, 1972 - 22 MB


 

WATERGATE AND THE FALL OF PRESIDENT RICHARD NIXON (1973-1974)

Following recordings provided by broadcast historian, Todd Kosovich (unless noted).

WCCO Radio/CBS Radio

  • Apr. 30, 1973 - Lowell Thomas News – Nixon cleans house - 6 MB
  • May 9, 1973 - Walter Cronkite News and Analysis – how serious is Watergate? - 3 MB
  • May 23, 1973 - First Line Report with Dan Rather – Nixon makes new admissions - 3 MB
  • Jun. 22, 1973 - First Line Report with Robert Pierpoint – Nixon’s personal style - 3 MB
  • Jun. 29, 1973 - First Line Report with Robert Pierpoint – blaming John Dean - 3 MB
  • Jul. 27, 1973 - KSJN-FM NPR - Senate Watergate Hearings John Erlichman testimony -36 MB (provided by Stuart Held)
  • Oct. 10, 1973 - ABC Contenporary Radio - Spiro Agnew Resignation - 1 MB
  • Oct. 13, 1973 - CBS News Nixon Picks Gerald Ford as Vice President - 10 MB (provided by Helen Diehl)
  • Oct. 22, 1973 - First Line Report with Bob Schieffer – a busy week! - 3 MB
  • Oct. 23, 1973 - First Line Report with Dan Rather – 7 days in October - 3 MB
  • Oct. 23, 1973 - Walter Cronkite News and Analysis – flood of impeachment petitions - 3 MB
  • Oct. 23, 1973 - CBS News Special Report – summary of events - 17 MB
  • Nov. 17, 1973 - CBS News Nixon News Conference from Florida- 23 MB (provided by Helen Diehl)
  • Jan. 2, 1974 - CBS Report with Robert Pierpoint – predicts that President Nixon will resign this year - 3 MB
  • Apr. 18, 1974 - CBS Radio - Nixon Transcripts Speech - 16 MB (provided by Bill Lund, Digital on Location, Woodbury, MN)
  • Jul. 12, 1974 - The World Tonight with Douglas Edwards. Ellsberg burglary verdict is in - Erlichman guilty! - 3 MB
  • Jul. 25, 1974 - First Line Report with Bob Schieffer. Summary of the arguments and ruling in U.S. vs Nixon - 4 MB
  • July, 25, 1974 - The World Tonight-Douglas Edwards. House Judiciary Committee debate on articles of impeachment - 7 MB
  • Aug. 5, 1974 - First Line Report with Bob Schieffer. Rumors over President Nixon trip to Camp David - 3 MB
  • Aug. 6, 1974 - First Line Report with Dan Rather -“Days of Decision”- Political allies and press turn against Nixon - 3 MB
  • Aug. 7, 1974 - CBS News - Stuart Novins - The President is deciding what to do - 2 MB
  • Aug. 8, 1974 (5 am) - CBS News - Dallas Townsend with indications that President Nixon will resign - 3 MB
  • Aug. 8, 1974 (6 pm) - The World Tonight -Douglas Edwards. President expected to resignation in two hours - 5 MB
  • Aug. 8, 1974 (7:55 pm) - CBS Radio News Special Report – Nixon Announces Resignation - #1 (16 MB)   #2 (30 MB)
  • Aug. 8, 1974 - CBS Radio News Special Report (continued) – Nixon Announces Resignation - #3 (22 MB)  #4 (24 MB)
  • Aug. 8, 1974 - ABC Radio News Special Report – Nixon Announces Resignation - (17 MB) (provided by Danny Sigelman)
  • Aug. 9, 1974 - CBS Radio News Special Report – Nixon Farewell - 14 MB (by Bill Lund, Digital on Location, Woodbury, MN)
  • Aug. 9, 1974 - CBS Radio News Special Report – Swearing in President Gerald Ford with Neil Strawser & Hal Walker - 6 MB
  • Aug. 9, 1974 - ABC Radio News (WYOO-AM) Special Report Swearing in President Ford - 7 MB (provided by Danny Sigelman)

COVERAGE OF THE VIETNAM WAR (1964-1975)

August 5, 1964 - WCCO-AM (830) - CBS Radio News Special Report: The Crisis in Vietnam - 22 MB (provided by Bill Lund,  Digital on Location, Woodbury, MN)

January 18, 1966 - WCCO-AM (830) - WCCO News Director Jim Bormann and Senator Walter Mondale travel to Vietnam. Includes interviews with Minnesota soldiers, war battle sounds and more - 25 MB (provided by Bill Lund, Digital on Location, Woodbury, MN)

April 30, 1975 - WCCO-AM (830) - CBS Radio and WCCO news coverage on the fall of Saigon -  3 MB

April 30, 1975 - KFMX-FM (104.1) - NBC Radio newscast on the fall of Saigon - 3 MB

April 30, 1975 - KSTP-TV - NBC Nightly News (audio) - Coverage of the fall of Saigon - 16 MB


In 1975, the Internet did not exist. To hear newscasts/reports from foreign countries, in some cases, a shortwave radio was needed. The following is a rare English language shortwave recording from the Voice of [North] Vietnam as received in Minnesota the day Saigon fell. Plus, a shortwave recording from the BBC. Audio is rough on both recordings, but if you listen closely, you will hear history "as it happened."

Voice of Vietnam announcing the fall and liberation of Saigon - April 30, 1975 - 2 MB

BBC reporting on the fall of Saigon - April 30, 1975 - 5 MB


COVERAGE OF THE DEATH OF JOHN LENNON (12/8/1980 to 12/14/1980)

#1 28 MB - #2 25 MB - Part 1 opens with an announcement by Howard Cosell on ABC Television's Monday Night Football that John Lennon had been shot and killed, a bulletin on NBC Television interrupting The Tonight Show, followed by airchecks from KQRS-FM, NBC Radio's The Source, WCCO-AM/CBS Radio, WWTC-AM, Mutual News, WCCO-FM, KDWB-FM, KSTP-FM, WLOL-FM and KCLD-FM.

(Thanks to Stuart Held for many of the above airchecks plus Todd Kosovich for the WCCO-AM/CBS Radio aircheck and NBC-TV bulletin audio).

WCCO-AM (830) - Breaking news coverage on the shooting and death of John Lennon from CBS Radio and WCCO Radio

with Bill Diehl and Franklin Hobbs. (December 8, 1980) - 3 MB

KDWB-FM (101.3) - Tribute to John Lennon (scoped) - (January 14, 1980) #1 19 MB - #2 10 MB (provided by Arne Shulstad)


COVERAGE OF THE SHOOTING OF PRESIDENT RONALD REAGAN (3/30/1981-3/31/1981)

WCCO-AM (830) and CBS Radio breaking news and continuous coverage of the assassination attempt on President Ronald Reagan. New airchecks have recently been made available to us.

March 30, 1981 - Coverage starts with the first news bulletin and includes reports from CBS Radio and WCCO Radio news:  #1   #2   #3   #4   #5   (mp3 files range between 10-13 MB) - #6   #7   #8   #9   #10   #11   (file sizes range 26-30 MB) (provided by Kurt Rosselit)

March 31, 1981:  #1   #2  (28 MB each) (provided by Kurt Rosselit)


Breaking news reports from Mutual Broadcasting System (3/30/1981) (provided by Todd Kosovich)


COVERAGE OF THE FALKLANDS WAR (1982)

The Falklands War was fought in 1982 between Argentina and the United Kingdom over the disputed Falkland Islands, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands. The war started on April 2, 1982 with the Argentine invasion and occupation of the Falkland Islands and South Georgia. The war lasted 74 days and resulted in the deaths of 257 British and 649 Argentine soldiers. (per Wikipedia)

May 1, 1982 - KSTP ID into ABC News update on the Falklands War with reports of the first attacks by British bombers on the Falkland Islands 2 MB

WCCO-AM - CBS Radio newscasts covering the Falklands War all recorded by Todd Kosovich:

#1 - April 1-16, 1982 - 25 MB              

#2 - April 17-21, 1982 - 29 MB

#3 - April 30-May 3, 1982 - 22 MB

#4 - May 20, 1982 - 27 MB

#5 - May 20 to early June, 1982 - 21 MB

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In 1982, the Internet as we know it did not exist. To hear newscasts/reports from foreign countries, in many cases, a shortwave radio was needed. The following are Falklands War related shortwave broadcasts received in Minnesota. Some recordings have rough audio, but if you listen closely, you will hear history "as it happened."

  • BBC Newscast - 4 MB         BBC Radio Newsreel - 7 MB
  • BBC "Calling the Falklands" Messages to family members on the Falkland Islands (poor audio as transmission was directed to the South Atlantic). At the end of the broadcast, the announcer says, "Keep your heads down. Keep your hearts high." - 1 MB
  • Radio Atlantico del Sur - British clandestine station broadcasting to Argentine troops in Spanish (Argentina jamming transmitter in background) - 5 MB
  • Argentina Clandestine broadcasting to British troops. Audio quality from this station was always extremely poor and distorted (even in the South Atlantic). As on the aircheck, broadcasts would start with an instrumental version of "Yesterday" by The Beatles. In this transmission, the announcer opens with, "Hello, I am Liberty. A voice, a thought, a [?], a woman who is proud to know that the world listens when Argentina speaks." Lots of British music was played. For example, in one broadcast after the announcer criticized British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, the song "Honky Tonk Women" by the Rolling Stones was played.- 1 MB

COVERAGE OF THE CHALLENGER SHUTTLE DISASTER (1986)

WCCO-AM (830)/CBS Radio's - Breaking news starting with CBS Radio Net Alert Bulletin followed by 2:45:00 of coverage. (1/28/1986) #1 18 MB - #2 12 MB - #3 24 MB - #4 33 MB - #5 40 MB - #6 27 MB. Thanks to Todd Kosovich for providing Part #2.

KSTP-AM (1500) - KSTP / ABC Radio Coverage - 6 MB (provided by Todd Kosovich)

CNN coverage of the Challenger disaster: 


COVERAGE OF THE 1987 & 1991 WORLD SERIES CELEBRATIONS AND VICTORY PARADES ON WCCO RADIO ... and more!

Featuring Twin Cities Radio Sports Related Airchecks


 

COVERAGE OF THE START OF OPERATION DESERT STORM (1/16/1991) - WCCO-AM (830)

Before the start of Operation Desert Storm 12 AM CBS Newscast 2 MB - 7 AM CBS Newscast 6 MB (provided by Todd Kosovich)

The start of Operation Desert Storm #1 18 MB - #2 26 MB - #3 25 MB - #4 26 MB - #5 23 MB - #6 26 MB - #7 25 MB. These recordings last 3 hours and 20 minutes and begin at 5:41 pm with a bulletin by Steve Cannon that an attack may be underway in Baghdad followed by coverage from CBS Radio, CNN with correspondents John Holliman, Peter Arnett and Bernard Shaw reporting from the Al-Rashid Hotel, Rich Holter and the WCCO Radio News Department, plus a speech to the nation by President George H. W. Bush, update by Defense Secretary Dick Cheney and more. Thanks to Todd Kosovich for providing Part 1 of the recordings.


COVERAGE OF THE 9/11 ATTACKS (9/11/2001) AND THE DEATH OF OSAMA BIN LADEN (5/1/2011)

  • KSTP-AM (1500) - 9/11/2001 - This aircheck was recorded about three hours before the attacks (5 AM central time) on the World Trade Center. Hear what the the top ABC Radio news stories were that morning (before the world changed) plus the start of "Babs (Barbara Carlson) and the Boys" show. 3 MB (provided by Stuart Held)
  • WCCO-AM (830) - Coverage (edited) the morning of 9/11 (from 8:08-9:50 AM central time) including CBS Radio News, WCBS Radio, CBS TV audio and more - Sept. 11, 2001 - 20 MB (provided by Todd Kosovich)
  • KNOW-FM (91.1) - NPR coverage of 9/11 attacks (9/11/2001 - starts at 8:18 AM central time) #1 24 MB - #2 25 MB

#3 19 MB - #4 5 MB - #5 24 MB - #6 30 MB

  • KNOW-FM (91.1) - NPR coverage of 9/11 attacks (9/11/2001 - starts at approximately 3 PM central time)  #1 23 MB -

#2 26 MB - #3 26MB - #4 26 MB - #5 25 MB - #6 20 MB - #7 25 MB - #8 14 MB

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  • WCBS-AM (880 - New York)  #1 - #2 - #3 - #4 - #5 - #6 - #7 - #8 - #9 - #10 (individual audio files approx. 30 MB)

4-5 PM - 5-6 PM - 6-7 PM - 7-8 PM - 8-9 PM - 9-10 PM - 10-11 PM - 11 PM-12 AM.

Sept. 12, 2021: 12-1 AM - 1-2 AM - 2-3 AM - 3-4 AM - 4-5 AM - 5-6 AM - 6-7 AM - 7-8 AM - Eastern Time - (individual audio files approx. 28 MB).

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  • ABC Radio - Newscast coverage of attacks on the World Trade Center - The first tower collapses during this newscast - 3 MB (provided by Todd Kosovich)


  • Breaking News Coverage of the death of Osama bin Laden (5/1/2011) starting with reports that President Obama would be holding a late evening speech to the nation followed by about two hours of coverage. (MP3 files range 15 to 25 MB)
  •      WCCO-AM (830) - CBS Radio and WCCO Radio news - #1   #2   #3   #4   #5   #6 
  •      KNOW-FM (91.1) - NPR, BBC and Minnesota Public Radio news - #1   #2   #3   #4   #5   #6

 

COVERAGE OF THE 35W BRIDGE COLLAPSE (2007)

August 1, 2007

  • KSTP-AM (provided by Tom Ring) - All files 14 MB 

6-7 PM (first news report airs 25 minutes into this aircheck)  7-8 PM  8-9 PM   9-10 PM  10-11 PM  11 PM-MID

  • WCCO-AM - Live Coverage: Composite starting with the first report - 24 MB
  • KNOW-FM - Live Coverage - #1 5 MB -  #2 22 MB -  #3 26 MB -  #4 26 MB -  #5 29 MB

August 2, 2007

  • KSTP-AM (provided by Tom Ring) - All files 14 MB 

MID-1 AM    1-2 AM    2-3 AM   3-4 AM    4-5 AM    5-6 AM   6-7 AM   7-8 AM   8-9 AM   9-10 AM   10-11 AM

11 AM-12PM  12PM-1 PM  1-2 PM  2-3 PM  3-4 PM  4-5 PM  5-6 PM  6-7 PM  7-8 PM (Disaster on the River)

  • WCCO-AM - 8-9 am (entire hour) - #1 28 MB  - #2 29 MB

August 3, 2007

August 4, 2007

KARE-TV First two hours of coverage of the 35W Bridge Collapse - August 1, 2007: 6:30-8:30 PM


COVERAGE OF THE DEATH OF MICHAEL JACKSON (2009)

  • WCCO-AM - Michele Tafoya, Jeff McKinney, CBS Radio (6/25/2009) - #1 6 MB - #2 2 MB - #3 15 MB
  • KNOW-FM - NPR's All Things Considered's coverage (6/25/2009) - #1 3 MB - #2 2 MB - #3 5 MB - #4 2 MB
  • KSTP-AM - Garage Logic (6/25/2009) 6 MB
  • KTLK-FM - Jason Lewis (6/25/2009) 3 MB
  • KQRS-FM - KQ Morning Show (6/26/2009) 8 MB

COVERAGE OF THE TUCSON SHOOTINGS (2011)

  • KNOW-FM (91.1) - Breaking news coverage of the shootings in Tucson with reports spanning nearly five hours from KNOW-FM, NPR and KJZZ-FM - 1/8/2011 - #1 31 MB   #2 27 MB
  • WCCO-AM (830) - Breaking news coverage of the shootings in Tucson with reports spanning nearly five hours from WCCO Radio and CBS Radio News - 1/8/2011 - 14 MB
  • KNOW-FM (91.1) - NPR's Coverage of the memorial service for the victims of the Tucson shootings held on 1/12/2011 at the McKale Memorial Center at the University of Arizona. President Obama's speech is at the beginning of cut #2.  - #1 39 MB - #2 45 MB

COVERAGE OF THE JAPAN EARTHQUAKE AND TSUNAMI (3/11/2011)

  • KNOW-FM - Breaking news coverage from NPR, BBC and NHK (Japan) - 30 MB
  • WCCO-AM - Breaking news coverage from CBS Radio News, The Jon Grayson Show and WCCO Radio News - 15 MB

COVERAGE OF THE SANDY HOOK SCHOOL SHOOTINGS - WCCO-AM (830) - CBS RADIO

Below are breaking news airchecks of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings as heard on WCCO Radio. Twenty children between six and seven years old and six adult staff members were fatally shot. These recordings are very difficult to listen to, which is why they were not previously posted. Due to many requests, and for historical purposes, they are posted below. President Obama's news conference can be heard near the end of audio segment #3.

WCCO-AM (830) - WCCO and CBS breaking news coverage of the shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut on December 14, 2012.  #1  #2  #3  #4  (mp3 file sizes from 26 to 29 MB)


COVERAGE OF THE BOSTON MARATHON BOMBINGS - WCCO-AM (830) - CBS RADIO

  • April 15, 2013 - Breaking news coverage of the bombings at the Boston Marathon #1  #2  #3  #4 (22-28 MB files)
  • April 19, 2013 - News coverage - capture of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev (staring at 6 PM) #1  #2  #3  #4  #5  #6  #7 (16-29 MB files)

COVERAGE OF THE DEATH OF PRINCE (4/21/2016)

WCCO-AM (830) - First breaking news announcements on the death of singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and actor, Prince including coverage with Steve Simpson, Adam Carter, Lindsay Guentzel (at Paisley Park), Mike "Moose" Miller, J. D. Steele ... plus CBS Radio newscasts and bulletins. - #1 22MB - #2 18 MB


COVERAGE OF ELECTION 2016 (NOVEMBER 8-9, 2016)


MINNEHAHA ACADEMY EXPLOSION (AUGUST 2, 2017)

  • WCCO-AM (830) - #1 28 MB - #2 27 MB - #3 37 MB
  • KTLK-AM (1130) - Newscasts - 2 MB (provided by Jacob Hammond)

COVERAGE OF THE DISAPPEARANCE AND LOCATION OF JAYME CLOSS (2018 & 2019)

  • WCCO-AM (830) - Coverage on Jayme Closs including breaking news that she had been located including an interview with Patty Wetterling (Jan. 10, 2019) and two news conferences (Jan. 11, 2019). - 27 MB

WCCO RADIO COVERAGE OF THE GEORGE FLOYD PROTESTS (May 28, 2020)

WCCO-AM (830) Coverage of George Floyd protests in Minneapolis/St. Paul the evening of May 28, 2020 (starting at 10:00 PM) into the early morning on May 29, 2020 with Henry Lake, Sloan Martin, Mark Freie and Roshini Rajkumar including a news conference with Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and CBS Radio newscasts.  #1   #2   #3 (mp3 files approximately 30 MB each)


COVERAGE OF ANNOUNCEMENTS BIDEN WINS US PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION & VICTORY SPEECHES (2020)

Breaking news coverage that Joe Biden wins US presidential election (November 7, 2020)

WCCO-AM/CBS Radio - 12 MB                 KNOW-FM/NPR - 18 MB

Coverage of Victory Speeches by President-Elect Joe Biden and Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris (November 7, 2020)

WCCO-AM/CBS Radio - 28 MB                 KNOW-FM/NPR - 37 MB


COVERAGE (SEVEN HOURS) OF THE STORMING OF THE US CAPITOL BUILDING AND THE RESUMPTION OF THE 2020 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION CERTIFICATION (January 6, 2021)

WCCO-AM (830) CBS Radio Coverage from 3:00-10:00 PM Central Time - #1  #2  #3  #4  #5  #6  #7  (MP3 files sizes 26 to 31 MB)


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