World War II had been won, the American dream was being realized by millions, and radio was king. Whether it was news, weather, sports, or music, radio had been bringing Americans together in a common experience for over 25 years, and was a proven technology. Whether the listener tuned-in from a kitchen counter All American Five radio, a large console set in the living room, or in their car or tru
ck, radio was the glue that united the rural and city
dwellers alike. It was into this era of optimism and enterprise that John Goss, then in his early ‘20s, had become interested in building a radio station. John had been repairing radios after school for extra money in High School, and absolutely loved radios. Music was his passion, and radio stations were busy broadcasting all of the latest hits. In order to build a radio station from scratch, back in 1955, the Federal Communications Commission required that new stations only be built in areas of the country
that needed the service of a local AM radio station. (FM stations were extremely rare in rural areas, due to their limited receiving range, and the expense of early FM radio receivers.) After researching the available locations provided in the monthly FCC publications, only two frequencies and locations were available in the Midwest, in 1955. One was in Corpus Christi, Texas, and the other was in Alva, Oklahoma. Having grown up in Chanute, Kansas, John and his wife, Rita, soon visited Alva, where they spoke with the town’s people to see if there was sufficient interest in having a radio station of their own. John and Rita were welcomed and very much encouraged by all they met, and in particular, by Alva State Bank and the downtown merchants who felt that a radio station in Alva would be the perfect way to attract business, and a great way to provide coverage of campus events and sports coverage of Northwest Oklahoma State. Convinced that Alva would be their new home, John and Rita went back to Chanute and began the application process to gain an FCC station license for what would become KALV at 1430 KHz on the AM dial. At only 22 years-old, John didn’t have the slightest idea, except that his stepfather, A.D. Conrow, was an electrical engineer and knew a lot about electronics. Conrow acting as Chief Engineer, John plunged into the world of radio broadcasting. He first got a job at a Chanute station called KCRB, where he was hired to do the afternoon show. Since John was a musician, the job of program director was no problem, and the production work came easily to him. In those days, radio stations were just transitioning from wire-recorders to magnetic tapes for the process of making commercials that could be ‘taped’ ahead of time, rather than just being read on the-air, as had been the case in years gone by. Rita Goss spent her time learning the process of log keeping for the new station. In the mid-1950s, radio stations were required to make detailed ‘logs’ that recorded what transmitter power levels were being used, as well as what material was being transmitted. To further complicate KALV’s engineering, the FCC required that the transmitter and tower site be able to beam the station’s signal in
a very precise pattern or field, to keep from interfering with two other stations, also operating on 1430 KHz. This required what the industry calls a ‘Three Tower Directional’ antenna array, and the engineering math and physics required were daunting, back in those days. Financing for KALV radio was provided to a corporation that John and Mr. Conrow formed called Alva Communications, Inc.. Personal loans of $5,000 each from Mr. Homer LaForge (an uncle of John’s) and a bank loan from Alva State Bank seeded the fledgling corporation. Wisdom had a close relationship with the radio station for many years.) With the limited financing secured,
John and Mr. Conrow set about building much of the electronic equipment to save as much money as possible. Only the mixing console, turntables, two tape decks, and the large Collins transmitter had to be purchased outright, with the Collins Corporation providing financing for the first transmitter. In addition to the equipment, it was necessary for John to personally construct the original studio and transmitter buildings, which are still located at the same address near the Salt Fork of the Arkansas River. The transmitter location was carefully selected to be as close to the water as practicable to provide a good electrical ‘ground’ for the radio frequency signals. The three transmitting towers had to be precisely placed and ‘phased’ to provide the required signal pattern, and monthly field strength reading were required by the FCC for continued operation. After more than a year, it was finally time to put KALV radio ‘On The Air’, and approval came via Western Union Telegram cable granting permission to officially begin transmission of an Amplitude Modulated (AM) signal of 500 watts, at 1430 Kilo Cycles, using the lingo of the day. John, Rita, and Mr. Conrow owned and operated KALV from its inception until 1963, after which, they moved to NW Arkansas, where an experimental nuclear reactor called SEFOR was being constructed by General
Electric. KALV has provided the citizens of Alva and its surrounding area continuous news, weather, sports, and music coverage since 1956. KALV radio stands as an unwavering testament to the dedication and hard work of Woods County residents, and is dedicated to continuing to serve its listeners well into the future.
