Welcome to the Modesto Radio Museum. Modesto’s first radio station was KTRB, and its first day on the air was June 18, 1933. From that day forward, this museum has been collecting recordings, photos, stories, even video recordings. Modesto’s radio stations have a strong history, and our goal is to share what made Modesto radio great.
OK, Movie Lovers, who was Wonder Woman’s first boyfriend? Make a guess, and then read all about it right here. Then continue on your tour of our Museum.
Each February we celebrate Presidents Day. One President started in, and always loved, Radio! We salute one of our own:
Also, Disc Jockeys were a big part of what made Modesto radio great. An important tool that disc jockeys used were their “airchecks.” These were sample recordings of their on-air work, with most of the music edited out. An aircheck allowed disc jockeys to listen to their work, have others critique their work, and were used as part of their resumes when applying for jobs. Air Checks were important to disc jockeys; therefore, they are important to our museum. AirChecks is now one of our Menu Categories. We plan always to be adding new air checks, so keep checking back! Special thanks to Derek Waring for editing and digitizing these recordings. It’s always a good time to check out AirChecks.
Use that same Menu to locate any radio station, and learn its history. If you know exactly what you’re looking for, the Search Bar will get you there.
How about something from 1933? Listen to the theme song of Bill Bates, the owner and morning show host of KTRB. For thirty-six years, here’s how thousands of Central Californians started their day:
Spend some time inside our Museum; you’ll get an eyeful and an earful of history.