1959 in radio explained

The year 1959 saw a number of significant happenings in radio broadcasting history.

Events

3 February – A light-aircraft crash near Clear Lake, Iowa, kills three musicians: Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and KTRM-Beaumont deejay JP "The Big Bopper" Richardson, Jr., as well as the plane's pilot. The tragedy will go on to become known as "The Day The Music Died".
11 May – At 10 am, KROW 960 AM in San Francisco switches its call letters to KABL. The KABL name will stay with the station until September 2004.

German-American musicologist Karl Haas starts Adventures in Good Music at WJR in Detroit, Michigan.
14 March – Tulane University's WTUL signs on for the first time. Owned and operated by Tulane University, this progressive-music station. will give Jerry Springer his start in broadcasting.
3 April – Pick of the Week is first broadcast on the BBC Home Service.
7 June KKLS signs on in Rapid City

2 January – CBS ends Our Gal Sunday, This Is Nora Drake, Backstage Wife and Road of Life.^[1]
2 January – The Kate Smith Show ends its run on network radio (Mutual).^[2]
9 January – The Howard Miller Show ends its run on network radio (CBS).^[2]

2 January – Joe Bevilacqua, award-winning American voice actor, radio producer, dramatist, humorist and documentary film producer.
9 January – Andy Kershaw, English world music presenter.
27 January – Cris Collinsworth, American sportscaster, previously American football player.
28 January – Randi Rhodes, American radio host.
22 May – Graham Fellows, English comedy performer.
3 June – John Carlson, American conservative talk radio host on KVI in Seattle.
7 June – Mike Pence, American politician who began his career on the radio station WIFE-FM (WRCR-FM).
13 August – Danny Bonaduce, American comedian, actor and broadcast personality.

9 January – Hans Bredow, "father of German radio" (born 1879).
3 March – Lou Costello, American comic actor (The Abbott and Costello Show), heart attack (born 1906).
6 December – Len Doyle, American actor, played investigator Harrigan on Mr. District Attorney (born 1893).^[3]

Dunning, John. (1998). On the Air: The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio. Oxford University Press. .
Cox, Jim (2008). This Day in Network Radio: A Daily Calendar of Births, Debuts, Cancellations and Other Events in Broadcasting History. McFarland & Company, Inc. . p. 7
News: Len Doyle. Galesburg Register-Mail. 8 December 1959. Illinois, Galesburg. 13. Newspapers.com. 29 March 2016. .