The Beginning of WCSC

Captain Lewis S. Burk came from a line of harbor pilots, but according to his daughters, electronics really floated his boat. He spent hours in his workshop at the family home on Pitt Street repairing radios, building an intercom system for the house, and using kits to build TVs. This passion led him to join forces with Fred Jordan in 1930 for an application to the federal radio commission for Charleston’s first commercial radio station, WCSC —Wonderful Charleston South Carolina.
The original assignment for the station was to 1310 kilocycles according to the newspaper article that ran announcing the intent to increase WCSC to 1000 watts. Later the assignment would be to 1360 kilocycles and then finally in 1941 to 1390. The daughters remember their father’s excitement when the telegram arrived at the home announcing the new frequency.
Burk and Jordan needed land to locate their transmitter and a location for their broadcast studios. The studios were located on the mezzanine floor of the Francis Marion Hotel and the original transmitter was located in St. Andrew’s Parish on a piece of farmland that Burk had obtained from his brother-in-law, Joe Harrison. Burk constructed “The Plant”, according to his daughters. It included offices and the equipment for operation of the transmitter.
There’s nothing left of this building today except for the memory that it was located along Savannah Highway on Harrison’s farmland that would later become Harrison Acres.
But, imagine the excitement and community pride of seeing a dream come true. There was the possibility, if atmospheric conditions were right, for a large part of the country to experience Burk and Jordan’s dream that “Wonderful” Charleston South Carolina was on the air. Broadcast test, inspections, programming details, and the hiring of staff kept Burk and Jordan busy. The dedication program on Thursday evening, May 8, 1930 included music by the Charleston High School orchestra, and words of congratulations from Mayor Thomas P. Stoney. One of the highlights of the dedication was the first radio broadcast of plantation religious folk songs by the Society for the Preservation of Spirituals.
Regular programming included music – often with local musicians, news every hour preceded by “ding ding dong” of a xylophone, a Saturday morning program known as “The Children’s Hour” with 11-year-old, Fred W. Young Jr, at the microphone, and “The Kiddy Club” on Saturday evening also announced by Young. Other memories from the daughters include that Russell Long was one of the announcers, and Bob Moss and Carroll Santos sold ad time for WCSC.
St. Andrew’s Parish memories? Contact Donna at westashleybook@gmail.com