The smaller picture : Warren P. Williamson Jr. and the age of broadcasting in Youngstown, Ohio : from wireless radio to television

Abstract

In the first half of the Twentieth Century, in Youngstown, Ohio, competition between two local media moguls, a radio broadcaster and a newspaper publisher, resulted in the establishment of two major television operations almost simultaneously. This thesis will illustrate how that development mirrored what was happening in broadcasting on the national scene; in fact, the establishment of broadcast stations in Youngstown and other medium- and small-sized cities became the foundation on which a massive industry was built. Only one broadcaster was first in the Mahoning Valley, however, and that was Warren P. Williamson Jr. Born in Youngstown in 1900, he developed a fascination with the wireless telegraph as a youth that eventually led him into the radio and television business. In turning his hobby into a career, he pioneered in an unknown field and earned a place in broadcasting history. Using a vast archive of personal and corporate records preserved by Williamson himself over 75 years, this project illustrates how his accomplishments were influenced by events happening nationally in the new industry, including technological advances, changing government regulations, and audience demand. The thesis explores Williamson's motivation for expanding into television and his strategy for making that plan work. Finally, the climax of this thesis will be the critical period in the early 1950s when WKBN aired the first local television broadcast and introduced the community to the smaller picture.