Special Historic Airchecks

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Read more about the
May 6, 1965 tornado outbreak -click here
1965 Tornado Coverage Scoped Highlights:
#1  -#2

SEVERE WEATHER COVERAGE - WCCO-AM

TWIN CITIES TORNADO OUTBREAK (May 1965)

On May 6, 1965, the worst tornadoes in Twin Cities history struck the western and northern metro area. There were five tornadoes in the metro area, with another tornado just to the west in Sibley and McLeod Counties. Four of the tornadoes were rated F4 on the Fujita Scale, one was an F3 and another was an F2. Thirteen people were killed and 683 were injured.

MAY 6, 1965 - Five hours of continuous and dramatic coverage below:

WCCO-AM - Coverage of the Twin Cities tornado outbreak from 7:10 pm to 12:12 am with Charlie Boone, Dick Chapman, Chuck Lilligren and others:#1 -#2 -#3 -#4 -#5 -#6 -#7 -#8 -#9. WCCO won multiple awards for their coverage including the Society of Professional Journalists Award, the Dupont Award, and the Peabody Award. It's the only time that feat has ever been accomplished.

MAY 7, 1965 - The Day After:

WCCO-AM - More than six hours of coverage the day after the deadly and devastating Twin Cities tornadoes including Roger Erickson (helicopter reports), Chuck Lilligren, Maynard Speece, Howard Viken, Bob DeHaven, Jerry Brennan, Joyce Lamont, Dick Chapman, Dick Enroth, Jergen Nash, Bob West, Randy Merriman. (provided by Bill Lund, Digital on Location, Woodbury, MN)

  • 6:30-7:00 am: Includes commercials for Geigy Atrazine Seeds, Pall Mall Cigarettes, Standard Oil Dealers, Peterson Mercury, Northwestern National Bank, Farmers & Mechanics Bank, Dexol Bleach, Camel Cigarettes.
  • 7:00-7:45 am: Includes CBS News Roundup with Neil Strawser and commercials for Northwest Orient Airlines, Milk Foundation, Old Gold Cigarettes, Twin Cities Area Rambler Dealers, Standard Oil, St. Paul Pioneer Press, Kent Cigarettes, Apache Office Park, Ozark Airlines, First National Bank of Minneapolis.
  • 7:45-8:15 am: Includes First Bank Notes and commercials for Peters Hot Dogs, Pennzoil Motor Oil, Federated Insurance, Bill Boyer Ford, O'Brien Paint.
  • 8:15-9:20 am: Includes commercials for Crystal Sugar, Beep Drink from Cloverleaf, Cloverleaf Milk, Twin City Federal, Schweigert, Shell Heating Oil, Upper Midwest Council for Better Vision, Old Gold Cigarettes, Pronto Golf Brand Lawn Seeds, Standard Oil Dealers.
  • 11:45 am-12:20 pm: Includes commercials for Eggsquist Pastries, Coke, Old Dutch Potato Chips, Underwood Chicken Spread, Dekalb, Nash Instant Coffee, Smith-Douglass Fertilizer, Dow Chemical Company, Travelers Insurance.
  • 1:00-1:15 pm: Includes commercials for MLA Insurance, Underwood Chicken Spread, Frigidaire, Bisquick.
  • 2:35-3:00 pm: Includes Party Line with Charlie Boone & Roger Erickson and commercials for Miracle White, Yardley Fragrances Perfume, Peters Hot Dogs and Sandwiches, Century Insurance, Coke, Fels Brands, Schmitt Music Company, Franklin Cottage Cheese, Nash Coffee.
  • 3:00-3:30 pm: Includes CBS News with Douglas Edwards, Boone in the Afternoon and commercials for Look Magazine, Total Cereal, Northwestern National Bank, Hansord Pontiac, Old Dutch Potato Chips, Plymouth Optical.
  • 3:30-4:00 pm: Includes Dimension with Mike Wallace (interviewing Henry Fonda), Boone in the Afternoon and commercials for Frigidaire, Camel Cigarettes, Yardley Perfume, Gift House Stamps, Northland Ice Cream, Fritos Corn Chips, New Blue Raindrops, Total Cereal.
  • 4:15-4:50 pm: Includes Boone in the Afternoon, Coffee Break with Allen Gray and commercials for Page Tissue, Old Gold Cigarettes, Hills Brothers Coffee, Century Insurance, Fells Brands, Pennzoil, American Express, Hansord Pontiac, Mobile, Equitable Life Insurance.
  • 4:50-5:20 pm: Includes Point of Law with Charlie Boone, VIP Show with Howard Viken and commercials for Ford, Travelers Insurance, Mileage and Direct Service Stations and Gas, Camel Cigarettes, Northern Pacific Railroad, Scotts Turf Builder, Fels Laundry Brands, Shell's Heating Oil, Northrup King.

MORE SEVERE WEATHER COVERAGE AIRCHECKS

  • July 6, 1966 - WCCO Radio Tornado coverage with Ray Christensen, Dick Chapman, Franklin Hobbs, Arv Johnson and Chuck Lilligren#1  -#2 (provided by Curt Lundgren)
  • June 14, 1968 - WCCO Radio Morning after coverage of the deadly tornado in Tracy, MN with Franklyn Hobbs, Roger Erickson, news director Jim Bormann (reporting from Tracy), Jergen Nash and Howard Viken. The tornado was an F5 that killed nine people and injured 150 others.#1   #2 (provided by Mark Durenberger)
  • WCCO Radio June 14, 1981 - Tornado Coverage -#1  -#2 
  • WCCO Radio July 18, 1986 - Tornado Coverage -#1  -#2 -#3 -#4  (KARE-TV video tornado coverage:#1#2)
  • WCCO Radio July 23, 1987 - Coverage of the "1987 Super Storm." The Twin Cities metro area was hit with a powerful line of thunderstorms producing tornadoes, damaging straight line winds and historic flooding.#1  -#2  -#3  - Audio is not studio quality, but is very interesting to listen to. (provided by Todd Kosovich with audio enhancement by Mark Durenberger)
  • WCCO Radio November 1, 1991 -Halloween Blizzard of 1991with Charlie Boone, Roger Erickson, Dick Chapman, Eric Eskola, Dean Spratt, Jerry Peterson, Karen Filloon and more.
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HUBERT H. HUMPHREY RECORDINGS/AIRCHECKS (1946-1978)

  • 8/18/1946 - WCCO-AM - MinneapolisMayor Hubert H. Humphrey reading the newspaper comics from the Minneapolis Tribune during the "Stay At Home" campaign during a polio outbreak. Frank Butler hosts the show with music by Toby Prin. Humphrey's children, Skip and Nancy, also appear on the show. (provided by Todd Kosovich) FYI: The Minnesota State Fair was cancelled that year due to outbreak of polio.
  • 7/13/1948 -Humphrey's famous civil rights speech at the Democratic National Convention - NBC Radio Network (provided by Todd Kosovich)
  • 8/26/1964 -Humphrey appearing on the Boone & Erickson show when a CBS "Net Alert" bulletin interrupts with news that President Johnson was considering Senator Humphrey to be his vice presidential running mate.
  • 11/6/1968 -Humphrey's concession speech the day after the 1968 presidential election.
  • 1975 -Humphrey addresses broadcasting's pioneer radio stations and national advertisers in New York about WCCO Radio.
  • 1977 - Senator Humphrey revealed he was suffering from terminal bladder cancer. In October, President Carter honored Humphrey by giving him command of Air Force One for his final trip to Washington, DC. which included an address to the Senate. The following are two news reports:
    WCCO-AMRich Holter & Roger Mudd - 10/25/1977  / CBS Radio NewsbreakCharles Osgood - 10/26/1977
  • January 1978 - WCCO-AM Humphrey death coverage (brief silence between segments)#1  -#2 

WCCO RADIO CIVIL DEFENSE RECORDINGS (1961)

WCCO-AM - A very rare set of recordings ofcivil defense announcements from 1961 that would have aired on WCCO Radio in the event of a probable or actual enemy (nuclear) attack. These announcements were pre-recorded by WCCO announcers Howard Viken, Dick Chapman and Governor Elmer Andersen, and most likely would have aired from the station's transmitter facility in Coon Rapids, MN which included a fallout shelter.(provided by Curt Lundgren)

Twin Cities Public Television Almanac host Cathy Wurzer and Jim du Bois of the Minnesota Broadcasters Association talk about the history of the Emergency Broadcasting System (January 31, 2014).

Click on photo to view the video.

Civil Defense Recording played on TPT's Almanac is posted above.

CONELRAD brochure
(provided byJeff R. Lonto)

Jeff Lonto writes, "I thought you might be interested in this CONELRAD brochure that is in a packet of Civil Defense literature that I have. The packet says on the outside that it contains information "For Your Survival!"

THE BIG EBS (Emergency Broadcast System) MISTAKE OF 1971

WCCO-AM -EBS False Alarm Error - A rare recording - as it sounded on WCCO during the Howard Viken Show on February 20, 1971, with follow-up reports and coverage on 'CCO Radio and CBS Radio. See below for more details.

On the morning of Saturday, February 20, 1971, Wayland S. Eberhardt, a civilian teletype operator, was going about his routine duties at the National Emergency Warning Center at Cheyenne Mountain, Colorado. One of the functions of "the Mountain" during this era was to send out the weekly Emergency Broadcast System (EBS) test directive to the nation's radio and television stations. They were also responsible for sending out the real warning. When stations received these messages they compared it against a card to determine what action to take. At 7:33 a.m. local time on that fateful Saturday, Mr. Eberhardt, a fifteen-year veteran of his job, fed the wrong tape into the transmitter. He was later quoted by the New York Times as saying "I can't imagine how the hell I did it."Text source.

WOWO-AM (Fort Wayne, Indiana)EBS False Alarm Error - February 20, 1971.(courtesy of theHistory of WOWO website)

WCCO-AM -Emergency Alert System National Test (11/9/2011)

Evacuation Route image provided by Todd Kosovich
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COVERAGE OF THE ASSASSINATION OF PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY (11/22/1963)

Six hours of coverage the shooting and death of President John F. Kennedy as covered on WCCO-AM and CBS Radio on November 22, 1963. (provided by Bill Lund, Digital on Location, Woodbury, MN)

12:40-1:45 PM -#1#2
1:45-3:00 PM -#1#2
3:00-4:00 PM -#1#2
4:08-4:52 PM -#1#2
5:45-7:20 PM -#1#2#3

CBS Radio: Allan Jackson and Dallas Townsend (New York), Nelson Benton (Dallas Parkland Memorial Hospital), Dan Rather (Dallas), Robert Pierpoint (Dallas), Wells Church (Washington DC), Roger Mudd (Washington DC), George Herman (Washington DC), Alexander Kendrick (London), Charles Von Fremd (Washington DC), Stuart Novins (Moscow), Bernard Eismann (New York), Paul Niven (White House), Daniel Schorr (Bonn), Vin Maloney (Boston), Nelson Benton (Dallas), Peter Stursberg (Ottawa), Winston Burdett (Rome), Peter Kalischer (Tokyo), Richard Hottelet (New York), and Marvin Kalb (Washington DC).

WCCO-AM: Jergen Nash, Maynard Speece, Dick Chapman (interviewing people outside the WCCO building as the news of JFK's death broke and news reports) and Arv Johnson. Plus, Charlie Boone, Jergen Nash and Ray Christensen with notices of event cancellations/postponements, special church services, etc.

In addition, comments from MN Governor Karl Rolvaag, former MN Governor Elmer Anderson, WI Governor John Reynolds, former President Dwight Eisenhower and UN Ambassador Adlai Stevenson, Plus, a portion of President Kennedy's breakfast speech to the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce the morning of his death.

ABC Radio - Thanks to broadcast historian Todd Kosovich, RadioTapes is able to present more than five hours of ABC Radio coverage of the shooting/death of President Kennedy including the online premiere of coverage following the announcement that President Kennedy had died. The recordings start with "Music in the Afternoon" program interrupted by breaking news of the shooting of President Kennedy.#1  #2  #3  #4  #5  #6  #7  #8  #9  #10  #11  #12  #13  #14  #15  #16 

Don Gardiner (anchor) with reports from Bob Clark (Dallas), Pete Clapper (Capitol Hill), Stuart Klein, John Rolfson (Washington DC), Quincy Howe (commentary), John Scali (Hawaii), John Casserly (Rome), Irv Chapman (Washington DC), Ted Koppel (United Nations), Sam Jaffe (Moscow), Walter Forges (national editor), Bernard Kaplan (Paris), Bob Lindley (Buenos Aires),Paul Harvey commentary (also on aircheck #13), Bill Downs (Andrews Air Force Base), Bill Sheehan (London), Bruce Morton (London), Alex Dreier (Chicago), and others. Plus, interviews with various senators, congressmen and religious leaders including Minnesota's Senator Hubert Humphrey plus former President Eisenhower, speech from President Johnson, a tribute from the BBC, and much more.

NBC Radio - Coverage of the shooting/assassination of President John F. Kennedy - Bulletin#1  #2  #3  Continuous Coverage#1  -#2  (provided by Todd Kosovich)

Voice of America shortwave broadcast as they struggle with CBS saying JFK is dead and NBC saying JFK is still alive.(provided by Todd Kosovich)

WRUL Shortwave - Radio New York Worldwide - JFK assassination coverage in English and Spanish including reports from ABC Radio.(provided by Todd Kosovich)

MLK

COVERAGE OF THE ASSASSINATION OF DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. (April 4-5, 1968)

WCCO-AM:

  • April 4, 1968 -Breaking news coverageof the assassination of Dr. King by WCCO Radio and CBS Radio with Gary Shepard and Daniel Schorr plus an address to the nation by President Lyndon Johnson.
  • April 5, 1968 - CBS Radio News -Special Report with Douglas Edwards.(provided by Todd Kosovich)
  • June 8, 1968 - CBS Radio News -Announcement of capture of James Earl Ray. (provided by Larry Haeg, Jr.)
RFK

COVERAGE OF THE ASSASSINATION OF SENATOR ROBERT F. KENNEDY (June 5-8, 1968)

WCCO-AM  / CBS Radio / NBC Radio / NBC TV / KNX-AM - A collection of airchecks covering the shooting, death, funeral mass and more of Robert F. Kennedy. Thanks to Larry Haeg Jr. (LH) and Todd Kosovich (TK) for most of these historic recordings.

  • June 5, 1968 - CBS Radio report of Mutual Radio'sAndrew West's shooting coverage. (TK)
  • June 5, 1968 - KNX-AM (Los Angeles) - The recording begins with a minute of California local returns followed by the first word of the RFK shooting -#1  -#2  (TK)
  • June 5, 1968 - WCCO-AM -Breaking news coverage with Franklin Hobbs including CBS Radio coverage.
  • June 5, 1968 - CBS Radio coverage -#1  -#2  -#3  - #4   #5 -#6  (all previous LH) -#7  (TK)
  • June 5, 1968 -NBC Radio Special Report  (TK)
  • June 6, 1968 - Announcement RFK's death -WCCO-AM/CBS Radio -NBC Radio (TK) -NBC TV (TK)
  • June 6, 1968 -Arthur Godfrey Show (LH)
  • June 7, 1968 -CBS Radio Newscasts  (LH)
  • June 8, 1968 - CBS Radio: Funeral Mass St. Patrick's Cathedral -#1  -#2  -#3  -#4 (LH)
    (near the end of Part #4, a bulletin announces that James Earl Ray, the murderer of Martin Luther King, had been caught)
  • June 8, 1968 - CBS Radio: Washington DC train arrival of RFK's body -#1  -#2  (LH)

COVERAGE OF THE APOLLO 1 TRAGEDY - (1967)

WCCO/CBS Radio breaking news coverage of theApollo 1 tragedy (January 27-28, 1967). A cabin fire during a launch pad test at Cape Canaveral killed all three crew members: Command Pilot Virgil "Gus" Grissom, Senior Pilot Edward H. White and Pilot Roger B. Chaffee. Includes Winston cigarette commercial.

COVERAGE OF THE FLIGHT OF APOLLO 11 - (1969)

COVERAGE OF THE FLIGHT OF APOLLO 12 - (1969)

  • Nov 19, 1969 - ABC Radio - Live coverage of Apollo 12 Moon landing -#1#2  (provided by Todd Kosovich)

COVERAGE OF THE FLIGHT OF APOLLO 13 - (1970)

WCCO-AM - Coverage by WCCO Radio and CBS Radio of the flight of Apollo 13

Apollo 13 was the seventh manned mission in the American Apollo space program and the third intended to land on the Moon. The lunar landing was aborted after an oxygen tank exploded two days into the flight, crippling the service module upon which the Command Module depended. Despite great hardship caused by limited power, loss of cabin heat, shortage of potable water, and the critical need to jury-rig the carbon dioxide removal system, the crew returned safely to Earth. The flight was commanded by James A. Lovell with John L. "Jack" Swigert as Command Module pilot and Fred W. Haise as Lunar Module pilot. (Wikipedia)

ABC Radio coverage airchecks (provided by Todd Kosovich)

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BREAKING NEWS COVERAGE OF THE SHOOTING OF GEORGE WALLACE IN (1972)

In 1972, Alabama Governor and Democratic Presidential Candidate, George Wallace, was shot five times while campaigning in Laurel, Maryland. Wallace was hit in the abdomen and chest, and one of the bullets lodged in his spinal column, leaving him paralyzed from the waist down for the rest of his life. A five-hour operation was needed that evening, and Wallace had to receive several units of blood in order to survive. Three others who were wounded in the shooting also survived. The shooting and Wallace's subsequent injuries put an effective end to his bid for the Democratic Presidential nomination.

WCCO-AM -Breaking news coverage on the shooting of George Wallace as reported by CBS Radio and WCCO Radio including reports from CBS Radio's Reid Collins, Bernard Kalb, and others, along with WCCO Radio's Charlie Boone, Steve Edstrom, Dick Chapman, Jergen Nash, and Steve Cannon - May 15, 1972.

WATERGATE AND THE FALL OF PRESIDENT RICHARD NIXON (1973-1974)

Following recordings provided by broadcast historian, Todd Kosovich (unless noted).

WCCO Radio/CBS Radio

  • Apr. 30, 1973 - Lowell Thomas News - Nixon cleans house 
  • May 9, 1973 - Walter Cronkite News and Analysis - how serious is Watergate
  • May 23, 1973 - First Line Report with Dan Rather - Nixon makes new admissions 
  • Jun. 22, 1973 - First Line Report with Robert Pierpoint - Nixon's personal style
  • Jun. 29, 1973 - First Line Report with Robert Pierpoint - blaming John Dean
  • Jul. 27, 1973 - KSJN-FM NPR - Senate Watergate Hearings John Ehrlichman testimony (provided by Stuart Held)
  • Oct. 10, 1973 - ABC Contemporary Radio - Spiro Agnew Resignation
  • Oct. 13, 1973 - CBS News Nixon Picks Gerald Ford as Vice President(provided by Helen Diehl)
  • Oct. 22, 1973 - First Line Report with Bob Schieffer - a busy week! 
  • Oct. 23, 1973 - First Line Report with Dan Rather - 7 days in October.
  • Oct. 23, 1973 - Walter Cronkite News and Analysis - flood of impeachment petitions.
  • Oct. 23, 1973 - CBS News Special Report - summary of events
  • Nov. 17, 1973 - CBS News Nixon News Conference from Florida.(provided by Helen Diehl)
  • Jan. 2, 1974 - CBS Report with Robert Pierpoint - predicts that President Nixon will resign this year.
  • Apr. 18, 1974 - CBS Radio - Nixon Transcripts Speech(provided by Bill Lund, Digital on Location, Woodbury, MN)
  • Jul. 12, 1974 - The World Tonight with Douglas Edwards. Ellsberg burglary verdict is in - Ehrlichman guilty.
  • Jul. 25, 1974 - First Line Report with Bob Schieffer. Summary of the arguments and ruling in U.S. vs Nixon.
  • July, 25, 1974 - The World Tonight-Douglas Edwards. House Judiciary Committee debate on articles of impeachment.
  • Aug. 5, 1974 - First Line Report with Bob Schieffer. Rumors over President Nixon trip to Camp David.
  • Aug. 6, 1974 - First Line Report with Dan Rather -"Days of Decision"- Political allies and press turn against Nixon.
  • Aug. 7, 1974 - CBS News - Stuart Novins - The President is deciding what to do.
  • Aug. 8, 1974 (5 am) - CBS News - Dallas Townsend with indications that President Nixon will resign.
  • Aug. 8, 1974 (6 pm) - The World Tonight -Douglas Edwards. President expected to resignation in two hours.
  • Aug. 8, 1974 (7:55 pm) - CBS Radio News Special Report - Nixon Announces Resignation -#1 - #2 
  • Aug. 8, 1974 - CBS Radio News Special Report (continued) - Nixon Announces Resignation -#3 - #4 
  • Aug. 8, 1974 - ABC Radio News Special Report - Nixon Announces Resignation.(provided by Danny Sigelman)
  • Aug. 9, 1974 - CBS Radio News Special Report - Nixon Farewell. (by Bill Lund, Digital on Location, Woodbury, MN)
  • Aug. 9, 1974 - CBS Radio News Special Report - Swearing in President Gerald Ford with Neil Strawser & Hal Walker.
  • Aug. 9, 1974 - ABC Radio News (WYOO-AM) Special Report Swearing in President Ford.(provided by Danny Sigelman)

COVERAGE OF THE VIETNAM WAR (1964-1975)

August 5, 1964 -WCCO-AM  - CBS Radio News Special Report: The Crisis in Vietnam. (provided by Bill Lund, Digital on Location, Woodbury, MN)

January 18, 1966 - WCCO-AM - WCCO News Director Jim Bormann and Senator Walter Mondale travel to Vietnam. Includes interviews with Minnesota soldiers, war battle sounds and more.(provided by Bill Lund, Digital on Location, Woodbury, MN)

April 30, 1975 - WCCO-AM - CBS Radio and WCCO news coverage on the fall of Saigon.

April 30, 1975 - KFMX-FM (104.1) - NBC Radio newscast on the fall of Saigon.

April 30, 1975 - KSTP-TV - NBC Nightly News (audio) - Coverage of the fall of Saigon.

In 1975, the Internet did not exist. To hear newscasts/reports from foreign countries, in some cases, a shortwave radio was needed. The following is a rare English language shortwave recording from the Voice of [North] Vietnam as received in Minnesota the day Saigon fell. Plus, a shortwave recording from the BBC. Audio is rough on both recordings, but if you listen closely, you will hear history "as it happened."

Voice of Vietnam announcing the fall and liberation of Saigon - April 30, 1975.

BBC reporting on the fall of Saigon - April 30, 1975.

PRESIDENT JIMMY CARTER ON WCCO RADIO 1976-1994

Jimmy Carter, the 39th President of the United States, passed away on December 29, 2024. The following are airchecks that President Carter appeared in on WCCO-AM.

Boone & Erickson skit: "The Carter Family" - 1976

Carter appears atFarmfest - September 15, 1976

Carter winsPresidential Election - November 3, 1976

CarterInauguration coverage - January 20, 1977 

Carter appears on theBoone & Erickson Show - April 26, 1985

Carter appears withGil (Roger Erickson) & Fin (Dave Lee) - January 12, 1994

Carter appears onRuth Koscielak Show - January 12, 1994 

COVERAGE OF THE DEATH OF JOHN LENNON (12/8/1980 to 12/14/1980)

#1 -#2 - Part 1 opens with an announcement by Howard Cosell on ABC Television's Monday Night Football that John Lennon had been shot and killed, a bulletin on NBC Television interrupting The Tonight Show, followed by airchecks from KQRS-FM/NBC Radio's The Source, WCCO-AM/CBS Radio, WWTC-AM/Mutual Radio, WCCO-FM, KDWB-FM, KSTP-FM, WLOL-FM and KCLD-FM.

(Thanks to Stuart Held for many of the above airchecks plus Todd Kosovich for the WCCO-AM/CBS Radio aircheck and NBC-TV bulletin audio).

WCCO-AM -Breaking news coverage on the shooting and death of John Lennon from CBS Radio and WCCO Radiowith Bill Diehl and Franklin Hobbs. (December 8, 1980) 

KDWB-FM - Tribute to John Lennon (scoped) - (January 14, 1980)#1 -#2 (provided by Arne Shulstad)

COVERAGE OF THE SHOOTING OF PRESIDENT RONALD REAGAN (3/30/1981-3/31/1981)

WCCO-AM and CBS Radio breaking news and continuous coverage of the assassination attempt on President Ronald Reagan. 

March 30, 1981 - Coverage starts with the first news bulletin and includes reports from CBS Radio and WCCO Radio news:#1  #2  #3  #4  #5  #6  #7  #8  #9  #10  #11(provided by Kurt Rosselit)

March 31, 1981:#1#2(provided by Kurt Rosselit)

Breaking news reports from Mutual Broadcasting System(3/30/1981)(provided by Todd Kosovich)

COVERAGE OF THE FALKLANDS WAR (1982)

The Falklands War was fought in 1982 between Argentina and the United Kingdom over the disputed Falkland Islands, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands. The war started on April 2, 1982, with the Argentine invasion and occupation of the Falkland Islands and South Georgia. The war lasted 74 days and resulted in the deaths of 257 British and 649 Argentine soldiers. (per Wikipedia)

May 1, 1982 - KSTP ID into ABC News update on theFalklands Warwith reports of the first attacks by British bombers on the Falkland Islands.

WCCO-AM - CBS Radio newscasts covering the Falklands War all recorded by Todd Kosovich:

#1 - April 1-16, 1982
#2 - April 17-21, 1982
#3 - April 30-May 3, 1982
#4 - May 20, 1982
#5 - May 20 to early June, 1982

In 1982, the Internet as we know it did not exist. To hear newscasts/reports from foreign countries, in many cases, a shortwave radio was needed. The following are Falklands War related shortwave broadcasts received in Minnesota. Some recordings have rough audio, but if you listen closely, you will hear history "as it happened."

  • BBC Newscast
  • BBC Radio Newsreel
  • BBC "Calling the Falklands" Messages to family members on the Falkland Islands (poor audio as transmission was directed to the South Atlantic). At the end of the broadcast, the announcer says, "Keep your heads down. Keep your hearts high."
  • Radio Atlantico del Sur - British clandestine station broadcasting to Argentine troops in Spanish (Argentina jamming transmitter in background)
  • Argentina Clandestine - Liberty (referred to in the media as "Argentine Annie") was an English speaking clandestine Argentine radio station that broadcast to British troops during the  Falklands War. The announcer was a television presenter from Buenos Aires. Audio quality from this station was always extremely poor and distorted (even in the South Atlantic). Broadcasts would start with an instrumental version of "Yesterday" by The Beatles. In this transmission, the announcer opens with, "Hello, I am Liberty. A voice, a thought, a [?], a woman who is proud to know that the world listens when Argentina speaks." Lots of British music was played. For example, in one broadcast after the announcer criticized British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, the song "Honky Tonk Women" by the Rolling Stones was played.

COVERAGE OF THE CHALLENGER SHUTTLE DISASTER (1986)

WCCO-AM / CBS Radio's - Breaking news starting with CBS Radio Net Alert Bulletin followed by 2:45:00 of coverage. (1/28/1986)#1  -#2  -#3  -#4  -#5  -#6. Thanks to Todd Kosovich for providing Part #2.

KSTP-AM -KSTP / ABC Radio Coverage (provided by Todd Kosovich)

CNN Coverage -VIDEO

GulfWar

COVERAGE OF THE START OF OPERATION DESERT STORM (1/16/1991) - WCCO-AM

Before the start of Operation Desert Storm12 AM CBS Newscast  -7 AM CBS Newscast (provided by Todd Kosovich).

The start of Operation Desert Storm#1 -#2 -#3 -#4 -#5 -#6 -#7. These recordings last 3 hours and 20 minutes and begin at 5:41 pm with a bulletin by Steve Cannon that an attack may be underway in Baghdad followed by coverage from CBS Radio, CNN with correspondents John Holliman, Peter Arnett and Bernard Shaw reporting from the Al-Rashid Hotel, Rich Holter and the WCCO Radio News Department, plus a speech to the nation by President George H. W. Bush, update by Defense Secretary Dick Cheney and more. Thanks to Todd Kosovich for providing Part 1 of the recordings.

COVERAGE OF THE 9/11 ATTACKS (9/11/2001) AND THE DEATH OF OSAMA BIN LADEN (5/1/2011)

KSTP-AM -9/11/2001 - This aircheck was recorded about three hours before the attacks (5 AM central time) on the World Trade Center. Hear what the top ABC Radio news stories were that morning (before the world changed) plus the start of "Babs (Barbara Carlson) and the Boys" show.(provided by Stuart Held)

WCCO-AM - Coverage (edited) the morning of9/11 (from 8:08-9:50 AM central time) including CBS Radio News, WCBS Radio, CBS TV audio and more - Sept. 11, 2001.(provided by Todd Kosovich)

WCCO-AM - Coverage (edited) the morning of9/11 (from 8:08-9:50 AM central time) including CBS Radio News, WCBS Radio, CBS TV audio and more - Sept. 11, 2001.  (provided by Todd Kosovich)

KNOW-FM - NPR coverage of 9/11 attacks (9/11/2001 - starts at 8:18 AM central time)#1  -#2  - #3  -#4  -#5  -#6

KNOW-FM - NPR coverage of 9/11 attacks (9/11/2001 - starts at approximately 3 PM central time)#1  -#2  -#3 -#4  -#5  -#6  -#7  -#8 

WABC-AM (770 AM - New York)8-9 AM -9-9:50 AM -9:50-10:50 AM -11 AM-Noon -Noon-1 PM -1-2 PM -2-3 PM -3-4 PM - Eastern Time.

WCBS-AM (880 - New York)#1 -#2 -#3 -#4 -#5 -#6 -#7 -#8 -#9 -#10 

Sept. 12, 2021:12-1 AM -1-2 AM -2-3 AM -3-4 AM -4-5 AM -5-6 AM -6-7 AM -7-8 AM - Eastern Time.

WTOP-AM (1500 - Washington DC) -Breaking News 

ABC Radio -Newscast coverage of attacks on the World Trade Center - The first tower collapses during this newscast. (provided by Todd Kosovich).

WCCO-AM -Minnesota Remembers 9/11 broadcast on September 11, 2011.(provided by Jacob Hammond)

WCCO-AM -Minnesota Remembers 9/11 broadcast on September 11, 2011.(provided by Jacob Hammond)

Breaking News Coverage of the death of Osama bin Laden (5/1/2011) starting with reports that President Obama would be holding a late evening speech to the nation followed by about two hours of coverage.

WCCO-AM - CBS Radio and WCCO Radio news -#1   #2  

KNOW-FM - NPR, BBC and Minnesota Public Radio news -#1   #2

A building with cars parked on the roof

COVERAGE OF THE 35W BRIDGE COLLAPSE (2007)

 

August 1, 2007

KSTP-AM(provided by Tom Ring).

6-7 PM (first news report airs 25 minutes into this aircheck)7-8 PM  8-9 PM  9-10 PM  10-11 PM 11 PM-MID

WCCO-AM -Live Coverage: Composite starting with the first report.

KNOW-FM - Live Coverage -#1  -#2  -#3  -#4  -#5 

NPR -All Things Considered - Minnesota Public Radio's Cathy Wurzer.

WWTC-AM -The Hugh Hewitt Show - 7-8 PM (edited)

August 2, 2007

 

KSTP-AM (provided by Tom Ring) 

MID-1 AM  1-2 AM  2-3 AM  3-4 AM  4-5 AM  5-6 AM  6-7 AM  7-8 AM  8-9 AM  9-10 AM  10-11 AM   11 AM-12PM  12PM-1 PM  1-2 PM  2-3 PM  3-4 PM  4-5 PM  5-6 PM  6-7 PM  7-8 PM (Disaster on the River)

WCCO-AM - Morning Show -News Conferences (before 8 AM).

WCCO-AM - 8-9 am (entire hour) -#1  -#2

Minnesota Public Radio -News Report

Minnesota Public Radio -News Report 

KQRS-FM -Interview with driver who was on the bridge.

KTIS-FM -David Christian talks with Governor Tim Pawlenty.

KTLK-FM - Jason Lewis3-4 PM  -4-5 PM  -5-6 PM  -6-7 PM 

August 3, 2007

 

CBSWorld News Roundup

August 4, 2007

 

CBSNews Weekend Roundup

KARE-TV First two hours of coverage of the 35W Bridge Collapse- August 1, 2007: 6:30-8:30 PM

COVERAGE OF THE DEATH OF MICHAEL JACKSON (2009)

  • WCCO-AM - Michele Tafoya, Jeff McKinney, CBS Radio (6/25/2009) -#1 -#2 -#3
  • KNOW-FM - NPR's All Things Considered's coverage (6/25/2009) -#1  -#2  -#3  -#4 
  • KSTP-AM -Garage Logic (6/25/2009)
  • KTLK-FM -Jason Lewis (6/25/2009)
  • KQRS-FM -KQ Morning Show (6/26/2009)
A sign that is on the side of a road.

COVERAGE OF THE TUCSON SHOOTINGS (2011)

  • KNOW-FM - Breaking news coverage of the shootings in Tucson with reports spanning nearly five hours from KNOW-FM, NPR and KJZZ-FM - 1/8/2011 -#1  #2 
  • WCCO-AM - Breaking news coverage of theshootings in Tucsonwith reports spanning nearly five hours from WCCO Radio and CBS Radio News - 1/8/2011
  • KNOW-FM - NPR's Coverage of the memorial service for the victims of the Tucson shootings held on 1/12/2011 at the McKale Memorial Center at the University of Arizona. President Obama's speech is at the beginning of cut #2. -#1  -#2 
A seismograph is shown with the image of a bird.

COVERAGE OF THE JAPAN EARTHQUAKE AND TSUNAMI (3/11/2011)

  • KNOW-FM - Breaking news coverage from NPR, BBC and NHK (Japan).
  • WCCO-AM - Breaking news coverage from CBS Radio News, The Jon Grayson Show and WCCO Radio News.
SH

COVERAGE OF THE SANDY HOOK SCHOOL SHOOTINGS - WCCO-AM - CBS RADIO

Below are breaking news airchecks of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings as heard on WCCO Radio. Twenty children between six and seven years old and six adult staff members were fatally shot. These recordings are very tough to listen to, but due to many requests, and for historical purposes, they are posted below. President Obama's news conference can be heard near the end of audio segment #3.

WCCO-AM and CBS breaking news coverage of the shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut on December 14, 2012.#1  #2  #3  #4 

A boston red sox logo sticker with the word " b strong ".

COVERAGE OF THE BOSTON MARATHON BOMBINGS - WCCO-AM (830) - CBS RADIO

  • April 15, 2013 - Breaking news coverage of the bombings at the Boston Marathon#1  #2  #3  #4 
  • April 19, 2013 -Montage of newscasts: 12 AM, 3 AM, 7 AM, 12 PM and 3 PM
  • April 19, 2013 - News coverage - capture of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev (staring at 6 PM)#1  #2  #3  #4  #5  #6  #7 
  • April 19, 2013 -CBS News Weekend Roundup Special Edition: Boston Bombings.
Prince---L

COVERAGE OF THE DEATH OF PRINCE (4/21/2016)

WCCO-AM - First breaking news announcements on the death of singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and actor, Prince including coverage with Steve Simpson, Adam Carter, Lindsay Guentzel (at Paisley Park), Mike "Moose" Miller, J. D. Steele ... plus CBS Radio newscasts and bulletins. -#1  -#2 

A composite image of donald trump and hillary clinton.

COVERAGE OF ELECTION 2016 (NOVEMBER 8-9, 2016)

Minnehaha_Academy-L

MINNEHAHA ACADEMY EXPLOSION (AUGUST 2, 2017)

A sign that reads " welcome home jayme ".

COVERAGE OF THE DISAPPEARANCE AND LOCATION OF JAYME CLOSS (2018 & 2019)

Minneapolis_Riots

WCCO RADIO COVERAGE OF THE GEORGE FLOYD PROTESTS (May 28, 2020)

WCCO-AM - Coverage of George Floyd protests in Minneapolis/St. Paul the evening of May 28, 2020 (starting at 10:00 PM) into the early morning on May 29, 2020 with Henry Lake, Sloan Martin, Mark Freie and Roshini Rajkumar including a news conference with Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and CBS Radio newscasts.#1  #2  #3 

A composite image of joe biden and donald trump.

COVERAGE OF ANNOUNCEMENTS BIDEN WINS US PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION & VICTORY SPEECHES (2020)

Breaking news coverage that Joe Biden wins US presidential election(November 7, 2020)

WCCO-AM/CBS Radio

KNOW-FM/NPR

Coverage of Victory Speeches by President-Elect Joe Biden and Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris(November 7, 2020)

WCCO-AM/CBS Radio

KNOW-FM/NPR

A large white building with many steps leading to it.

COVERAGE (SEVEN HOURS) OF THE STORMING OF THE US CAPITOL BUILDING AND THE RESUMPTION OF THE 2020 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION CERTIFICATION (January 6, 2021)

WCCO-AM - CBS Radio Coverage from 3:00-10:00 PM Central Time -#1  #2  #3  #4  #5  #6  #7 

BREAKING NEWS COVERAGE OF ANNUNCIATION CATHOLIC CHURCH SHOOTING (2025)

On the morning of August 27, 2025, a mass shooting occurred at the Church of the Annunciation in Minneapolis, MN. The attack took place during a scheduled school-wide Mass attended by the students and faculty of Annunciation Catholic School. Two children died in the shooting. Twenty-one other people were injured, including eighteen schoolchildren and three senior citizens. The following are airchecks of breaking news coverage that day.

WCCO-AM - #1 #2 #3 #4 

KNOW-FM - #1 #2 #3 #4 

KTLK-AM - #1 #2 #3 (provided by Jacob Hammond)