A first time visitor when coming across a place with
the odd name of Radio Island may, for a moment, wonder about the derivation of
the name. It probably wasn’t named by European explorers in the 16th
Century or Native Americans or even some early settlers. It was, in fact, first named Inlet Island.
Inlet Island was created in
the mid-1930s as part of the effort to build port facilities at Morehead City
and deepen the ship channel. Some dredging spoils were used to raise the land
on which the port was constructed, and other spoils were deposited on marshland
across from the port. The island created on that marsh was given the name Inlet
Island. During World War II, the port played a major role in naval efforts along
the Carolina coast.
Below is a 1939 aerial
photograph marked “Confidential” that shows the port, Inlet Island and newly
dredged ship channels. The channels by 1939 were charted as being 36 feet deep
from the port to the open ocean. In 1943, the U.S. Navy leased the entire port
facilities including Inlet Island for the war effort and built servicing
facilities as well as loading ramps on the island.
After the war, the island was
sold to private coastal investors. In 1947, investors, operating as Carteret Broadcasting
Company, Inc., constructed a 280-foot tower on the island. During July 1947,
station WMBL broadcasting on 740 kilohertz commenced operation. It was during
this time that the Inlet Island came to be called Radio Island.
The launch of WMBL, the first radio station in Carteret County, was a landmark
event in the lives of the local population, which probably included those on Bogue Banks. Having a local station provided a strong signal and clear reception.
This event was the lead headline for the July 17, 1947, issue of the The Beaufort News: “WMBL to Begin
Broadcasting in Daylight Hours this Weekend.” The article goes on to describe
the station. It “will feature United Press news, music by two transcription
services and records, as well as local talent.” AM (amplitude modulation) radio
was the predominant over-the-air communication technology available at the
time. Shortwave was also available and some long distance commercial
communication. FM (frequency modulation) radio and TV were still in laboratory-development
stage, but soon to come on the scene.
In the “golden age” of
radio—1930s and 1940s, call letters originally had meaning. The Carteret
Broadcasting Company owners named their station WMBL after the initials of
their first names. However, the station’s marketing manager quickly changed that
to “WMBL - Where Morehead and Beaufort Link, 740 on
the dial.” Even though WMBL only had a 1000-watt transmitter, it regularly had
listeners up and down the east coast since Radio Island was conducive to
sending a good signal. This creative marketing manager was also likely
responsible for calling the location Radio Island, initially as a promotional
gimmick, which eventually took hold.
The
following reminisces from John Hook and Julius Adair on Beachshag.com give a
feel for growing up in the 1950s and 60s in the local area:
City, NC and WBMA, Beaufort, NC. These were 1000-watt stations.
A girl named Bobbie Dennis was the afternoon DJ at WMBL. She was bold
enough to play records by The Drifters, Clyde McPhatter, and Big Joe Turner to
name a few. This was one of only two local stations to play R&B music. The other
was WBMA, 1400 AM in Beaufort, NC. A girl named Mel Sheppard and late
another girl named Sandy Pate had afternoon shows and played the same R&B
music. Believe me, this was very bold for this area at that period of time.
The station remained in
operation at the island location through the 1960s, then was sold and
eventually moved to a location on Little Nines Road. The station was bought
by a subsidiary of Clear Channel Worldwide and permanently taken silent in
February 2000 to allow WSCC, 730, in Charleston, SC, to make an upgrade. The
building on Radio Island that housed the office, studio and transmitter was
torn down, and in the mid 1970s, the broadcast
tower was dismantled and removed.
Today the lone acknowledgement
of the station's existence is a flag that flies in front of the Snug Harbor
Cottages* on Old Causeway Road. Perhaps the owner grew tired of answering the
question – Why is this place called Radio Island?
Post Author: Walt Zaenker
To contact the author or The HistoryCommittee
The
author wishes to acknowledge and thank Sandra Fauty for her monograph “Radio
Island up from Nothing” (no date) available in the archives of The History
Place, Morehead City, NC.