Voice of America Bethany Relay Station facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Voice of America Bethany Relay Station
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VOA Bethany Relay Station
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 Location in Ohio
Location in the United States
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| Location | 8070 Tylersville Road West Chester, Ohio |
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| Built | 1944 |
| Architectural style | Art Deco |
| NRHP reference No. | 06001081 |
| Added to NRHP | November 28, 2006 |
The Voice of America's Bethany Relay Station was a special radio station in West Chester Township, Ohio, near Cincinnati. It started operating in 1944 during World War II. Its main job was to send American radio programs to other countries using shortwave frequencies. This type of radio could travel very long distances.
Engineers from the Crosley Broadcasting Corporation built the powerful 200,000-watt transmitters. The station was built inland, away from the East Coast. This was a safety measure to protect it from possible attacks during the war. The programs were first created in New York, then later in Washington D.C. The Bethany station kept broadcasting until 1994. It was named after the nearby community of Bethany, Ohio.
Contents
History of the VOA Station
Building a Wartime Radio Hub
In 1943, the United States government bought a large area of land in Union Township. This land was chosen because it was high up and had shallow bedrock, which was good for building. The area is now surrounded by Tylersville Road, Cox Road, Liberty Way, and Butler-Warren Road.
The powerful radio transmitters were built by Powel Crosley Jr.'s company, Crosley Broadcasting Corporation. They were located about a mile west of Crosley's famous WLW-AM radio tower in Mason, Ohio.
Broadcasting During and After the War
The Office of War Information (OWI) started broadcasting from Bethany in July 1944. It's even said that Adolf Hitler, the leader of Nazi Germany, called the broadcasters "Cincinnati liars" because of the messages they sent.
After World War II, the OWI was closed. The State Department took over the station in 1945. Later, in 1953, it became part of the new United States Information Agency. Crosley Broadcasting Corporation continued to run the station for the government until 1963. After that, the Voice of America took direct control.
At its busiest, the Bethany station had six transmitters that could send out very strong signals. It also had two smaller transmitters.
Why the Station Closed
The Bethany Relay Station closed on November 14, 1994. This happened because new technologies, like satellites, made it easier and more efficient to send broadcasts around the world. The tall radio towers were taken down between December 1997 and February 1998.
What Happened to the Land After Closing?
After the station closed, most of the land was given to Butler County and West Chester Township. They turned it into a public park for everyone to enjoy.
A smaller part of the land was sold to developers. They built a shopping center there, which is now called the Voice of America Centre.
In January 2009, the Miami University Voice of America Learning Center also opened on the site. This center provides educational programs and classes.
National Voice of America Museum of Broadcasting
The old Bethany Station building, which is about 30,000 square feet, has been turned into the National Voice of America Museum of Broadcasting. This museum is located at 8070 Tylersville Road. It's a historical center that tells the story of the Voice of America, Powel Crosley Jr., and the history of radio and television.
The museum has many interesting displays and interactive experiences. You can learn about the Voice of America's history and see collections from Media Heritage and the Gray History of Wireless Museum.
Some of the cool things you can see include:
- A recreation of a radio station control room.
- Replica radio and television studios from the 1920s to today.
- Memorabilia from the early days of radio and television.
- Displays about local pioneers who helped develop radio technology.
An amateur radio club, the West Chester Amateur Radio Association, also operates a "ham" radio station from the museum. Their callsign is WC8VOA.
