T-R PHOTO BY MIKE DONAHEY In 1922, Franklin Field was host to two Marshalltown High School football games broadcast live by Marshalltown’s licensed amateur radio station, which became KFJB in 1923. The ticket booth, street lights, and public infrastructure improvements were made possible by donations secured by the 13th Street District Committee, and significant investments by the city of Marshalltown.

Franklin Field was quiet Monday afternoon, the sounds of children playing at recess absent.

That was not the case 97 years ago on Sept. 23. The field was abuzz with spectators who were present to watch two Marshalltown High School football games.

Unbeknownst to many, they would be witnesses to history.

Three blocks away in the 1600 block of West Main Street, staff at Marshalltown’s amateur radio station had placed a microphone cable through a studio window and along a West Main Street ditch to the field.

The two games were broadcast live.

In May 1923, cable was again extended to Franklin Field to broadcast a live track and field event with Merle Easter providing track side coverage, according to KFJB and Times-Republican archives.

These live remote sports broadcasts were considered to be the first in the United States.

Times-Republican archives from 1949 which reported on the seminal events did not say if technical difficulties were experienced with the three-block long cable, nor did they identify MHS opponents or game scores.

Present day, sports broadcasting on radio and television is a multi-billion dollar a year industry.

Additionally, stations KFJB-KIX-101 FM and KDAO radio and television annually broadcast a significant number of area high school football games.

Franklin Field was host to MHS games and other school athletic events for years until Leonard Cole Field was built at present day Marshalltown High School.

On June 2, 1923, the U.S. Department of Commerce granted a commercial broadcast license to station owners and assigned call letters KFJB.

In 1923 KFJB began offering regular programming which included vocalists, sermons, speeches, comedians, and news.

KFJB was purchased by the Times-Republican Printing Company in 1947. Its owners, the Norris family, maintained control of KFJB AM and FM until December 29, 1986, when it was purchased by Marshalltown Broadcasting, Inc.

KFJB FM, which became KMTG in September 1986, was changed to KXIA in June 1987. KFJB-FM began broadcast operations in 1968, with a power of 27,000 watts. It is now classified as a C1 station, which allows a maximum power of 100,000 watts and a maximum antenna height of 1,000 feet.

KFJB is one of the few radio stations in the U.S. to have the same call letters for its entire history.

This year, the station celebrated its 96th anniversary.

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Contact Mike Donahey at

641-753-6611 or

donahey@timesrepublican.com