Ground was broken in the summer of 1943 and the first radio transmitter was ready by July, 1944. The "Bethany Relay Station," as it was called, was operated by the Crosley Broadcasting Corporation under a government contract until 1963.
| In 1943 the United States government purchased 600 acres
of land from five Union Township residents. The land was deemed ideal
for long-distance radio transmissions because of its flatness and altitude.
Ground was broken in the summer of 1943 and the first radio transmitter was ready by July, 1944. The "Bethany Relay Station," as it was called, was operated by the Crosley Broadcasting Corporation under a government contract until 1963. |
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The purpose of the Voice of America, of which the Bethany
Relay Station was a part, was to transmit news and information across
America and around the world.
The Bethany site directed signals to Central and South America and included ten transmitters and twenty-two antennas. The total power required to operate all the equipment was 3.5 million watts. |
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message via the VOA |
The Voice of America sent its last transmissions in November, 1994. After the break up of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War, the VOA facility fell victim to budget cuts.
(photos and information courtesy of West Chester Township)
© 2000 by the Butler County Historical Society