1931 in radio

Events

• 8 January – In Hamburg, Germany, Nordische Rundfunk AG moves to new purpose-built headquarters at Rothenbaumchaussee 132.
• 22 January – Haus des Rundfunks in Berlin inaugurated as headquarters of German national broadcaster Reichs-Rundfunk-Gesellschaft.
• 1 February – In Belgium the Institut National de Radiodiffusion / Nationaal Instituut voor de Radio-omroep begins broadcasting.
• 21 March – In Switzerland the Société suisse de radiodiffusion is founded, bringing together the five regional radio stations already in existence under the supervision of the Federal Department of Posts and Railways.
• 23 April – Inauguration of the Swiss national medium-wave transmitter at Sottens by the French-language Société Romande de Radiophonie and Radio-Genève.
• 30 April – In France the Poste Colonial begins broadcasting to the French colonies from a shortwave transmitter at Pontoise.
• 1 May – The Los Angeles Police Department's KGPL begins broadcasting.
• 11 May – The Pittsburgh Police begin broadcasting with "radio patrol cars" and the region's first emergency band.
• 24 May – Polskie Radio begins transmitting its national programme from a new long-wave station at Raszyn, outside Warsaw. With a power of 158 kW, it is the most powerful transmitter in Europe at this time.
• 11 June – Inauguration of the Swiss national medium-wave transmitter at Beromünster by the German-language Schweizer Radio DRS.
• 24–30 July – Jehovah's Witnesses make the most extensive radio chain broadcast ever to air up to 1931. The broadcast is of a portion of the group's convention held in Columbus, Ohio, USA. The broadcast is carried by more than 450 radio stations in Australia, Canada, Europe, and the United States.
• 18 October – NBC replaces its NBC-Pacific nine-station network with two five-station networks, known informally as the Orange and Gold networks. Orange comprises KGO, Oakland; KFI, Los Angeles; KGW, Portland, KOMO, Seattle, and KHQ, Spokane. Gold comprises KPO, San Francisco; KECA, Los Angeles; KEX, Portland; KJR, Seattle; and KGA, Spokane.
• 10 October – William Randolph Hearst buys WGBS, which is later named WINS after Hearst's International News Service.
• 1 November – NBC acquires a half-interest in WMAQ, Chicago, Illinois, from the Chicago Daily News.
• November – KGKF, Little Rock, Arkansas, changes its call letters to KARK.
• Undated – Ente Italiano per le Audizioni Radiofoniche founds its first orchestra, in Turin, earliest constituent of the RAI National Symphony Orchestra.

Debuts

• 4 January – The Fred Waring Show debuts on NBC.
• 27 January – Clara, Lu, and Em, the first daytime radio serial, debuts on the NBC Blue Network as a late-evening program. On 15 February 1932, the show moves to its morning time slot.
• 26 April – The Carnation Contented Hour debuts on NBC West Coast.
• 21 May – The Witch's Tale debuts on WOR (AM).
• 1 June – The Camel Quarter-Hour debuts on CBS.
• 2 September – Bing Crosby makes his solo debut on network radio and remains on air with at least one weekly show until the fall of 1962.
• 11 October – American Album of Familiar Music debuts on NBC.
• 16 October – The Boswell Sisters program debuts on CBS.
• 26 October – Alice Joy, the Dream Singer debuts on NBC.
• 3 November – WJMS, Ironwood, Michigan, begins broadcasting.
• 25 December – The Metropolitan Opera begins broadcasting its regular Saturday afternoon performances on the NBC Blue Network.
• – Harold Teen debuts on WGN, Chicago, Illinois.

Endings

• 22 June – Empire Builders ends its run on network radio NBC-Blue.
• 30 October – The Federal Radio Commission orders WCHI and WJAZ – two stations in the Chicago, Illinois, area – off the air in order to allow full-time operation for WCKY, Covington, Kentucky.
• 18 December – The Federal Radio Commission orders WOQ, Kansas City, Missouri, and WMAK, Buffalo, New York, off the air: WOQ "to make way for KFH, Wichita, Kansas" and WMAK "because of an unsatisfactory showing of public interest", as reported in Broadcasting.

Births

• 6 January – Dick Bertel, announcer, news anchor, and media executive at WTIC (AM), NBC Radio Network, and the Voice of America - host of The Golden Age of Radio from 1970 - 1977, an oral history of network radio entertainment programming
• 30 January – Conrad Binyon, American actor, played the mayor's ward, Butch, in Mayor of the Town.
• 11 June – Brad Pye Jr., African American sports journalist.
• 18 August – Bernard "Buddy" Diliberto, sports commentator in New Orleans for over 50 years.
• 2 September – Michael Dante, American radio talk show host, actor, stage and screen director, previously a professional athlete.
• Patricia Greene, English actress.
• Edward Taylor, English scriptwriter and producer.