The Hotel Oakland
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 Some postcard views of the opulent Hotel Oakland. One of the Bay Area's first broadcasting stations began transmitting from the west tower of this hotel in 1921. It was originally part of a radio operator's training school called the Western Radio Institute which occupied two rooms on the seventh floor of the Hotel. As part of the school, a small experimental radio station, 6XAJ, was built in the west tower. The batteries for the transmitter were kept charged by the elevator, and the two towers rising from either side of the building were perfect for supporting the antenna. 6XAJ became KZM and then gave birth to KLX, which grew to include news, music, and live broadcasts, including a band that performed on the hotel roof. KLX moved to the Tribune Tower Building in 1923. |