KIRO Seattle
Local News Bulletins
December 7, 1941, 9:56 pm EST

Just a few minutes before 7:00 local (10:00 p.m. EST) KIRO discusses the radio blackout that will occur at 7:00, and the total light blackout that will occur along the entire West Coast, from the Mexican to the Canadian borders, at 11:00 p.m. local (2:00 a.m. EST).

Text:
Jack: In the first place, there will be no radio broadcasting tonight after seven o'clock. Except, perhaps, for one of the Seattle stations, which will probably be KIRO. Leave your dial tuned to KIRO and you'll get the information that is necessary. There will be no programs broadcast but any information necessary for the civilian populace will be broadcast over KIRO, probably. There will be a complete blackout tonight at eleven o'clock. The blackout is not only for the city of Seattle, it includes every...every light between the California border, or rather the Mexican border and the Canadian border. That is in the states of Oregon, Washington, and California. Every farm house, every light of any kind in that area must be out by eleven o'clock. To test your blackout, you will have plenty of time between the hours of seven and eleven--between now and eleven o'clock--to make arrangements to get heavy black paper to seal your windows, or heavy drapes or something, and, uh, by going outside with your lights on you can check before the hour is set, so see that you are completely blacked out. If you are unable to find materials and so forth, to make your, uh, windows completely sealed so that no light will leak out, you must have your lights off. However, do not pull main switches. As we told you, ordinary window shades are not sufficient to black out your, uh, lights. Do not pull the main switches, however, just use the switches on the, uh--in the rooms and on the lamps. No lights are to be used on automobiles and no lights whatever are to be shown anywhere on the Pacific coast in the states of Oregon, Washington, and California until thirty minutes after daylight--from eleven o'clock tonight until thirty minutes after daylight tomorrow morning. Employers should arrange, if possible, that employees do not have to leave residences until after daylight. And of course, in all probability all buses, streetcars, and public transportation vehicles within the city will be off after eleven o'clock tonight. There will be no bus service between eleven o'clock tonight and thirty minutes after daylight tomorrow morning. It's advised that all persons remain indoors during the blackout, except those who have legitimate business and who have concerns in the air raid precautions, and so forth, who have legitimate business outside the blackout. Morrie did you have something to say?"

Morrie: Just to add to what you said Jack is this: please do not use the telephone more necessary because you do block the lines of communication, we must keep them clean, do not call your radio stations or other sources of information regarding the blackout. It has been ordered, therefore we must take it in the best faith that we possibly can. Remain calm, stay in your home, you can leave your radio on to get all the information that you need to from KIRO, but please do not use the telephone more than necessary because you do block the lines of communication, we must keep them clean, and here's another bulletin handed me: "All traffic signal blackout crew, of which there are approximately 300 members, report immediately to J. W. [?] traffic engineer at 400 County-City building. And now by authority of the Federal Communications Commission, KIRO transmits on a frequency of 710 kilocycles with its new power of 50,000 watts. It's almost seven o'clock--five seconds to go--and we'll be back ladies and gentlemen with information when ordered by The United States Army Interceptor Command here in Seattle.