A History of Radio Station Bombings

Historically, in the U.S. radio station bombings have been rare. So rare, it was comic fodder in an episode of the TV program WKRP. This is not the case in other nations. Often in the case of war or unrest, media outlets become targets. The U.S. has been very fortunate in this regard. Before I dig into the details I'm going to specify "bombings" as opposed to other attacks for the sake of clarity. The IRA's attacks on Marconi stations are usually described as fires, not bombings and are excluded. Also notably so many radio stations were bombed in WWII I doubt my list is complete. Also excluded are bomb scares, and bomb threats. I am not distinguishing between "terrorist" bombings and wartime bombings or fire bombings. I include bombings of studios, towers or any of their electrical or structural parts. The nuances are too complex to split hairs.

I discovered in the course of this project that KPFT is not the only US radio station to have been bombed, though multiple sources claim that to be the case. A more complete list also includes: WEDR, KMAK, KFWB and WKRL. Most appear to have been racially motivated as was the case with KPFT.

2018 - (9/17) Saudi-led coalition airstrike on Yemen public radio/Hudaydah
2018 - (6/12) Afghan air force bombs Voice of Shariah Radio station
2016 - (10/2) ISIS Radio Station in Al-Bayan Iraq bombed by coalition forces
2015 - (4/29) Tao FM radio in Nigeria bombed
2015 - (5/14) Burundi's RPA radio station bombed
2014 - (7/30) Israeli AF bombs Sawt al-Watan radio station
2013 - (8/7) Building housing Wow FM bombed in the Phillipines
2013 - (3/9) Voice of the People bombed in Zimbabwe
2012 - (5/29) Dunya Radio bombed in Afghanistan
2012 - (10/5) Paraguayan People's Army bombs Radio Guyra Campana
2011 - (4/21) FM 93 Radio Dilbar bombed in Pakistan
2011 - (10/24) Radio Galkayo bombed in Somalia
2011 - (5/24) Nations Radio bombed in India
2011 - (10/23) Radio Galkayo bombed in Somalia
2010 - (8/12) Farc guerrillas bomb Caracol Radio, Columbia

2008 - (10/23) bombing of marine barracks TV & radio in Beirut, Lebanon
2006 - (10/17) Voice of Tigers radio station bombed in Sri Lanka
2005 - (5/6) Voice of Charity radio station bombed in Lebanon.
2002 - (8/28) The Voice of The People (VOP) bombed in Zimbabwe  [LINK]
2002 - (4/21) A bomb detonated near radio station DXMD in the Philippines
2001 - (8/29) Caracol Radio offices in Medellin, Columbia
2000 - (9/19) DXWO radio station bombed in the Philippines
2000 - 12/13) DXMS radio station bombed in the Philippines

1999 - (4/23)  NATO bombed Radio Television of Serbia HQ
1998 - (5/30) DXLL radio journalists bombed in the Philippines
1997 - (?/?) Nigerian jets bomb state-run radio in Sierra Leone
1994 - (4/18) RPA shelled the RTLM station in Rwanda
1993 - (2/26) Truck bombing of WTC takes multiple NYC radio towers

1988 - (8/10) Israeli AF bombs PLO radio station in Lebanon
1986 - (2/25) Radio Veritas bombed by loyalists of Gen. Fabian in Phillipines
1985 - (10/17) Voice of Hope christian radio station bombed in Israel
1983 - (10/25) Radio Free Grenada bombed by US Navy SEALS [LINK]
1981 - (2/22) Radio Free Europe bombed in Munich, Germany
1980 - (2/19) YSAX bombed in El Salvador by guerrillas

1977 - (8/16) FLNC bombs radio relay station in Corsica, France
1973 - (4/20) Radio Grenada fire bombed
1973 - (9/11) CIA-backed Chilean Military forces bomb radio stations
1972 - (12/13) Radio Hanoi bombed in Vietnam
1971 - (5/4) Radio towers of the KMAK bombed in Fresno
1971 - (?/?) Radio North Sea bombed by Norbert Jurgens [LINK]
1971 - (1/21) KPFT bombed by KKK (again)
1970 - (5/12) KPFT bombed by KKK [LINK]

1968 - (2/14) USAAF bombs Radio Hanoi  in Vietnam
1967 - (?/?) WKRL firebombed in Rockland, MD [LINK]
1965 - (5/13) Loyalistas bombed rebel-controlled Radio Santo Domingo
1962 - (8/9)  980 KFWB-AM bombed in Los Angeles
1961 - (7/5) La Paz radio station bombed
1961 - (12/18) - Armed Forces of India bomb Radio station in Goa
1960 - (?/?) WEDR bombed by the KKK (multiple events) [LINK]
1956 - (?/?) Cyprus Broadcasting Service bombed
1955 - (?/?) Agents of Roberto Farinacci bomb Vatican radio station
1955 - (12/8) Japanese military bombs Guam Navy Yard and radio station
1953 - (5/1) USAAF bombs radio station at Pyongyang, North Korea

1948 - (12/19) Radio Station at Yogyakarta, Java bombed by Netherlands AF
1945 - (11/25) British AF bombs Radio Republik Indonesia/ Surakarta
1945 - (8/6) JOFK and the city Hiroshima Japan bombed by US
1945 - (4/30) USAAF bombs bombs radio station at Truk Atoll
1945 - (4/19) USAAAF bombs radio station at Neu-Ulm, Bavaria
1944 - (10/10) USAAF bombs Pagan Island radio station
1944 - (10/4) USAAF bombs Iwo Jima radio station
1944 - (8/8) USAAF bombs radio station in Hallandia New Guinea
1944 - (7/7) USAAF bombs radio station on Woleai, E. Caroline Islands
1944 - (5/19) Bombing radio stations on islands of Maloelap, Jaluit & Wotje Atolls
1944 - (5/24) USAAF bombs radio station on Wotje Island
1944 - (2/28) USAAF bombs radio station in Pintha area Burma
1944 - (2/24) USAAF bombs radio installation on Mille Atoll
1944 - (2/24) USAAF bombs radio station(s) in Burma
1944 - (2/23) USAAF bombs radio station at ManPang, Burma
1944 - (2/18) USAAF bombs radio station at Waingmaw, Burma (again)
1944 - (2/15) USAAF bombs radio station at Waingmaw, Burma
1944 - (2/13) USAAF bombs radio "installations" Kamaing, Burma
1944 - (2/9) USAAF bombs radio station SW of Haiphong, Vietnam
1944 - (2/7) USAAF bombs radio station in Vinh, Vietnam
1944 - (1/18) USAAF bombs radio station on Jaluit Atoll
1943 - (11/11) USAAF bombs radio station at Yoyang, Burma
1943 - (8/31) USAAF bombs radio station at the Solomon Islands

1932 - (2/15?) Japanese forces bomb RCA's Mukden radio station