Harold Dorschug

Lore & Background

Dorschug began as an amateur radio operator at age 16, later studying electrical engineering at Syracuse University. During World War II he served in the U.S. Navy. After the war, he became chief engineer at WEEI in Boston and taught radio and television courses at Boston University. He then moved to West Hartford, Connecticut, where he served as Chief Engineer and Director of Research and Development for WTIC radio and Channel 3 television for many years. He was known for helping put several Hartford-area educational stations on the air on a pro bono basis, including WQTQ at Weaver High School and WWUH at the University of Hartford. In 1975 he built and licensed WJMJ, the station in Bloomfield, Connecticut licensed to St. Thomas Seminary.

Reader's Guide

Dorschug's significance lies in his dual legacy as a participant in one of radio's most famous broadcasts and as a lifelong contributor to broadcast engineering and education. His role as a master control engineer during the 1938 War of the Worlds broadcast placed him at a pivotal moment in media history. Later, his work at WTIC and Channel 3 in Hartford shaped regional broadcasting for decades. His pro bono efforts to establish educational stations such as WQTQ, WWUH, and WJMJ demonstrated a commitment to public service and the training of future broadcasters. His amateur radio call signs, W1AST and W8AST, connect him to the broader amateur radio community. His 1971 book, The Good Old Days of Radio Broadcast Engineering, preserves the technical and cultural history of early radio engineering. Dorschug's career exemplifies the transition from the golden age of radio to the television era, and his generosity in supporting educational media left a lasting impact on the Hartford area.

Did You Know?

• He was one of the master control engineers for the 1938 War of the Worlds broadcast.
• His amateur radio call signs were W1AST and W8AST.
• He built and licensed WJMJ in Bloomfield, Connecticut in 1975.