The results of the 1948 election were read aloud over radio in Houston — an occasion captured in this photo.
Flashback: KTHT, founded in 1944 by Roy Hofheinz after his stint as Harris County judge but before his Houston mayorship, was a staple radio station in Houston, broadcast on 1230 AM.
In 1948, before the November election, the station changed frequencies to 790 AM and increased its wattage for greater reach.
The intrigue: The photo, snapped on Nov. 2, 1948, depicts radio techs and staffers collecting and corroborating results for broadcast, a diorama of the station's building and radio tower, and four visible ashtrays.
Today, it is KBME that broadcasts on 790 AM, offering a lot more sports talk and a lot less politics.
As for election results in Harris County, they're nowadays readily available online (relatively) soon after polls close at 7pm.
