During the early days of AM radio, interference caused by unintended frequency variations was a major issue.

The location of Grand Island, Nebraska was chosen due to both its proximity to the geographic center of the United States and the favorable radio conditions provided by the flat terrain.

[1] The building plans were prepared by the Navy's Bureau of Yards and Docks and construction began in 1929.

Construction was completed in 1930 and full scale operation began in 1932 under the Federal Radio Commission.

[2] The Grand Island Monitoring Station was entered into the National Register of Historic Places on January 16, 1973.