in september 1927, kgh was purchased by mackay radio & telegraph company, a subsidiary of international telephone & telegraph corporation. mackay radio shortly thereafter installed a shortwave transmitter and replaced one of the spark gap transmitters with the new arc and tube type. on december 31, 1928, mackay radio announced a new more powerful transmitter would be installed by february 1929, making kgh the most powerful marine radio station in the northwest. in april of that year the new transmitter was put into use by mackay.