The year 1916 in radio involved some significant events.

• 22 February – Ernst Alexanderson is issued a United States patent for a tuned radio frequency receiver.^[1]
• 7 November – Radio station 2XG, located in the Highbridge section of New York City, makes the first audio broadcast of United Station presidential election returns.^[2]
• 4 December – First regular broadcasts on 9XM – Wisconsin state weather, delivered in Morse code.^[3]

• 5 January – Alfred Ryder, American actor (died 1995)
• 6 March – Virginia Gregg, American broadcast actress (died 1986)
• 4 July – Iva Toguri D'Aquino, Japanese American broadcaster (died 2006)