WBET/WCAV-FM, Brockton, MA

["PETER GEORGE, N1GGP" <PGEORGE@WELLESLEY.EDU>]

     Did someone ask about WBET in Brockton, MA ?  Well....here goes....
WBET signed on the air on Thanksgiving Day, 1946 on 990 kHz daytime only
with a power of 250 watts.  The call letters stand for The Brockton
Enterprise and Times, the original owners of the station and the name of
the local newspaper.  WBET-FM signed on the air in June, 1948 with 800
watts (ERP) on 97.7 MCs from an antenna located on the top of the WBET
AM stick on the west side of Brockton.  I still own one bay of the original
5 bay antenna array.  WBET was not the ONLY station in town at the time. WBKA
(1450) and WBKA-FM (107.1) were on the air from 1949-1951.  After WBKA left
the air in '51, WBET bought all of the assets of WBKA, minus the FM license.
WBKA-FM was turned in to the Commission.  WBKA/1450's permit was modified for
fulltime service on 1460 after which WBET moved to in 1952 with 1,000 watts
ND daytime and 1,000 watts directional at night.  WBET/990 was turned into
the Commission on the day 1460 was turned on.
     From 1948-1952, WBET-FM stayed on the air until 10:00 pm everyday after
WBET/990 had to shutdown at sunset.  In checking out the Enterprise paper
morgue, the FM had a show called "The FM Bar Ranch".  Interesting.
     The simulcast with WBET/WBET-FM continued until November 1, 1976 when
WBET-FM broke away for good with Top-40/Oldies in stereo.  I had MANY long
phone calls with Elbie Hooker, the CE of WBET/WBET-FM in those days.  He
took the time to tell me about things about WBET and radio in general.  For
that, I will always be grateful.  It's rare that a radio engineer would take
the time to talk to a 16 year old radio junkie, like me.  WBET-FM became
WCAV at midnight, January 1, 1977.  "Stereo Rock around the clock !".  I
can still hear the jingles "Ninety-seven POINT seven......WCAV !!!!!
STEREO  !!!!"  
     I was proud to join the WBET/WCAV-FM staff in March, 1982 at the
tender age of 22.  To this day, I still work for them from time to time.
They're great people.
     By the way, WBET/WCAV changed transmitter sites in 1987.  Today, you
can find the transmitter site in West Bridgewater, MA, just 2 miles from
the old site at Torrey and West Streets in Brockton.


- -Pete-

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Peter Q. George, N1GGP                  *  "Scanning the bands since 1967 !" 
33 Stetson St., Apt. 2                  *                  +
Whitman, Massachusetts  02382           *                  |
USA                                     *      73         +|+    de N1GGP
PGEORGE@wellesley.edu                   *                 /|\
XERB@bigfoot.com                        *                 +|+ 
pqgeorge@hotmail.com                    *                 /|\ 
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