From revdoug1@myfairpoint.net Fri Oct 1 09:52:26 2010 From: revdoug1@myfairpoint.net (=?utf-8?b?RG91ZyBEcm93bg==?=) Date: Fri, 01 Oct 2010 09:52:26 -0400 Subject: Practical advice needed: What do I do now? Message-ID: <20101001095226.3buj5pz0sg00s4w4@webmail.myfairpoint.net> I just set up my old computer in the house where I'm newly residing, and the noise interference on AM is awful. FM is fine. I didn't have this problem at all with the computer I had borrowed for the past several months. II gather what I need is some kind of suppressor, but I have no idea what. When it comes to computers, I can write, send, save, upload, download, maneuver around the Internet, and create a website (kinda-sorta), but when it comes to the tech ends of things I'm pretty ignorant. -Doug From sid@wrko.com Fri Oct 1 10:03:19 2010 From: sid@wrko.com (Sid Schweiger) Date: Fri, 1 Oct 2010 10:03:19 -0400 Subject: Practical advice needed: What do I do now? In-Reply-To: <20101001095226.3buj5pz0sg00s4w4@webmail.myfairpoint.net> References: <20101001095226.3buj5pz0sg00s4w4@webmail.myfairpoint.net> Message-ID: <0D5E60C875634E4AA1031FC691BCCC55461B26C6@ENTCORMB2.etmcorad.com> Was the interference "awful" at your old place with this same computer? The problem with PC-as-noise-generator is usually a cheap switching power supply, or one that's so old its filter capacitors have dried up and are no longer filtering. Replacing it may cure your problem. Sid Schweiger IT Manager, Entercom New England 20 Guest St / 3d Floor Brighton MA 02135-2040 -----Original Message----- From: boston-radio-interest-bounces@tsornin.BostonRadio.org [mailto:boston-radio-interest-bounces@tsornin.BostonRadio.org] On Behalf Of Doug Drown Sent: Friday, October 01, 2010 9:52 AM To: boston-radio-interest@rolinin.bostonradio.org Subject: Practical advice needed: What do I do now? I just set up my old computer in the house where I'm newly residing, and the noise interference on AM is awful. FM is fine. I didn't have this problem at all with the computer I had borrowed for the past several months. II gather what I need is some kind of suppressor, but I have no idea what. When it comes to computers, I can write, send, save, upload, download, maneuver around the Internet, and create a website (kinda-sorta), but when it comes to the tech ends of things I'm pretty ignorant. -Doug From dan.strassberg@att.net Fri Oct 1 10:25:32 2010 From: dan.strassberg@att.net (Dan.Strassberg) Date: Fri, 1 Oct 2010 10:25:32 -0400 Subject: Practical advice needed: What do I do now? References: <20101001095226.3buj5pz0sg00s4w4@webmail.myfairpoint.net> Message-ID: Not suppressor--filter. But that assumes that the noise is getting into your radio via the AC power line. If the radio is battery powered (and you unplug it from the AC line), do you still have the problem? If yes, filtering the AC that feeds the computer system will not help or won't help much. However, if unplugging the radio from the wall helps, then filtering the AC that powers the computer might work. It is likely to (but not guaranteed to) work better than filtering the AC line that powers the radio because filtering the line that powers the computer will reduce the noise that is getting onto the house's AC wiring and is radiating into the radio. The kind of filter you need is a low-pass filter, which lets the AC power through but carries the noise to ground. Ideally, you should plug the filter into a three-wire AC outlet (one with receptacles for two parallel blades, of which the narrower one is AC Hot and the wider one is AC Return. A third round or U-shaped opening is the ground receptacle). If you don't have three-wire outlets in the room, or if the ground terminal is electrically floating--which is illegal and hazardous but is often the case--the filter is unlikely to be effective. ----- Dan Strassberg (dan.strassberg@att.net) eFax 1-707-215-6367 ----- Original Message ----- From: "Doug Drown" To: "=?utf-8?b??=" Sent: Friday, October 01, 2010 9:52 AM Subject: Practical advice needed: What do I do now? >I just set up my old computer in the house where I'm newly residing, >and the noise interference on AM is awful. FM is fine. > > I didn't have this problem at all with the computer I had borrowed > for the past several months. II gather what I need is some kind of > suppressor, but I have no idea what. When it comes to computers, I > can write, send, save, upload, download, maneuver around the > Internet, and create a website (kinda-sorta), but when it comes to > the tech ends of things I'm pretty ignorant. > > -Doug > > From bob.bosra@demattia.net Fri Oct 1 10:31:24 2010 From: bob.bosra@demattia.net (Bob DeMattia) Date: Fri, 1 Oct 2010 10:31:24 -0400 Subject: Practical advice needed: What do I do now? In-Reply-To: References: <20101001095226.3buj5pz0sg00s4w4@webmail.myfairpoint.net> Message-ID: The noise doesn't necessarily have to follow the AC power line...the power cord itself can serve as an antenna. Noise generated in the power supply radiates out of the power cord. An RF choke (as I mentioned in my earlier post) placed around the power cord and as close as possible to the computer chassis will block the RF noise from going down the power cord. This assumes of course that the power cord is the culprit, which you won't know unless you look for the leak first as I suggested. -Bob On Fri, Oct 1, 2010 at 10:25 AM, Dan.Strassberg wrote: > Not suppressor--filter. But that assumes that the noise is getting > into your radio via the AC power line. If the radio is battery powered > (and you unplug it from the AC line), do you still have the problem? > If yes, filtering the AC that feeds the computer system will not help > or won't help much. However, if unplugging the radio from the wall > helps, then filtering the AC that powers the computer might work. It > is likely to (but not guaranteed to) work better than filtering the AC > line that powers the radio because filtering the line that powers the > computer will reduce the noise that is getting onto the house's AC > wiring and is radiating into the radio. The kind of filter you need is > a low-pass filter, which lets the AC power through but carries the > noise to ground. Ideally, you should plug the filter into a three-wire > AC outlet (one with receptacles for two parallel blades, of which the > narrower one is AC Hot and the wider one is AC Return. A third round > or U-shaped opening is the ground receptacle). If you don't have > three-wire outlets in the room, or if the ground terminal is > electrically floating--which is illegal and hazardous but is often the > case--the filter is unlikely to be effective. > > ----- > Dan Strassberg (dan.strassberg@att.net) > eFax 1-707-215-6367 > > ----- Original Message ----- From: "Doug Drown" > To: "=?utf-8?b??=" > > Sent: Friday, October 01, 2010 9:52 AM > Subject: Practical advice needed: What do I do now? > > > I just set up my old computer in the house where I'm newly residing, >> and the noise interference on AM is awful. FM is fine. >> >> I didn't have this problem at all with the computer I had borrowed >> for the past several months. II gather what I need is some kind of >> suppressor, but I have no idea what. When it comes to computers, I >> can write, send, save, upload, download, maneuver around the >> Internet, and create a website (kinda-sorta), but when it comes to >> the tech ends of things I'm pretty ignorant. >> >> -Doug >> >> >> > From brscomm@yahoo.com Fri Oct 1 10:38:56 2010 From: brscomm@yahoo.com (Bill Smith) Date: Fri, 1 Oct 2010 07:38:56 -0700 (PDT) Subject: Practical advice needed: What do I do now? In-Reply-To: <0D5E60C875634E4AA1031FC691BCCC55461B26C6@ENTCORMB2.etmcorad.com> References: <20101001095226.3buj5pz0sg00s4w4@webmail.myfairpoint.net> <0D5E60C875634E4AA1031FC691BCCC55461B26C6@ENTCORMB2.etmcorad.com> Message-ID: <484302.63983.qm@web62401.mail.re1.yahoo.com> Coil all the cables up as short as possible and secure them. that will reduce the interference as well. BIll ________________________________ From: Sid Schweiger To: "boston-radio-interest@rolinin.bostonradio.org" Sent: Fri, October 1, 2010 9:03:19 AM Subject: RE: Practical advice needed: What do I do now? Was the interference "awful" at your old place with this same computer? The problem with PC-as-noise-generator is usually a cheap switching power supply, or one that's so old its filter capacitors have dried up and are no longer filtering.? Replacing it may cure your problem. Sid Schweiger IT Manager, Entercom New England 20 Guest St / 3d Floor Brighton MA? 02135-2040 -----Original Message----- From: boston-radio-interest-bounces@tsornin.BostonRadio.org [mailto:boston-radio-interest-bounces@tsornin.BostonRadio.org] On Behalf Of Doug Drown Sent: Friday, October 01, 2010 9:52 AM To: boston-radio-interest@rolinin.bostonradio.org Subject: Practical advice needed: What do I do now? I just set up my old computer in the house where I'm newly residing, and the noise interference on AM is awful. FM is fine. I didn't have this problem at all with the computer I had borrowed for the past several months. II gather what I need is some kind of suppressor, but I have no idea what. When it comes to computers, I can write, send, save, upload, download, maneuver around the Internet, and create a website (kinda-sorta), but when it comes to the tech ends of things I'm pretty ignorant. -Doug From bob.bosra@demattia.net Fri Oct 1 10:06:51 2010 From: bob.bosra@demattia.net (Bob DeMattia) Date: Fri, 1 Oct 2010 10:06:51 -0400 Subject: Practical advice needed: What do I do now? In-Reply-To: <20101001095226.3buj5pz0sg00s4w4@webmail.myfairpoint.net> References: <20101001095226.3buj5pz0sg00s4w4@webmail.myfairpoint.net> Message-ID: You could put suppressors on everything, but that may be overkill. Better is to first try to find the "leak". With the AM radio and computer on, disconnect each cable going into the computer cabinet (except the power cord of course) and take note of if the noise goes away. Any cable that makes a difference will need an RF choke (a small clip looking thing that goes around the cable). For a cable that is leaking RF, each one of these will tighten up the leak a bit. You may need more than one on the same cable. Here is an easy one to find at Radio Shack, though you can find smaller and probably cheaper ones online. http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2103222&CAWELAID=107599340 If you unplugged all the cords and still have noise, you'll need to choke the power cord. If that doesn't work, you'll need to RF proof the cabinet - which could be problematic, especially if it's plastic. -Bob From joe@attorneyross.com Sat Oct 2 00:02:02 2010 From: joe@attorneyross.com (A Joseph Ross) Date: Sat, 02 Oct 2010 00:02:02 -0400 Subject: Practical advice needed: What do I do now? In-Reply-To: References: <20101001095226.3buj5pz0sg00s4w4@webmail.myfairpoint.net> Message-ID: <4CA6AEBA.70400@attorneyross.com> On 10/1/2010 10:31 AM, Bob DeMattia wrote: > The noise doesn't necessarily have to follow the AC power line...the power > cord itself can > serve as an antenna. Noise generated in the power supply radiates out of > the power cord. > An RF choke (as I mentioned in my earlier post) placed around the power > cord and as close > as possible to the computer chassis will block the RF noise from going down > the power cord. If the power cord is acting as an antenna, would it help the noise to try moving the power cord around? -- A. Joseph Ross, J.D. 617.367.0468 92 State Street, Suite 700 Fax: 617.507.7856 Boston, MA 02109-2004 http://www.attorneyross.com From newsltr@southstation.org Fri Oct 1 10:56:30 2010 From: newsltr@southstation.org (Larry Lovering) Date: Fri, 1 Oct 2010 10:56:30 -0400 Subject: 2010 Marconi Awards Message-ID: <155501cb6178$d5722af0$805680d0$@southstation.org> >From All Access: Winners of the 2010 MARCONI AWARDS, handed out at a gala in WASHINGTON at the NAB/RAB RADIO SHOW THURSDAY night, included: Legendary Station: CBS RADIO News-Talk WBZ-A/BOSTON -Larry Lovering From wollman@bimajority.org Sat Oct 2 15:28:12 2010 From: wollman@bimajority.org (Garrett Wollman) Date: Sat, 2 Oct 2010 15:28:12 -0400 Subject: 2010 Marconi Awards In-Reply-To: <155501cb6178$d5722af0$805680d0$@southstation.org> References: <155501cb6178$d5722af0$805680d0$@southstation.org> Message-ID: <19623.34764.649796.106007@hergotha.csail.mit.edu> < said: > From All Access: > Winners of the 2010 MARCONI AWARDS, handed out at a gala in WASHINGTON at > the NAB/RAB RADIO SHOW THURSDAY night, included: > Legendary Station: CBS RADIO News-Talk WBZ-A/BOSTON They were making a big deal of this, and apparently some sort of ratings victory as well, during the morning and midday news on Friday. They noted that this was WBZ's third Marconi win, after "major-market station" and "news/talk station" honors in recent years. -GAWollman From dan.strassberg@att.net Sat Oct 2 15:39:55 2010 From: dan.strassberg@att.net (Dan.Strassberg) Date: Sat, 2 Oct 2010 15:39:55 -0400 Subject: 2010 Marconi Awards References: <155501cb6178$d5722af0$805680d0$@southstation.org> <19623.34764.649796.106007@hergotha.csail.mit.edu> Message-ID: <1103B8B1C43D4F348DE0B1219230241F@SatU205S5044> This year also marked the return of CBS properties to the Marconis. CBS had withdrawn its NAB membership as a result of a dispute with the NAB. (I can't remember what the dispute was about but surely, somebody else here does.) Anyhow, my understanding is that, to be nominated for a Marconi, a station or other entity must be, or be the property of, an NAB-member company. When CBS rejoined the NAB, it strongly encouraged the nomination of its stations for Marconis. I have the feeling that stations may be allowed to nominate themselves. That sounds horrible, but it isn't; it seems to be commonplace for awards given to members of trade associations. ----- Dan Strassberg (dan.strassberg@att.net) eFax 1-707-215-6367 ----- Original Message ----- From: "Garrett Wollman" To: "Larry Lovering" Cc: Sent: Saturday, October 02, 2010 3:28 PM Subject: 2010 Marconi Awards > < said: > >> From All Access: >> Winners of the 2010 MARCONI AWARDS, handed out at a gala in >> WASHINGTON at >> the NAB/RAB RADIO SHOW THURSDAY night, included: >> Legendary Station: CBS RADIO News-Talk WBZ-A/BOSTON > > They were making a big deal of this, and apparently some sort of > ratings victory as well, during the morning and midday news on > Friday. > They noted that this was WBZ's third Marconi win, after > "major-market > station" and "news/talk station" honors in recent years. > > -GAWollman > From dlh@donnahalper.com Sat Oct 2 15:49:22 2010 From: dlh@donnahalper.com (Donna Halper) Date: Sat, 02 Oct 2010 15:49:22 -0400 Subject: 2010 Marconi Awards In-Reply-To: <1103B8B1C43D4F348DE0B1219230241F@SatU205S5044> References: <155501cb6178$d5722af0$805680d0$@southstation.org> <19623.34764.649796.106007@hergotha.csail.mit.edu> <1103B8B1C43D4F348DE0B1219230241F@SatU205S5044> Message-ID: <201010021949.o92JnbXR025806@tsornin.bostonradio.org> At 03:39 PM 10/2/2010, Dan.Strassberg wrote: >This year also marked the return of CBS properties to the Marconis. >CBS had withdrawn its NAB membership as a result of a dispute with the >NAB. (I can't remember what the dispute was about but surely, somebody >else here does.) Anyhow, my understanding is that, to be nominated for >a Marconi, a station or other entity must be, or be the property of, >an NAB-member company. Umm, I've been one of the judges in the past (and recently too) and WBZ absolutely was nominated in previous years, so maybe the "must be an NAB-member" rule isn't as hard and fast as some might think. From wollman@bimajority.org Sat Oct 2 16:41:14 2010 From: wollman@bimajority.org (Garrett Wollman) Date: Sat, 2 Oct 2010 16:41:14 -0400 Subject: 2010 Marconi Awards In-Reply-To: <1103B8B1C43D4F348DE0B1219230241F@SatU205S5044> References: <155501cb6178$d5722af0$805680d0$@southstation.org> <19623.34764.649796.106007@hergotha.csail.mit.edu> <1103B8B1C43D4F348DE0B1219230241F@SatU205S5044> Message-ID: <19623.39146.83021.984993@hergotha.csail.mit.edu> < said: > an NAB-member company. When CBS rejoined the NAB, it strongly > encouraged the nomination of its stations for Marconis. I have the > feeling that stations may be allowed to nominate themselves. That > sounds horrible, but it isn't; it seems to be commonplace for awards > given to members of trade associations. I don't know about the Marconis, but many industry awards are made on the basis of presentations created by stations or producers which are supposed to highlight their best work; the results are then judged by a panel of experts in the field. That's how all the journalism awards are done, for example. I suppose now there are probably awards for multimedia journalism that include both broadcast and Web content. -GAWollman From chuckigo@maine.rr.com Sat Oct 2 17:21:14 2010 From: chuckigo@maine.rr.com (Chuck Igo) Date: Sat, 2 Oct 2010 17:21:14 -0400 Subject: 2010 Marconi Awards References: <155501cb6178$d5722af0$805680d0$@southstation.org> <19623.34764.649796.106007@hergotha.csail.mit.edu> Message-ID: <8D93A8463D76419483A0278169272668@Family> and also add congrats to WMJX-FM (Magic 106.7) as the Adult-Contemporary Station of The Year. -- Chuck Igo < said: > >> From All Access: >> Winners of the 2010 MARCONI AWARDS, handed out at a gala in WASHINGTON at >> the NAB/RAB RADIO SHOW THURSDAY night, included: >> Legendary Station: CBS RADIO News-Talk WBZ-A/BOSTON > > They were making a big deal of this, and apparently some sort of > ratings victory as well, during the morning and midday news on Friday. > They noted that this was WBZ's third Marconi win, after "major-market > station" and "news/talk station" honors in recent years. > > -GAWollman > and also add congrats to WMJX-FM (Magic 106.7) as the Adult-Contemporary Station of The Year. -- Chuck Igo From bob.bosra@demattia.net Sat Oct 2 17:59:52 2010 From: bob.bosra@demattia.net (Bob DeMattia) Date: Sat, 2 Oct 2010 17:59:52 -0400 Subject: Practical advice needed: What do I do now? In-Reply-To: <4CA6AEBA.70400@attorneyross.com> References: <20101001095226.3buj5pz0sg00s4w4@webmail.myfairpoint.net> <4CA6AEBA.70400@attorneyross.com> Message-ID: It might make it better, it might make it worse. But if moving around changes it, then this is one way to confirm it is radiating. -Bob On Sat, Oct 2, 2010 at 12:02 AM, A Joseph Ross wrote: > > On 10/1/2010 10:31 AM, Bob DeMattia wrote: > >> The noise doesn't necessarily have to follow the AC power line...the power >> cord itself can >> serve as an antenna. Noise generated in the power supply radiates out of >> the power cord. >> An RF choke (as I mentioned in my earlier post) placed around the power >> cord and as close >> as possible to the computer chassis will block the RF noise from going >> down >> the power cord. >> > > If the power cord is acting as an antenna, would it help the noise to try > moving the power cord around? > > -- > A. Joseph Ross, J.D. 617.367.0468 > 92 State Street, Suite 700 Fax: 617.507.7856 > Boston, MA 02109-2004 http://www.attorneyross.com > > From scott@fybush.com Sat Oct 2 19:57:54 2010 From: scott@fybush.com (Scott Fybush) Date: Sat, 02 Oct 2010 19:57:54 -0400 Subject: 2010 Marconi Awards In-Reply-To: <19623.39146.83021.984993@hergotha.csail.mit.edu> References: <155501cb6178$d5722af0$805680d0$@southstation.org> <19623.34764.649796.106007@hergotha.csail.mit.edu> <1103B8B1C43D4F348DE0B1219230241F@SatU205S5044> <19623.39146.83021.984993@hergotha.csail.mit.edu> Message-ID: <4CA7C702.7080506@fybush.com> Garrett Wollman wrote: > < said: > >> an NAB-member company. When CBS rejoined the NAB, it strongly >> encouraged the nomination of its stations for Marconis. I have the >> feeling that stations may be allowed to nominate themselves. That >> sounds horrible, but it isn't; it seems to be commonplace for awards >> given to members of trade associations. > > I don't know about the Marconis, but many industry awards are made on > the basis of presentations created by stations or producers which are > supposed to highlight their best work; the results are then judged by > a panel of experts in the field. That's how all the journalism awards > are done, for example. I suppose now there are probably awards for > multimedia journalism that include both broadcast and Web content. Dan and Garrett are both correct. One of my duties when I was at WBZ was the preparation of contest entries. At least in my time there, we routinely entered several journalism contests, in particular the RTNDA Edward R. Murrow awards and the Associated Press awards. We also entered the Marconi competition for several years, and we won the Major Market Station of the Year Marconi in, if memory serves, 1995. We never won the "Legendary Station" Marconi despite several entries, so it's nice to see WBZ winning that award now. In the case of the RTNDA and AP awards, it was common for entrants to also serve as judges. We'd send off our tapes and entry forms, which would be sent off to stations in other states, and in return we'd get a box of tapes and entry forms from Pennsylvania or Iowa or California or wherever to judge. Those competitions never seemed very political to me; the Marconis, on the other hand, always felt like they had a political edge to them. It seems as though the "hometown station" in whatever city is hosting the convention often has an edge at awards time - this year, for instance, the Radio Show was in DC and WTOP won both "Major Market" and "All-News" Marconis. And yes, the Marconis are limited to NAB member stations in good standing: http://www.nab.org/forms/marconi/marconiform.asp This indeed eliminated a lot of stations from consideration during the years when CBS and ABC were out of NAB. It was odd to have an "Oldies Station" category without CBS-FM, WODS, KRTH and WOGL, for instance, or an "All-News" category without WCBS, WINS, KYW, WBBM, KNX, KCBS or WBZ. s From martinjwaters@yahoo.com Mon Oct 4 06:10:52 2010 From: martinjwaters@yahoo.com (Martin Waters) Date: Mon, 4 Oct 2010 03:10:52 -0700 (PDT) Subject: Up with Fessenden, down with Marconi Message-ID: <332275.91322.qm@web112119.mail.gq1.yahoo.com> >On Fri, 10/1/10, "Larry Lovering" said >From All Access: Winners of the 2010 MARCONI AWARDS, handed out at a >gala in WASHINGTON at the NAB/RAB RADIO SHOW THURSDAY night, >included: Legendary Station: CBS RADIO News-Talk WBZ-A/BOSTON > ? ? That's very nice,of course . . . BUT, I'm sick and tired, :)), of all the Marconi this and Marconi that stuff. IMO, the program should be renamed the Fessenden Awards. Reginald Fessenden's contributions to the development of radio vastly outweigh Marconi's. ? ? In addition to the work Fessenden did at Brant Rock, he already had made a couple even lesser-known major breakthroughs that are even less known when he worked in Maryland and at Roanoke Island on the North Carolina Outer Banks. ? ? An article at www.radiocom.net/Fessenden/FessendenRoanoke.pdf says that in Maryland, "After many many experiments, . . . on 23 December 1900, as darkness fell, and a light snow dusted Cobb Island [Md.], Fessenden succeeded in making the first wireless transmission of voice ever, sending the signal between two 15 meter towers 1.6 kilometers apart. The reception was described as 'poor in quality, but quite distinct and entirely intelligible'." ? ? In 1902, in North Carolina, he transmitted the first musical notes ever sent by radio. The transmission was heard 48 miles away. ? ? Another article, at the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Web site -- www.ieee.ca/millennium/radio/radio_radioscientist.html -- specifically compares Marconi very unfavorably to Fessenden as an important figure in early radio development. ? ? Marconi? Bah, humbug. From dan.strassberg@att.net Mon Oct 4 09:38:50 2010 From: dan.strassberg@att.net (Dan.Strassberg) Date: Mon, 4 Oct 2010 09:38:50 -0400 Subject: Up with Fessenden, down with Marconi References: <332275.91322.qm@web112119.mail.gq1.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <47FA4E9205D34F578DD852A9FF8C9CB8@SatU205S5044> Are you going to tell us now that those notes were G, E, and C (that is, the famous NBC chimes)? Do you know what the notes were? And fast forward a bit more than half a century to the mid 1950s (and speaking of notes), does anyone else remember a music-appreciation program called "A Note to You" on the old WHDH (AM)? The program was hosted by a Northeastern U professor by the name of Roland Nadeau and used as its theme (IIRC) Camille Saint-Seans "Danse Macabre." ----- Dan Strassberg (dan.strassberg@att.net) eFax 1-707-215-6367 ----- Original Message ----- From: "Martin Waters" To: Sent: Monday, October 04, 2010 6:10 AM Subject: Up with Fessenden, down with Marconi > > In 1902, in North Carolina, he transmitted the first musical notes > ever sent by radio. The transmission was heard 48 miles away. > From kc1ih@mac.com Mon Oct 4 13:53:55 2010 From: kc1ih@mac.com (Larry Weil) Date: Mon, 04 Oct 2010 13:53:55 -0400 Subject: Up with Fessenden, down with Marconi In-Reply-To: <47FA4E9205D34F578DD852A9FF8C9CB8@SatU205S5044> References: <332275.91322.qm@web112119.mail.gq1.yahoo.com> <47FA4E9205D34F578DD852A9FF8C9CB8@SatU205S5044> Message-ID: <001701cb63ed$1da0d670$58e28350$@com> > -----Original Message----- > From: boston-radio-interest-bounces@tsornin.BostonRadio.org > [mailto:boston-radio-interest-bounces@tsornin.BostonRadio.org] On > Behalf Of Dan.Strassberg > Sent: Monday, October 04, 2010 9:39 AM > To: Martin Waters; boston-radio-interest@rolinin.bostonradio.org > Subject: Re: Up with Fessenden, down with Marconi > > Are you going to tell us now that those notes were G, E, and C (that > is, the famous NBC chimes)? Do you know what the notes were? And fast > forward a bit more than half a century to the mid 1950s (and speaking > of notes), does anyone else remember a music-appreciation program > called "A Note to You" on the old WHDH (AM)? The program was hosted by > a Northeastern U professor by the name of Roland Nadeau and used as > its theme (IIRC) Camille Saint-Seans "Danse Macabre." I believe than same show later aired on a different station, I'm thinking WGBH but not sure. Larry Weil Lake Wobegone, NH From seth@upsidemedia.com Mon Oct 4 07:02:42 2010 From: seth@upsidemedia.com (Seth) Date: Mon, 04 Oct 2010 07:02:42 -0400 Subject: Up with Fessenden, down with Marconi In-Reply-To: <332275.91322.qm@web112119.mail.gq1.yahoo.com> References: <332275.91322.qm@web112119.mail.gq1.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <4CA9B452.1010902@upsidemedia.com> I thought Marconi was only credited with wireless telegraph transmissions (as a first). Lee De Forest often gets credit for transmitting voice, having invented the "Audion tube." On 10/4/2010 6:10 AM, Martin Waters wrote: >> On Fri, 10/1/10, "Larry Lovering" said > > From All Access: Winners of the 2010 MARCONI AWARDS, handed out at a>gala in WASHINGTON at the NAB/RAB RADIO SHOW THURSDAY night,>included: Legendary Station: CBS RADIO News-Talk WBZ-A/BOSTON > That's very nice,of course . . . BUT, I'm sick and tired, :)), of all the Marconi this and Marconi that stuff. IMO, the program should be renamed the Fessenden Awards. Reginald Fessenden's contributions to the development of radio vastly outweigh Marconi's. > > In addition to the work Fessenden did at Brant Rock, he already had made a couple even lesser-known major breakthroughs that are even less known when he worked in Maryland and at Roanoke Island on the North Carolina Outer Banks. > > An article at www.radiocom.net/Fessenden/FessendenRoanoke.pdf says that in Maryland, "After many many experiments, . . . on 23 December 1900, as darkness fell, and a light > snow dusted Cobb Island [Md.], Fessenden succeeded in making the first wireless transmission of voice ever, sending the signal between > two 15 meter towers 1.6 kilometers apart. The reception was described as 'poor in quality, but quite distinct and entirely intelligible'." > > In 1902, in North Carolina, he transmitted the first musical notes ever sent by radio. The transmission was heard 48 miles away. > > Another article, at the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Web site -- www.ieee.ca/millennium/radio/radio_radioscientist.html -- specifically compares Marconi very unfavorably to Fessenden as an important figure in early radio development. > > Marconi? Bah, humbug. > > > > > > From TK41C@aol.com Mon Oct 4 11:21:52 2010 From: TK41C@aol.com (TK41C@aol.com) Date: Mon, 4 Oct 2010 11:21:52 EDT Subject: Up with Fessenden, down with Marconi Message-ID: <28905.7f785e87.39db4b10@aol.com> Well said. Fessenden derves a lot more credit for early wireless development. James O'Neal (of Radio World and TV technology fame) has written articles on the contibutions of Reginald Fessenden and his understanding of the continuous wave. His pieces have appeared in the AWA Review and possibly he was the author of the IEEE piece. Well worth reading. The surviving documentation, according to James, concerning the Christmas Eve transmission, is inconclusive about the exact date and what was broadcast. This was based on extensive research at the North Carlolina family archives from newspaper stories. A letter by Fessenden to Scientific American years later asks for confirmation of the Christmas Eve event. O'Neal believes, at least in private conversation, that Fessenden was suffering from Alzheimer's then. Regards, J Ballard From aerie.ma@comcast.net Mon Oct 4 14:46:55 2010 From: aerie.ma@comcast.net (Jim Hall) Date: Mon, 4 Oct 2010 14:46:55 -0400 Subject: Up with Fessenden, down with Marconi In-Reply-To: <28905.7f785e87.39db4b10@aol.com> References: <28905.7f785e87.39db4b10@aol.com> Message-ID: <006901cb63f4$89990cb0$9ccb2610$@ma@comcast.net> And let us not forget Amos Emerson Dolbear, Professor of Physics at Tufts in Meffa, whose patent Marconi had to buy. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amos_Dolbear From rac@gabrielmass.com Tue Oct 5 01:44:04 2010 From: rac@gabrielmass.com (Richard Chonak) Date: Tue, 05 Oct 2010 01:44:04 -0400 Subject: Up with Fessenden, down with Marconi In-Reply-To: <47FA4E9205D34F578DD852A9FF8C9CB8@SatU205S5044> References: <332275.91322.qm@web112119.mail.gq1.yahoo.com> <47FA4E9205D34F578DD852A9FF8C9CB8@SatU205S5044> Message-ID: <4CAABB24.5040401@server4.gabrielmass.com> On 10/04/2010 09:38 AM, Dan.Strassberg wrote: > does anyone else remember a music-appreciation program > called "A Note to You" on the old WHDH (AM)? The program was hosted by > a Northeastern U professor by the name of Roland Nadeau and used as > its theme (IIRC) Camille Saint-Seans "Danse Macabre." I remember that too, and recall taking a piano class from Prof. Nadeau, probably in the late '80s. For a while, "A Note to You" was aired both on WHDH-AM and WGBH-FM, which syndicated it nationally. A little searching on the net turned up some more info: Professor Nadeau founded the music department at NU, according to his obit (Sept. 23, 1997). http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-8435910.html He created Northeastern Records, a classical record label owned by the university, in 1979. Unfortunately, it didn't break even, and after the University stopped funding it, it was transferred to the ownership of WHRB "Hillbilly at Harvard" host Lynn Joiner. Some collections of papers related to the radio program are at Northeastern. http://www.library.neu.edu/archives/collections/archival_collections/ http://www.library.neu.edu/archives/collect/findaids/m168find.htm A picture of Nadeau in the studio appears with a 1984 journal article about "A Note To You": http://mej.sagepub.com/content/71/4/60.extract --RC From radiojunkie3@yahoo.com Tue Oct 5 09:45:20 2010 From: radiojunkie3@yahoo.com (Peter Q. George) Date: Tue, 5 Oct 2010 06:45:20 -0700 (PDT) Subject: Up with Fessenden, down with Marconi In-Reply-To: <4CA9B452.1010902@upsidemedia.com> Message-ID: <353089.24041.qm@web50806.mail.re2.yahoo.com> --- On Mon, 10/4/10, Seth wrote: > I thought Marconi was only > credited with wireless telegraph > transmissions (as a first). Lee De Forest often gets credit > for > transmitting voice, having invented the "Audion tube." Lee DeForest may have "invented" the Audion tube, but it took Edwin Howard Armstrong to show the world how to use it. Even DeForest didn't know what to do with it. DeForest was nothing but a "shill", a phony, plain and simple. He was a legend in his own mind, at the cost of others. On the other hand, Howard Armstrong was a genius with a multitude of inventions to his credit including Frequency Modulation (FM) which the folks at RCA did everything in their power to discredit him. Eventually FM DID win, but at such a tragic cost to its' inventor. Peter Q. George (K1XRB) Whitman, Massachusetts "Scanning the bands since 1967" radiojunkie3@yahoo.com *********************************************************** --- On Mon, 10/4/10, Seth wrote: > ? I thought Marconi was only > credited with wireless telegraph > transmissions (as a first). Lee De Forest often gets credit > for > transmitting voice, having invented the "Audion tube." > From map@mapinternet.com Wed Oct 6 09:29:23 2010 From: map@mapinternet.com (Mark Casey) Date: Wed, 6 Oct 2010 09:29:23 -0400 Subject: Up with Fessenden & Armstrong, along with Marconi In-Reply-To: <353089.24041.qm@web50806.mail.re2.yahoo.com> References: <353089.24041.qm@web50806.mail.re2.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <8E1F77D20B7245CABFE865986E951BC0@CASEYPC> For their advances, both Reginald Fessenden and Major Armstrong should recieve at least equal credit with Marconi for the practical invention of radio as we know it. Mark Casey K1MAP ----- Original Message ----- From: "Peter Q. George" Lee DeForest may have "invented" the Audion tube, but it took Edwin Howard Armstrong to show the world how to use it. Even DeForest didn't know what to do with it. DeForest was nothing but a "shill", a phony, plain and simple. He was a legend in his own mind, at the cost of others. On the other hand, Howard Armstrong was a genius with a multitude of inventions to his credit including Frequency Modulation From radiojunkie3@yahoo.com Wed Oct 6 10:59:35 2010 From: radiojunkie3@yahoo.com (Peter Q. George) Date: Wed, 6 Oct 2010 07:59:35 -0700 (PDT) Subject: Up with Fessenden & Armstrong, along with Marconi In-Reply-To: <8E1F77D20B7245CABFE865986E951BC0@CASEYPC> Message-ID: <750342.49084.qm@web50805.mail.re2.yahoo.com> No question about it. Both Fessenden and the Major should get "front and center" credit for their many contributions to radio. DeForest, on the other hand, should be nothing more than a sleazy footnote in broadcasting history. It's been said that many of the "inventions" that DeForest "made", were already made by other inventors. And he called himself "The Father of Radio". No way, Lee. Peter Q. George (K1XRB) Whitman, Massachusetts "Scanning the bands since 1967" radiojunkie3@yahoo.com *********************************************************** > For their advances, both Reginald > Fessenden and Major Armstrong should > recieve at least equal credit with Marconi for the > practical invention of > radio as we know it. > > Mark Casey K1MAP From dan.strassberg@att.net Wed Oct 6 11:36:20 2010 From: dan.strassberg@att.net (Dan.Strassberg) Date: Wed, 6 Oct 2010 11:36:20 -0400 Subject: Up with Fessenden & Armstrong, along with Marconi References: <750342.49084.qm@web50805.mail.re2.yahoo.com> Message-ID: And those who can't or won't recognize that DeForest was nothing more than radio's earliest promoter and pitch man simply can't see DeForest for the trees;>) In fact, though, the pitch-man stories are deeply entrenched in radio history. The book Border Blasters (about the high-powered AMs in Mexico whose skywave signals blanketed much of the US at night in the 1930s and even into the mid 1950s) tells the stories of many of these shady characters. Worth reading! When you listen to the horrendous infomercials that still pervade the airwaves--even on some reputable stations--you are listening to a page of radio history. ----- Dan Strassberg (dan.strassberg@att.net) eFax 1-707-215-6367 ----- Original Message ----- From: "Peter Q. George" To: ; ; "Mark Casey" Sent: Wednesday, October 06, 2010 10:59 AM Subject: Re: Up with Fessenden & Armstrong, along with Marconi > No question about it. Both Fessenden and the Major should get "front > and center" credit for their many contributions to radio. > DeForest, on the other hand, should be nothing more than a sleazy > footnote in broadcasting history. It's been said that many of the > "inventions" that DeForest "made", were already made by other > inventors. And he called himself "The Father of Radio". No way, > Lee. > > Peter Q. George (K1XRB) > Whitman, Massachusetts > "Scanning the bands since 1967" > > radiojunkie3@yahoo.com > *********************************************************** > > > >> For their advances, both Reginald >> Fessenden and Major Armstrong should >> recieve at least equal credit with Marconi for the >> practical invention of >> radio as we know it. >> >> Mark Casey K1MAP > > > > > From scott@fybush.com Wed Oct 6 19:41:01 2010 From: scott@fybush.com (Scott Fybush) Date: Wed, 06 Oct 2010 19:41:01 -0400 Subject: Up with Fessenden & Armstrong, along with Marconi In-Reply-To: References: <750342.49084.qm@web50805.mail.re2.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <4CAD090D.3090006@fybush.com> Dan.Strassberg wrote: > In fact, though, the pitch-man stories are deeply entrenched in radio > history. As we will learn next month when KDKA celebrates the "90th anniversary of American broadcasting," and even more so come November 2020. (But then, without the promotional muscle of Westinghouse, would radio have so quickly evolved from the very important pioneering efforts of San Jose Calling and 9XM and 1XE into a dominant mass medium?) s From dlh@donnahalper.com Wed Oct 6 19:47:15 2010 From: dlh@donnahalper.com (Donna Halper) Date: Wed, 06 Oct 2010 19:47:15 -0400 Subject: Up with Fessenden & Armstrong, along with Marconi In-Reply-To: <4CAD090D.3090006@fybush.com> References: <750342.49084.qm@web50805.mail.re2.yahoo.com> <4CAD090D.3090006@fybush.com> Message-ID: <201010062347.o96NlS6F079828@tsornin.bostonradio.org> At 07:41 PM 10/6/2010, Scott Fybush wrote: >As we will learn next month when KDKA celebrates the "90th >anniversary of American broadcasting," and even more so come November 2020. > >(But then, without the promotional muscle of Westinghouse, would >radio have so quickly evolved from the very important pioneering >efforts of San Jose Calling and 9XM and 1XE into a dominant mass medium?) So much of broadcasting history is actually the history of whose publicity department was the best... I've always been mystified that 8MK (today WWJ) in Detroit, failed to see the potential of promoting their very real first-- they were on the air in late August 1920, several months before KDKA; yet for some reason, the owners (a newspaper!) never promoted this fact beyond Michigan. From rogerkirk@ttlc.net Wed Oct 6 21:40:25 2010 From: rogerkirk@ttlc.net (Roger Kirk) Date: Wed, 06 Oct 2010 21:40:25 -0400 Subject: Up with Fessenden & Armstrong, along with Marconi In-Reply-To: <201010062347.o96NlS6F079828@tsornin.bostonradio.org> References: <750342.49084.qm@web50805.mail.re2.yahoo.com> <4CAD090D.3090006@fybush.com> <201010062347.o96NlS6F079828@tsornin.bostonradio.org> Message-ID: <4CAD2509.907@ttlc.net> On 10/6/2010 7:47 PM, Donna Halper wrote: > So much of broadcasting history is actually the history of whose > publicity department was the best... I've always been mystified that > 8MK (today WWJ) in Detroit, failed to see the potential of promoting > their very real first-- they were on the air in late August 1920, > several months before KDKA; yet for some reason, the owners (a > newspaper!) never promoted this fact beyond Michigan. Modesty! From chuckigo@maine.rr.com Sat Oct 9 08:23:07 2010 From: chuckigo@maine.rr.com (Chuck Igo) Date: Sat, 9 Oct 2010 08:23:07 -0400 Subject: MPBN's Irwin Gratz Honored Message-ID: Congrats to Irwin Gratz of Maine Public Broadcasting on being named recipient of the 2010 Wells Memorial Key by the Society of Professional Journalists. Irwin has been a long-time presence in Maine radio newsrooms going back to the early 80's here in Portland. http://workingpress.spjnetwork.org/?p=863 --Chuck Igo From wollman@bimajority.org Sun Oct 10 02:10:14 2010 From: wollman@bimajority.org (Garrett Wollman) Date: Sun, 10 Oct 2010 02:10:14 -0400 Subject: Some "French Chef" puzzles Message-ID: <19633.22726.73227.224618@hergotha.csail.mit.edu> WGBH is currently rerunning Julia Child's "The French Chef" during their Saturday cooking-show block. Does anyone here know the answers to these questions: 1) The electronic program guide lists a 2000 production date for these episodes. What does Tribune think was done then? The original episodes are from the early 1970s (older than dirt in TV terms -- or at least older than I am!). 2) Why does PBS have this bizarre policy that the network identification is part of the program? It's quite odd to hear a sound that was last current in the early 1980s again; commercial networks always keep their graphic identity separate from the programming, so they can change it at will. 3) I think the colors in these episodes look pretty saturated. Are they real? 4) The show includes very few wide shots, but when they are used, there is some fairly noticeable vignetting (which would probably have been lost in the CRT's overscan in 1972). Medium shots fill the frame. Design flaw in the cameras? (What sort of cameras would they have been using originally to shoot the show? Kevin?) -GAWollman From kvahey@gmail.com Sun Oct 10 02:48:39 2010 From: kvahey@gmail.com (Kevin Vahey) Date: Sun, 10 Oct 2010 01:48:39 -0500 Subject: Some "French Chef" puzzles Message-ID: Most likely they were shot with 4 tube Marconi cameras that GBH used circa 1970. They just looked awful with NTSC. WXPO had same cameras as did CBS at Studio 50 aka Ed Sullivan Theater. The color Sullivan shows have that same look. Sent from my Samsung Epic? 4G Garrett Wollman wrote: >WGBH is currently rerunning Julia Child's "The French Chef" during >their Saturday cooking-show block. Does anyone here know the answers >to these questions: > >1) The electronic program guide lists a 2000 production date for these >episodes. What does Tribune think was done then? The original >episodes are from the early 1970s (older than dirt in TV terms -- or >at least older than I am!). > >2) Why does PBS have this bizarre policy that the network >identification is part of the program? It's quite odd to hear a sound >that was last current in the early 1980s again; commercial networks >always keep their graphic identity separate from the programming, so >they can change it at will. > >3) I think the colors in these episodes look pretty saturated. Are >they real? > >4) The show includes very few wide shots, but when they are used, >there is some fairly noticeable vignetting (which would probably have >been lost in the CRT's overscan in 1972). Medium shots fill the >frame. Design flaw in the cameras? (What sort of cameras would they >have been using originally to shoot the show? Kevin?) > >-GAWollman > From rogerkirk@ttlc.net Sun Oct 10 10:31:29 2010 From: rogerkirk@ttlc.net (Roger Kirk) Date: Sun, 10 Oct 2010 10:31:29 -0400 Subject: Some "French Chef" puzzles In-Reply-To: <19633.22726.73227.224618@hergotha.csail.mit.edu> References: <19633.22726.73227.224618@hergotha.csail.mit.edu> Message-ID: <4CB1CE41.5070203@ttlc.net> Garrett Wollman wrote: > WGBH is currently rerunning Julia Child's "The French Chef" during > their Saturday cooking-show block. Does anyone here know the answers > to these questions: > > 1) The electronic program guide lists a 2000 production date for these > episodes. What does Tribune think was done then? The original > episodes are from the early 1970s (older than dirt in TV terms -- or > at least older than I am!). > When I was daytime Master Control at WGHB, engineers referred to shoots of Julia Child's show that occurred before I arrived in October of 1968. Roger "Older Than Rocks" Kirk From kvahey@gmail.com Sun Oct 10 13:16:04 2010 From: kvahey@gmail.com (Kevin Vahey) Date: Sun, 10 Oct 2010 12:16:04 -0500 Subject: Some "French Chef" puzzles Message-ID: This was the camera in question http://www.tvcameramuseum.org/marconi/mk7/m_mkvii1.htm Sent from my Samsung Epic? 4G From gallen2@nescaum.org Mon Oct 11 15:45:50 2010 From: gallen2@nescaum.org (George Allen) Date: Mon, 11 Oct 2010 15:45:50 -0400 Subject: BSO on the radio - not for me anymore Message-ID: I went to listen to last weekend's BSO concert [first time since GBH bought CRB]. In Swampscott with an indoor antenna [rabbit ears], I could not get a clean [eg, worth listening to] signal off WCRB. I'm stunned. First, that WGBH relegates this flagship program to a station with a modest signal, despite their current talk programming. Second, that being NE of Boston [~25 miles from the tower], not way south of Boston or such, I could not get a clean WCRB signal. There was a squirrelly squaking noise about 30db down - even when the receiver was otherwise reasonably noise free [eg, the signal was not weak]. I don't live near any strong local FM signals. I tried a 2nd much older receiver, and it couldn't get _any_ signal from WCRB, while every Boston [and many many more] stations came rolling in just fine. Good Greif... Does WCRB still run [does anyone still run] SCA? Could this be it [coupled with a less than hi-end but new receiver]? I do have a hill near my house between me and their tower... another possible factor; clear shot to south and SW [including Boston and Needham] but not to N and NNW. I think [?] they stream the WCRB signal on their web site. But does this work for high sound-quality classical music - something close to what you could get off-air with a clean analog signal? The streaming bandwidth needed would seem excessive - fine for rock or talk, but classical?? George From kc1ih@mac.com Mon Oct 11 16:12:09 2010 From: kc1ih@mac.com (Larry Weil) Date: Mon, 11 Oct 2010 16:12:09 -0400 Subject: BSO on the radio - not for me anymore In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <001a01cb6980$9621a9b0$c264fd10$@com> It is possible the interference you heard was from their HD (Hybrid Digital) Radio sidebands. Of course you could get an HD radio or tuner, and listen on WCRB-HD1 or WGBH-HD2. If you are not sure if this will work out for you, buy the radio or tuner at a store that has a good return policy. Larry Weil Lake Wobegone, NH > -----Original Message----- > From: boston-radio-interest-bounces@tsornin.BostonRadio.org > [mailto:boston-radio-interest-bounces@tsornin.BostonRadio.org] On > Behalf Of George Allen > Sent: Monday, October 11, 2010 3:46 PM > To: boston-radio-interest@lists.BostonRadio.org > Subject: BSO on the radio - not for me anymore > > I went to listen to last weekend's BSO concert [first time since GBH > bought CRB]. In Swampscott with an indoor antenna [rabbit ears], I > could not get a clean [eg, worth listening to] signal off WCRB. I'm > stunned. First, that WGBH relegates this flagship program to a > station with a modest signal, despite their current talk > programming. Second, that being NE of Boston [~25 miles from the > tower], not way south of Boston or such, I could not get a clean WCRB > signal. There was a squirrelly squaking noise about 30db down - even > when the receiver was otherwise reasonably noise free [eg, the signal > was not weak]. I don't live near any strong local FM signals. I > tried a 2nd much older receiver, and it couldn't get _any_ signal > from WCRB, while every Boston [and many many more] stations came > rolling in just fine. Good Greif... > > Does WCRB still run [does anyone still run] SCA? Could this be it > [coupled with a less than hi-end but new receiver]? I do have a hill > near my house between me and their tower... another possible factor; > clear shot to south and SW [including Boston and Needham] but not to N > and NNW. > > I think [?] they stream the WCRB signal on their web site. But does > this work for high sound-quality classical music - something close to > what you could get off-air with a clean analog signal? The streaming > bandwidth needed would seem excessive - fine for rock or talk, but > classical?? > George From sid@wrko.com Mon Oct 11 16:14:15 2010 From: sid@wrko.com (Sid Schweiger) Date: Mon, 11 Oct 2010 16:14:15 -0400 Subject: BSO on the radio - not for me anymore In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <0D5E60C875634E4AA1031FC691BCCC554638BB4B@ENTCORMB2.etmcorad.com> "In Swampscott with an indoor antenna [rabbit ears], I could not get a clean [eg, worth listening to] signal off WCRB. I'm stunned. First, that WGBH relegates this flagship program to a station with a modest signal, despite their current talk programming. Second, that being NE of Boston [~25 miles from the tower], not way south of Boston or such, I could not get a clean WCRB signal. There was a squirrelly squaking noise about 30db down - even when the receiver was otherwise reasonably noise free [eg, the signal was not weak]. I don't live near any strong local FM signals. I tried a 2nd much older receiver, and it couldn't get _any_ signal from WCRB, while every Boston [and many many more] stations came rolling in just fine. Good Greif..." Without knowing your exact street address, a report run against Swampscott MA (presumably the center of town) on the FM Fool web site shows a pretty bad path to WCRB's site...a distance of only 19.8 miles, but an expected signal strength of -44.0 dBm along a single-edge-diffraction path (i.e., not line-of-sight), assuming a receive-antenna height of 25ft AGL. The report also says you'd need an antenna height AGL of 118.9ft to achieve a line-of-sight path. Not a good signal path at all. Sid Schweiger IT Manager, Entercom New England 20 Guest St / 3d Floor Brighton MA 02135-2040 From gary@garysicecream.com Mon Oct 11 16:27:40 2010 From: gary@garysicecream.com (Gary's Ice Cream) Date: Mon, 11 Oct 2010 16:27:40 -0400 Subject: BSO on the radio - not for me anymore In-Reply-To: <0D5E60C875634E4AA1031FC691BCCC554638BB4B@ENTCORMB2.etmcorad.com> References: <0D5E60C875634E4AA1031FC691BCCC554638BB4B@ENTCORMB2.etmcorad.com> Message-ID: <017201cb6982$c0997ae0$41cc70a0$@com> I'm in East Chelmsford and can see the blinking lights on the WCRB tower from my window....it is less than 5 air miles away....but many nights when I turn on the Bose radio as I go to sleep I find 99.5 to be unlistenable with static and interference...other times it is fine. -----Original Message----- From: boston-radio-interest-bounces@tsornin.BostonRadio.org [mailto:boston-radio-interest-bounces@tsornin.BostonRadio.org] On Behalf Of Sid Schweiger Sent: Monday, October 11, 2010 4:14 PM To: boston-radio-interest@lists.BostonRadio.org Subject: RE: BSO on the radio - not for me anymore "In Swampscott with an indoor antenna [rabbit ears], I could not get a clean [eg, worth listening to] signal off WCRB. I'm stunned. First, that WGBH relegates this flagship program to a station with a modest signal, despite their current talk programming. Second, that being NE of Boston [~25 miles from the tower], not way south of Boston or such, I could not get a clean WCRB signal. There was a squirrelly squaking noise about 30db down - even when the receiver was otherwise reasonably noise free [eg, the signal was not weak]. I don't live near any strong local FM signals. I tried a 2nd much older receiver, and it couldn't get _any_ signal from WCRB, while every Boston [and many many more] stations came rolling in just fine. Good Greif..." Without knowing your exact street address, a report run against Swampscott MA (presumably the center of town) on the FM Fool web site shows a pretty bad path to WCRB's site...a distance of only 19.8 miles, but an expected signal strength of -44.0 dBm along a single-edge-diffraction path (i.e., not line-of-sight), assuming a receive-antenna height of 25ft AGL. The report also says you'd need an antenna height AGL of 118.9ft to achieve a line-of-sight path. Not a good signal path at all. Sid Schweiger IT Manager, Entercom New England 20 Guest St / 3d Floor Brighton MA 02135-2040 From john@minutemancomm.com Mon Oct 11 17:13:23 2010 From: john@minutemancomm.com (John Mullaney) Date: Mon, 11 Oct 2010 17:13:23 -0400 Subject: BSO on the radio - not for me anymore In-Reply-To: <0D5E60C875634E4AA1031FC691BCCC554638BB4B@ENTCORMB2.etmcorad.com> References: <0D5E60C875634E4AA1031FC691BCCC554638BB4B@ENTCORMB2.etmcorad.com> Message-ID: WCRB is also on WGBH-HD2 if that helps? Sent from my iPhone On Oct 11, 2010, at 4:14 PM, Sid Schweiger wrote: > "In Swampscott with an indoor antenna [rabbit ears], I could not get a clean [eg, worth listening to] signal off WCRB. I'm stunned. First, that WGBH relegates this flagship program to a station with a modest signal, despite their current talk programming. Second, that being NE of Boston [~25 miles from the tower], not way south of Boston or such, I could not get a clean WCRB signal. There was a squirrelly squaking noise about 30db down - even when the receiver was otherwise reasonably noise free [eg, the signal was not weak]. I don't live near any strong local FM signals. I tried a 2nd much older receiver, and it couldn't get _any_ signal from WCRB, while every Boston [and many many more] stations came rolling in just fine. Good Greif..." > > Without knowing your exact street address, a report run against Swampscott MA (presumably the center of town) on the FM Fool web site shows a pretty bad path to WCRB's site...a distance of only 19.8 miles, but an expected signal strength of -44.0 dBm along a single-edge-diffraction path (i.e., not line-of-sight), assuming a receive-antenna height of 25ft AGL. The report also says you'd need an antenna height AGL of 118.9ft to achieve a line-of-sight path. Not a good signal path at all. > > Sid Schweiger > IT Manager, Entercom New England > 20 Guest St / 3d Floor > Brighton MA 02135-2040 > > > > From gary@garysicecream.com Mon Oct 11 17:34:21 2010 From: gary@garysicecream.com (Gary's Ice Cream) Date: Mon, 11 Oct 2010 17:34:21 -0400 Subject: BSO on the radio - not for me anymore In-Reply-To: References: <0D5E60C875634E4AA1031FC691BCCC554638BB4B@ENTCORMB2.etmcorad.com> Message-ID: <018401cb698c$11772530$34656f90$@com> After all the complaints I keep hearing about HD radio I'm not about to buy one. -----Original Message----- From: boston-radio-interest-bounces@tsornin.BostonRadio.org [mailto:boston-radio-interest-bounces@tsornin.BostonRadio.org] On Behalf Of John Mullaney Sent: Monday, October 11, 2010 5:13 PM To: Sid Schweiger Cc: boston-radio-interest@lists.BostonRadio.org Subject: Re: BSO on the radio - not for me anymore WCRB is also on WGBH-HD2 if that helps? Sent from my iPhone On Oct 11, 2010, at 4:14 PM, Sid Schweiger wrote: > "In Swampscott with an indoor antenna [rabbit ears], I could not get a clean [eg, worth listening to] signal off WCRB. I'm stunned. First, that WGBH relegates this flagship program to a station with a modest signal, despite their current talk programming. Second, that being NE of Boston [~25 miles from the tower], not way south of Boston or such, I could not get a clean WCRB signal. There was a squirrelly squaking noise about 30db down - even when the receiver was otherwise reasonably noise free [eg, the signal was not weak]. I don't live near any strong local FM signals. I tried a 2nd much older receiver, and it couldn't get _any_ signal from WCRB, while every Boston [and many many more] stations came rolling in just fine. Good Greif..." > > Without knowing your exact street address, a report run against Swampscott MA (presumably the center of town) on the FM Fool web site shows a pretty bad path to WCRB's site...a distance of only 19.8 miles, but an expected signal strength of -44.0 dBm along a single-edge-diffraction path (i.e., not line-of-sight), assuming a receive-antenna height of 25ft AGL. The report also says you'd need an antenna height AGL of 118.9ft to achieve a line-of-sight path. Not a good signal path at all. > > Sid Schweiger > IT Manager, Entercom New England > 20 Guest St / 3d Floor > Brighton MA 02135-2040 > > > > From scott@fybush.com Mon Oct 11 17:43:40 2010 From: scott@fybush.com (Scott Fybush) Date: Mon, 11 Oct 2010 17:43:40 -0400 Subject: BSO on the radio - not for me anymore In-Reply-To: <018401cb698c$11772530$34656f90$@com> References: <0D5E60C875634E4AA1031FC691BCCC554638BB4B@ENTCORMB2.etmcorad.com> <018401cb698c$11772530$34656f90$@com> Message-ID: <4CB3850C.6000803@fybush.com> Gary's Ice Cream wrote: > After all the complaints I keep hearing about HD radio I'm not about to buy > one. > There are plenty of complainers out there - but when there's useful content, FM HD can and does work pretty well. We have a small but very loyal HD listener base here in Rochester for WXXI-FM's HD2, which simulcasts WXXI AM 1370 for the benefit of listeners east and west of Rochester in the nighttime nulls of our AM signal. The very best HD radio out there, the Sony XDR-F1HD, is only $99, so you're not making a huge investment, especially if you buy it from a place with a friendly return policy. s From john@minutemancomm.com Mon Oct 11 17:45:14 2010 From: john@minutemancomm.com (John Mullaney) Date: Mon, 11 Oct 2010 17:45:14 -0400 Subject: BSO on the radio - not for me anymore In-Reply-To: <018401cb698c$11772530$34656f90$@com> References: <0D5E60C875634E4AA1031FC691BCCC554638BB4B@ENTCORMB2.etmcorad.com> <018401cb698c$11772530$34656f90$@com> Message-ID: <93D4B8F0-83F3-485C-8FEE-4D710D11C83B@minutemancomm.com> Suit yourself. Sent from my iPhone On Oct 11, 2010, at 5:34 PM, "Gary's Ice Cream" wrote: > After all the complaints I keep hearing about HD radio I'm not about to buy > one. > > -----Original Message----- > From: boston-radio-interest-bounces@tsornin.BostonRadio.org > [mailto:boston-radio-interest-bounces@tsornin.BostonRadio.org] On Behalf Of > John Mullaney > Sent: Monday, October 11, 2010 5:13 PM > To: Sid Schweiger > Cc: boston-radio-interest@lists.BostonRadio.org > Subject: Re: BSO on the radio - not for me anymore > > WCRB is also on WGBH-HD2 if that helps? > > Sent from my iPhone > > On Oct 11, 2010, at 4:14 PM, Sid Schweiger wrote: > >> "In Swampscott with an indoor antenna [rabbit ears], I could not get a > clean [eg, worth listening to] signal off WCRB. I'm stunned. First, that > WGBH relegates this flagship program to a station with a modest signal, > despite their current talk programming. Second, that being NE of Boston > [~25 miles from the tower], not way south of Boston or such, I could not get > a clean WCRB signal. There was a squirrelly squaking noise about 30db down > - even when the receiver was otherwise reasonably noise free [eg, the signal > was not weak]. I don't live near any strong local FM signals. I tried a > 2nd much older receiver, and it couldn't get _any_ signal from WCRB, while > every Boston [and many many more] stations came rolling in just fine. Good > Greif..." >> >> Without knowing your exact street address, a report run against Swampscott > MA (presumably the center of town) on the FM Fool web site shows a pretty > bad path to WCRB's site...a distance of only 19.8 miles, but an expected > signal strength of -44.0 dBm along a single-edge-diffraction path (i.e., not > line-of-sight), assuming a receive-antenna height of 25ft AGL. The report > also says you'd need an antenna height AGL of 118.9ft to achieve a > line-of-sight path. Not a good signal path at all. >> >> Sid Schweiger >> IT Manager, Entercom New England >> 20 Guest St / 3d Floor >> Brighton MA 02135-2040 >> >> >> >> > > From dan.strassberg@att.net Mon Oct 11 17:59:29 2010 From: dan.strassberg@att.net (Dan.Strassberg) Date: Mon, 11 Oct 2010 17:59:29 -0400 Subject: BSO on the radio - not for me anymore References: <0D5E60C875634E4AA1031FC691BCCC554638BB4B@ENTCORMB2.etmcorad.com><018401cb698c$11772530$34656f90$@com> <93D4B8F0-83F3-485C-8FEE-4D710D11C83B@minutemancomm.com> Message-ID: <14642695D8C541848157FE1AA1D52F96@SatU205S5044> I certainly would not have guessed that the straight-line distance from Andover to Swampscott was nearly 20 miles. I would have guessed 12 to 15 miles. Also, some reasonably substantial hill must block line-of-sight from Wood Hill to Swampscott. Can anybody identify the hill? WCRB's HAAT is, IIRC, ~650' AAT. Unless the hill that blocks the signal from Swampscott is very close to Swampscott, that hill must be pretty high as hills on the the North Shore go. ----- Dan Strassberg (dan.strassberg@att.net) eFax 1-707-215-6367 >> -----Original Message----- >>> >>> Sid Schweiger >>> IT Manager, Entercom New England >>> 20 Guest St / 3d Floor >>> Brighton MA 02135-2040 >>> From friedbagels@gmail.com Mon Oct 11 20:11:38 2010 From: friedbagels@gmail.com (Aaron Read) Date: Mon, 11 Oct 2010 20:11:38 -0400 Subject: BSO on the radio - not for me anymore Message-ID: Folks, Don't confuse HD Radio RECEIVERS for HD Radio THE OVERALL TRANSMISSION SYSTEM. While I am, more or less, a proponent of HD Radio (moreso on FM than AM) as a transmission system, I freely acknowledge that the system has issues. Both technical and, more importantly, promotional...in terms of getting receivers into cars as standard equipment. But it's very, very hard to argue that HD Radio receivers have been anything but a godsend to radio listeners. While antennas are always just as important (more on that in a minute) most every HD Radio receiver out there has excellent adjacent-channel-interference rejection and overall filtering. Benefits of everything being decoded in the digital domain. If you want a really good receiver - always start by looking at HD Radio receivers. I had a old Blaupunkt Casablanca CD-52 in my car for years and it had DSP and SHARX I.F. filtering that made for great reception...and it can't hold a candle to my current JVC KD HDW10 HD receiver; it's sole flaw that I've found is that it can't decode RDS (oh well). Back to antennas: they are CRITICAL. George mentioned he was using rabbit ears for an antenna...that's a bad move. Rabbit ears need to be tuned (extensions managed) to properly match the length to the wavelength of the desired frequency, and that's damn hard to do unless you've got some special gear. And they always seem to be cheap POS's anyway. You're better off getting a plain dipole and playing around with it, seeing what you can do to peak the signal. Or, better still, getting a real VHF antenna and mounting it on the roof on a rotator. Don't get amplified antennas; all they do is raise the noise floor...it's always preferable to get an antenna with higher inherent gain than to get an amplifier. As for other receivers, like the Bose that Gary mentioned, all I can say is YMMV. Bose was notorious for putting lousy receivers in expensive top-end units...which always annoyed the hell out of me that I'd pay top dollar for a superior speaker design but the radio would be crap. And new radios are often worse than old ones; back in the 1970's often radio receivers were quite good. Then the 1980's hit and OEM's started really squeezing the blood from the stone...stripping radios down to the bare minimum to save on costs but at the expense of having a radio worth a damn. FWIW, I tuned to tune in then-WKLB 99.5 Lowell when I was all the way down in Medfield, due SW of Boston, halfway between Rt.128 and I-495...and about 33 miles from 99.5's site. I had no trouble getting full quieting in stereo, but I was also using a modified NAD 4300 tuner with a ~30dB+ antenna on a rotator on the roof of a two-story building. -- -- ----------------------------------------- Aaron Read friedbagels@gmail.com General Manager WHWS 105.7FM (315) 781-3811 From brscomm@yahoo.com Mon Oct 11 20:32:01 2010 From: brscomm@yahoo.com (Bill Smith) Date: Mon, 11 Oct 2010 17:32:01 -0700 (PDT) Subject: BSO on the radio - not for me anymore In-Reply-To: <14642695D8C541848157FE1AA1D52F96@SatU205S5044> References: <0D5E60C875634E4AA1031FC691BCCC554638BB4B@ENTCORMB2.etmcorad.com><018401cb698c$11772530$34656f90$@com> <93D4B8F0-83F3-485C-8FEE-4D710D11C83B@minutemancomm.com> <14642695D8C541848157FE1AA1D52F96@SatU205S5044> Message-ID: <590368.66076.qm@web62402.mail.re1.yahoo.com> There is a ridge along 128 that does a great job blocking RF. I have some drive test plots I did for a 451 MHz radio system on the New England Electric tower right beside 99.5 on Wood Hill and the signal drop was over 20 dB from the terrain. As for HD, I have a Pioneer stereo with the add-on HD receiver. It sounds great especially on AM. The big problem is range. I lose about 20% compared to analog. HD-2 is about 50% and HD-3 is close to 30%. AM is so affected by all the usual interferers that it's hard to listen to it without it dropping back to analog for more than 5 minutes while driving. Bill in St. Louis ________________________________ From: Dan.Strassberg To: John Mullaney ; Gary's Ice Cream Cc: Boston radio e-mail list Sent: Mon, October 11, 2010 4:59:29 PM Subject: Re: BSO on the radio - not for me anymore I certainly would not have guessed that the straight-line distance from Andover to Swampscott was nearly 20 miles. I would have guessed 12 to 15 miles. Also, some reasonably substantial hill must block line-of-sight from Wood Hill to Swampscott. Can anybody identify the hill? WCRB's HAAT is, IIRC, ~650' AAT. Unless the hill that blocks the signal from Swampscott is very close to Swampscott, that hill must be pretty high as hills on the the North Shore go. ----- Dan Strassberg (dan.strassberg@att.net) eFax 1-707-215-6367 >> -----Original Message----- >>> >>> Sid Schweiger >>> IT Manager, Entercom New England >>> 20 Guest St / 3d Floor >>> Brighton MA? 02135-2040 >>> From joe@attorneyross.com Mon Oct 11 23:54:52 2010 From: joe@attorneyross.com (A Joseph Ross) Date: Mon, 11 Oct 2010 23:54:52 -0400 Subject: BSO on the radio - not for me anymore In-Reply-To: <017201cb6982$c0997ae0$41cc70a0$@com> References: <0D5E60C875634E4AA1031FC691BCCC554638BB4B@ENTCORMB2.etmcorad.com> <017201cb6982$c0997ae0$41cc70a0$@com> Message-ID: <4CB3DC0C.6060509@attorneyross.com> On 10/11/2010 4:27 PM, Gary's Ice Cream wrote: > I'm in East Chelmsford and can see the blinking lights on the WCRB tower > from my window....it is less than 5 air miles away....but many nights when I > turn on the Bose radio as I go to sleep I find 99.5 to be unlistenable with > static and interference...other times it is fine. But I thought FM reception was static-free! -- A. Joseph Ross, J.D. 617.367.0468 92 State Street, Suite 700 Fax: 617.507.7856 Boston, MA 02109-2004 http://www.attorneyross.com From joe@attorneyross.com Mon Oct 11 23:56:19 2010 From: joe@attorneyross.com (A Joseph Ross) Date: Mon, 11 Oct 2010 23:56:19 -0400 Subject: BSO on the radio - not for me anymore In-Reply-To: <018401cb698c$11772530$34656f90$@com> References: <0D5E60C875634E4AA1031FC691BCCC554638BB4B@ENTCORMB2.etmcorad.com> <018401cb698c$11772530$34656f90$@com> Message-ID: <4CB3DC63.3070406@attorneyross.com> On 10/11/2010 5:34 PM, Gary's Ice Cream wrote: > After all the complaints I keep hearing about HD radio I'm not about to buy > one. WCRB also streams online. If the thing works when you try to tune in. It seems rather temperamental. -- A. Joseph Ross, J.D. 617.367.0468 92 State Street, Suite 700 Fax: 617.507.7856 Boston, MA 02109-2004 http://www.attorneyross.com From aerie.ma@comcast.net Tue Oct 12 08:22:23 2010 From: aerie.ma@comcast.net (Jim Hall) Date: Tue, 12 Oct 2010 08:22:23 -0400 Subject: BSO on the radio - not for me anymore In-Reply-To: <017201cb6982$c0997ae0$41cc70a0$@com> References: <0D5E60C875634E4AA1031FC691BCCC554638BB4B@ENTCORMB2.etmcorad.com> <017201cb6982$c0997ae0$41cc70a0$@com> Message-ID: <011901cb6a08$240ff7e0$6c2fe7a0$@ma@comcast.net> I was hoping that when WCRB moved closer to me (I am in Andover), the signal would be better. It's not, and I am not sure it's actually the signal as such, because it didn't happen with previous incarnations of 99.5. I have often wondered if WCRB converted their collection of classical vinyl LPs to CD themselves, and didn't always do a great job. The sounds that I find distracting are the sort of sounds vinyl records used to make if the record was old, the stylus needed replacing, or the tone arm was not properly balanced. The errant sounds seem to be periodic as you would get with a vinyl disc spinning. Given the size of their recording collection, maybe they hired kids to do the conversion to CD. It's not on every recording, but it's on enough of them that it makes listening to WCRB kind of annoying. -----Original Message----- From: boston-radio-interest-bounces@tsornin.BostonRadio.org [mailto:boston-radio-interest-bounces@tsornin.BostonRadio.org] On Behalf Of Gary's Ice Cream Sent: Monday, October 11, 2010 4:28 PM To: Boston radio e-mail list Subject: RE: BSO on the radio - not for me anymore I'm in East Chelmsford and can see the blinking lights on the WCRB tower from my window....it is less than 5 air miles away....but many nights when I turn on the Bose radio as I go to sleep I find 99.5 to be unlistenable with static and interference...other times it is fine. From dan.strassberg@att.net Tue Oct 12 08:52:32 2010 From: dan.strassberg@att.net (Dan.Strassberg) Date: Tue, 12 Oct 2010 08:52:32 -0400 Subject: BSO on the radio - not for me anymore References: <0D5E60C875634E4AA1031FC691BCCC554638BB4B@ENTCORMB2.etmcorad.com><017201cb6982$c0997ae0$41cc70a0$@com> <011901cb6a08$240ff7e0$6c2fe7a0$@ma@comcast.net> Message-ID: When was the conversion done? If early enough, I suppose a conversion to CD as opposed to a hard drive was possible, even likely. But the use of a RAID array to store something as mission-critical as a radio station's entire intellectural property, even as long as 10 years ago, seems like a strong possibility. You have to remember that WCRB had at least one top-flight technical person on its staff over its entire history, except possibly for the last few years immediately before WGBH bought it. Especially if the original source media were to be trashed, you would expect that the job would have been done with with the utmost care under the supervision of a person who appreciated the value and irreplaceable nature of the material that he/she was working with. (And yes, I've thought about the sarcastic comments that are likely to follow from a certain list member in the Merrimack Valley.) ----- Dan Strassberg (dan.strassberg@att.net) eFax 1-707-215-6367 ----- Original Message ----- From: "Jim Hall" To: Sent: Tuesday, October 12, 2010 8:22 AM Subject: RE: BSO on the radio - not for me anymore >I was hoping that when WCRB moved closer to me (I am in Andover), the >signal > would be better. It's not, and I am not sure it's actually the > signal as > such, because it didn't happen with previous incarnations of 99.5. I > have > often wondered if WCRB converted their collection of classical vinyl > LPs to > CD themselves, and didn't always do a great job. The sounds that I > find > distracting are the sort of sounds vinyl records used to make if the > record > was old, the stylus needed replacing, or the tone arm was not > properly > balanced. The errant sounds seem to be periodic as you would get > with a > vinyl disc spinning. Given the size of their recording collection, > maybe > they hired kids to do the conversion to CD. It's not on every > recording, but > it's on enough of them that it makes listening to WCRB kind of > annoying. > > -----Original Message----- > From: boston-radio-interest-bounces@tsornin.BostonRadio.org > [mailto:boston-radio-interest-bounces@tsornin.BostonRadio.org] On > Behalf Of > Gary's Ice Cream > Sent: Monday, October 11, 2010 4:28 PM > To: Boston radio e-mail list > Subject: RE: BSO on the radio - not for me anymore > > I'm in East Chelmsford and can see the blinking lights on the WCRB > tower > from my window....it is less than 5 air miles away....but many > nights when I > turn on the Bose radio as I go to sleep I find 99.5 to be > unlistenable with > static and interference...other times it is fine. > > From friedbagels@gmail.com Tue Oct 12 10:41:55 2010 From: friedbagels@gmail.com (Aaron Read) Date: Tue, 12 Oct 2010 10:41:55 -0400 Subject: BSO on the radio - not for me anymore Message-ID: > As for HD, I have a Pioneer stereo with the add-on HD receiver. It sounds great > especially on AM. The big problem is range. I lose about 20% compared to analog. > HD-2 is about 50% and HD-3 is close to 30%. > To clarify that: you are not losing range. The HD signal reaches about as far as the protected service contour, sometimes a little further. Sometimes a lot further if the station has increased digital injection from -20dBc to -14 or -10. A better way to think of this is that analog signal gives you a bonus well beyond what you, as a listener, are supposed to get. As for the differing ranges on HD-n vs. HD-1 (the analog simulcast) that's an oddity but a known one. First is perception; when the digital signal drops below useable levels, for HD-1 it blends back to analog. For HD-2 (or -3 or -4 or -n) it just mutes. The problem, IMHO, is that the system tries too hard to always put audio out there, even in a fringe area. So you get blips of audio and short periods of muting...the most frustrating kind of reception. But with HD-1, it's somewhat less noticeable because a well-engineering plant can make the digital/analog blend nearly unnoticeable. Second, and equally real, is how the HD-2 and HD-3 are encoded. If the station in exchange uses the Extended Hybrid mode to gain an extra 24kbps, the rub is that 24kbps can't be combined with the regular 96kbps of the main hybrid. And Extended Hybrid adds digital carriers closer to the analog center freq, so it can be impacted differently than the rest of the digital signal. So an HD-n channel in the Ext.Hybrid datastream can exhibit different perceived quality of reception than HD-n in the Main Hybrid datastream. There have also been reported cases where if the HD-2 and HD-3 channels, even if both are in the Main Hybrid datastream, can show differing perceived quality of reception. I'm not 100% convinced this is true; it's so easy for perceived quality of reception to be influence by a host of constantly-changing variables that are difficult to control for. But theoretically, I could see reasons why it really would be different. But it'll be different for every station as every station uses different transmitters, different antennas, different processing and pre-processing, and different HD Radio partitioning. -- -- ----------------------------------------- Aaron Read friedbagels@gmail.com General Manager WHWS 105.7FM (315) 781-3811 From kc1ih@mac.com Tue Oct 12 13:22:04 2010 From: kc1ih@mac.com (Larry Weil) Date: Tue, 12 Oct 2010 13:22:04 -0400 Subject: BSO on the radio - not for me anymore In-Reply-To: <011901cb6a08$240ff7e0$6c2fe7a0$%ma@comcast.net> References: <0D5E60C875634E4AA1031FC691BCCC554638BB4B@ENTCORMB2.etmcorad.com> <017201cb6982$c0997ae0$41cc70a0$@com> <011901cb6a08$240ff7e0$6c2fe7a0$%ma@comcast.net> Message-ID: At 8:22 AM -0400 10/12/10, Jim Hall wrote: >I was hoping that when WCRB moved closer to me (I am in Andover), the signal >would be better. It's not, and I am not sure it's actually the signal as >such, because it didn't happen with previous incarnations of 99.5. I have >often wondered if WCRB converted their collection of classical vinyl LPs to >CD themselves, and didn't always do a great job. My guess (emphasis on guess) is that they converted them to mp3 or some similar sort of file on a hard drive (raid) array, not bothering with CD's at all. -- Larry Weil Lake Wobegone, NH From lglavin@mail.com Tue Oct 12 13:57:45 2010 From: lglavin@mail.com (lglavin@mail.com) Date: Tue, 12 Oct 2010 13:57:45 -0400 Subject: BSO on the radio - not for me anymore In-Reply-To: References: <0D5E60C875634E4AA1031FC691BCCC554638BB4B@ENTCORMB2.etmcorad.com><017201cb6982$c0997ae0$41cc70a0$@com><011901cb6a08$240ff7e0$6c2fe7a0$@ma@comcast.net> Message-ID: <8CD384E1B891AD6-1510-88A0@web-mmc-m04.sysops.aol.com> >-----Original Message----- >From: Dan.Strassberg >To: Jim Hall ; boston-radio-interest@rolinin.bostonradio.org >Sent: Tue, Oct 12, 2010 8:52 am >Subject: Re: BSO on the radio - not for me anymore >When was the conversion done? If early enough, I suppose a conversion >to CD as opposed to a hard drive was possible, even likely. But the >use of a RAID array to store something as mission-critical as a radio >station's entire intellectural property, even as long as 10 years ago, >seems like a strong possibility. You have to remember that WCRB had at >least one top-flight technical person on its staff over its entire >history, except possibly for the last few years immediately before >WGBH bought it. Especially if the original source media were to be >trashed, you would expect that the job would have been done with with >the utmost care under the supervision of a person who appreciated the >value and irreplaceable nature of the material that he/she was working >with. (And yes, I've thought about the sarcastic comments that are >likely to follow from a certain list member in the Merrimack Valley.) >----- >Dan Strassberg (dan.strassberg@att.net) >eFax 1-707-215-6367 I'm a bit surprised that the *Emperor of Ice Cream has experienced so much difficulty with the 99.5 signal where he lives. I can't actually SEE the tower lights even in winter when any intercepting trees would be stripped of leaves, but the basic, underlying signal is crystal clear and resonant at all times. Perhaps every time I've listened to WGBH-sourced programming (vs the satellite-fed fare), they've been playing a commercially-available CD of recent vintage. The occasional times I've had problems with WCRB's current sound have involved tapes or some other media used for rebroadcast of the in-house concerts from Frazier Hall before the reconstruction. Since I'm an avid concertgoer (tonight 10/12 I'll be at Seully Hall in the Boston Conservatory of Music for an all-Beethoven-piano sonata concert by international world-class pianist Till Fellner), very often if there's BSO performance I want to hear, I make my way to Symphony Hall, often on a Thursday night when I can get lower-priced tickets and then move to a more amenable seat at intermission! So it's almost a form of lagniappe that an excellent signal is nearby if I decide the weather is too frightfull to do so on a winter's night. * http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Emperor_of_Ice-Cream From wilkinsmg@hotmail.com Tue Oct 12 14:07:49 2010 From: wilkinsmg@hotmail.com (Michael Wilkins) Date: Tue, 12 Oct 2010 14:07:49 -0400 Subject: BSO on the radio - not for me anymore Message-ID: > > Jim Hall wondered... > > if WCRB converted their collection of classical vinyl LPs to > > CD themselves, and didn't always do a great job. > > Larry then replied: > My guess (emphasis on guess) is that they converted them to mp3 or > some similar sort of file on a hard drive (raid) array, not bothering > with CD's at all. Currently, most of WCRB's source material comes from factory Compact Discs. Then there are in-house materials (reels, DATs, etc) that are transferred to CD, and then transmitted. On occasion, an LP is played. Live broadcasts from Tanglewood are delivered over an ISDN with AAC Stereo settings; live BSO performances are sent (iirc - please don't quote me) via dark fiber 48K linear. Only in a rare circumstance does a DAT go directly to air. No mp3 material is transmitted OTA. Since the Foundation's Music Librarian is away for the week, I will quote from the descriptor outside the Music Library door, "hosts choose from our collection of 70,000 CDs and 20,000 LPs to create their playlists." Mike From gallen2@nescaum.org Wed Oct 13 13:23:11 2010 From: gallen2@nescaum.org (George Allen) Date: Wed, 13 Oct 2010 13:23:11 -0400 Subject: BSO on the radio - not for me anymore Message-ID: Sid and others - indeed I think it's my very local hill [and simple indoor antenna] causing my problem with WCRB. I live near the coast, and the terrain rises sharply behind me - a very effective RF screen to the north. Would HD work better? Dunno; maybe someday I'll try it out [with an option to return...]. A rooftop antenna is not an option. I just got spoiled with a line of sight signal from WGBH... I just wish WGBH would have kept at least the Sat PM BSO broadcast on a signal that has much much wider coverage. George Sid Schweiger wrote on Monday, October 11, 2010 4:14 PM Subject: RE: BSO on the radio - not for me anymore "In Swampscott with an indoor antenna [rabbit ears], I could not get a clean [eg, worth listening to] signal off WCRB. I'm stunned. First, that WGBH relegates this flagship program to a station with a modest signal, despite their current talk programming. Second, that being NE of Boston [~25 miles from the tower], not way south of Boston or such, I could not get a clean WCRB signal. There was a squirrelly squaking noise about 30db down - even when the receiver was otherwise reasonably noise free [eg, the signal was not weak]. I don't live near any strong local FM signals. I tried a 2nd much older receiver, and it couldn't get _any_ signal from WCRB, while every Boston [and many many more] stations came rolling in just fine. Good Greif..." Without knowing your exact street address, a report run against Swampscott MA (presumably the center of town) on the FM Fool web site shows a pretty bad path to WCRB's site...a distance of only 19.8 miles, but an expected signal strength of -44.0 dBm along a single-edge-diffraction path (i.e., not line-of-sight), assuming a receive-antenna height of 25ft AGL. The report also says you'd need an antenna height AGL of 118.9ft to achieve a line-of-sight path. Not a good signal path at all. Sid Schweiger IT Manager, Entercom New England 20 Guest St / 3d Floor Brighton MA 02135-2040 From sid@wrko.com Wed Oct 13 13:57:25 2010 From: sid@wrko.com (Sid Schweiger) Date: Wed, 13 Oct 2010 11:57:25 -0600 Subject: BSO on the radio - not for me anymore In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <0D5E60C875634E4AA1031FC691BCCC554641C151@ENTCORMB2.etmcorad.com> "Would HD work better?" It's doubtful. From anecdotal evidence, the HD carriers appear to have the exact same problems with terrain as the analog signal. As with analog FM, height helps. Can you at least put that indoor antenna in the attic? Sid Schweiger IT Manager, Entercom New England 20 Guest St / 3d Floor Brighton MA 02135-2040 From bob.bosra@demattia.net Wed Oct 13 14:01:27 2010 From: bob.bosra@demattia.net (Bob DeMattia) Date: Wed, 13 Oct 2010 14:01:27 -0400 Subject: BSO on the radio - not for me anymore In-Reply-To: <0D5E60C875634E4AA1031FC691BCCC554641C151@ENTCORMB2.etmcorad.com> References: <0D5E60C875634E4AA1031FC691BCCC554641C151@ENTCORMB2.etmcorad.com> Message-ID: Sid, You are correct about 99.5 HD. However, since he receives 89.7 well, 89.7-HD2 might work better than 99.5 analog. -Bob On Wed, Oct 13, 2010 at 1:57 PM, Sid Schweiger wrote: > "Would HD work better?" > > It's doubtful. From anecdotal evidence, the HD carriers appear to have the > exact same problems with terrain as the analog signal. As with analog FM, > height helps. > > Can you at least put that indoor antenna in the attic? > > Sid Schweiger > IT Manager, Entercom New England > 20 Guest St / 3d Floor > Brighton MA 02135-2040 > > > > > From gallen2@nescaum.org Thu Oct 14 12:21:33 2010 From: gallen2@nescaum.org (George Allen) Date: Thu, 14 Oct 2010 12:21:33 -0400 Subject: BSO on the radio - not for me anymore Message-ID: And indeed, 89.7 HD2 [line of sight] is probably my only answer for BSO on the radio. [No, I can't put my dipole in the attic]. Being clueless about the variations on the HD theme, is HD2 the same or lower quality [bitrate] than HD1? Or will that vary depending on the station [WGBH in this case]? Thanks - George From: Bob DeMattia Date: Wed, 13 Oct 2010 14:01:27 -0400 Subject: Re: BSO on the radio - not for me anymore Sid, You are correct about 99.5 HD. However, since he receives 89.7 well, 89.7-HD2 might work better than 99.5 analog. -Bob On Wed, Oct 13, 2010 at 1:57 PM, Sid Schweiger wrote: "Would HD work better?" It's doubtful. From anecdotal evidence, the HD carriers appear to have the exact same problems with terrain as the analog signal. As with analog FM, height helps. Can you at least put that indoor antenna in the attic? From sid@wrko.com Thu Oct 14 13:27:00 2010 From: sid@wrko.com (Sid Schweiger) Date: Thu, 14 Oct 2010 17:27:00 +0000 Subject: BSO on the radio - not for me anymore In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <6D618EE163582E43B00A6455F34B29EAFE8E@ENTCOREXMB04.etmcorad.com> "Being clueless about the variations on the HD theme, is HD2 the same or lower quality [bitrate] than HD1? Or will that vary depending on the station [WGBH in this case]?" What most HD stations appear to be doing is keeping the HD1 (simulcasting the analog) at the highest bitrate and running the secondaries at lower bitrates...for example, 48kbps for HD1 and 24kbps for HD2, 3, etc. But, bottom line, it is up to the station how the data stream is subdivided. Sid Schweiger IT Manager, Entercom New England 20 Guest St / 3d Floor Brighton MA 02135-2040 From friedbagels@gmail.com Thu Oct 14 13:47:41 2010 From: friedbagels@gmail.com (Aaron Read) Date: Thu, 14 Oct 2010 13:47:41 -0400 Subject: BSO on the radio - not for me anymore Message-ID: I have a vague...very vague...recollection that WGBH was splitting the HD1 and HD2 evenly for 48kbps per channel. But that was from a while back; no idea if it's still true...or ever was true in the first place. However, I should point something out here: the HDC codec (itself a thinly-disguised AAC codec) is rather programming & processing dependent in terms of perceived fidelity vs. bitrate. I have heard samples at 24kbps that sounded better than some stations at 96kbps because they've put in the right pre-processing and regular processing. FWIW, the codec does has its limitations, though. For example, generally HDC sounds better on music than on talk because richer dynamics of music provides more places for the psychoacoustic algorithm to dump bits without there being an audible penalty. Similarly, female voices can sound very sibilant on HDC if you get the pre-processing wrong...it's just a quirk of the codec. And I gotta say, pre-processing does make a HELL of a difference. This summer our Omnia 6 FMHD on WEOS had a muffin fan die, so I had to put in a spare Omnia 3FM and I couldn't use our Neural Audio preprocessor the same way. The difference was night and day; without the proper pre-processing from our Neural, the HD sounded like a "decent MP3 stream" at best; a lot of crunchiness and swishiness sounds. When I got the 6 back in with the Neural, our HD went back to sounding rich and full again and all the crunchiness/swishiness disappeared. It helps that we don't multicast so I have the full 96kbps to play with. But if done right, you can get comparable results down to 32 and even 24kbps with the right programming. Off the top of my head I don't know how well classical music inherently fares on HDC, nor do I know what WGBH is doing in their processing chain...and I don't currently live close enough to listen myself. I would assume that, given WGBH's reputation, they'd put some time and effort in to making their HD2 sound as good as it can. The upshot here is that, theoretically, the all-classical HD2 should have comparable fidelity to the old analog setup. Possibly even better since there's better frequency response (out to 20kHz) and no multipath or similar interference issues that affect audio fidelity. -- -- ----------------------------------------- Aaron Read friedbagels@gmail.com General Manager WHWS 105.7FM (315) 781-3811 And indeed, 89.7 HD2 [line of sight] is probably my only answer for BSO on the radio. [No, I can't put my dipole in the attic]. Being clueless about the variations on the HD theme, is HD2 the same or lower quality [bitrate] than HD1? Or will that vary depending on the station [WGBH in this case]? Thanks - George From bob.bosra@demattia.net Thu Oct 14 12:54:25 2010 From: bob.bosra@demattia.net (Bob DeMattia) Date: Thu, 14 Oct 2010 12:54:25 -0400 Subject: BSO on the radio - not for me anymore In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: *is HD2 the same or lower quality [bitrate] than HD1? Or will that vary depending on the station [WGBH in this case]?* It depends on how the station wants to divide up the available bandwidth. Hybrid HD offers 100 - 150 kB/s which must be divided amongst the subchannels. WGBH has three subchannels. The HD3 rebroadcast of WCAI is news/talk, so they are probably using a small bit rate there (this is also why you see AM simulcasts like WBZ on 98.5 and WEEI on 93.7 on the third subchannel). Assuming they use an AM-quality bit rate (12 kB) for this one, that leaves them with 80 - 138 kB to split amongst the two remaining channels. Ibiquity considers 100kB to be CD quality and 50kB to be FM quality. So you could have two better-than-FM subchannels, or one CD-quality subchannel and one sub-par subchannel. Maybe you can call the station and ask. I imagine some better quality HD receivers may also indicate the bit rate of the received channel (I don't have one of these). -Bob From dan.strassberg@att.net Thu Oct 14 15:31:55 2010 From: dan.strassberg@att.net (Dan.Strassberg) Date: Thu, 14 Oct 2010 15:31:55 -0400 Subject: BSO on the radio - not for me anymore References: Message-ID: <1DC7238CA285473690B85ED8296ADE39@SatU205S5044> All of your bit rates are expressed in kB/s (the B is capitalized). The capitalized B means the abbreviation stands for bytes/sec, not bits/sec--a difference of approximately a decimal order of magniture. (When you include the overhead, 1 kB/s is very close to 10 kb/s.) However, I believe that you mean bits/sec. If so, the b should be lower case. Better yet, spell out bits and bytes in all referencees to data rates; the extra work is minimal and you eliminate the confusion. ----- Dan Strassberg (dan.strassberg@att.net) eFax 1-707-215-6367 ----- Original Message ----- From: "Bob DeMattia" To: "boston Radio Interest" ; "George Allen" Sent: Thursday, October 14, 2010 12:54 PM Subject: Re: BSO on the radio - not for me anymore > *is HD2 the same or lower quality [bitrate] than HD1? Or will that > vary > depending on the station [WGBH in this case]?* > > It depends on how the station wants to divide up the available > bandwidth. > Hybrid HD offers > 100 - 150 kB/s which must be divided amongst the subchannels. > > WGBH has three subchannels. The HD3 rebroadcast of WCAI is > news/talk, so > they are probably using a small > bit rate there (this is also why you see AM simulcasts like WBZ on > 98.5 and > WEEI on 93.7 on the third subchannel). > > Assuming they use an AM-quality bit rate (12 kB) for this one, that > leaves > them with > 80 - 138 kB to split amongst the two remaining channels. Ibiquity > considers > 100kB to be CD quality and 50kB > to be FM quality. So you could have two better-than-FM subchannels, > or one > CD-quality subchannel and one > sub-par subchannel. > > Maybe you can call the station and ask. I imagine some better > quality HD > receivers may also indicate the > bit rate of the received channel (I don't have one of these). > > -Bob From ewerme@comcast.net Fri Oct 15 19:50:41 2010 From: ewerme@comcast.net (Ric Werme) Date: Fri, 15 Oct 2010 19:50:41 -0400 (EDT) Subject: b & B, k & K, m & M; was BSO on the radio - not for me anymore Message-ID: <20101015235041.8BE8F6B857@c-24-91-225-190.hsd1.ma.comcast.net> Dan wrote: > All of your bit rates are expressed in kB/s (the B is capitalized). > The capitalized B means the abbreviation stands for bytes/sec, not > bits/sec--a difference of approximately a decimal order of magniture. > (When you include the overhead, 1 kB/s is very close to 10 kb/s.) > However, I believe that you mean bits/sec. If so, the b should be > lower case. Better yet, spell out bits and bytes in all referencees to > data rates; the extra work is minimal and you eliminate the confusion. I figured out he meant b from: > > Hybrid HD offers > > 100 - 150 kB/s which must be divided amongst the subchannels. Might as well keep going - oops, maybe not. I was going to gripe that SI prefixes greater than unity (K, M, G) are capitalized, and those less than unity (m, ?, n) were not. It appears that kilo is lowercase. (As are hecta and deka.) I have a lot of trouble when people who should be writing MB write mb instead. Only wrong by 7 decimal orders of magnitude.... http://physics.nist.gov/cuu/Units/prefixes.html From bob.bosra@demattia.net Fri Oct 15 20:42:45 2010 From: bob.bosra@demattia.net (Bob DeMattia) Date: Fri, 15 Oct 2010 20:42:45 -0400 Subject: b & B, k & K, m & M; was BSO on the radio - not for me anymore In-Reply-To: <20101015235041.8BE8F6B857@c-24-91-225-190.hsd1.ma.comcast.net> References: <20101015235041.8BE8F6B857@c-24-91-225-190.hsd1.ma.comcast.net> Message-ID: Well at least I got the 'k' right :-). -Bob On Fri, Oct 15, 2010 at 7:50 PM, Ric Werme wrote: > > Dan wrote: > > > All of your bit rates are expressed in kB/s (the B is capitalized). > > The capitalized B means the abbreviation stands for bytes/sec, not > > bits/sec--a difference of approximately a decimal order of magniture. > > (When you include the overhead, 1 kB/s is very close to 10 kb/s.) > > However, I believe that you mean bits/sec. If so, the b should be > > lower case. Better yet, spell out bits and bytes in all referencees to > > data rates; the extra work is minimal and you eliminate the confusion. > > I figured out he meant b from: > > > > Hybrid HD offers > > > 100 - 150 kB/s which must be divided amongst the subchannels. > > Might as well keep going - oops, maybe not. I was going to gripe > that SI prefixes greater than unity (K, M, G) are capitalized, and > those less than unity (m, ?, n) were not. It appears that kilo is > lowercase. (As are hecta and deka.) > > I have a lot of trouble when people who should be writing MB write mb > instead. Only wrong by 7 decimal orders of magnitude.... > > http://physics.nist.gov/cuu/Units/prefixes.html > From dan.strassberg@att.net Fri Oct 15 21:24:11 2010 From: dan.strassberg@att.net (Dan.Strassberg) Date: Fri, 15 Oct 2010 21:24:11 -0400 Subject: b & B, k & K, m & M; was BSO on the radio - not for me anymore References: <20101015235041.8BE8F6B857@c-24-91-225-190.hsd1.ma.comcast.net> Message-ID: The difference between MB and mb is not seven decimal orders of magnitude but 10. M = Mega = 10^6; m = milli = 10^-3. 6-(-3) = 9. Nine decimal orders of magnitude (that is, a factor of 1 billion) right there. B/b = 10^1, so there's one more. 9+1 = 10. 10^10 = 10 billion. If the numbers were prefixed with dollar signs, it would be time for the famous quote from the late Sen. Everett M, Dirksen (Republican of Illinois--I think): "A billion here, a billion there; pretty soon it starts to add up to real money." ----- Dan Strassberg (dan.strassberg@att.net) eFax 1-707-215-6367 ----- Original Message ----- From: "Bob DeMattia" To: "boston Radio Interest" Sent: Friday, October 15, 2010 8:42 PM Subject: Re: b & B, k & K, m & M; was BSO on the radio - not for me anymore Well at least I got the 'k' right :-). -Bob On Fri, Oct 15, 2010 at 7:50 PM, Ric Werme wrote: > > Dan wrote: > > > All of your bit rates are expressed in kB/s (the B is > > capitalized). > > The capitalized B means the abbreviation stands for bytes/sec, not > > bits/sec--a difference of approximately a decimal order of > > magniture. > > (When you include the overhead, 1 kB/s is very close to 10 kb/s.) > > However, I believe that you mean bits/sec. If so, the b should be > > lower case. Better yet, spell out bits and bytes in all > > referencees to > > data rates; the extra work is minimal and you eliminate the > > confusion. > > I figured out he meant b from: > > > > Hybrid HD offers > > > 100 - 150 kB/s which must be divided amongst the subchannels. > > Might as well keep going - oops, maybe not. I was going to gripe > that SI prefixes greater than unity (K, M, G) are capitalized, and > those less than unity (m, ?, n) were not. It appears that kilo is > lowercase. (As are hecta and deka.) > > I have a lot of trouble when people who should be writing MB write > mb > instead. Only wrong by 7 decimal orders of magnitude.... > > http://physics.nist.gov/cuu/Units/prefixes.html > From wollman@bimajority.org Fri Oct 15 22:12:34 2010 From: wollman@bimajority.org (Garrett Wollman) Date: Fri, 15 Oct 2010 22:12:34 -0400 Subject: b & B, k & K, m & M; was BSO on the radio - not for me anymore In-Reply-To: References: <20101015235041.8BE8F6B857@c-24-91-225-190.hsd1.ma.comcast.net> Message-ID: <19641.2578.810490.267396@hergotha.csail.mit.edu> < said: > The difference between MB and mb is not seven decimal orders of > magnitude but 10. M = Mega = 10^6; m = milli = 10^-3. 6-(-3) = 9. Nine > decimal orders of magnitude (that is, a factor of 1 billion) right > there. B/b = 10^1, so there's one more. 9+1 = 10. 10^10 = 10 billion. The nice folks at the International Electrotechnical Commission -- the electrical and electronic counterpart to ISO -- have invented a new system of prefixes for the "binary" system (based on powers of 2^10). The reception has thus far been mixed; some organizations have gone completely over to the new system of mebibytes and kibibytes and gibibytes, but others have laughed and said, "That's ridiculous, everyone knows that a megabyte is 1,048,576 bytes!" There is a real danger of confusion when people who deal with primary data storage -- measured in powers of 2^10 -- have to communicate with people who deal with data communications -- measured in powers of 10^3. And the secondary-storage people (i.e., disk drive manufacturers) sell storage in multiples of 512 bytes, but use the 10^3-based (standard SI) prefixes since it makes their capacities sound bigger. (For a modern one-terabyte hard drive, the difference is about 9%.) The IEC prefixes are "Ki", "Mi", "Gi", "Ti", and so on up to "Zi". -GAWollman From dave@skywaves.net Fri Oct 15 22:26:29 2010 From: dave@skywaves.net (Dave Doherty) Date: Fri, 15 Oct 2010 22:26:29 -0400 Subject: b & B, k & K, m & M; was BSO on the radio - not for me anymore In-Reply-To: <19641.2578.810490.267396@hergotha.csail.mit.edu> References: <20101015235041.8BE8F6B857@c-24-91-225-190.hsd1.ma.comcast.net> <19641.2578.810490.267396@hergotha.csail.mit.edu> Message-ID: Let us not lose sight of the fact that many of our units are based on historical figures, and these should always be capitalized: Watt: uW., mW, W, kW, MW Bell: dB, dBu, dBk, dBi Volt: uV, mV, V, kV, MV Ampere: uA, mA, A -d From wollman@bimajority.org Sat Oct 16 00:46:03 2010 From: wollman@bimajority.org (Garrett Wollman) Date: Sat, 16 Oct 2010 00:46:03 -0400 Subject: b & B, k & K, m & M; was BSO on the radio - not for me anymore In-Reply-To: References: <20101015235041.8BE8F6B857@c-24-91-225-190.hsd1.ma.comcast.net> <19641.2578.810490.267396@hergotha.csail.mit.edu> Message-ID: <19641.11787.865331.519791@hergotha.csail.mit.edu> < said: > Let us not lose sight of the fact that many of our units are based on > historical figures, and these should always be capitalized: > Watt: uW., mW, W, kW, MW > Bell: dB, dBu, dBk, dBi > Volt: uV, mV, V, kV, MV > Ampere: uA, mA, A It's more complicated than that. The names of the full units are *never* capitalized. Only the symbols are capitalized -- but only for units named after people: symbols for units which are not named after people must not be capitalized. The bel (note one "l") is not an official SI unit; another logarithmic unit is the neper (Np), which is based on natural, rather than common, logarithms, and the neper is "accepted for use with the SI" although it is not an official SI unit (being dimensionless). The SI symbol for the prefix "micro-" is the Greek letter ? (U+00B5 or U+03BC), but ISO 2955:1983 ("Representation of SI and other units in systems with limited character sets") permits the use of the roman letter "u"; traditionally the sequence "mc" was used. (ISO 2955 also specifies that the word "Ohm" may be used if the capital omega is not available.) The symbol "S" is for the unit of conductivity, the siemens, and may not be used for the second. Other important SI electrical units named after people include the farad (after Michael Faraday), the henry (after Joseph Henry), the hertz (after Heinrich Hertz), the joule (after James Joule), the coulomb (after Charles-Augustin de Coulomb), the tesla (after Nikola Tesla), and the weber (after Wilhelm Weber). Non-SI electrical units include the gauss, the maxwell, the oersted, the franklin, and the biot. -GAWollman From raccoonradio@mail.com Mon Oct 18 11:21:39 2010 From: raccoonradio@mail.com (raccoonradio@mail.com) Date: Mon, 18 Oct 2010 11:21:39 -0400 Subject: Jacky Ankeles starts today weekdays at WNBP Message-ID: <8CD3CEF4BC852C7-11AC-29F2@web-mmc-d05.sysops.aol.com> Thanks to http://www.bostonradiowatch.com for spreading the news that Newburyport's WNBP 1450 has hired former WBOQ DJ Jacky Ankeles. "The Legends" is the new home for Ankeles, who had been at WBOQ for 22 years but was suddenly let go and could only say goodbye to her listeners via a piece in the Salem News. Ankeles is on air now as I type this (and they do streamcast), weekdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. ("Ain't That A Kick In The Head" segues to "The Morning After" etc.) From walkerbroadcasting@gmail.com Mon Oct 18 11:28:01 2010 From: walkerbroadcasting@gmail.com (Paul B. Walker, Jr.) Date: Mon, 18 Oct 2010 10:28:01 -0500 Subject: Jacky Ankeles starts today weekdays at WNBP In-Reply-To: <8CD3CEF4BC852C7-11AC-29F2@web-mmc-d05.sysops.aol.com> References: <8CD3CEF4BC852C7-11AC-29F2@web-mmc-d05.sysops.aol.com> Message-ID: Good for Jackie! I wouldnt be surprised if she's voicetracked on WNBP, but wasn't she tracked on WBOQ as well? WNBP has been voicetracked outside of AM Drive for years... even before the time I visited their studios back in 2003/2004. Paul On Mon, Oct 18, 2010 at 10:21 AM, wrote: > > > > Thanks to http://www.bostonradiowatch.com for spreading the news that > Newburyport's WNBP > 1450 has hired former WBOQ DJ Jacky Ankeles. "The Legends" is the new home > for Ankeles, > who had been at WBOQ for 22 years but was suddenly let go and could only > say goodbye to > her listeners via a piece in the Salem News. Ankeles is on air now as I > type this (and they > do streamcast), weekdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. > > ("Ain't That A Kick In The Head" segues to "The Morning After" etc.) > > > From tlmedia@triad.rr.com Mon Oct 18 12:52:59 2010 From: tlmedia@triad.rr.com (Ted Larsen) Date: Mon, 18 Oct 2010 12:52:59 -0400 Subject: Jacky Ankeles starts today weekdays at WNBP References: <8CD3CEF4BC852C7-11AC-29F2@web-mmc-d05.sysops.aol.com> Message-ID: <1144B22CECA54A2E9B44B0A5243C72BB@YOURbcbbe822ed> I as so happy to see Jackie is back to work. She is a great lady and top-class broadcaster. We had a lot of great times at "BOQ. It's ironic she's now at the station I used to own. GOOD FOR HER. If you want to send her a "welcome" message use. jacky@wnbp.com ----- Original Message ----- From: "Paul B. Walker, Jr." To: Cc: Sent: Monday, October 18, 2010 11:28 AM Subject: Re: Jacky Ankeles starts today weekdays at WNBP > Good for Jackie! I wouldnt be surprised if she's voicetracked on WNBP, but > wasn't she tracked on WBOQ as well? > > WNBP has been voicetracked outside of AM Drive for years... even before > the > time I visited their studios back in 2003/2004. > > Paul > > On Mon, Oct 18, 2010 at 10:21 AM, wrote: > >> >> >> >> Thanks to http://www.bostonradiowatch.com for spreading the news that >> Newburyport's WNBP >> 1450 has hired former WBOQ DJ Jacky Ankeles. "The Legends" is the new >> home >> for Ankeles, >> who had been at WBOQ for 22 years but was suddenly let go and could only >> say goodbye to >> her listeners via a piece in the Salem News. Ankeles is on air now as I >> type this (and they >> do streamcast), weekdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. >> >> ("Ain't That A Kick In The Head" segues to "The Morning After" etc.) >> >> >> > > From markwats@comcast.net Mon Oct 18 17:14:39 2010 From: markwats@comcast.net (Mark Watson) Date: Mon, 18 Oct 2010 17:14:39 -0400 Subject: Jacky Ankeles starts today weekdays at WNBP References: <8CD3CEF4BC852C7-11AC-29F2@web-mmc-d05.sysops.aol.com> <1144B22CECA54A2E9B44B0A5243C72BB@YOURbcbbe822ed> Message-ID: <62C3075E4D3D4A3BBC3E909682B5D236@Mark> Ted Larsen wrote: >I as so happy to see Jackie is back to work. She is a great lady and >top-class broadcaster. We had a lot of great times at "BOQ. It's ironic >she's now at the station I used to own. Also ironic:WNBP was once owned by the owners of WBOQ. They sold 'NBP to the present owners. Mark Watson From kvahey@gmail.com Tue Oct 19 11:18:40 2010 From: kvahey@gmail.com (Kevin Vahey) Date: Tue, 19 Oct 2010 11:18:40 -0400 Subject: Dennis and Callahan to be simulcast on NESN Message-ID: NESN just announced that D&C will air in HD starting November 16th. NESN is installing four remote cameras at WEEI From paulranderson@charter.net Tue Oct 19 13:59:34 2010 From: paulranderson@charter.net (Paul Anderson) Date: Tue, 19 Oct 2010 13:59:34 -0400 Subject: Dennis and Callahan to be simulcast on NESN In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <2B3BDE0D-86D6-46D5-9D7C-262A15668924@charter.net> > NESN just announced that D&C will air in HD starting November 16th. NESN is installing four remote cameras at WEEI Why would someone want to watch a radio show on TV? (Howard Stern excepted) I'm glad there weren't any cameras when I was on the air. Paul From sean.smyth@yahoo.com Tue Oct 19 14:01:55 2010 From: sean.smyth@yahoo.com (Sean Smyth) Date: Tue, 19 Oct 2010 11:01:55 -0700 (PDT) Subject: Dennis and Callahan to be simulcast on NESN In-Reply-To: Message-ID: <114011.5378.qm@web110510.mail.gq1.yahoo.com> On Tue, 10/19/10, Kevin Vahey wrote: > NESN just announced that D&C will > air in HD starting November 16th. NESN is > installing four remote cameras at WEEI I would think if NESN was going to simulcast a WEEI show, it'd be The Big Show. I figured SportsDesk, or whatever highlight show they're now running in the AM, is cheap filler product and a good promotional tool for their broadcasts. From francini@mac.com Tue Oct 19 14:56:55 2010 From: francini@mac.com (John Francini) Date: Tue, 19 Oct 2010 14:56:55 -0400 Subject: Dennis and Callahan to be simulcast on NESN In-Reply-To: <2B3BDE0D-86D6-46D5-9D7C-262A15668924@charter.net> References: <2B3BDE0D-86D6-46D5-9D7C-262A15668924@charter.net> Message-ID: <8A40CB38-1D82-4314-86DF-3EC2C17FBD8D@mac.com> Possibly to offer competition to "Mike & Mike in the Morning" on ESPN Radio, which is simulcast on TV? On the other hand, there can be (embarrasing) times when the radio folks forget that they're being simulcast: john On 19 Oct 2010, at 13:59, Paul Anderson wrote: >> NESN just announced that D&C will air in HD starting November 16th. >> NESN is installing four remote cameras at WEEI > > Why would someone want to watch a radio show on TV? (Howard Stern > excepted) I'm glad there weren't any cameras when I was on the air. > > Paul From TVNETDUDE@aol.com Tue Oct 19 16:10:07 2010 From: TVNETDUDE@aol.com (TVNETDUDE@aol.com) Date: Tue, 19 Oct 2010 16:10:07 -0400 (EDT) Subject: Jacky Ankeles starts today weekdays at WNBP Message-ID: <34db6.25fde4a.39ef551f@aol.com> I would like to know how stand-alone AM's like WNBP stay in business. I remember when it was in the little gas station in the 60's. Mike In a message dated 10/19/2010 12:01:16 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, boston-radio-interest-request@tsornin.BostonRadio.org writes: >>>as so happy to see Jackie is back to work. She is a great lady and top-class broadcaster. We had a lot of great times at "BOQ. It's ironic she's now at the station I used to own.<<< From walkerbroadcasting@gmail.com Tue Oct 19 16:17:38 2010 From: walkerbroadcasting@gmail.com (Paul B. Walker, Jr.) Date: Tue, 19 Oct 2010 15:17:38 -0500 Subject: Jacky Ankeles starts today weekdays at WNBP In-Reply-To: <34db6.25fde4a.39ef551f@aol.com> References: <34db6.25fde4a.39ef551f@aol.com> Message-ID: I work for a 5000 Watt Standalone AM that is literally owned by a mom and pop.. we're in a market somewhere around the 170s with a population of about 175K people and almost 12 other stations. We struggle some months, but we get by.. we do sell time in the mid days weekdays, all morning Saturday and all day Sunday. One thing that helps us and that we are finally getting noticed for is that we are EXTREMELY EXTREMELY LOCAL.. yeah our 5KW signal hits parts of 5 states, but our immediate focus is on OUR town and OUR county. Just an example as to how local we are some times... We were doing the music for a car show last summer on the town square and while there we were handed a flyer about a pasta fundraiser going on at the Knights of Columbus hall for a local cancer patient.. we were asked to announce it over the PA system, which we did. About half an hour after we started, it started to rain so we packed up..... on the way back, we wanted something else to do.. so we grabbed the Marti, 2 microphones and our whip antenna.. and did a live remote from the serving table at the pasta fundraiser.. (and we did all without a board op.... marti pot turned up with a distinctive 60 second jingle bed for breaks and a very very obvious 5second time to wrap it up cue). THAT is how standalone AM's make it these days.. LOCAL LOCAL LOCAL. I worked for a standalone 1KW AM in a small North Dakota town of 2500 people and it suffered..ran all sports.. and they didnt care about the local audience.. just the regional audience and the regional dollars. People IN town HATE the station Paul On Tue, Oct 19, 2010 at 3:10 PM, wrote: > I would like to know how stand-alone AM's like WNBP stay in business. I > remember when it was in the little gas station in the 60's. > > Mike > > > In a message dated 10/19/2010 12:01:16 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, > boston-radio-interest-request@tsornin.BostonRadio.org writes: > > >>>as so happy to see Jackie is back to work. She is a great lady and > top-class broadcaster. We had a lot of great times at "BOQ. It's ironic > she's now at the station I used to own.<<< > > > From m_carney@yahoo.com Tue Oct 19 16:21:22 2010 From: m_carney@yahoo.com (Maureen Carney) Date: Tue, 19 Oct 2010 13:21:22 -0700 (PDT) Subject: Dennis and Callahan to be simulcast on NESN In-Reply-To: <114011.5378.qm@web110510.mail.gq1.yahoo.com> References: <114011.5378.qm@web110510.mail.gq1.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <273444.84957.qm@web53302.mail.re2.yahoo.com> Let me throw this out as a possible problem - when one (or both) of the guys are on vacation and the fill-in host is someone with a Comcast connection (Greg Dickerson, Tom E. Curran, Steve DeOssie) what will NESN do? Obviously this is more a problem with the Big Show and their multiple co-hosts, which is perhaps why they're not the show to be simulcast. CSN is working on a simulcast but I cannot divulge the details right now. Annoucement is in a holding pattern pending legalize. From tlmedia@triad.rr.com Tue Oct 19 16:47:40 2010 From: tlmedia@triad.rr.com (Ted Larsen) Date: Tue, 19 Oct 2010 16:47:40 -0400 Subject: Jacky Ankeles starts today weekdays at WNBP References: <34db6.25fde4a.39ef551f@aol.com> Message-ID: All I can tell you it's very tough, or it was 23 years ago when we owned the station. I doubt it's any easier today. We were fortunate in realizing the station had a pretty decent signal on Cape Ann and went after that market. There just weren't enough clients in Newburyport, Amesbury and Salisbury, but Gloucester, Manchester and Rockport made a huge difference. Live coverage of high school sports is also a very important key for local AM and you can charge premium rates. The same goes for local news. These are the only monopolies local AM station can offer. By the way I worked at the "Gas Station" WNBP when I was a student at B.U. I guess you can say I came "full circle." There is excellent history here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WNBP ----- Original Message ----- From: TVNETDUDE@aol.com To: boston-radio-interest@tsornin.BostonRadio.org ; tlmedia@triad.rr.com Sent: Tuesday, October 19, 2010 4:10 PM Subject: Re: Jacky Ankeles starts today weekdays at WNBP I would like to know how stand-alone AM's like WNBP stay in business. I remember when it was in the little gas station in the 60's. Mike In a message dated 10/19/2010 12:01:16 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, boston-radio-interest-request@tsornin.BostonRadio.org writes: >>>as so happy to see Jackie is back to work. She is a great lady and top-class broadcaster. We had a lot of great times at "BOQ. It's ironic she's now at the station I used to own.<<< From sean.smyth@yahoo.com Tue Oct 19 16:55:13 2010 From: sean.smyth@yahoo.com (Sean Smyth) Date: Tue, 19 Oct 2010 13:55:13 -0700 (PDT) Subject: Dennis and Callahan to be simulcast on NESN In-Reply-To: <273444.84957.qm@web53302.mail.re2.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <65772.55192.qm@web110506.mail.gq1.yahoo.com> On Tue, 10/19/10, Maureen Carney wrote: > Let me throw this out as a possible > problem - when one (or both) of the guys are > on vacation and the fill-in host is someone with a Comcast > connection (Greg > Dickerson, Tom E. Curran, Steve DeOssie) what will NESN do? Probably air best-of, which is what YES does when Mike Francesca is off the air. From joe@attorneyross.com Tue Oct 19 18:43:44 2010 From: joe@attorneyross.com (A Joseph Ross) Date: Tue, 19 Oct 2010 18:43:44 -0400 Subject: Dennis and Callahan to be simulcast on NESN In-Reply-To: <2B3BDE0D-86D6-46D5-9D7C-262A15668924@charter.net> References: <2B3BDE0D-86D6-46D5-9D7C-262A15668924@charter.net> Message-ID: <4CBE1F20.2030103@attorneyross.com> On 10/19/2010 1:59 PM, Paul Anderson wrote: > Why would someone want to watch a radio show on TV? (Howard Stern excepted) I'm glad there weren't any cameras when I was on the air. Well, that's what Groucho Marx's quiz show was. Probably a few other shows as well at the dawn of television. -- A. Joseph Ross, J.D. 617.367.0468 92 State Street, Suite 700 Fax: 617.507.7856 Boston, MA 02109-2004 http://www.attorneyross.com From joe@attorneyross.com Wed Oct 20 22:23:59 2010 From: joe@attorneyross.com (A Joseph Ross) Date: Wed, 20 Oct 2010 22:23:59 -0400 Subject: Dennis and Callahan to be simulcast on NESN In-Reply-To: <8CD3E9B7A4F0146-D98-FDE1@web-mmc-m07.sysops.aol.com> References: <2B3BDE0D-86D6-46D5-9D7C-262A15668924@charter.net> <4CBE1F20.2030103@attorneyross.com> <8CD3E9B7A4F0146-D98-FDE1@web-mmc-m07.sysops.aol.com> Message-ID: <4CBFA43F.2000202@attorneyross.com> On 10/20/2010 2:26 PM, lglavin@mail.com wrote: > One of the earliest, if not THE earliest radio/TV simulcasts would > have been Arthur Godfrey's morning > radio show and "Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts" which were broadcast > at the same times in each medium. > Groucho Marx's "You Bet Your Life" was on radio on Wednesday nights, > and on TV on Thursday nights. I > believe each incarnation of YBYL was pre-recorded. Right. According to Robert Dwan's memoir of You Bet Your Life, no sooner had YBYL been accepted on ABC's schedule than John Guidel, the producer, was at the network offices asking to pre-record the show. He wanted to do as they had done in the pilot and record a longer show and edit it down to a funny half-hour. Groucho's son, Arthur Marx, in his book "Life with Groucho," says that Groucho wanted the show pre-recorded because the idea was for him to ad lib jokes, and he felt he needed to be uninhibited about saying whatever came into his head without having to worry about whether it was fit to be broadcast under the rather strict standards of those days. When the show expanded to television, it was filmed in advance. The radio and TV shows were largely identical, but there were some differences in editing. -- A. Joseph Ross, J.D. 617.367.0468 92 State Street, Suite 700 Fax: 617.507.7856 Boston, MA 02109-2004 http://www.attorneyross.com From revdoug1@myfairpoint.net Mon Oct 25 09:18:27 2010 From: revdoug1@myfairpoint.net (=?utf-8?b?RG91ZyBEcm93bg==?=) Date: Mon, 25 Oct 2010 09:18:27 -0400 Subject: Boom Boom Brannigan passes on Message-ID: <20101025091827.n10ipgw8oxesg0wo@webmail.myfairpoint.net> Scott Fybush reported today in his North East Radio Watch that Joe Motto --- WPTR's "Boom Boom Brannigan" --- has passed away at age 82. Among those of us who were teenaged Top 40 radio addicts in central Massachusetts, Boom Boom was very much a part of our lives. 'PTR used to have a huge listenership, especially at night, out in the Fitchburg-Gardner-Athol area, where the Boston and Worcester stations (except 'BZ and WAAB) didn't come well after dark. I visited the WPTR studio on Albany Street in Colonie one day and met Boom Boom. Great guy, very friendly. Forty years later, he was just as lively and witty as ever during the station's brief renascence broadcasting oldies. Requiescat at pacem, Boomer. We'll miss ya. -Doug From gallen2@nescaum.org Tue Oct 26 16:19:08 2010 From: gallen2@nescaum.org (George Allen) Date: Tue, 26 Oct 2010 16:19:08 -0400 Subject: BSO on the radio - not for me anymore Message-ID: So I used the WGBH web site feedback form to ask how they divvy up the WGBH-FM HD bitstream. The good news is that I got a clear answer. The bad news is that listening to live BSO at 48 kilobytes/sec is not what I consider worth chasing. Sigh. I suppose just knowing they use 3 HD channels should have been a large clue that HD2 wasn't going to be very hi fi. -- George WGBH wrote: This from our engineer: The rates for HD on WGBH 89.7 are: 48/48/24 for HD-1/2/3 As for the brittle sound, the Sony does have good receptivity but it is a table top radio which can have a hard sound to it. There are tuners available that can be plugged into the big home systems that might sound better. ___________________________________________ From: Sid Schweiger Date: Thu, 14 Oct 2010 13:27:00 -0400 "Being clueless about the variations on the HD theme, is HD2 the same or lower quality [bitrate] than HD1? Or will that vary depending on the station [WGBH in this case]?" What most HD stations appear to be doing is keeping the HD1 (simulcasting the analog) at the highest bitrate and running the secondaries at lower bitrates...for example, 48kbps for HD1 and 24kbps for HD2, 3, etc. But, bottom line, it is up to the station how the data stream is subdivided. From kvahey@gmail.com Tue Oct 26 19:31:50 2010 From: kvahey@gmail.com (Kevin Vahey) Date: Tue, 26 Oct 2010 19:31:50 -0400 Subject: Norman Knight honored by Boston Police Message-ID: Norm Knight who owned radio stations in NH and MA was honored today. I think he owned WSRS, WHEB and I think WGIR at one time. http://mobile.boston.com/art/35/news/local/breaking_news/2010/10/loading_video_p_2 From donald_astelle@yahoo.com Tue Oct 26 21:10:02 2010 From: donald_astelle@yahoo.com (D. A.) Date: Tue, 26 Oct 2010 18:10:02 -0700 (PDT) Subject: Boom Boom Brannigan passes on In-Reply-To: <20101025091827.n10ipgw8oxesg0wo@webmail.myfairpoint.net> Message-ID: <209208.35342.qm@web110506.mail.gq1.yahoo.com> http://www.timesunion.com/local/article/Radio-DJ-Boom-Boom-Brannigan-dies-at-82-714683.php The obit mentions: "He owned a station in New Hampshire in the 1980s." Anyone know what station this was? D --- On Mon, 10/25/10, Doug Drown wrote: > From: Doug Drown > Subject: Boom Boom Brannigan passes on > To: boston-radio-interest@bostonradio.org > Cc: JPolsinelle@firstcardinal.com > Date: Monday, October 25, 2010, 9:18 AM > Scott Fybush reported today in his > North East Radio Watch that Joe Motto --- WPTR's "Boom Boom > Brannigan" --- has passed away at age 82. > > Among those of us who were teenaged Top 40 radio addicts in > central Massachusetts, Boom Boom was very much a part of our > lives.? 'PTR used to have a huge listenership, > especially at night, out in the Fitchburg-Gardner-Athol > area, where the Boston and Worcester stations (except 'BZ > and WAAB) didn't come well after dark.??? > > I visited the WPTR studio on Albany Street in Colonie one > day and met Boom Boom.???Great guy, very > friendly.? Forty years later, he was just as lively and > witty as ever during the station's brief renascence > broadcasting oldies. > > Requiescat at pacem, Boomer.? We'll miss ya. > > -Doug > > > > From madprof@ix.netcom.com Tue Oct 26 14:21:20 2010 From: madprof@ix.netcom.com (madprof) Date: Tue, 26 Oct 2010 14:21:20 -0400 (GMT-04:00) Subject: Boom Boom Brannigan passes on Message-ID: <6665551.1288117280546.JavaMail.root@wamui-haziran.atl.sa.earthlink.net> yes, and those of us who lived in the general Albany area as teens, enjoyed many hours of his style; his, yes, wit! One of my radio heroes of those days. Bob Sutherland From revdoug1@myfairpoint.net Tue Oct 26 23:09:57 2010 From: revdoug1@myfairpoint.net (=?utf-8?b?RG91ZyBEcm93bg==?=) Date: Tue, 26 Oct 2010 23:09:57 -0400 Subject: Boom Boom Brannigan passes on Message-ID: <20101026230957.u3t5gzqtr94w04ww@webmail.myfairpoint.net> >>I worked summers as a tech at WGY, pushing buttons and whatnot for Bill Edwardson, Jack Shannon, Harry Downey, Earl Pudney, and Steve Fitz. - Dave Doherty What a great opportunity!! WGY, in its prime as GE's flagship, was one of North America's greatest, class-act radio stations. The histories of WGY, WGFM (WRVE) and WRGB are amazing. I'd love to hear some of your memories. -Doug From scott@fybush.com Tue Oct 26 22:11:43 2010 From: scott@fybush.com (Scott Fybush) Date: Tue, 26 Oct 2010 22:11:43 -0400 Subject: Boom Boom Brannigan passes on In-Reply-To: <209208.35342.qm@web110506.mail.gq1.yahoo.com> References: <209208.35342.qm@web110506.mail.gq1.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <4CC78A5F.9060405@fybush.com> D. A. wrote: > http://www.timesunion.com/local/article/Radio-DJ-Boom-Boom-Brannigan-dies-at-82-714683.php > > The obit mentions: > > "He owned a station in New Hampshire in the 1980s." > > Anyone know what station this was? > I'm told he owned WBRL 1400 in Berlin. s From dave@skywaves.net Tue Oct 26 22:17:19 2010 From: dave@skywaves.net (Dave Doherty) Date: Tue, 26 Oct 2010 22:17:19 -0400 Subject: Boom Boom Brannigan passes on In-Reply-To: <209208.35342.qm@web110506.mail.gq1.yahoo.com> References: <209208.35342.qm@web110506.mail.gq1.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <58CE6E568C764979A64C15FC82B9546D@dave> I met Boom-Boom in 1968 or maybe 1969 at the WPTR studios. Another WPTR DJ, Roy Urbinas, who eventually wound up in Plattsburgh and may have originally hailed from there, cut a couple of voicers for me, and Roy introduced us. Boom Boom was an interesting character, very pleasant, and the first "Boss Jock" I ever met. Not long after, I worked summers as a tech at WGY, pushing buttons and whatnot for Bill Edwardson, Jack Shannon, Harry Downey, Earl Pudney, and Steve Fitz. -Dave Doherty From revdoug1@myfairpoint.net Tue Oct 26 23:18:52 2010 From: revdoug1@myfairpoint.net (=?utf-8?b?RG91ZyBEcm93bg==?=) Date: Tue, 26 Oct 2010 23:18:52 -0400 Subject: Norman Knight honored by Boston Police Message-ID: <20101026231852.6kafhlzidggg4g8w@webmail.myfairpoint.net> . . . as well as WEIM, WSAR and, later, WTAG. One of New England's great broadcasters; he began his career as an executive with WNAC and The Yankee Network. IIRC, his company, Knight Quality Radio, is still in business and owns stations in the U.S. Virgin Islands. -Doug Quoting Kevin Vahey : > Norm Knight who owned radio stations in NH and MA was honored today. > > I think he owned WSRS, WHEB and I think WGIR at one time. > > http://mobile.boston.com/art/35/news/local/breaking_news/2010/10/loading_video_p_2 > From dan.strassberg@att.net Wed Oct 27 08:55:02 2010 From: dan.strassberg@att.net (Dan.Strassberg) Date: Wed, 27 Oct 2010 08:55:02 -0400 Subject: Boom Boom Brannigan passes on References: <209208.35342.qm@web110506.mail.gq1.yahoo.com> <58CE6E568C764979A64C15FC82B9546D@dave> Message-ID: <785A03D4EB2145EFBC9822973258A6C9@SatU205S5044> I remember Edwardson and Putney from WGY in my college days (early to mid '50s). In those days, though, Steve Fitz was on little WSNY, a 250W Class IV on 1240. WSNY sounded amazingly professional for such a small station--its signal reached the entire Capital District by day but was competitive only in Schenectady and adjoining communities, such as Rotterdam. Weak signal or not, WSNY appeared to have sold out its entire schedule month after month, year after year. Always ~17 minutes of commercials per hour from sign-on to sign-off. Most of the commercials were locally produced. Many used jingle packages that were designed for specific types of businesses (furniture stores, variety stores etc) and could be tailored to specific businesses simply by inserting the advertiser's name, address, and phone number. Some ads used proprietary jingles, however. The one that I guess I will never forget was for W Baldwin Drum Real Estate: "Drum's along the Mowhawk/with his eye on pro-per-teee." Ended with the beat of a tom-tom over which was whispered W Baldwin Drum...W Baldwin Drum... W Baldwin Drum... Very memorable. Probably moved a lot of houses and farms. ----- Dan Strassberg (dan.strassberg@att.net) eFax 1-707-215-6367 ----- Original Message ----- From: "Dave Doherty" To: "D. A." ; ; "Doug Drown" Cc: Sent: Tuesday, October 26, 2010 10:17 PM Subject: Re: Boom Boom Brannigan passes on >I met Boom-Boom in 1968 or maybe 1969 at the WPTR studios. Another >WPTR DJ, Roy Urbinas, who eventually wound up in Plattsburgh and may >have originally hailed from there, cut a couple of voicers for me, >and Roy introduced us. Boom Boom was an interesting character, very >pleasant, and the first "Boss Jock" I ever met. > > Not long after, I worked summers as a tech at WGY, pushing buttons > and whatnot for Bill Edwardson, Jack Shannon, Harry Downey, Earl > Pudney, and Steve Fitz. > > -Dave Doherty > From revdoug1@myfairpoint.net Wed Oct 27 09:55:10 2010 From: revdoug1@myfairpoint.net (=?utf-8?b?RG91ZyBEcm93bg==?=) Date: Wed, 27 Oct 2010 09:55:10 -0400 Subject: Boom Boom Brannigan passes on Message-ID: <20101027095510.bh8wrtn8pu28s0gk@webmail.myfairpoint.net> That Drum real estate ad was really clever. Little WSNY positioned itself as a worthy local competitor to WGY. Though in the '60s and '70s when visiting in Schenectady I was fixated on WPTR and WTRY, I did listen to WSNY occasionally and found that it was a well-run station. There were many such stations in middle-market cities, little bantams that held up well to the big guys. I think of WNEB in Worcester from my adolescence --- 1230 kHz, 1 kw daytime, 250 at night, a CBS affiliate with a format geared toward middle- to older-aged adults. It had good DJs, good local news and sports coverage, all in all doing a fine job competing against full-service NBC powerhouse WTAG and the two hotly competitive Top 40 stations, WAAB and WORC. -Doug Quoting "Dan.Strassberg" : > I remember Edwardson and Putney from WGY in my college days (early to > mid '50s). In those days, though, Steve Fitz was on little WSNY, a > 250W Class IV on 1240. WSNY sounded amazingly professional for such a > small station--its signal reached the entire Capital District by day > but was competitive only in Schenectady and adjoining communities, > such as Rotterdam. Weak signal or not, WSNY appeared to have sold out > its entire schedule month after month, year after year. Always ~17 > minutes of commercials per hour from sign-on to sign-off. Most of the > commercials were locally produced. Many used jingle packages that were > designed for specific types of businesses (furniture stores, variety > stores etc) and could be tailored to specific businesses simply by > inserting the advertiser's name, address, and phone number. Some ads > used proprietary jingles, however. The one that I guess I will never > forget was for W Baldwin Drum Real Estate: "Drum's along the > Mowhawk/with his eye on pro-per-teee." Ended with the beat of a > tom-tom over which was whispered W Baldwin Drum...W Baldwin Drum... W > Baldwin Drum... Very memorable. Probably moved a lot of houses and > farms. > > ----- > Dan Strassberg (dan.strassberg@att.net) > eFax 1-707-215-6367 > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Dave Doherty" > To: "D. A." ; > ; "Doug Drown" > > Cc: > Sent: Tuesday, October 26, 2010 10:17 PM > Subject: Re: Boom Boom Brannigan passes on > > > >I met Boom-Boom in 1968 or maybe 1969 at the WPTR studios. Another > >WPTR DJ, Roy Urbinas, who eventually wound up in Plattsburgh and may > >have originally hailed from there, cut a couple of voicers for me, > >and Roy introduced us. Boom Boom was an interesting character, very > >pleasant, and the first "Boss Jock" I ever met. > > > > Not long after, I worked summers as a tech at WGY, pushing buttons > > and whatnot for Bill Edwardson, Jack Shannon, Harry Downey, Earl > > Pudney, and Steve Fitz. > > > > -Dave Doherty > > > From tlmedia@triad.rr.com Wed Oct 27 14:15:43 2010 From: tlmedia@triad.rr.com (Ted Larsen) Date: Wed, 27 Oct 2010 14:15:43 -0400 Subject: Norman Knight honored by Boston Police References: Message-ID: <148E8AE1425E40D8ADFF4AA8C9766C6F@YOURbcbbe822ed> His son, Randolph, was once the owner of WVJZ (And other stations in the U.S Virgin Islands). He knew a good place. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WVJZ ----- Original Message ----- From: "Kevin Vahey" To: "(newsgroup) Boston-Radio-Interest" Sent: Tuesday, October 26, 2010 7:31 PM Subject: Norman Knight honored by Boston Police > Norm Knight who owned radio stations in NH and MA was honored today. > > I think he owned WSRS, WHEB and I think WGIR at one time. > > http://mobile.boston.com/art/35/news/local/breaking_news/2010/10/loading_video_p_2 > > From revdoug1@myfairpoint.net Wed Oct 27 15:27:20 2010 From: revdoug1@myfairpoint.net (=?utf-8?b?RG91ZyBEcm93bg==?=) Date: Wed, 27 Oct 2010 15:27:20 -0400 Subject: worthy competition - was Boom Boom Message-ID: <20101027152720.c38dvhzmepb4os88@webmail.myfairpoint.net> >> OK, which one was Union9-9272 and which one was TT4-5107... Dave >> Dougherty will know. I know too, but I'll defer to Dave. My girlfriend, 68, has told me that WKBW used to have a huge night listenership in Maine. Her late husband, who lived most of his life in Maine and was a DJ and station manager for about fifteen years before going into education, regarded WKBW as THE radio station that all Top 40 stations should emulate. The WPTR towers in Colonie are still being used by the station's successor WDCD, but the WPTR call letters were removed from them a few years ago, and I believe the Albany Street studio --- which wasn't all that old --- has been vacated. I don't know where WDCD's current digs are. I sometimes used to listen to WKBR in Manchester on FM. This was in the mid- to late sixties; I think the AM was on 1250 by then, but we couldn't get it out Fitchburg way. WFEA, on the other hand, came in reasonably well. Both stations had a good sound; which one dominated the market? -Doug Quoting Linc Reed-Nickerson : > At night in Unity, Maine, where I miss-spent the summers of my teenage years, > WPTR was what every kid listened to! Even in Actom, MA WPTR and WKBW > were often > listened to. OK, which one was Union9-9272 and which one was > TT4-5107... Dave > Dougherty will know. Got to visit the WKBW transmitter circa 1976, but not > WPTR, although I've driven by it on the throughway many times, as > recently as 3 > years ago. Yes, Kid Rock (All Summer Long) makes me think of my teen > summers in > Unity, wonder what became of Donna (who is now 67)? > > I find the comments about the viability of the "worthy competitor" very > interesting. Manchester, New Hampshire was a good example, with WKBR (then > 1240) being the top station in the market, even at 250 watts! > > The change to 1250 and 5kW probably did little but generate > additional expense > (although possibly more revenue because of the higher power). Some > claimed they > lost listeners when the shifted frequency because 1250 on the river > had better > coverage in some areas than the DA on the granite shelf on Goffstown > Back Road. They had to add a 5th tower to modify the daytime pattern > a year or so after it > was built. Too bad the original 1240 site is now gone, because it might have > made sense to go back to 1240 in recent times, if it would still fit. > WFTN in > Franklin might be the stopper, but with ground conductivity in NH > being what it > is it might have fit. 1250 to 1240 would be a minor change per the > current FCC > policies. > > And remember when WTAO was a significant player in Boston in the > early 1950's? > > Speaking of ground conductivity, it's so bad on the Oregon Coast 820 > with a 1kW > has about a 20 mile radius, 1kW on 1230 in Burns on the other hand > has a 75 mile > radius. According to FCC conductivity maps, both locations are the same, but > having made measurements I know the away from the shore in Oregon the > conductivity is 0.5 to 0.1. If your transmitter is in from the > coast, as many > on the Oregon coast are, you don't get much help from the seawater > conductivity. > There's a 50kW in Reedsport, OR that doesn't have the coverage of my 1230 in > Burns! > > Linc > > -----Original Message----- > From: boston-radio-interest-bounces@tsornin.BostonRadio.org > [mailto:boston-radio-interest-bounces@tsornin.BostonRadio.org] On > Behalf Of Doug > Drown > Sent: Wednesday, October 27, 2010 6:55 AM > To: Dave Doherty; Dan.Strassberg > Cc: =?utf-8?b??= > Subject: Re: Boom Boom Brannigan passes on > > That Drum real estate ad was really clever. Little WSNY positioned > itself as a worthy local competitor to WGY. Though in the '60s and > '70s when visiting in Schenectady I was fixated on WPTR and WTRY, I did > listen to WSNY occasionally and found that it was a well-run station. > There were many such stations in middle-market cities, little bantams > that held up well to the big guys. I think of WNEB in Worcester from > my adolescence --- 1230 kHz, 1 kw daytime, 250 at night, a CBS > affiliate with a format geared toward middle- to older-aged adults. It > had good DJs, good local news and sports coverage, all in all doing a > fine job competing against full-service NBC powerhouse WTAG and the two > hotly competitive Top 40 stations, WAAB and WORC. -Doug > > Quoting "Dan.Strassberg" : > > I remember Edwardson and Putney from WGY in my college days (early to > > mid '50s). In those days, though, Steve Fitz was on little WSNY, a > > 250W Class IV on 1240. WSNY sounded amazingly professional for such a > > small station--its signal reached the entire Capital District by day > > but was competitive only in Schenectady and adjoining communities, > > such as Rotterdam. Weak signal or not, WSNY appeared to have sold out > > its entire schedule month after month, year after year. Always ~17 > > minutes of commercials per hour from sign-on to sign-off. Most of the > > commercials were locally produced. Many used jingle packages that were > > designed for specific types of businesses (furniture stores, variety > > stores etc) and could be tailored to specific businesses simply by > > inserting the advertiser's name, address, and phone number. Some ads > > used proprietary jingles, however. The one that I guess I will never > > forget was for W Baldwin Drum Real Estate: "Drum's along the > > Mowhawk/with his eye on pro-per-teee." Ended with the beat of a > > tom-tom over which was whispered W Baldwin Drum...W Baldwin Drum... W > > Baldwin Drum... Very memorable. Probably moved a lot of houses and > > farms. > > > > ----- > > Dan Strassberg (dan.strassberg@att.net) > > eFax 1-707-215-6367 > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: "Dave Doherty" > > To: "D. A." ; > > ; "Doug Drown" > > > > Cc: > > Sent: Tuesday, October 26, 2010 10:17 PM > > Subject: Re: Boom Boom Brannigan passes on > > > > > > >I met Boom-Boom in 1968 or maybe 1969 at the WPTR studios. Another > > >WPTR DJ, Roy Urbinas, who eventually wound up in Plattsburgh and may > > >have originally hailed from there, cut a couple of voicers for me, > > >and Roy introduced us. Boom Boom was an interesting character, very > > >pleasant, and the first "Boss Jock" I ever met. > > > > > > Not long after, I worked summers as a tech at WGY, pushing buttons > > > and whatnot for Bill Edwardson, Jack Shannon, Harry Downey, Earl > > > Pudney, and Steve Fitz. > > > > > > -Dave Doherty > > > > > > > > > > From tlmedia@triad.rr.com Wed Oct 27 15:36:17 2010 From: tlmedia@triad.rr.com (Ted Larsen) Date: Wed, 27 Oct 2010 15:36:17 -0400 Subject: Norman Knight honored by Boston Police References: <148E8AE1425E40D8ADFF4AA8C9766C6F@YOURbcbbe822ed> <4CCFAE0CA6F945CAB933554270097800@SatU205S5044> Message-ID: I copied the following from Scott's link..."The Telegram and Gazette eventually sold WTAG to the Knight Quality group; it eventually ended up with Capstar, which merged into today's Clear Channel group. http://www.fybush.com/site-030306.html As for WEIM (Wiki Quotes)..."The station signed on in 1941 as WEIM, a general entertainment station with a variety of shows.....In 1987, Knight Quality Stations sold WEIM to its longtime general manager, Frank Fillipone."....On April 6, 2009, after nearly 68 years as WEIM, the call sign was changed to WPKZ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WPKZ ----- Original Message ----- From: "Dan.Strassberg" To: "Ted Larsen" ; "Kevin Vahey" ; "(newsgroup) Boston-Radio-Interest" Sent: Wednesday, October 27, 2010 3:07 PM Subject: Re: Norman Knight honored by Boston Police > Didn't Knight Quality Radio also own WTAG and WEIM at one time? > > ----- > Dan Strassberg (dan.strassberg@att.net) > eFax 1-707-215-6367 > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Ted Larsen" > To: "Kevin Vahey" ; "(newsgroup) > Boston-Radio-Interest" > Sent: Wednesday, October 27, 2010 2:15 PM > Subject: Re: Norman Knight honored by Boston Police > > >> His son, Randolph, was once the owner of WVJZ (And other stations in >> the U.S Virgin Islands). He knew a good place. >> >> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WVJZ >> >> ----- Original Message ----- >> From: "Kevin Vahey" >> To: "(newsgroup) Boston-Radio-Interest" >> >> Sent: Tuesday, October 26, 2010 7:31 PM >> Subject: Norman Knight honored by Boston Police >> >> >>> Norm Knight who owned radio stations in NH and MA was honored >>> today. >>> >>> I think he owned WSRS, WHEB and I think WGIR at one time. >>> >>> http://mobile.boston.com/art/35/news/local/breaking_news/2010/10/loading_video_p_2 >>> >>> >> > From dan.strassberg@att.net Wed Oct 27 15:07:10 2010 From: dan.strassberg@att.net (Dan.Strassberg) Date: Wed, 27 Oct 2010 15:07:10 -0400 Subject: Norman Knight honored by Boston Police References: <148E8AE1425E40D8ADFF4AA8C9766C6F@YOURbcbbe822ed> Message-ID: <4CCFAE0CA6F945CAB933554270097800@SatU205S5044> Didn't Knight Quality Radio also own WTAG and WEIM at one time? ----- Dan Strassberg (dan.strassberg@att.net) eFax 1-707-215-6367 ----- Original Message ----- From: "Ted Larsen" To: "Kevin Vahey" ; "(newsgroup) Boston-Radio-Interest" Sent: Wednesday, October 27, 2010 2:15 PM Subject: Re: Norman Knight honored by Boston Police > His son, Randolph, was once the owner of WVJZ (And other stations in > the U.S Virgin Islands). He knew a good place. > > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WVJZ > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Kevin Vahey" > To: "(newsgroup) Boston-Radio-Interest" > > Sent: Tuesday, October 26, 2010 7:31 PM > Subject: Norman Knight honored by Boston Police > > >> Norm Knight who owned radio stations in NH and MA was honored >> today. >> >> I think he owned WSRS, WHEB and I think WGIR at one time. >> >> http://mobile.boston.com/art/35/news/local/breaking_news/2010/10/loading_video_p_2 >> >> > From kvahey@gmail.com Wed Oct 27 17:13:11 2010 From: kvahey@gmail.com (Kevin Vahey) Date: Wed, 27 Oct 2010 21:13:11 +0000 Subject: worthy competition - was Boom Boom In-Reply-To: <20101027152720.c38dvhzmepb4os88@webmail.myfairpoint.net> References: <20101027152720.c38dvhzmepb4os88@webmail.myfairpoint.net> Message-ID: <590256149-1288213996-cardhu_decombobulator_blackberry.rim.net-2083083014-@bda268.bisx.prod.on.blackberry> KBR dominated inside the city limits but had a woeful signal at night FEA dominated Nashua and Concord When I visited PTR the all night guy was at the xmtr (this would be 68-69) They had all Harris cart machines with cue tones to start the next cart. Funny how it worked - in many markets the weaker signal dominated the core city, the stronger signal the burbs NY WMCA over WABC Bost WMEX over WBZ until WRKO came along Manchester WKBR over WFEA Portand WJAB over WLOB Providence WICE over WPRO Sprinhgfield WTXL over WHYN Buffalo WYSL over WKBW Sent on from my BlackBerry? so typos are because of tiny keys -----Original Message----- From: "Doug Drown" Sender: boston-radio-interest-bounces@tsornin.BostonRadio.org Date: Wed, 27 Oct 2010 15:27:20 To: 'Doug Drown'; 'Dave Doherty'; 'Dan.Strassberg'; Linc Reed-Nickerson Cc: '' Subject: Re: worthy competition - was Boom Boom >> OK, which one was Union9-9272 and which one was TT4-5107... Dave >> Dougherty will know. I know too, but I'll defer to Dave. My girlfriend, 68, has told me that WKBW used to have a huge night listenership in Maine. Her late husband, who lived most of his life in Maine and was a DJ and station manager for about fifteen years before going into education, regarded WKBW as THE radio station that all Top 40 stations should emulate. The WPTR towers in Colonie are still being used by the station's successor WDCD, but the WPTR call letters were removed from them a few years ago, and I believe the Albany Street studio --- which wasn't all that old --- has been vacated. I don't know where WDCD's current digs are. I sometimes used to listen to WKBR in Manchester on FM. This was in the mid- to late sixties; I think the AM was on 1250 by then, but we couldn't get it out Fitchburg way. WFEA, on the other hand, came in reasonably well. Both stations had a good sound; which one dominated the market? -Doug Quoting Linc Reed-Nickerson : > At night in Unity, Maine, where I miss-spent the summers of my teenage years, > WPTR was what every kid listened to! Even in Actom, MA WPTR and WKBW > were often > listened to. OK, which one was Union9-9272 and which one was > TT4-5107... Dave > Dougherty will know. Got to visit the WKBW transmitter circa 1976, but not > WPTR, although I've driven by it on the throughway many times, as > recently as 3 > years ago. Yes, Kid Rock (All Summer Long) makes me think of my teen > summers in > Unity, wonder what became of Donna (who is now 67)? > > I find the comments about the viability of the "worthy competitor" very > interesting. Manchester, New Hampshire was a good example, with WKBR (then > 1240) being the top station in the market, even at 250 watts! > > The change to 1250 and 5kW probably did little but generate > additional expense > (although possibly more revenue because of the higher power). Some > claimed they > lost listeners when the shifted frequency because 1250 on the river > had better > coverage in some areas than the DA on the granite shelf on Goffstown > Back Road. They had to add a 5th tower to modify the daytime pattern > a year or so after it > was built. Too bad the original 1240 site is now gone, because it might have > made sense to go back to 1240 in recent times, if it would still fit. > WFTN in > Franklin might be the stopper, but with ground conductivity in NH > being what it > is it might have fit. 1250 to 1240 would be a minor change per the > current FCC > policies. > > And remember when WTAO was a significant player in Boston in the > early 1950's? > > Speaking of ground conductivity, it's so bad on the Oregon Coast 820 > with a 1kW > has about a 20 mile radius, 1kW on 1230 in Burns on the other hand > has a 75 mile > radius. According to FCC conductivity maps, both locations are the same, but > having made measurements I know the away from the shore in Oregon the > conductivity is 0.5 to 0.1. If your transmitter is in from the > coast, as many > on the Oregon coast are, you don't get much help from the seawater > conductivity. > There's a 50kW in Reedsport, OR that doesn't have the coverage of my 1230 in > Burns! > > Linc > > -----Original Message----- > From: boston-radio-interest-bounces@tsornin.BostonRadio.org > [mailto:boston-radio-interest-bounces@tsornin.BostonRadio.org] On > Behalf Of Doug > Drown > Sent: Wednesday, October 27, 2010 6:55 AM > To: Dave Doherty; Dan.Strassberg > Cc: =?utf-8?b??= > Subject: Re: Boom Boom Brannigan passes on > > That Drum real estate ad was really clever. Little WSNY positioned > itself as a worthy local competitor to WGY. Though in the '60s and > '70s when visiting in Schenectady I was fixated on WPTR and WTRY, I did > listen to WSNY occasionally and found that it was a well-run station. > There were many such stations in middle-market cities, little bantams > that held up well to the big guys. I think of WNEB in Worcester from > my adolescence --- 1230 kHz, 1 kw daytime, 250 at night, a CBS > affiliate with a format geared toward middle- to older-aged adults. It > had good DJs, good local news and sports coverage, all in all doing a > fine job competing against full-service NBC powerhouse WTAG and the two > hotly competitive Top 40 stations, WAAB and WORC. -Doug > > Quoting "Dan.Strassberg" : > > I remember Edwardson and Putney from WGY in my college days (early to > > mid '50s). In those days, though, Steve Fitz was on little WSNY, a > > 250W Class IV on 1240. WSNY sounded amazingly professional for such a > > small station--its signal reached the entire Capital District by day > > but was competitive only in Schenectady and adjoining communities, > > such as Rotterdam. Weak signal or not, WSNY appeared to have sold out > > its entire schedule month after month, year after year. Always ~17 > > minutes of commercials per hour from sign-on to sign-off. Most of the > > commercials were locally produced. Many used jingle packages that were > > designed for specific types of businesses (furniture stores, variety > > stores etc) and could be tailored to specific businesses simply by > > inserting the advertiser's name, address, and phone number. Some ads > > used proprietary jingles, however. The one that I guess I will never > > forget was for W Baldwin Drum Real Estate: "Drum's along the > > Mowhawk/with his eye on pro-per-teee." Ended with the beat of a > > tom-tom over which was whispered W Baldwin Drum...W Baldwin Drum... W > > Baldwin Drum... Very memorable. Probably moved a lot of houses and > > farms. > > > > ----- > > Dan Strassberg (dan.strassberg@att.net) > > eFax 1-707-215-6367 > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: "Dave Doherty" > > To: "D. A." ; > > ; "Doug Drown" > > > > Cc: > > Sent: Tuesday, October 26, 2010 10:17 PM > > Subject: Re: Boom Boom Brannigan passes on > > > > > > >I met Boom-Boom in 1968 or maybe 1969 at the WPTR studios. Another > > >WPTR DJ, Roy Urbinas, who eventually wound up in Plattsburgh and may > > >have originally hailed from there, cut a couple of voicers for me, > > >and Roy introduced us. Boom Boom was an interesting character, very > > >pleasant, and the first "Boss Jock" I ever met. > > > > > > Not long after, I worked summers as a tech at WGY, pushing buttons > > > and whatnot for Bill Edwardson, Jack Shannon, Harry Downey, Earl > > > Pudney, and Steve Fitz. > > > > > > -Dave Doherty > > > > > > > > > > From revdoug1@myfairpoint.net Wed Oct 27 18:19:15 2010 From: revdoug1@myfairpoint.net (=?utf-8?b?RG91ZyBEcm93bg==?=) Date: Wed, 27 Oct 2010 18:19:15 -0400 Subject: Norman Knight honored by Boston Police Message-ID: <20101027181915.2wnes8o18h7o0oo8@webmail.myfairpoint.net> Knight Quality owned WEIM for decades, but sold it in the late '80s when it bought WTAG from the Telegram & Gazette and teamed it up with WSRS, which it had purchased from T&G many years prior. WSRS was originally WTAG-FM. Quoting "Dan.Strassberg" : > Didn't Knight Quality Radio also own WTAG and WEIM at one time? > > ----- > Dan Strassberg (dan.strassberg@att.net) > eFax 1-707-215-6367 > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Ted Larsen" > To: "Kevin Vahey" ; "(newsgroup) > Boston-Radio-Interest" > Sent: Wednesday, October 27, 2010 2:15 PM > Subject: Re: Norman Knight honored by Boston Police > > > > His son, Randolph, was once the owner of WVJZ (And other stations in > > the U.S Virgin Islands). He knew a good place. > > > > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WVJZ > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: "Kevin Vahey" > > To: "(newsgroup) Boston-Radio-Interest" > > > > Sent: Tuesday, October 26, 2010 7:31 PM > > Subject: Norman Knight honored by Boston Police > > > > > >> Norm Knight who owned radio stations in NH and MA was honored > >> today. > >> > >> I think he owned WSRS, WHEB and I think WGIR at one time. > >> > >> > http://mobile.boston.com/art/35/news/local/breaking_news/2010/10/loading_video_p_2 > >> > >> > > > From revdoug1@myfairpoint.net Wed Oct 27 18:38:27 2010 From: revdoug1@myfairpoint.net (=?utf-8?b?RG91ZyBEcm93bg==?=) Date: Wed, 27 Oct 2010 18:38:27 -0400 Subject: worthy competition - was Boom Boom Message-ID: <20101027183827.0lu6evcn6sg0skwk@webmail.myfairpoint.net> That is interesting . . . I wasn't aware that was the case in so many places. Did Burlington, Bridgeport and New Haven have competing rock stations? I very well remember WAVZ in New Haven, another station I used to listen to at night in Ashburnham. It was owned by my sixth grade teacher's brother, as was WTRY. He was quite proud of that. When I first came to Maine at the end of '76, WCSH in Portland had a Top 40 format. I think WLOB was still playing rock at that time; I don't remember whether WJAB still was. Perhaps so, because IIRC it had changed its calls to WJBQ by then. Three stations out of four, in one small-to-medium market, all doing Top 40? -Doug Quoting Kevin Vahey : > KBR dominated inside the city limits but had a woeful signal at night > > FEA dominated Nashua and Concord > > When I visited PTR the all night guy was at the xmtr (this would be > 68-69) They > had all Harris cart machines with cue tones to start the next cart. > > Funny how it worked - in many markets the weaker signal dominated the > core city, > the stronger signal the burbs > > NY WMCA over WABC > Bost WMEX over WBZ until WRKO came along > Manchester WKBR over WFEA > Portand WJAB over WLOB > Providence WICE over WPRO > Sprinhgfield WTXL over WHYN > Buffalo WYSL over WKBW > Sent on from my BlackBerry? so typos are because of tiny keys > > -----Original Message----- > From: "Doug Drown" > Sender: boston-radio-interest-bounces@tsornin.BostonRadio.org > Date: Wed, 27 Oct 2010 15:27:20 > To: 'Doug Drown'; 'Dave > Doherty'; > 'Dan.Strassberg'; Linc > Reed-Nickerson > Cc: '' > Subject: Re: worthy competition - was Boom Boom > > >> OK, which one was Union9-9272 and which one was TT4-5107... Dave > >> Dougherty will know. > > I know too, but I'll defer to Dave. > > My girlfriend, 68, has told me that WKBW used to have a huge night > listenership in Maine. Her late husband, who lived most of his life in > Maine and was a DJ and station manager for about fifteen years before > going into education, regarded WKBW as THE radio station that all Top > 40 stations should emulate. > > The WPTR towers in Colonie are still being used by the station's > successor WDCD, but the WPTR call letters were removed from them a few > years ago, and I believe the Albany Street studio --- which wasn't all > that old --- has been vacated. I don't know where WDCD's current digs > are. > > I sometimes used to listen to WKBR in Manchester on FM. This was in > the mid- to late sixties; I think the AM was on 1250 by then, but we > couldn't get it out Fitchburg way. WFEA, on the other hand, came in > reasonably well. Both stations had a good sound; which one dominated > the market? > > -Doug > > > > > Quoting Linc Reed-Nickerson : > > At night in Unity, Maine, where I miss-spent the summers of my > teenage years, > > WPTR was what every kid listened to! Even in Actom, MA WPTR and WKBW > > were often > > listened to. OK, which one was Union9-9272 and which one was > > TT4-5107... Dave > > Dougherty will know. Got to visit the WKBW transmitter circa 1976, but not > > WPTR, although I've driven by it on the throughway many times, as > > recently as 3 > > years ago. Yes, Kid Rock (All Summer Long) makes me think of my teen > > summers in > > Unity, wonder what became of Donna (who is now 67)? > > > > I find the comments about the viability of the "worthy competitor" very > > interesting. Manchester, New Hampshire was a good example, with WKBR (then > > 1240) being the top station in the market, even at 250 watts! > > > > The change to 1250 and 5kW probably did little but generate > > additional expense > > (although possibly more revenue because of the higher power). Some > > claimed they > > lost listeners when the shifted frequency because 1250 on the river > > had better > > coverage in some areas than the DA on the granite shelf on Goffstown > > Back Road. They had to add a 5th tower to modify the daytime pattern > > a year or so after it > > was built. Too bad the original 1240 site is now gone, because it > might have > > made sense to go back to 1240 in recent times, if it would still fit. > > WFTN in > > Franklin might be the stopper, but with ground conductivity in NH > > being what it > > is it might have fit. 1250 to 1240 would be a minor change per the > > current FCC > > policies. > > > > And remember when WTAO was a significant player in Boston in the > > early 1950's? > > > > Speaking of ground conductivity, it's so bad on the Oregon Coast 820 > > with a 1kW > > has about a 20 mile radius, 1kW on 1230 in Burns on the other hand > > has a 75 mile > > radius. According to FCC conductivity maps, both locations are the > same, but > > having made measurements I know the away from the shore in Oregon the > > conductivity is 0.5 to 0.1. If your transmitter is in from the > > coast, as many > > on the Oregon coast are, you don't get much help from the seawater > > conductivity. > > There's a 50kW in Reedsport, OR that doesn't have the coverage of > my 1230 in > > Burns! > > > > Linc > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: boston-radio-interest-bounces@tsornin.BostonRadio.org > > [mailto:boston-radio-interest-bounces@tsornin.BostonRadio.org] On > > Behalf Of Doug > > Drown > > Sent: Wednesday, October 27, 2010 6:55 AM > > To: Dave Doherty; Dan.Strassberg > > Cc: =?utf-8?b??= > > Subject: Re: Boom Boom Brannigan passes on > > > > That Drum real estate ad was really clever. Little WSNY positioned > > itself as a worthy local competitor to WGY. Though in the '60s and > > '70s when visiting in Schenectady I was fixated on WPTR and WTRY, I did > > listen to WSNY occasionally and found that it was a well-run station. > > There were many such stations in middle-market cities, little bantams > > that held up well to the big guys. I think of WNEB in Worcester from > > my adolescence --- 1230 kHz, 1 kw daytime, 250 at night, a CBS > > affiliate with a format geared toward middle- to older-aged adults. It > > had good DJs, good local news and sports coverage, all in all doing a > > fine job competing against full-service NBC powerhouse WTAG and the two > > hotly competitive Top 40 stations, WAAB and WORC. -Doug > > > > Quoting "Dan.Strassberg" : > > > I remember Edwardson and Putney from WGY in my college days (early to > > > mid '50s). In those days, though, Steve Fitz was on little WSNY, a > > > 250W Class IV on 1240. WSNY sounded amazingly professional for such a > > > small station--its signal reached the entire Capital District by day > > > but was competitive only in Schenectady and adjoining communities, > > > such as Rotterdam. Weak signal or not, WSNY appeared to have sold out > > > its entire schedule month after month, year after year. Always ~17 > > > minutes of commercials per hour from sign-on to sign-off. Most of the > > > commercials were locally produced. Many used jingle packages that were > > > designed for specific types of businesses (furniture stores, variety > > > stores etc) and could be tailored to specific businesses simply by > > > inserting the advertiser's name, address, and phone number. Some ads > > > used proprietary jingles, however. The one that I guess I will never > > > forget was for W Baldwin Drum Real Estate: "Drum's along the > > > Mowhawk/with his eye on pro-per-teee." Ended with the beat of a > > > tom-tom over which was whispered W Baldwin Drum...W Baldwin Drum... W > > > Baldwin Drum... Very memorable. Probably moved a lot of houses and > > > farms. > > > > > > ----- > > > Dan Strassberg (dan.strassberg@att.net) > > > eFax 1-707-215-6367 > > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > > From: "Dave Doherty" > > > To: "D. A." ; > > > ; "Doug Drown" > > > > > > Cc: > > > Sent: Tuesday, October 26, 2010 10:17 PM > > > Subject: Re: Boom Boom Brannigan passes on > > > > > > > > > >I met Boom-Boom in 1968 or maybe 1969 at the WPTR studios. Another > > > >WPTR DJ, Roy Urbinas, who eventually wound up in Plattsburgh and may > > > >have originally hailed from there, cut a couple of voicers for me, > > > >and Roy introduced us. Boom Boom was an interesting character, very > > > >pleasant, and the first "Boss Jock" I ever met. > > > > > > > > Not long after, I worked summers as a tech at WGY, pushing buttons > > > > and whatnot for Bill Edwardson, Jack Shannon, Harry Downey, Earl > > > > Pudney, and Steve Fitz. > > > > > > > > -Dave Doherty > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > From dan.strassberg@att.net Wed Oct 27 20:22:16 2010 From: dan.strassberg@att.net (Dan.Strassberg) Date: Wed, 27 Oct 2010 20:22:16 -0400 Subject: worthy competition - was Boom Boom References: <20101027183827.0lu6evcn6sg0skwk@webmail.myfairpoint.net> Message-ID: That must have been in the days when WAVZ and WTRY were owned by Kopps-Monahan Communications Inc (hence the New Haven FM calls--WKCI). So was your teacher's brother Kopps or Monahan? Or was Monahan already gone by the time to which you are referring? ----- Dan Strassberg (dan.strassberg@att.net) eFax 1-707-215-6367 ----- Original Message ----- From: "Doug Drown" To: "Doug Drown" ; "=?utf-8?b??=" ; "'Dave Doherty'" ; "'Dan.Strassberg'" ; "Linc Reed-Nickerson" ; "=?utf-8?b??=" Cc: "''" Sent: Wednesday, October 27, 2010 6:38 PM Subject: Re: worthy competition - was Boom Boom That is interesting . . . I wasn't aware that was the case in so many places. Did Burlington, Bridgeport and New Haven have competing rock stations? I very well remember WAVZ in New Haven, another station I used to listen to at night in Ashburnham. It was owned by my sixth grade teacher's brother, as was WTRY. He was quite proud of that. When I first came to Maine at the end of '76, WCSH in Portland had a Top 40 format. I think WLOB was still playing rock at that time; I don't remember whether WJAB still was. Perhaps so, because IIRC it had changed its calls to WJBQ by then. Three stations out of four, in one small-to-medium market, all doing Top 40? -Doug Quoting Kevin Vahey : > KBR dominated inside the city limits but had a woeful signal at > night > > FEA dominated Nashua and Concord > > When I visited PTR the all night guy was at the xmtr (this would be > 68-69) They > had all Harris cart machines with cue tones to start the next cart. > Funny how it worked - in many markets the weaker signal dominated > the core city, > the stronger signal the burbs > > NY WMCA over WABC > Bost WMEX over WBZ until WRKO came along > Manchester WKBR over WFEA > Portand WJAB over WLOB > Providence WICE over WPRO > Sprinhgfield WTXL over WHYN > Buffalo WYSL over WKBW > Sent on from my BlackBerry? so typos are because of tiny keys > > -----Original Message----- > From: "Doug Drown" > Sender: boston-radio-interest-bounces@tsornin.BostonRadio.org > Date: Wed, 27 Oct 2010 15:27:20 > To: 'Doug Drown'; 'Dave > Doherty'; > 'Dan.Strassberg'; Linc > Reed-Nickerson > Cc: '' > Subject: Re: worthy competition - was Boom Boom > > >> OK, which one was Union9-9272 and which one was TT4-5107... Dave > >> Dougherty will know. > > I know too, but I'll defer to Dave. > My girlfriend, 68, has told me that WKBW used to have a huge night > listenership in Maine. Her late husband, who lived most of his life > in > Maine and was a DJ and station manager for about fifteen years > before > going into education, regarded WKBW as THE radio station that all > Top > 40 stations should emulate. > The WPTR towers in Colonie are still being used by the station's > successor WDCD, but the WPTR call letters were removed from them a > few > years ago, and I believe the Albany Street studio --- which wasn't > all > that old --- has been vacated. I don't know where WDCD's current > digs > are. > I sometimes used to listen to WKBR in Manchester on FM. This was in > the mid- to late sixties; I think the AM was on 1250 by then, but we > couldn't get it out Fitchburg way. WFEA, on the other hand, came in > reasonably well. Both stations had a good sound; which one > dominated > the market? > > -Doug > > > > > Quoting Linc Reed-Nickerson : > > At night in Unity, Maine, where I miss-spent the summers of my > teenage years, > > WPTR was what every kid listened to! Even in Actom, MA WPTR and > > WKBW > > were often > > listened to. OK, which one was Union9-9272 and which one was > > TT4-5107... Dave > > Dougherty will know. Got to visit the WKBW transmitter circa > > 1976, but not > > WPTR, although I've driven by it on the throughway many times, as > > recently as 3 > > years ago. Yes, Kid Rock (All Summer Long) makes me think of my > > teen > > summers in > > Unity, wonder what became of Donna (who is now 67)? > > > > I find the comments about the viability of the "worthy competitor" > > very > > interesting. Manchester, New Hampshire was a good example, with > > WKBR (then > > 1240) being the top station in the market, even at 250 watts! > > > > The change to 1250 and 5kW probably did little but generate > > additional expense > > (although possibly more revenue because of the higher power). > > Some > > claimed they > > lost listeners when the shifted frequency because 1250 on the > > river > > had better > > coverage in some areas than the DA on the granite shelf on > > Goffstown > > Back Road. They had to add a 5th tower to modify the daytime > > pattern > > a year or so after it > > was built. Too bad the original 1240 site is now gone, because it > might have > > made sense to go back to 1240 in recent times, if it would still > > fit. WFTN in > > Franklin might be the stopper, but with ground conductivity in NH > > being what it > > is it might have fit. 1250 to 1240 would be a minor change per > > the > > current FCC > > policies. > > And remember when WTAO was a significant player in Boston in the > > early 1950's? > > > > Speaking of ground conductivity, it's so bad on the Oregon Coast > > 820 > > with a 1kW > > has about a 20 mile radius, 1kW on 1230 in Burns on the other hand > > has a 75 mile > > radius. According to FCC conductivity maps, both locations are > > the > same, but > > having made measurements I know the away from the shore in Oregon > > the > > conductivity is 0.5 to 0.1. If your transmitter is in from the > > coast, as many > > on the Oregon coast are, you don't get much help from the seawater > > conductivity. There's a 50kW in Reedsport, OR that doesn't have > > the coverage of > my 1230 in > > Burns! > > > > Linc > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: boston-radio-interest-bounces@tsornin.BostonRadio.org > > [mailto:boston-radio-interest-bounces@tsornin.BostonRadio.org] On > > Behalf Of Doug > > Drown > > Sent: Wednesday, October 27, 2010 6:55 AM > > To: Dave Doherty; Dan.Strassberg > > Cc: =?utf-8?b??= > > Subject: Re: Boom Boom Brannigan passes on > > > > That Drum real estate ad was really clever. Little WSNY > > positioned > > itself as a worthy local competitor to WGY. Though in the '60s > > and > > '70s when visiting in Schenectady I was fixated on WPTR and WTRY, > > I did > > listen to WSNY occasionally and found that it was a well-run > > station. There were many such stations in middle-market cities, > > little bantams > > that held up well to the big guys. I think of WNEB in Worcester > > from > > my adolescence --- 1230 kHz, 1 kw daytime, 250 at night, a CBS > > affiliate with a format geared toward middle- to older-aged > > adults. It > > had good DJs, good local news and sports coverage, all in all > > doing a > > fine job competing against full-service NBC powerhouse WTAG and > > the two > > hotly competitive Top 40 stations, WAAB and WORC. -Doug > > > > Quoting "Dan.Strassberg" : > > > I remember Edwardson and Putney from WGY in my college days > > > (early to > > > mid '50s). In those days, though, Steve Fitz was on little WSNY, > > > a > > > 250W Class IV on 1240. WSNY sounded amazingly professional for > > > such a > > > small station--its signal reached the entire Capital District by > > > day > > > but was competitive only in Schenectady and adjoining > > > communities, > > > such as Rotterdam. Weak signal or not, WSNY appeared to have > > > sold out > > > its entire schedule month after month, year after year. Always > > > ~17 > > > minutes of commercials per hour from sign-on to sign-off. Most > > > of the > > > commercials were locally produced. Many used jingle packages > > > that were > > > designed for specific types of businesses (furniture stores, > > > variety > > > stores etc) and could be tailored to specific businesses simply > > > by > > > inserting the advertiser's name, address, and phone number. Some > > > ads > > > used proprietary jingles, however. The one that I guess I will > > > never > > > forget was for W Baldwin Drum Real Estate: "Drum's along the > > > Mowhawk/with his eye on pro-per-teee." Ended with the beat of a > > > tom-tom over which was whispered W Baldwin Drum...W Baldwin > > > Drum... W > > > Baldwin Drum... Very memorable. Probably moved a lot of houses > > > and > > > farms. > > > ----- > > > Dan Strassberg (dan.strassberg@att.net) > > > eFax 1-707-215-6367 > > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > > From: "Dave Doherty" > > > To: "D. A." ; > > > ; "Doug Drown" > > > > > > Cc: > > > Sent: Tuesday, October 26, 2010 10:17 PM > > > Subject: Re: Boom Boom Brannigan passes on > > > > > > > > > >I met Boom-Boom in 1968 or maybe 1969 at the WPTR studios. > > > >Another > > > >WPTR DJ, Roy Urbinas, who eventually wound up in Plattsburgh > > > >and may > > > >have originally hailed from there, cut a couple of voicers for > > > >me, > > > >and Roy introduced us. Boom Boom was an interesting character, > > > >very > > > >pleasant, and the first "Boss Jock" I ever met. > > > > Not long after, I worked summers as a tech at WGY, pushing > > > > buttons > > > > and whatnot for Bill Edwardson, Jack Shannon, Harry Downey, > > > > Earl > > > > Pudney, and Steve Fitz. > > > > -Dave Doherty > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > From dan.strassberg@att.net Wed Oct 27 20:43:37 2010 From: dan.strassberg@att.net (Dan.Strassberg) Date: Wed, 27 Oct 2010 20:43:37 -0400 Subject: worthy competition - was Boom Boom References: <20101027152720.c38dvhzmepb4os88@webmail.myfairpoint.net> <14627758.4253.1288214524414.JavaMail.root@m05> <002701cb762a$2d716020$88542060$@com> Message-ID: When WSRO signed on (in the very late '50s or early '60s, believe) it was a 1-kW daytimer with a studios and two-tower array on Curtis Ave on the east side of Marlboro. The cardioid pattern protected then co-channel WNBP. The problem was that the pattern more or less put Framingham in the broad null to the northeast of the array. The solution was to move one of the towers, thus slightly rotating the pattern (counterclockwise, I believe), but also creating prohibited overlap with first-adjacent WBET. Years later, WNBP moved to 1450 and became a full-timer. That enabled WSRO to increase power to 5 kW-U DA-N from a new site on Fitchburg St. (I never found out whether that site was in Marlboro or Hudson, but it was just north of the main part of Marlboro.) For this to happen, somebody at WBET had to be asleep at the switch, because WSRO's new ND operation greatly increased the prohibited daytime overlap between it and WBET. That overlap wasn't corrected until WSRO moved from Marlboro to Watertown and became a diplex with the Boston 1150 with lower power by day than by night and a day pattern that protects both first adjacents--WSAR and WBET. (Can anyone remember what 1150's calls were when WSRO moved in?) ----- Dan Strassberg (dan.strassberg@att.net) eFax 1-707-215-6367 ----- Original Message ----- From: "Linc Reed-Nickerson" To: ; "'Doug Drown'" ; ; "'Dave Doherty'" ; "'Dan.Strassberg'" Cc: "''" Sent: Wednesday, October 27, 2010 6:56 PM Subject: RE: worthy competition - was Boom Boom Driving down the Everett Turnpike from Concord to Manchester (in the 60's) there was a place where you could just see the beacons on the WKBR array, but you couldn't receive the station. Last time I drove down the turnpike, which was probably in the 80's the trees had grown enough you could no longer see the array. There was a similar situation with WSMN in Nashua, there was almost no signal at 180 and 260 degrees, theoretically near a null. When you drove by on the way to Milford the carrier would disappear and you'd be left with just sidebands! Growing in Acton in the 60's WOTW had a nice signal, but I never heard WSMN, for obvious reasons, same with WSRO in Marlboro. Their application for the new array looks much better, those were some of the deepest minima I've seen, Linc -----Original Message----- From: boston-radio-interest-bounces@tsornin.BostonRadio.org [mailto:boston-radio-interest-bounces@tsornin.BostonRadio.org] On Behalf Of Kevin Vahey Sent: Wednesday, October 27, 2010 2:13 PM To: Doug Drown; boston-radio-interest-bounces@tsornin.BostonRadio.org; 'Dave Doherty'; 'Dan.Strassberg'; Linc Reed-Nickerson Cc: '' Subject: Re: worthy competition - was Boom Boom KBR dominated inside the city limits but had a woeful signal at night FEA dominated Nashua and Concord When I visited PTR the all night guy was at the xmtr (this would be 68-69) They had all Harris cart machines with cue tones to start the next cart. Funny how it worked - in many markets the weaker signal dominated the core city, the stronger signal the burbs NY WMCA over WABC Bost WMEX over WBZ until WRKO came along Manchester WKBR over WFEA Portand WJAB over WLOB Providence WICE over WPRO Sprinhgfield WTXL over WHYN Buffalo WYSL over WKBW Sent on from my BlackBerry? so typos are because of tiny keys -----Original Message----- From: "Doug Drown" Sender: boston-radio-interest-bounces@tsornin.BostonRadio.org Date: Wed, 27 Oct 2010 15:27:20 To: 'Doug Drown'; 'Dave Doherty'; 'Dan.Strassberg'; Linc Reed-Nickerson Cc: '' Subject: Re: worthy competition - was Boom Boom >> OK, which one was Union9-9272 and which one was TT4-5107... Dave >> Dougherty will know. I know too, but I'll defer to Dave. My girlfriend, 68, has told me that WKBW used to have a huge night listenership in Maine. Her late husband, who lived most of his life in Maine and was a DJ and station manager for about fifteen years before going into education, regarded WKBW as THE radio station that all Top 40 stations should emulate. The WPTR towers in Colonie are still being used by the station's successor WDCD, but the WPTR call letters were removed from them a few years ago, and I believe the Albany Street studio --- which wasn't all that old --- has been vacated. I don't know where WDCD's current digs are. I sometimes used to listen to WKBR in Manchester on FM. This was in the mid- to late sixties; I think the AM was on 1250 by then, but we couldn't get it out Fitchburg way. WFEA, on the other hand, came in reasonably well. Both stations had a good sound; which one dominated the market? -Doug Quoting Linc Reed-Nickerson : > At night in Unity, Maine, where I miss-spent the summers of my > teenage years, > WPTR was what every kid listened to! Even in Actom, MA WPTR and > WKBW > were often > listened to. OK, which one was Union9-9272 and which one was > TT4-5107... Dave > Dougherty will know. Got to visit the WKBW transmitter circa 1976, > but not > WPTR, although I've driven by it on the throughway many times, as > recently as 3 > years ago. Yes, Kid Rock (All Summer Long) makes me think of my > teen > summers in > Unity, wonder what became of Donna (who is now 67)? > > I find the comments about the viability of the "worthy competitor" > very > interesting. Manchester, New Hampshire was a good example, with > WKBR (then > 1240) being the top station in the market, even at 250 watts! > > The change to 1250 and 5kW probably did little but generate > additional expense > (although possibly more revenue because of the higher power). Some > claimed they > lost listeners when the shifted frequency because 1250 on the river > had better > coverage in some areas than the DA on the granite shelf on Goffstown > Back Road. They had to add a 5th tower to modify the daytime pattern > a year or so after it > was built. Too bad the original 1240 site is now gone, because it > might have > made sense to go back to 1240 in recent times, if it would still > fit. > WFTN in > Franklin might be the stopper, but with ground conductivity in NH > being what it > is it might have fit. 1250 to 1240 would be a minor change per the > current FCC > policies. > > And remember when WTAO was a significant player in Boston in the > early 1950's? > > Speaking of ground conductivity, it's so bad on the Oregon Coast 820 > with a 1kW > has about a 20 mile radius, 1kW on 1230 in Burns on the other hand > has a 75 mile > radius. According to FCC conductivity maps, both locations are the > same, but > having made measurements I know the away from the shore in Oregon > the > conductivity is 0.5 to 0.1. If your transmitter is in from the > coast, as many > on the Oregon coast are, you don't get much help from the seawater > conductivity. > There's a 50kW in Reedsport, OR that doesn't have the coverage of > my 1230 in > Burns! > > Linc > > -----Original Message----- > From: boston-radio-interest-bounces@tsornin.BostonRadio.org > [mailto:boston-radio-interest-bounces@tsornin.BostonRadio.org] On > Behalf Of Doug > Drown > Sent: Wednesday, October 27, 2010 6:55 AM > To: Dave Doherty; Dan.Strassberg > Cc: =?utf-8?b??= > Subject: Re: Boom Boom Brannigan passes on > > That Drum real estate ad was really clever. Little WSNY positioned > itself as a worthy local competitor to WGY. Though in the '60s and > '70s when visiting in Schenectady I was fixated on WPTR and WTRY, I > did > listen to WSNY occasionally and found that it was a well-run > station. > There were many such stations in middle-market cities, little > bantams > that held up well to the big guys. I think of WNEB in Worcester > from > my adolescence --- 1230 kHz, 1 kw daytime, 250 at night, a CBS > affiliate with a format geared toward middle- to older-aged adults. > It > had good DJs, good local news and sports coverage, all in all doing > a > fine job competing against full-service NBC powerhouse WTAG and the > two > hotly competitive Top 40 stations, WAAB and WORC. -Doug > > Quoting "Dan.Strassberg" : > > I remember Edwardson and Putney from WGY in my college days (early > > to > > mid '50s). In those days, though, Steve Fitz was on little WSNY, a > > 250W Class IV on 1240. WSNY sounded amazingly professional for > > such a > > small station--its signal reached the entire Capital District by > > day > > but was competitive only in Schenectady and adjoining communities, > > such as Rotterdam. Weak signal or not, WSNY appeared to have sold > > out > > its entire schedule month after month, year after year. Always ~17 > > minutes of commercials per hour from sign-on to sign-off. Most of > > the > > commercials were locally produced. Many used jingle packages that > > were > > designed for specific types of businesses (furniture stores, > > variety > > stores etc) and could be tailored to specific businesses simply by > > inserting the advertiser's name, address, and phone number. Some > > ads > > used proprietary jingles, however. The one that I guess I will > > never > > forget was for W Baldwin Drum Real Estate: "Drum's along the > > Mowhawk/with his eye on pro-per-teee." Ended with the beat of a > > tom-tom over which was whispered W Baldwin Drum...W Baldwin > > Drum... W > > Baldwin Drum... Very memorable. Probably moved a lot of houses and > > farms. > > > > ----- > > Dan Strassberg (dan.strassberg@att.net) > > eFax 1-707-215-6367 > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: "Dave Doherty" > > To: "D. A." ; > > ; "Doug Drown" > > > > Cc: > > Sent: Tuesday, October 26, 2010 10:17 PM > > Subject: Re: Boom Boom Brannigan passes on > > > > > > >I met Boom-Boom in 1968 or maybe 1969 at the WPTR studios. > > >Another > > >WPTR DJ, Roy Urbinas, who eventually wound up in Plattsburgh and > > >may > > >have originally hailed from there, cut a couple of voicers for > > >me, > > >and Roy introduced us. Boom Boom was an interesting character, > > >very > > >pleasant, and the first "Boss Jock" I ever met. > > > > > > Not long after, I worked summers as a tech at WGY, pushing > > > buttons > > > and whatnot for Bill Edwardson, Jack Shannon, Harry Downey, Earl > > > Pudney, and Steve Fitz. > > > > > > -Dave Doherty > > > > > > > > > > From dave@skywaves.net Wed Oct 27 22:32:53 2010 From: dave@skywaves.net (Dave Doherty) Date: Wed, 27 Oct 2010 22:32:53 -0400 Subject: Boom Boom Brannigan passes on In-Reply-To: <20101026230957.u3t5gzqtr94w04ww@webmail.myfairpoint.net> References: <20101026230957.u3t5gzqtr94w04ww@webmail.myfairpoint.net> Message-ID: <9525E6022365420398B9F75CCED201B7@dave> I worked the summers of 1969, 1970, and 1971 at WGY. It was, as you say, an amazing place. When I first started, they had a full-time Record Librarian! The FM was an IGM punch-card automation system housed in three racks in what had been the echo chamber - a long, fairly narrow room with a speaker on one end and a microphone at the other. Charlie King was the operations manager, and Don Brown had just started as Program Director. I spent quite a bit of time with Don, who was the guy who brought on Jack "Shannon in the Morning" Murphy after Bill Edwardson left for greener pastures (Cleveland? Detroit?). Don was trying to tighten up the format, and it was a hard go with some of the older engineers, whose DNA seemed to include dead air between events. The engineers were, of course, all NABET guys. One fellow had been on staff at WGY for close to 50 years, and several had forty or more. Before that, I spent some time working at WOKO while I was in high school. Geoff Davis was the morning man there when I started. I never met him, though, because he did his show from a studio in his home. -------------------------------------------------- From: "Doug Drown" Sent: Tuesday, October 26, 2010 11:09 PM To: "=?utf-8?b??=" Subject: Re: Boom Boom Brannigan passes on > >>>I worked summers as a tech at WGY, pushing buttons and > whatnot for Bill Edwardson, Jack Shannon, Harry Downey, Earl Pudney, and > Steve Fitz. > > - Dave Doherty > > What a great opportunity!! WGY, in its prime as GE's flagship, was one of > North America's greatest, class-act radio stations. The histories of > WGY, WGFM (WRVE) and WRGB are amazing. I'd love to hear some of your > memories. -Doug > > > > > From dave@skywaves.net Wed Oct 27 22:52:20 2010 From: dave@skywaves.net (Dave Doherty) Date: Wed, 27 Oct 2010 22:52:20 -0400 Subject: worthy competition - was Boom Boom In-Reply-To: <20101027152720.c38dvhzmepb4os88@webmail.myfairpoint.net> References: <20101027152720.c38dvhzmepb4os88@webmail.myfairpoint.net> Message-ID: I'll give it up to Doug. Union 9-9272 sounds like the old WABC ads for the all-night clothier in Union, NJ, but I can't be sure. OK. I'm getting old. -d -------------------------------------------------- From: "Doug Drown" Sent: Wednesday, October 27, 2010 3:27 PM To: "'Doug Drown'" ; "'Dave Doherty'" ; "'Dan.Strassberg'" ; "Linc Reed-Nickerson" Cc: "''" Subject: Re: worthy competition - was Boom Boom > >>> OK, which one was Union9-9272 and which one was TT4-5107... Dave >>> Dougherty will know. > > I know too, but I'll defer to Dave. From gary@garysicecream.com Wed Oct 27 23:03:11 2010 From: gary@garysicecream.com (Gary's Ice Cream) Date: Wed, 27 Oct 2010 23:03:11 -0400 Subject: Boom Boom Brannigan passes on In-Reply-To: <9525E6022365420398B9F75CCED201B7@dave> References: <20101026230957.u3t5gzqtr94w04ww@webmail.myfairpoint.net> <9525E6022365420398B9F75CCED201B7@dave> Message-ID: <073601cb764c$a8087630$f8196290$@com> Was this the same Don Brown who had been PD at WLLH til about 68 or 69? -----Original Message----- From: boston-radio-interest-bounces@tsornin.BostonRadio.org [mailto:boston-radio-interest-bounces@tsornin.BostonRadio.org] On Behalf Of Dave Doherty Sent: Wednesday, October 27, 2010 10:33 PM To: Doug Drown; boston-radio-interest@rolinin.bostonradio.org Subject: Re: Boom Boom Brannigan passes on I worked the summers of 1969, 1970, and 1971 at WGY. It was, as you say, an amazing place. When I first started, they had a full-time Record Librarian! The FM was an IGM punch-card automation system housed in three racks in what had been the echo chamber - a long, fairly narrow room with a speaker on one end and a microphone at the other. Charlie King was the operations manager, and Don Brown had just started as Program Director. I spent quite a bit of time with Don, who was the guy who brought on Jack "Shannon in the Morning" Murphy after Bill Edwardson left for greener pastures (Cleveland? Detroit?). Don was trying to tighten up the format, and it was a hard go with some of the older engineers, whose DNA seemed to include dead air between events. The engineers were, of course, all NABET guys. One fellow had been on staff at WGY for close to 50 years, and several had forty or more. Before that, I spent some time working at WOKO while I was in high school. Geoff Davis was the morning man there when I started. I never met him, though, because he did his show from a studio in his home. -------------------------------------------------- From: "Doug Drown" Sent: Tuesday, October 26, 2010 11:09 PM To: "=?utf-8?b??=" Subject: Re: Boom Boom Brannigan passes on > >>>I worked summers as a tech at WGY, pushing buttons and > whatnot for Bill Edwardson, Jack Shannon, Harry Downey, Earl Pudney, and > Steve Fitz. > > - Dave Doherty > > What a great opportunity!! WGY, in its prime as GE's flagship, was one of > North America's greatest, class-act radio stations. The histories of > WGY, WGFM (WRVE) and WRGB are amazing. I'd love to hear some of your > memories. -Doug > > > > > From dave@skywaves.net Wed Oct 27 23:05:06 2010 From: dave@skywaves.net (Dave Doherty) Date: Wed, 27 Oct 2010 23:05:06 -0400 Subject: AM Skywave in Upstate NY - was Boom Boom In-Reply-To: <020001cb7604$c9e70b60$5db52220$@com> References: <26366390.110865.1288188098626.JavaMail.root@m05> <020001cb7604$c9e70b60$5db52220$@com> Message-ID: <1D33AEE6173F473E91F0A652D691948F@dave> Funny. I lived in Delmar, less than ten miles from, WPTR, but right in the middle of one of its two deep nulls. I could not receive the station reliably at night. But WKBW 300 miles away? That was like local! Around 1969, Emerson Lake and Palmer played the War Memorial auditorium in Syracuse. I drove down from Clarkson with a few buddies, listening to WLS all the way down. We picked up a female hitchhiker after the concert, while WLS was playing "Brandy." She turned out to be from Chicago, and we geeks were amazed that she didn't know she could listen to WLS at night in upstate New York. I don't exactly recall where any of us wound up that night... -------------------------------------------------- From: "Linc Reed-Nickerson" Sent: Wednesday, October 27, 2010 2:28 PM To: "'Doug Drown'" ; "'Dave Doherty'" ; "'Dan.Strassberg'" Cc: "''" Subject: worthy competition - was Boom Boom > > At night in Unity, Maine, where I miss-spent the summers of my teenage > years, WPTR was what every kid listened to! Even in Actom, MA WPTR and > WKBW were often listened to. OK, which one was Union9-9272 and which one > was TT4-5107... Dave Dougherty will know. Got to visit the WKBW > transmitter circa 1976, but not WPTR, although I've driven by it on the > throughway many times, as recently as 3 years ago. Yes, Kid Rock (All > Summer Long) makes me think of my teen summers in Unity, wonder what > became of Donna (who is now 67)? > From dave@skywaves.net Wed Oct 27 23:08:52 2010 From: dave@skywaves.net (Dave Doherty) Date: Wed, 27 Oct 2010 23:08:52 -0400 Subject: Boom Boom Brannigan passes on In-Reply-To: <073601cb764c$a8087630$f8196290$@com> References: <20101026230957.u3t5gzqtr94w04ww@webmail.myfairpoint.net><9525E6022365420398B9F75CCED201B7@dave> <073601cb764c$a8087630$f8196290$@com> Message-ID: <9C5AC64998E144CA8B5367BE037EF02C@dave> Could be. I don't know where he was before WGY. He was about 30-35 in 1970 and had a six to eight year old daughter at the time. -d -------------------------------------------------- From: "Gary's Ice Cream" Sent: Wednesday, October 27, 2010 11:03 PM To: "Boston radio e-mail list" Subject: RE: Boom Boom Brannigan passes on > > Was this the same Don Brown who had been PD at WLLH til about 68 or 69? > > > -----Original Message----- > From: boston-radio-interest-bounces@tsornin.BostonRadio.org > [mailto:boston-radio-interest-bounces@tsornin.BostonRadio.org] On Behalf > Of Dave Doherty > Sent: Wednesday, October 27, 2010 10:33 PM > To: Doug Drown; boston-radio-interest@rolinin.bostonradio.org > Subject: Re: Boom Boom Brannigan passes on > > I worked the summers of 1969, 1970, and 1971 at WGY. It was, as you say, > an > amazing place. > > When I first started, they had a full-time Record Librarian! > > The FM was an IGM punch-card automation system housed in three racks in > what > had been the echo chamber - a long, fairly narrow room with a speaker on > one > end and a microphone at the other. > > Charlie King was the operations manager, and Don Brown had just started as > Program Director. I spent quite a bit of time with Don, who was the guy > who > brought on Jack "Shannon in the Morning" Murphy after Bill Edwardson left > for greener pastures (Cleveland? Detroit?). Don was trying to tighten up > the > format, and it was a hard go with some of the older engineers, whose DNA > seemed to include dead air between events. The engineers were, of course, > all NABET guys. One fellow had been on staff at WGY for close to 50 > years, > and several had forty or more. > > Before that, I spent some time working at WOKO while I was in high school. > Geoff Davis was the morning man there when I started. I never met him, > though, because he did his show from a studio in his home. > > > > -------------------------------------------------- > From: "Doug Drown" > Sent: Tuesday, October 26, 2010 11:09 PM > To: "=?utf-8?b??=" > Subject: Re: Boom Boom Brannigan passes on > >> >>>>I worked summers as a tech at WGY, pushing buttons and >> whatnot for Bill Edwardson, Jack Shannon, Harry Downey, Earl Pudney, and >> Steve Fitz. >> >> - Dave Doherty >> >> What a great opportunity!! WGY, in its prime as GE's flagship, was one >> of >> North America's greatest, class-act radio stations. The histories of >> WGY, WGFM (WRVE) and WRGB are amazing. I'd love to hear some of your >> memories. -Doug >> >> >> >> >> > > > > > From kvahey@gmail.com Wed Oct 27 23:13:39 2010 From: kvahey@gmail.com (Kevin Vahey) Date: Thu, 28 Oct 2010 03:13:39 +0000 Subject: AM Skywave in Upstate NY - was Boom Boom In-Reply-To: <1D33AEE6173F473E91F0A652D691948F@dave> References: <26366390.110865.1288188098626.JavaMail.root@m05><020001cb7604$c9e70b60$5db52220$@com><1D33AEE6173F473E91F0A652D691948F@dave> Message-ID: <1382269660-1288235619-cardhu_decombobulator_blackberry.rim.net-1392826015-@bda268.bisx.prod.on.blackberry> It was 1969 - memories are fuzzy :) In Cambridge WCFL was equal to WLS but today WMVP just doesn't make it in Sent on from my BlackBerry? so typos are because of tiny keys -----Original Message----- From: "Dave Doherty" Sender: boston-radio-interest-bounces@tsornin.BostonRadio.org Date: Wed, 27 Oct 2010 23:05:06 To: Linc Reed-Nickerson; 'Doug Drown'; 'Dan.Strassberg' Cc: boston-radio-interest@rolinin.bostonradio.org Subject: AM Skywave in Upstate NY - was Boom Boom Funny. I lived in Delmar, less than ten miles from, WPTR, but right in the middle of one of its two deep nulls. I could not receive the station reliably at night. But WKBW 300 miles away? That was like local! Around 1969, Emerson Lake and Palmer played the War Memorial auditorium in Syracuse. I drove down from Clarkson with a few buddies, listening to WLS all the way down. We picked up a female hitchhiker after the concert, while WLS was playing "Brandy." She turned out to be from Chicago, and we geeks were amazed that she didn't know she could listen to WLS at night in upstate New York. I don't exactly recall where any of us wound up that night... -------------------------------------------------- From: "Linc Reed-Nickerson" Sent: Wednesday, October 27, 2010 2:28 PM To: "'Doug Drown'" ; "'Dave Doherty'" ; "'Dan.Strassberg'" Cc: "''" Subject: worthy competition - was Boom Boom > > At night in Unity, Maine, where I miss-spent the summers of my teenage > years, WPTR was what every kid listened to! Even in Actom, MA WPTR and > WKBW were often listened to. OK, which one was Union9-9272 and which one > was TT4-5107... Dave Dougherty will know. Got to visit the WKBW > transmitter circa 1976, but not WPTR, although I've driven by it on the > throughway many times, as recently as 3 years ago. Yes, Kid Rock (All > Summer Long) makes me think of my teen summers in Unity, wonder what > became of Donna (who is now 67)? > From dave@skywaves.net Wed Oct 27 23:30:33 2010 From: dave@skywaves.net (Dave Doherty) Date: Wed, 27 Oct 2010 23:30:33 -0400 Subject: Boom Boom Brannigan passes on In-Reply-To: References: <20101026230957.u3t5gzqtr94w04ww@webmail.myfairpoint.net><9525E6022365420398B9F75CCED201B7@dave><073601cb764c$a8087630$f8196290$@com><9C5AC64998E144CA8B5367BE037EF02C@dave> Message-ID: True. Don's playlist was eclectic, and included PPM, BST, The Band, Elton John (yes, way back when), and I do recall playing "Signs" once or twice. He started an overnight show that I think he wanted to be like today's Blair Garner "After Midnight" show. I auditioned for it, but I didn't make the cut. My demo was was maybe a little too heavy... -d > I remember Don Brown as PD at WGY... he really started playing more > current music, and Bill Edwardson was very upset and left. I recalled > hearing Blood, Sweat and Tears on WGY at that time - and that was a > real mind blower. A friend of mine claimed to hear "Signs" by the 5 > Man Electrical Band on the station during Brown's regime, but I can't > see that being true. > > -Rick Kelly > > From joe@attorneyross.com Thu Oct 28 00:08:13 2010 From: joe@attorneyross.com (A Joseph Ross) Date: Thu, 28 Oct 2010 00:08:13 -0400 Subject: Boom Boom Brannigan passes on In-Reply-To: <785A03D4EB2145EFBC9822973258A6C9@SatU205S5044> References: <209208.35342.qm@web110506.mail.gq1.yahoo.com> <58CE6E568C764979A64C15FC82B9546D@dave> <785A03D4EB2145EFBC9822973258A6C9@SatU205S5044> Message-ID: <4CC8F72D.8010006@attorneyross.com> On 10/27/2010 8:55 AM, Dan.Strassberg wrote: > I remember Edwardson and Putney from WGY in my college days (early to > mid '50s). In those days, though, Steve Fitz was on little WSNY, a > 250W Class IV on 1240. WSNY sounded amazingly professional for such a > small station--its signal reached the entire Capital District by day > but was competitive only in Schenectady and adjoining communities, > such as Rotterdam. I remember discovering WSNY by accident from our home in Guilderland around 1954 or so. I wondered about it because it wasn't listed or mentioned at all in the radio listings in the Times Union. I also remember Earl Putney (I thought it was Pudney, at least that's how it sounded to me) on WGY in the morning, where my mother used to turn for news and weather. He also had a weekday early-evening TV show (I don't remember whether it was on every day or just once or twice a week) on WRGB, where he sang and played piano. He must have worked an incredibly long day to be on the early morning shift on radio and then an early evening TV show. Likewise Howard Tupper, the weatherman, who did the weather forecast in morning and then on the evening local news. -- A. Joseph Ross, J.D. 617.367.0468 92 State Street, Suite 700 Fax: 617.507.7856 Boston, MA 02109-2004 http://www.attorneyross.com From joe@attorneyross.com Thu Oct 28 00:13:12 2010 From: joe@attorneyross.com (A Joseph Ross) Date: Thu, 28 Oct 2010 00:13:12 -0400 Subject: worthy competition - was Boom Boom In-Reply-To: <20101027152720.c38dvhzmepb4os88@webmail.myfairpoint.net> References: <20101027152720.c38dvhzmepb4os88@webmail.myfairpoint.net> Message-ID: <4CC8F858.3070004@attorneyross.com> On 10/27/2010 3:27 PM, Doug Drown wrote:I sometimes used to listen to WKBR in Manchester on FM. This was in the mid- to late sixties; I think the AM was on 1250 by then, but we couldn't get it out Fitchburg way. WFEA, on the other hand, came in reasonably well. Both stations had a good sound; which one dominated the market? I did, too. We moved to Bedford in1957, and in December 1958 I got my first FM radio. I soon discovered WKBR-FM and found it a good alternative to the Boston Top 40 stations. One thing I liked was that on Saturday afternoon they used to play the previous Top 40 from a year ago. After WCOP gave up rock & roll in 1962, I turned to WKBR even more because WBZ had talk in the evening and WMEX had a poor nighttime signal in our corner of Bedford (and had Gerry Williams starting at 10). So WKBR was what I listened to when I wanted that kind of music in the evening. -- A. Joseph Ross, J.D. 617.367.0468 92 State Street, Suite 700 Fax: 617.507.7856 Boston, MA 02109-2004 http://www.attorneyross.com From joe@attorneyross.com Thu Oct 28 00:16:17 2010 From: joe@attorneyross.com (A Joseph Ross) Date: Thu, 28 Oct 2010 00:16:17 -0400 Subject: worthy competition - was Boom Boom In-Reply-To: References: <20101027152720.c38dvhzmepb4os88@webmail.myfairpoint.net> <14627758.4253.1288214524414.JavaMail.root@m05> <002701cb762a$2d716020$88542060$@com> Message-ID: <4CC8F911.3060206@attorneyross.com> On 10/27/2010 8:43 PM, Dan.Strassberg wrote: > (Can > anyone remember what 1150's calls were when WSRO moved in?) I can't even remember what 1150's calls are now! :-) -- A. Joseph Ross, J.D. 617.367.0468 92 State Street, Suite 700 Fax: 617.507.7856 Boston, MA 02109-2004 http://www.attorneyross.com From linc@reed-nickerson.com Wed Oct 27 14:28:43 2010 From: linc@reed-nickerson.com (Linc Reed-Nickerson) Date: Wed, 27 Oct 2010 11:28:43 -0700 Subject: worthy competition - was Boom Boom In-Reply-To: <26366390.110865.1288188098626.JavaMail.root@m05> References: <26366390.110865.1288188098626.JavaMail.root@m05> Message-ID: <020001cb7604$c9e70b60$5db52220$@com> At night in Unity, Maine, where I miss-spent the summers of my teenage years, WPTR was what every kid listened to! Even in Actom, MA WPTR and WKBW were often listened to. OK, which one was Union9-9272 and which one was TT4-5107... Dave Dougherty will know. Got to visit the WKBW transmitter circa 1976, but not WPTR, although I've driven by it on the throughway many times, as recently as 3 years ago. Yes, Kid Rock (All Summer Long) makes me think of my teen summers in Unity, wonder what became of Donna (who is now 67)? I find the comments about the viability of the "worthy competitor" very interesting. Manchester, New Hampshire was a good example, with WKBR (then 1240) being the top station in the market, even at 250 watts! The change to 1250 and 5kW probably did little but generate additional expense (although possibly more revenue because of the higher power). Some claimed they lost listeners when the shifted frequency because 1250 on the river had better coverage in some areas than the DA on the granite shelf on Goffstown Back Road. They had to add a 5th tower to modify the daytime pattern a year or so after it was built. Too bad the original 1240 site is now gone, because it might have made sense to go back to 1240 in recent times, if it would still fit. WFTN in Franklin might be the stopper, but with ground conductivity in NH being what it is it might have fit. 1250 to 1240 would be a minor change per the current FCC policies. And remember when WTAO was a significant player in Boston in the early 1950's? Speaking of ground conductivity, it's so bad on the Oregon Coast 820 with a 1kW has about a 20 mile radius, 1kW on 1230 in Burns on the other hand has a 75 mile radius. According to FCC conductivity maps, both locations are the same, but having made measurements I know the away from the shore in Oregon the conductivity is 0.5 to 0.1. If your transmitter is in from the coast, as many on the Oregon coast are, you don't get much help from the seawater conductivity. There's a 50kW in Reedsport, OR that doesn't have the coverage of my 1230 in Burns! Linc -----Original Message----- From: boston-radio-interest-bounces@tsornin.BostonRadio.org [mailto:boston-radio-interest-bounces@tsornin.BostonRadio.org] On Behalf Of Doug Drown Sent: Wednesday, October 27, 2010 6:55 AM To: Dave Doherty; Dan.Strassberg Cc: =?utf-8?b??= Subject: Re: Boom Boom Brannigan passes on That Drum real estate ad was really clever. Little WSNY positioned itself as a worthy local competitor to WGY. Though in the '60s and '70s when visiting in Schenectady I was fixated on WPTR and WTRY, I did listen to WSNY occasionally and found that it was a well-run station. There were many such stations in middle-market cities, little bantams that held up well to the big guys. I think of WNEB in Worcester from my adolescence --- 1230 kHz, 1 kw daytime, 250 at night, a CBS affiliate with a format geared toward middle- to older-aged adults. It had good DJs, good local news and sports coverage, all in all doing a fine job competing against full-service NBC powerhouse WTAG and the two hotly competitive Top 40 stations, WAAB and WORC. -Doug Quoting "Dan.Strassberg" : > I remember Edwardson and Putney from WGY in my college days (early to > mid '50s). In those days, though, Steve Fitz was on little WSNY, a > 250W Class IV on 1240. WSNY sounded amazingly professional for such a > small station--its signal reached the entire Capital District by day > but was competitive only in Schenectady and adjoining communities, > such as Rotterdam. Weak signal or not, WSNY appeared to have sold out > its entire schedule month after month, year after year. Always ~17 > minutes of commercials per hour from sign-on to sign-off. Most of the > commercials were locally produced. Many used jingle packages that were > designed for specific types of businesses (furniture stores, variety > stores etc) and could be tailored to specific businesses simply by > inserting the advertiser's name, address, and phone number. Some ads > used proprietary jingles, however. The one that I guess I will never > forget was for W Baldwin Drum Real Estate: "Drum's along the > Mowhawk/with his eye on pro-per-teee." Ended with the beat of a > tom-tom over which was whispered W Baldwin Drum...W Baldwin Drum... W > Baldwin Drum... Very memorable. Probably moved a lot of houses and > farms. > > ----- > Dan Strassberg (dan.strassberg@att.net) > eFax 1-707-215-6367 > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Dave Doherty" > To: "D. A." ; > ; "Doug Drown" > > Cc: > Sent: Tuesday, October 26, 2010 10:17 PM > Subject: Re: Boom Boom Brannigan passes on > > > >I met Boom-Boom in 1968 or maybe 1969 at the WPTR studios. Another > >WPTR DJ, Roy Urbinas, who eventually wound up in Plattsburgh and may > >have originally hailed from there, cut a couple of voicers for me, > >and Roy introduced us. Boom Boom was an interesting character, very > >pleasant, and the first "Boss Jock" I ever met. > > > > Not long after, I worked summers as a tech at WGY, pushing buttons > > and whatnot for Bill Edwardson, Jack Shannon, Harry Downey, Earl > > Pudney, and Steve Fitz. > > > > -Dave Doherty > > > From linc@reed-nickerson.com Wed Oct 27 18:56:22 2010 From: linc@reed-nickerson.com (Linc Reed-Nickerson) Date: Wed, 27 Oct 2010 15:56:22 -0700 Subject: worthy competition - was Boom Boom In-Reply-To: <14627758.4253.1288214524414.JavaMail.root@m05> References: <20101027152720.c38dvhzmepb4os88@webmail.myfairpoint.net> <14627758.4253.1288214524414.JavaMail.root@m05> Message-ID: <002701cb762a$2d716020$88542060$@com> Driving down the Everett Turnpike from Concord to Manchester (in the 60's) there was a place where you could just see the beacons on the WKBR array, but you couldn't receive the station. Last time I drove down the turnpike, which was probably in the 80's the trees had grown enough you could no longer see the array. There was a similar situation with WSMN in Nashua, there was almost no signal at 180 and 260 degrees, theoretically near a null. When you drove by on the way to Milford the carrier would disappear and you'd be left with just sidebands! Growing in Acton in the 60's WOTW had a nice signal, but I never heard WSMN, for obvious reasons, same with WSRO in Marlboro. Their application for the new array looks much better, those were some of the deepest minima I've seen, Linc -----Original Message----- From: boston-radio-interest-bounces@tsornin.BostonRadio.org [mailto:boston-radio-interest-bounces@tsornin.BostonRadio.org] On Behalf Of Kevin Vahey Sent: Wednesday, October 27, 2010 2:13 PM To: Doug Drown; boston-radio-interest-bounces@tsornin.BostonRadio.org; 'Dave Doherty'; 'Dan.Strassberg'; Linc Reed-Nickerson Cc: '' Subject: Re: worthy competition - was Boom Boom KBR dominated inside the city limits but had a woeful signal at night FEA dominated Nashua and Concord When I visited PTR the all night guy was at the xmtr (this would be 68-69) They had all Harris cart machines with cue tones to start the next cart. Funny how it worked - in many markets the weaker signal dominated the core city, the stronger signal the burbs NY WMCA over WABC Bost WMEX over WBZ until WRKO came along Manchester WKBR over WFEA Portand WJAB over WLOB Providence WICE over WPRO Sprinhgfield WTXL over WHYN Buffalo WYSL over WKBW Sent on from my BlackBerry? so typos are because of tiny keys -----Original Message----- From: "Doug Drown" Sender: boston-radio-interest-bounces@tsornin.BostonRadio.org Date: Wed, 27 Oct 2010 15:27:20 To: 'Doug Drown'; 'Dave Doherty'; 'Dan.Strassberg'; Linc Reed-Nickerson Cc: '' Subject: Re: worthy competition - was Boom Boom >> OK, which one was Union9-9272 and which one was TT4-5107... Dave >> Dougherty will know. I know too, but I'll defer to Dave. My girlfriend, 68, has told me that WKBW used to have a huge night listenership in Maine. Her late husband, who lived most of his life in Maine and was a DJ and station manager for about fifteen years before going into education, regarded WKBW as THE radio station that all Top 40 stations should emulate. The WPTR towers in Colonie are still being used by the station's successor WDCD, but the WPTR call letters were removed from them a few years ago, and I believe the Albany Street studio --- which wasn't all that old --- has been vacated. I don't know where WDCD's current digs are. I sometimes used to listen to WKBR in Manchester on FM. This was in the mid- to late sixties; I think the AM was on 1250 by then, but we couldn't get it out Fitchburg way. WFEA, on the other hand, came in reasonably well. Both stations had a good sound; which one dominated the market? -Doug Quoting Linc Reed-Nickerson : > At night in Unity, Maine, where I miss-spent the summers of my teenage years, > WPTR was what every kid listened to! Even in Actom, MA WPTR and WKBW > were often > listened to. OK, which one was Union9-9272 and which one was > TT4-5107... Dave > Dougherty will know. Got to visit the WKBW transmitter circa 1976, but not > WPTR, although I've driven by it on the throughway many times, as > recently as 3 > years ago. Yes, Kid Rock (All Summer Long) makes me think of my teen > summers in > Unity, wonder what became of Donna (who is now 67)? > > I find the comments about the viability of the "worthy competitor" very > interesting. Manchester, New Hampshire was a good example, with WKBR (then > 1240) being the top station in the market, even at 250 watts! > > The change to 1250 and 5kW probably did little but generate > additional expense > (although possibly more revenue because of the higher power). Some > claimed they > lost listeners when the shifted frequency because 1250 on the river > had better > coverage in some areas than the DA on the granite shelf on Goffstown > Back Road. They had to add a 5th tower to modify the daytime pattern > a year or so after it > was built. Too bad the original 1240 site is now gone, because it might have > made sense to go back to 1240 in recent times, if it would still fit. > WFTN in > Franklin might be the stopper, but with ground conductivity in NH > being what it > is it might have fit. 1250 to 1240 would be a minor change per the > current FCC > policies. > > And remember when WTAO was a significant player in Boston in the > early 1950's? > > Speaking of ground conductivity, it's so bad on the Oregon Coast 820 > with a 1kW > has about a 20 mile radius, 1kW on 1230 in Burns on the other hand > has a 75 mile > radius. According to FCC conductivity maps, both locations are the same, but > having made measurements I know the away from the shore in Oregon the > conductivity is 0.5 to 0.1. If your transmitter is in from the > coast, as many > on the Oregon coast are, you don't get much help from the seawater > conductivity. > There's a 50kW in Reedsport, OR that doesn't have the coverage of my 1230 in > Burns! > > Linc > > -----Original Message----- > From: boston-radio-interest-bounces@tsornin.BostonRadio.org > [mailto:boston-radio-interest-bounces@tsornin.BostonRadio.org] On > Behalf Of Doug > Drown > Sent: Wednesday, October 27, 2010 6:55 AM > To: Dave Doherty; Dan.Strassberg > Cc: =?utf-8?b??= > Subject: Re: Boom Boom Brannigan passes on > > That Drum real estate ad was really clever. Little WSNY positioned > itself as a worthy local competitor to WGY. Though in the '60s and > '70s when visiting in Schenectady I was fixated on WPTR and WTRY, I did > listen to WSNY occasionally and found that it was a well-run station. > There were many such stations in middle-market cities, little bantams > that held up well to the big guys. I think of WNEB in Worcester from > my adolescence --- 1230 kHz, 1 kw daytime, 250 at night, a CBS > affiliate with a format geared toward middle- to older-aged adults. It > had good DJs, good local news and sports coverage, all in all doing a > fine job competing against full-service NBC powerhouse WTAG and the two > hotly competitive Top 40 stations, WAAB and WORC. -Doug > > Quoting "Dan.Strassberg" : > > I remember Edwardson and Putney from WGY in my college days (early to > > mid '50s). In those days, though, Steve Fitz was on little WSNY, a > > 250W Class IV on 1240. WSNY sounded amazingly professional for such a > > small station--its signal reached the entire Capital District by day > > but was competitive only in Schenectady and adjoining communities, > > such as Rotterdam. Weak signal or not, WSNY appeared to have sold out > > its entire schedule month after month, year after year. Always ~17 > > minutes of commercials per hour from sign-on to sign-off. Most of the > > commercials were locally produced. Many used jingle packages that were > > designed for specific types of businesses (furniture stores, variety > > stores etc) and could be tailored to specific businesses simply by > > inserting the advertiser's name, address, and phone number. Some ads > > used proprietary jingles, however. The one that I guess I will never > > forget was for W Baldwin Drum Real Estate: "Drum's along the > > Mowhawk/with his eye on pro-per-teee." Ended with the beat of a > > tom-tom over which was whispered W Baldwin Drum...W Baldwin Drum... W > > Baldwin Drum... Very memorable. Probably moved a lot of houses and > > farms. > > > > ----- > > Dan Strassberg (dan.strassberg@att.net) > > eFax 1-707-215-6367 > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: "Dave Doherty" > > To: "D. A." ; > > ; "Doug Drown" > > > > Cc: > > Sent: Tuesday, October 26, 2010 10:17 PM > > Subject: Re: Boom Boom Brannigan passes on > > > > > > >I met Boom-Boom in 1968 or maybe 1969 at the WPTR studios. Another > > >WPTR DJ, Roy Urbinas, who eventually wound up in Plattsburgh and may > > >have originally hailed from there, cut a couple of voicers for me, > > >and Roy introduced us. Boom Boom was an interesting character, very > > >pleasant, and the first "Boss Jock" I ever met. > > > > > > Not long after, I worked summers as a tech at WGY, pushing buttons > > > and whatnot for Bill Edwardson, Jack Shannon, Harry Downey, Earl > > > Pudney, and Steve Fitz. > > > > > > -Dave Doherty > > > > > > > > > > From linc@reed-nickerson.com Wed Oct 27 19:11:37 2010 From: linc@reed-nickerson.com (Linc Reed-Nickerson) Date: Wed, 27 Oct 2010 16:11:37 -0700 Subject: worthy competition - was Boom Boom In-Reply-To: <19439176.5083.1288219459434.JavaMail.root@m05> References: <19439176.5083.1288219459434.JavaMail.root@m05> Message-ID: <002b01cb762c$4f32f7d0$ed98e770$@com> My guess is the "little guy" was the station who was willing to be creative, and it paid off. In 1962 I visited WJAB on the weekend, Tom Shovan was the DJ, that's after I'd visited WKBK at mid-day during the week, where Tom Shovan was the DJ, and later that same day visited WTSA, yes, Tom Shovan was the DJ... using the name Al Bumen. Three stations in three states at the same time? Guinness Book of World Records? This was all the same week, and Tom swore us to secrecy, not to tell Tal Hood at 'KBK. Less than a year later I was C.E. of WEMJ and WKBK. I got a call from Tal that something was wrong, and I drove from Laconia to see what it was. At the point near Hillsborough where I'd usually start to pick up WKBK, nothing. As I got closer I could hear sidebands... Remember CONELRAD? Yes, somehow they were on the CONELRAD crystal on 1240. I went straight to the transmitter, switched back to 1220, got to the studio and found Tom had filled out the transmitter log until sign-off. I called Tal, that was Shovan's last day at WKBK, I got to finish his shift. I didn't intend to get Shovan fired, but Tal said he was just looking for an excuse to let him go, and I had just given it to him. Joke always was Tom had to work 3 jobs to pay for his groceries. Tom was an odd duck, but a creative genius from the "toilet circuit of New Hampshire Radio," to quote Tom. Fifteen years later I worked with him again at WHVW in Hyde Park. Linc -----Original Message----- From: boston-radio-interest-bounces@tsornin.BostonRadio.org [mailto:boston-radio-interest-bounces@tsornin.BostonRadio.org] On Behalf Of Doug Drown Sent: Wednesday, October 27, 2010 3:38 PM To: Doug Drown; =?utf-8?b??=; 'Dave Doherty'; 'Dan.Strassberg'; Linc Reed-Nickerson; =?utf-8?b??= Cc: '' Subject: Re: worthy competition - was Boom Boom That is interesting . . . I wasn't aware that was the case in so many places. Did Burlington, Bridgeport and New Haven have competing rock stations? I very well remember WAVZ in New Haven, another station I used to listen to at night in Ashburnham. It was owned by my sixth grade teacher's brother, as was WTRY. He was quite proud of that. When I first came to Maine at the end of '76, WCSH in Portland had a Top 40 format. I think WLOB was still playing rock at that time; I don't remember whether WJAB still was. Perhaps so, because IIRC it had changed its calls to WJBQ by then. Three stations out of four, in one small-to-medium market, all doing Top 40? -Doug Quoting Kevin Vahey : > KBR dominated inside the city limits but had a woeful signal at night > > FEA dominated Nashua and Concord > > When I visited PTR the all night guy was at the xmtr (this would be > 68-69) They > had all Harris cart machines with cue tones to start the next cart. > > Funny how it worked - in many markets the weaker signal dominated the > core city, > the stronger signal the burbs > > NY WMCA over WABC > Bost WMEX over WBZ until WRKO came along > Manchester WKBR over WFEA > Portand WJAB over WLOB > Providence WICE over WPRO > Sprinhgfield WTXL over WHYN > Buffalo WYSL over WKBW > Sent on from my BlackBerry? so typos are because of tiny keys > > -----Original Message----- > From: "Doug Drown" > Sender: boston-radio-interest-bounces@tsornin.BostonRadio.org > Date: Wed, 27 Oct 2010 15:27:20 > To: 'Doug Drown'; 'Dave > Doherty'; > 'Dan.Strassberg'; Linc > Reed-Nickerson > Cc: '' > Subject: Re: worthy competition - was Boom Boom > > >> OK, which one was Union9-9272 and which one was TT4-5107... Dave > >> Dougherty will know. > > I know too, but I'll defer to Dave. > > My girlfriend, 68, has told me that WKBW used to have a huge night > listenership in Maine. Her late husband, who lived most of his life in > Maine and was a DJ and station manager for about fifteen years before > going into education, regarded WKBW as THE radio station that all Top > 40 stations should emulate. > > The WPTR towers in Colonie are still being used by the station's > successor WDCD, but the WPTR call letters were removed from them a few > years ago, and I believe the Albany Street studio --- which wasn't all > that old --- has been vacated. I don't know where WDCD's current digs > are. > > I sometimes used to listen to WKBR in Manchester on FM. This was in > the mid- to late sixties; I think the AM was on 1250 by then, but we > couldn't get it out Fitchburg way. WFEA, on the other hand, came in > reasonably well. Both stations had a good sound; which one dominated > the market? > > -Doug > > > > > Quoting Linc Reed-Nickerson : > > At night in Unity, Maine, where I miss-spent the summers of my > teenage years, > > WPTR was what every kid listened to! Even in Actom, MA WPTR and WKBW > > were often > > listened to. OK, which one was Union9-9272 and which one was > > TT4-5107... Dave > > Dougherty will know. Got to visit the WKBW transmitter circa 1976, but not > > WPTR, although I've driven by it on the throughway many times, as > > recently as 3 > > years ago. Yes, Kid Rock (All Summer Long) makes me think of my teen > > summers in > > Unity, wonder what became of Donna (who is now 67)? > > > > I find the comments about the viability of the "worthy competitor" very > > interesting. Manchester, New Hampshire was a good example, with WKBR (then > > 1240) being the top station in the market, even at 250 watts! > > > > The change to 1250 and 5kW probably did little but generate > > additional expense > > (although possibly more revenue because of the higher power). Some > > claimed they > > lost listeners when the shifted frequency because 1250 on the river > > had better > > coverage in some areas than the DA on the granite shelf on Goffstown > > Back Road. They had to add a 5th tower to modify the daytime pattern > > a year or so after it > > was built. Too bad the original 1240 site is now gone, because it > might have > > made sense to go back to 1240 in recent times, if it would still fit. > > WFTN in > > Franklin might be the stopper, but with ground conductivity in NH > > being what it > > is it might have fit. 1250 to 1240 would be a minor change per the > > current FCC > > policies. > > > > And remember when WTAO was a significant player in Boston in the > > early 1950's? > > > > Speaking of ground conductivity, it's so bad on the Oregon Coast 820 > > with a 1kW > > has about a 20 mile radius, 1kW on 1230 in Burns on the other hand > > has a 75 mile > > radius. According to FCC conductivity maps, both locations are the > same, but > > having made measurements I know the away from the shore in Oregon the > > conductivity is 0.5 to 0.1. If your transmitter is in from the > > coast, as many > > on the Oregon coast are, you don't get much help from the seawater > > conductivity. > > There's a 50kW in Reedsport, OR that doesn't have the coverage of > my 1230 in > > Burns! > > > > Linc > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: boston-radio-interest-bounces@tsornin.BostonRadio.org > > [mailto:boston-radio-interest-bounces@tsornin.BostonRadio.org] On > > Behalf Of Doug > > Drown > > Sent: Wednesday, October 27, 2010 6:55 AM > > To: Dave Doherty; Dan.Strassberg > > Cc: =?utf-8?b??= > > Subject: Re: Boom Boom Brannigan passes on > > > > That Drum real estate ad was really clever. Little WSNY positioned > > itself as a worthy local competitor to WGY. Though in the '60s and > > '70s when visiting in Schenectady I was fixated on WPTR and WTRY, I did > > listen to WSNY occasionally and found that it was a well-run station. > > There were many such stations in middle-market cities, little bantams > > that held up well to the big guys. I think of WNEB in Worcester from > > my adolescence --- 1230 kHz, 1 kw daytime, 250 at night, a CBS > > affiliate with a format geared toward middle- to older-aged adults. It > > had good DJs, good local news and sports coverage, all in all doing a > > fine job competing against full-service NBC powerhouse WTAG and the two > > hotly competitive Top 40 stations, WAAB and WORC. -Doug > > > > Quoting "Dan.Strassberg" : > > > I remember Edwardson and Putney from WGY in my college days (early to > > > mid '50s). In those days, though, Steve Fitz was on little WSNY, a > > > 250W Class IV on 1240. WSNY sounded amazingly professional for such a > > > small station--its signal reached the entire Capital District by day > > > but was competitive only in Schenectady and adjoining communities, > > > such as Rotterdam. Weak signal or not, WSNY appeared to have sold out > > > its entire schedule month after month, year after year. Always ~17 > > > minutes of commercials per hour from sign-on to sign-off. Most of the > > > commercials were locally produced. Many used jingle packages that were > > > designed for specific types of businesses (furniture stores, variety > > > stores etc) and could be tailored to specific businesses simply by > > > inserting the advertiser's name, address, and phone number. Some ads > > > used proprietary jingles, however. The one that I guess I will never > > > forget was for W Baldwin Drum Real Estate: "Drum's along the > > > Mowhawk/with his eye on pro-per-teee." Ended with the beat of a > > > tom-tom over which was whispered W Baldwin Drum...W Baldwin Drum... W > > > Baldwin Drum... Very memorable. Probably moved a lot of houses and > > > farms. > > > > > > ----- > > > Dan Strassberg (dan.strassberg@att.net) > > > eFax 1-707-215-6367 > > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > > From: "Dave Doherty" > > > To: "D. A." ; > > > ; "Doug Drown" > > > > > > Cc: > > > Sent: Tuesday, October 26, 2010 10:17 PM > > > Subject: Re: Boom Boom Brannigan passes on > > > > > > > > > >I met Boom-Boom in 1968 or maybe 1969 at the WPTR studios. Another > > > >WPTR DJ, Roy Urbinas, who eventually wound up in Plattsburgh and may > > > >have originally hailed from there, cut a couple of voicers for me, > > > >and Roy introduced us. Boom Boom was an interesting character, very > > > >pleasant, and the first "Boss Jock" I ever met. > > > > > > > > Not long after, I worked summers as a tech at WGY, pushing buttons > > > > and whatnot for Bill Edwardson, Jack Shannon, Harry Downey, Earl > > > > Pudney, and Steve Fitz. > > > > > > > > -Dave Doherty > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > From linc@reed-nickerson.com Wed Oct 27 19:13:10 2010 From: linc@reed-nickerson.com (Linc Reed-Nickerson) Date: Wed, 27 Oct 2010 16:13:10 -0700 Subject: worthy competition - was Boom Boom In-Reply-To: <19439176.5083.1288219459434.JavaMail.root@m05> References: <19439176.5083.1288219459434.JavaMail.root@m05> Message-ID: <002c01cb762c$8648fd00$92daf700$@com> I get email from the list daily, but when I go to post I get bounced as a non-member... How do we fix this? Linc -----Original Message----- From: boston-radio-interest-bounces@tsornin.BostonRadio.org [mailto:boston-radio-interest-bounces@tsornin.BostonRadio.org] On Behalf Of Doug Drown Sent: Wednesday, October 27, 2010 3:38 PM To: Doug Drown; =?utf-8?b??=; 'Dave Doherty'; 'Dan.Strassberg'; Linc Reed-Nickerson; =?utf-8?b??= Cc: '' Subject: Re: worthy competition - was Boom Boom That is interesting . . . I wasn't aware that was the case in so many places. Did Burlington, Bridgeport and New Haven have competing rock stations? I very well remember WAVZ in New Haven, another station I used to listen to at night in Ashburnham. It was owned by my sixth grade teacher's brother, as was WTRY. He was quite proud of that. When I first came to Maine at the end of '76, WCSH in Portland had a Top 40 format. I think WLOB was still playing rock at that time; I don't remember whether WJAB still was. Perhaps so, because IIRC it had changed its calls to WJBQ by then. Three stations out of four, in one small-to-medium market, all doing Top 40? -Doug Quoting Kevin Vahey : > KBR dominated inside the city limits but had a woeful signal at night > > FEA dominated Nashua and Concord > > When I visited PTR the all night guy was at the xmtr (this would be > 68-69) They > had all Harris cart machines with cue tones to start the next cart. > > Funny how it worked - in many markets the weaker signal dominated the > core city, > the stronger signal the burbs > > NY WMCA over WABC > Bost WMEX over WBZ until WRKO came along > Manchester WKBR over WFEA > Portand WJAB over WLOB > Providence WICE over WPRO > Sprinhgfield WTXL over WHYN > Buffalo WYSL over WKBW > Sent on from my BlackBerry? so typos are because of tiny keys > > -----Original Message----- > From: "Doug Drown" > Sender: boston-radio-interest-bounces@tsornin.BostonRadio.org > Date: Wed, 27 Oct 2010 15:27:20 > To: 'Doug Drown'; 'Dave > Doherty'; > 'Dan.Strassberg'; Linc > Reed-Nickerson > Cc: '' > Subject: Re: worthy competition - was Boom Boom > > >> OK, which one was Union9-9272 and which one was TT4-5107... Dave > >> Dougherty will know. > > I know too, but I'll defer to Dave. > > My girlfriend, 68, has told me that WKBW used to have a huge night > listenership in Maine. Her late husband, who lived most of his life in > Maine and was a DJ and station manager for about fifteen years before > going into education, regarded WKBW as THE radio station that all Top > 40 stations should emulate. > > The WPTR towers in Colonie are still being used by the station's > successor WDCD, but the WPTR call letters were removed from them a few > years ago, and I believe the Albany Street studio --- which wasn't all > that old --- has been vacated. I don't know where WDCD's current digs > are. > > I sometimes used to listen to WKBR in Manchester on FM. This was in > the mid- to late sixties; I think the AM was on 1250 by then, but we > couldn't get it out Fitchburg way. WFEA, on the other hand, came in > reasonably well. Both stations had a good sound; which one dominated > the market? > > -Doug > > > > > Quoting Linc Reed-Nickerson : > > At night in Unity, Maine, where I miss-spent the summers of my > teenage years, > > WPTR was what every kid listened to! Even in Actom, MA WPTR and WKBW > > were often > > listened to. OK, which one was Union9-9272 and which one was > > TT4-5107... Dave > > Dougherty will know. Got to visit the WKBW transmitter circa 1976, but not > > WPTR, although I've driven by it on the throughway many times, as > > recently as 3 > > years ago. Yes, Kid Rock (All Summer Long) makes me think of my teen > > summers in > > Unity, wonder what became of Donna (who is now 67)? > > > > I find the comments about the viability of the "worthy competitor" very > > interesting. Manchester, New Hampshire was a good example, with WKBR (then > > 1240) being the top station in the market, even at 250 watts! > > > > The change to 1250 and 5kW probably did little but generate > > additional expense > > (although possibly more revenue because of the higher power). Some > > claimed they > > lost listeners when the shifted frequency because 1250 on the river > > had better > > coverage in some areas than the DA on the granite shelf on Goffstown > > Back Road. They had to add a 5th tower to modify the daytime pattern > > a year or so after it > > was built. Too bad the original 1240 site is now gone, because it > might have > > made sense to go back to 1240 in recent times, if it would still fit. > > WFTN in > > Franklin might be the stopper, but with ground conductivity in NH > > being what it > > is it might have fit. 1250 to 1240 would be a minor change per the > > current FCC > > policies. > > > > And remember when WTAO was a significant player in Boston in the > > early 1950's? > > > > Speaking of ground conductivity, it's so bad on the Oregon Coast 820 > > with a 1kW > > has about a 20 mile radius, 1kW on 1230 in Burns on the other hand > > has a 75 mile > > radius. According to FCC conductivity maps, both locations are the > same, but > > having made measurements I know the away from the shore in Oregon the > > conductivity is 0.5 to 0.1. If your transmitter is in from the > > coast, as many > > on the Oregon coast are, you don't get much help from the seawater > > conductivity. > > There's a 50kW in Reedsport, OR that doesn't have the coverage of > my 1230 in > > Burns! > > > > Linc > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: boston-radio-interest-bounces@tsornin.BostonRadio.org > > [mailto:boston-radio-interest-bounces@tsornin.BostonRadio.org] On > > Behalf Of Doug > > Drown > > Sent: Wednesday, October 27, 2010 6:55 AM > > To: Dave Doherty; Dan.Strassberg > > Cc: =?utf-8?b??= > > Subject: Re: Boom Boom Brannigan passes on > > > > That Drum real estate ad was really clever. Little WSNY positioned > > itself as a worthy local competitor to WGY. Though in the '60s and > > '70s when visiting in Schenectady I was fixated on WPTR and WTRY, I did > > listen to WSNY occasionally and found that it was a well-run station. > > There were many such stations in middle-market cities, little bantams > > that held up well to the big guys. I think of WNEB in Worcester from > > my adolescence --- 1230 kHz, 1 kw daytime, 250 at night, a CBS > > affiliate with a format geared toward middle- to older-aged adults. It > > had good DJs, good local news and sports coverage, all in all doing a > > fine job competing against full-service NBC powerhouse WTAG and the two > > hotly competitive Top 40 stations, WAAB and WORC. -Doug > > > > Quoting "Dan.Strassberg" : > > > I remember Edwardson and Putney from WGY in my college days (early to > > > mid '50s). In those days, though, Steve Fitz was on little WSNY, a > > > 250W Class IV on 1240. WSNY sounded amazingly professional for such a > > > small station--its signal reached the entire Capital District by day > > > but was competitive only in Schenectady and adjoining communities, > > > such as Rotterdam. Weak signal or not, WSNY appeared to have sold out > > > its entire schedule month after month, year after year. Always ~17 > > > minutes of commercials per hour from sign-on to sign-off. Most of the > > > commercials were locally produced. Many used jingle packages that were > > > designed for specific types of businesses (furniture stores, variety > > > stores etc) and could be tailored to specific businesses simply by > > > inserting the advertiser's name, address, and phone number. Some ads > > > used proprietary jingles, however. The one that I guess I will never > > > forget was for W Baldwin Drum Real Estate: "Drum's along the > > > Mowhawk/with his eye on pro-per-teee." Ended with the beat of a > > > tom-tom over which was whispered W Baldwin Drum...W Baldwin Drum... W > > > Baldwin Drum... Very memorable. Probably moved a lot of houses and > > > farms. > > > > > > ----- > > > Dan Strassberg (dan.strassberg@att.net) > > > eFax 1-707-215-6367 > > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > > From: "Dave Doherty" > > > To: "D. A." ; > > > ; "Doug Drown" > > > > > > Cc: > > > Sent: Tuesday, October 26, 2010 10:17 PM > > > Subject: Re: Boom Boom Brannigan passes on > > > > > > > > > >I met Boom-Boom in 1968 or maybe 1969 at the WPTR studios. Another > > > >WPTR DJ, Roy Urbinas, who eventually wound up in Plattsburgh and may > > > >have originally hailed from there, cut a couple of voicers for me, > > > >and Roy introduced us. Boom Boom was an interesting character, very > > > >pleasant, and the first "Boss Jock" I ever met. > > > > > > > > Not long after, I worked summers as a tech at WGY, pushing buttons > > > > and whatnot for Bill Edwardson, Jack Shannon, Harry Downey, Earl > > > > Pudney, and Steve Fitz. > > > > > > > > -Dave Doherty > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > From kvahey@gmail.com Thu Oct 28 00:44:54 2010 From: kvahey@gmail.com (Kevin Vahey) Date: Thu, 28 Oct 2010 00:44:54 -0400 Subject: worthy competition - was Boom Boom In-Reply-To: <020001cb7604$c9e70b60$5db52220$@com> References: <26366390.110865.1288188098626.JavaMail.root@m05> <020001cb7604$c9e70b60$5db52220$@com> Message-ID: <9062CF42-4187-471D-8EEA-D52E936ED4D2@gmail.com> In 1965 Ken Carter made a run at WMEX with 950 WORL and had a great summer but come fall and winter the daytime only doomed it and he flipped 950 to WRYT which failed. Sent from my iPhone On Oct 27, 2010, at 2:28 PM, "Linc Reed-Nickerson" wrote: > At night in Unity, Maine, where I miss-spent the summers of my teenage years, WPTR was what every kid listened to! Even in Actom, MA WPTR and WKBW were often listened to. OK, which one was Union9-9272 and which one was TT4-5107... Dave Dougherty will know. Got to visit the WKBW transmitter circa 1976, but not WPTR, although I've driven by it on the throughway many times, as recently as 3 years ago. Yes, Kid Rock (All Summer Long) makes me think of my teen summers in Unity, wonder what became of Donna (who is now 67)? > > I find the comments about the viability of the "worthy competitor" very interesting. Manchester, New Hampshire was a good example, with WKBR (then 1240) being the top station in the market, even at 250 watts! > > The change to 1250 and 5kW probably did little but generate additional expense (although possibly more revenue because of the higher power). Some claimed they lost listeners when the shifted frequency because 1250 on the river had better coverage in some areas than the DA on the granite shelf on Goffstown Back Road. They had to add a 5th tower to modify the daytime pattern a year or so after it was built. Too bad the original 1240 site is now gone, because it might have made sense to go back to 1240 in recent times, if it would still fit. WFTN in Franklin might be the stopper, but with ground conductivity in NH being what it is it might have fit. 1250 to 1240 would be a minor change per the current FCC policies. > > And remember when WTAO was a significant player in Boston in the early 1950's? > > Speaking of ground conductivity, it's so bad on the Oregon Coast 820 with a 1kW has about a 20 mile radius, 1kW on 1230 in Burns on the other hand has a 75 mile radius. According to FCC conductivity maps, both locations are the same, but having made measurements I know the away from the shore in Oregon the conductivity is 0.5 to 0.1. If your transmitter is in from the coast, as many on the Oregon coast are, you don't get much help from the seawater conductivity. There's a 50kW in Reedsport, OR that doesn't have the coverage of my 1230 in Burns! > > Linc > > -----Original Message----- > From: boston-radio-interest-bounces@tsornin.BostonRadio.org [mailto:boston-radio-interest-bounces@tsornin.BostonRadio.org] On Behalf Of Doug Drown > Sent: Wednesday, October 27, 2010 6:55 AM > To: Dave Doherty; Dan.Strassberg > Cc: =?utf-8?b??= > Subject: Re: Boom Boom Brannigan passes on > > That Drum real estate ad was really clever. Little WSNY positioned > itself as a worthy local competitor to WGY. Though in the '60s and > '70s when visiting in Schenectady I was fixated on WPTR and WTRY, I did > listen to WSNY occasionally and found that it was a well-run station. > There were many such stations in middle-market cities, little bantams > that held up well to the big guys. I think of WNEB in Worcester from > my adolescence --- 1230 kHz, 1 kw daytime, 250 at night, a CBS > affiliate with a format geared toward middle- to older-aged adults. It > had good DJs, good local news and sports coverage, all in all doing a > fine job competing against full-service NBC powerhouse WTAG and the two > hotly competitive Top 40 stations, WAAB and WORC. -Doug > > Quoting "Dan.Strassberg" : >> I remember Edwardson and Putney from WGY in my college days (early to >> mid '50s). In those days, though, Steve Fitz was on little WSNY, a >> 250W Class IV on 1240. WSNY sounded amazingly professional for such a >> small station--its signal reached the entire Capital District by day >> but was competitive only in Schenectady and adjoining communities, >> such as Rotterdam. Weak signal or not, WSNY appeared to have sold out >> its entire schedule month after month, year after year. Always ~17 >> minutes of commercials per hour from sign-on to sign-off. Most of the >> commercials were locally produced. Many used jingle packages that were >> designed for specific types of businesses (furniture stores, variety >> stores etc) and could be tailored to specific businesses simply by >> inserting the advertiser's name, address, and phone number. Some ads >> used proprietary jingles, however. The one that I guess I will never >> forget was for W Baldwin Drum Real Estate: "Drum's along the >> Mowhawk/with his eye on pro-per-teee." Ended with the beat of a >> tom-tom over which was whispered W Baldwin Drum...W Baldwin Drum... W >> Baldwin Drum... Very memorable. Probably moved a lot of houses and >> farms. >> >> ----- >> Dan Strassberg (dan.strassberg@att.net) >> eFax 1-707-215-6367 >> >> ----- Original Message ----- >> From: "Dave Doherty" >> To: "D. A." ; >> ; "Doug Drown" >> >> Cc: >> Sent: Tuesday, October 26, 2010 10:17 PM >> Subject: Re: Boom Boom Brannigan passes on >> >> >>> I met Boom-Boom in 1968 or maybe 1969 at the WPTR studios. Another >>> WPTR DJ, Roy Urbinas, who eventually wound up in Plattsburgh and may >>> have originally hailed from there, cut a couple of voicers for me, >>> and Roy introduced us. Boom Boom was an interesting character, very >>> pleasant, and the first "Boss Jock" I ever met. >>> >>> Not long after, I worked summers as a tech at WGY, pushing buttons >>> and whatnot for Bill Edwardson, Jack Shannon, Harry Downey, Earl >>> Pudney, and Steve Fitz. >>> >>> -Dave Doherty >>> >> > > > > > From rickkelly@gmail.com Wed Oct 27 23:23:37 2010 From: rickkelly@gmail.com (Rick Kelly) Date: Wed, 27 Oct 2010 23:23:37 -0400 Subject: Boom Boom Brannigan passes on In-Reply-To: <9C5AC64998E144CA8B5367BE037EF02C@dave> References: <20101026230957.u3t5gzqtr94w04ww@webmail.myfairpoint.net> <9525E6022365420398B9F75CCED201B7@dave> <073601cb764c$a8087630$f8196290$@com> <9C5AC64998E144CA8B5367BE037EF02C@dave> Message-ID: On Wed, Oct 27, 2010 at 11:08 PM, Dave Doherty wrote: > Could be. I don't know where he was before WGY. ?He was about 30-35 in 1970 > and had a six to eight year old daughter at the time. I remember Don Brown as PD at WGY... he really started playing more current music, and Bill Edwardson was very upset and left. I recalled hearing Blood, Sweat and Tears on WGY at that time - and that was a real mind blower. A friend of mine claimed to hear "Signs" by the 5 Man Electrical Band on the station during Brown's regime, but I can't see that being true. -Rick Kelly From rogerkirk@ttlc.net Thu Oct 28 01:09:38 2010 From: rogerkirk@ttlc.net (Roger Kirk) Date: Thu, 28 Oct 2010 01:09:38 -0400 Subject: Boom Boom Brannigan passes on In-Reply-To: References: <20101026230957.u3t5gzqtr94w04ww@webmail.myfairpoint.net> <9525E6022365420398B9F75CCED201B7@dave> <073601cb764c$a8087630$f8196290$@com> <9C5AC64998E144CA8B5367BE037EF02C@dave> Message-ID: <4CC90592.3040508@ttlc.net> >I remember Don Brown as PD at WGY... he really started playing more current music, and Bill Edwardson was >very upset and left. I recalled hearing Blood, Sweat and Tears on WGY at that time - and that was a real mind >blower. A friend of mine claimed to hear "Signs" by the 5 Man Electrical Band on the station during Brown's >regime, but I can't see that being true. WRKO played "Signs" & BS&T too. IIRC, 5 Man Electrical Band was a Canadian group and upstate NY was just across the lake. Just speculating. From rogerkirk@ttlc.net Thu Oct 28 01:10:24 2010 From: rogerkirk@ttlc.net (Roger Kirk) Date: Thu, 28 Oct 2010 01:10:24 -0400 Subject: Boom Boom Brannigan passes on In-Reply-To: <073601cb764c$a8087630$f8196290$@com> References: <20101026230957.u3t5gzqtr94w04ww@webmail.myfairpoint.net> <9525E6022365420398B9F75CCED201B7@dave> <073601cb764c$a8087630$f8196290$@com> Message-ID: <4CC905C0.5090002@ttlc.net> On 10/27/2010 11:03 PM, Gary's Ice Cream wrote: > Was this the same Don Brown who had been PD at WLLH til about 68 or 69? Could it be the same Don Brown from Portland Maine? From sid@wrko.com Thu Oct 28 07:20:17 2010 From: sid@wrko.com (Sid Schweiger) Date: Thu, 28 Oct 2010 11:20:17 +0000 Subject: worthy competition - was Boom Boom In-Reply-To: References: <20101027152720.c38dvhzmepb4os88@webmail.myfairpoint.net> Message-ID: <6D618EE163582E43B00A6455F34B29EA02D65E@ENTCOREXMB03.etmcorad.com> "Union 9-9272 sounds like the old WABC ads for the all-night clothier in Union, NJ, but I can't be sure." They never used phone numbers in those ads, mostly because they wanted the foot traffic, especially on the overnights. Here's one of those famous ads: "Dennison, the men?s clothier, Route 22, Union, N.J., wants you to know there?s a wise old owl sitting up in the tree who says, there?s no wiser bird than me. There?s nothing I can see during the day that would interest me. I buy at night, I buy right. But you better never buy at a men?s store that closes at 5 or 4. You?ll never make it because when you get there he?s not there. You?ll try the door, you?ll read the sign we close at four. So you take the next day off and lose 75 bucks in pay. Get back to the store that closes at four. You try the door, it?s locked like before. Now you see a sign. Lunch time: 12 to 1. You look at the time, it?s 12:30. Then you look again: 15 minutes to go And you blow your top. You try the door. Then the rain came, and did it pour. Now you?re wet and sore. Then he came and the rain stopped, and you?re in the store. So you bought a $75 suit and the $75 you lost in pay adds up to $150. You got all wet and the suit you bought you can?t wear anymore. Now, Dennison says that for that kind of dough I will sell you three. So let?s go, if a man wears it we have it. Fill our till that?s nil. That?s Dennison Clothier, Route 22, Union, New Jersey. Open from 10 a.m. until five the next morning. Recognized charge plans accepted, and open right now." Sid Schweiger IT Manager, Entercom New England 20 Guest St / 3d Floor Brighton MA 02135-2040 From revdoug1@myfairpoint.net Thu Oct 28 07:49:32 2010 From: revdoug1@myfairpoint.net (=?utf-8?b?RG91ZyBEcm93bg==?=) Date: Thu, 28 Oct 2010 07:49:32 -0400 Subject: worthy competition - was Boom Boom Message-ID: <20101028074932.4jyvppo9gvtw0k4c@webmail.myfairpoint.net> It was Monahan, and he was still living at the time. My teacher, whom I haven't seen in years, is in Florida and still with us in his 90s. WAVZ and WTRY were first-rate Top 40 stations. I don't know the backgrounds of the then-owners, other than that Mr. Monahan, whose first name I can't remember, was originally from Fitchburg. -Doug Quoting "Dan.Strassberg" : > That must have been in the days when WAVZ and WTRY were owned by > Kopps-Monahan Communications Inc (hence the New Haven FM calls--WKCI). > So was your teacher's brother Kopps or Monahan? Or was Monahan already > gone by the time to which you are referring? > > ----- > Dan Strassberg (dan.strassberg@att.net) > eFax 1-707-215-6367 > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Doug Drown" > To: "Doug Drown" ; "=?utf-8?b??=" > ; "'Dave > Doherty'" ; "'Dan.Strassberg'" > ; "Linc Reed-Nickerson" > ; "=?utf-8?b??=" > Cc: "''" > Sent: Wednesday, October 27, 2010 6:38 PM > Subject: Re: worthy competition - was Boom Boom > > > That is interesting . . . I wasn't aware that was the case in so many > places. Did Burlington, Bridgeport and New Haven have competing rock > stations? I very well remember WAVZ in New Haven, another station I > used to listen to at night in Ashburnham. It was owned by my sixth > grade teacher's brother, as was WTRY. He was quite proud of that. > > When I first came to Maine at the end of '76, WCSH in Portland had a > Top 40 format. I think WLOB was still playing rock at that time; I > don't remember whether WJAB still was. Perhaps so, because IIRC it > had > changed its calls to WJBQ by then. Three stations out of four, in one > small-to-medium market, all doing Top 40? > > -Doug > > > > Quoting Kevin Vahey : > > KBR dominated inside the city limits but had a woeful signal at > > night > > > > FEA dominated Nashua and Concord > > > > When I visited PTR the all night guy was at the xmtr (this would be > > 68-69) They > > had all Harris cart machines with cue tones to start the next cart. > > Funny how it worked - in many markets the weaker signal dominated > > the core city, > > the stronger signal the burbs > > > > NY WMCA over WABC > > Bost WMEX over WBZ until WRKO came along > > Manchester WKBR over WFEA > > Portand WJAB over WLOB > > Providence WICE over WPRO > > Sprinhgfield WTXL over WHYN > > Buffalo WYSL over WKBW > > Sent on from my BlackBerry? so typos are because of tiny keys > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: "Doug Drown" > > Sender: boston-radio-interest-bounces@tsornin.BostonRadio.org > > Date: Wed, 27 Oct 2010 15:27:20 > > To: 'Doug Drown'; 'Dave > > Doherty'; > > 'Dan.Strassberg'; Linc > > Reed-Nickerson > > Cc: '' > > Subject: Re: worthy competition - was Boom Boom > > > > >> OK, which one was Union9-9272 and which one was TT4-5107... Dave > > >> Dougherty will know. > > > > I know too, but I'll defer to Dave. > > My girlfriend, 68, has told me that WKBW used to have a huge night > > listenership in Maine. Her late husband, who lived most of his life > > in > > Maine and was a DJ and station manager for about fifteen years > > before > > going into education, regarded WKBW as THE radio station that all > > Top > > 40 stations should emulate. > > The WPTR towers in Colonie are still being used by the station's > > successor WDCD, but the WPTR call letters were removed from them a > > few > > years ago, and I believe the Albany Street studio --- which wasn't > > all > > that old --- has been vacated. I don't know where WDCD's current > > digs > > are. > > I sometimes used to listen to WKBR in Manchester on FM. This was in > > the mid- to late sixties; I think the AM was on 1250 by then, but we > > couldn't get it out Fitchburg way. WFEA, on the other hand, came in > > reasonably well. Both stations had a good sound; which one > > dominated > > the market? > > > > -Doug > > > > > > > > > > Quoting Linc Reed-Nickerson : > > > At night in Unity, Maine, where I miss-spent the summers of my > > teenage years, > > > WPTR was what every kid listened to! Even in Actom, MA WPTR and > > > WKBW > > > were often > > > listened to. OK, which one was Union9-9272 and which one was > > > TT4-5107... Dave > > > Dougherty will know. Got to visit the WKBW transmitter circa > > > 1976, but not > > > WPTR, although I've driven by it on the throughway many times, as > > > recently as 3 > > > years ago. Yes, Kid Rock (All Summer Long) makes me think of my > > > teen > > > summers in > > > Unity, wonder what became of Donna (who is now 67)? > > > > > > I find the comments about the viability of the "worthy competitor" > > > very > > > interesting. Manchester, New Hampshire was a good example, with > > > WKBR (then > > > 1240) being the top station in the market, even at 250 watts! > > > > > > The change to 1250 and 5kW probably did little but generate > > > additional expense > > > (although possibly more revenue because of the higher power). > > > Some > > > claimed they > > > lost listeners when the shifted frequency because 1250 on the > > > river > > > had better > > > coverage in some areas than the DA on the granite shelf on > > > Goffstown > > > Back Road. They had to add a 5th tower to modify the daytime > > > pattern > > > a year or so after it > > > was built. Too bad the original 1240 site is now gone, because it > > might have > > > made sense to go back to 1240 in recent times, if it would still > > > fit. WFTN in > > > Franklin might be the stopper, but with ground conductivity in NH > > > being what it > > > is it might have fit. 1250 to 1240 would be a minor change per > > > the > > > current FCC > > > policies. > > > And remember when WTAO was a significant player in Boston in the > > > early 1950's? > > > > > > Speaking of ground conductivity, it's so bad on the Oregon Coast > > > 820 > > > with a 1kW > > > has about a 20 mile radius, 1kW on 1230 in Burns on the other hand > > > has a 75 mile > > > radius. According to FCC conductivity maps, both locations are > > > the > > same, but > > > having made measurements I know the away from the shore in Oregon > > > the > > > conductivity is 0.5 to 0.1. If your transmitter is in from the > > > coast, as many > > > on the Oregon coast are, you don't get much help from the seawater > > > conductivity. There's a 50kW in Reedsport, OR that doesn't have > > > the coverage of > > my 1230 in > > > Burns! > > > > > > Linc > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > > From: boston-radio-interest-bounces@tsornin.BostonRadio.org > > > [mailto:boston-radio-interest-bounces@tsornin.BostonRadio.org] On > > > Behalf Of Doug > > > Drown > > > Sent: Wednesday, October 27, 2010 6:55 AM > > > To: Dave Doherty; Dan.Strassberg > > > Cc: =?utf-8?b??= > > > Subject: Re: Boom Boom Brannigan passes on > > > > > > That Drum real estate ad was really clever. Little WSNY > > > positioned > > > itself as a worthy local competitor to WGY. Though in the '60s > > > and > > > '70s when visiting in Schenectady I was fixated on WPTR and WTRY, > > > I did > > > listen to WSNY occasionally and found that it was a well-run > > > station. There were many such stations in middle-market cities, > > > little bantams > > > that held up well to the big guys. I think of WNEB in Worcester > > > from > > > my adolescence --- 1230 kHz, 1 kw daytime, 250 at night, a CBS > > > affiliate with a format geared toward middle- to older-aged > > > adults. It > > > had good DJs, good local news and sports coverage, all in all > > > doing a > > > fine job competing against full-service NBC powerhouse WTAG and > > > the two > > > hotly competitive Top 40 stations, WAAB and WORC. -Doug > > > > > > Quoting "Dan.Strassberg" : > > > > I remember Edwardson and Putney from WGY in my college days > > > > (early to > > > > mid '50s). In those days, though, Steve Fitz was on little WSNY, > > > > a > > > > 250W Class IV on 1240. WSNY sounded amazingly professional for > > > > such a > > > > small station--its signal reached the entire Capital District by > > > > day > > > > but was competitive only in Schenectady and adjoining > > > > communities, > > > > such as Rotterdam. Weak signal or not, WSNY appeared to have > > > > sold out > > > > its entire schedule month after month, year after year. Always > > > > ~17 > > > > minutes of commercials per hour from sign-on to sign-off. Most > > > > of the > > > > commercials were locally produced. Many used jingle packages > > > > that were > > > > designed for specific types of businesses (furniture stores, > > > > variety > > > > stores etc) and could be tailored to specific businesses simply > > > > by > > > > inserting the advertiser's name, address, and phone number. Some > > > > ads > > > > used proprietary jingles, however. The one that I guess I will > > > > never > > > > forget was for W Baldwin Drum Real Estate: "Drum's along the > > > > Mowhawk/with his eye on pro-per-teee." Ended with the beat of a > > > > tom-tom over which was whispered W Baldwin Drum...W Baldwin > > > > Drum... W > > > > Baldwin Drum... Very memorable. Probably moved a lot of houses > > > > and > > > > farms. > > > > ----- > > > > Dan Strassberg (dan.strassberg@att.net) > > > > eFax 1-707-215-6367 > > > > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > > > From: "Dave Doherty" > > > > To: "D. A." ; > > > > ; "Doug Drown" > > > > > > > > Cc: > > > > Sent: Tuesday, October 26, 2010 10:17 PM > > > > Subject: Re: Boom Boom Brannigan passes on > > > > > > > > > > > > >I met Boom-Boom in 1968 or maybe 1969 at the WPTR studios. > > > > >Another > > > > >WPTR DJ, Roy Urbinas, who eventually wound up in Plattsburgh > > > > >and may > > > > >have originally hailed from there, cut a couple of voicers for > > > > >me, > > > > >and Roy introduced us. Boom Boom was an interesting character, > > > > >very > > > > >pleasant, and the first "Boss Jock" I ever met. > > > > > Not long after, I worked summers as a tech at WGY, pushing > > > > > buttons > > > > > and whatnot for Bill Edwardson, Jack Shannon, Harry Downey, > > > > > Earl > > > > > Pudney, and Steve Fitz. > > > > > -Dave Doherty > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > From revdoug1@myfairpoint.net Thu Oct 28 08:15:23 2010 From: revdoug1@myfairpoint.net (=?utf-8?b?RG91ZyBEcm93bg==?=) Date: Thu, 28 Oct 2010 08:15:23 -0400 Subject: AM Skywave in Upstate NY - was Boom Boom Message-ID: <20101028081523.f6vmz7lyxelcgsws@webmail.myfairpoint.net> When I was a kid I used to listen fairly often to WCFL and WLS at night. I was stunned when I learned that WCFL, one of the great Top 40 stations, was owned by the Chicago Federation of Labor. All I could think of was big guys meeting in conference rooms filled with cigar smoke. Quoting Kevin Vahey : > It was 1969 - memories are fuzzy :) > > In Cambridge WCFL was equal to WLS but today WMVP just doesn't make it in > Sent on from my BlackBerry? so typos are because of tiny keys > > -----Original Message----- > From: "Dave Doherty" > Sender: boston-radio-interest-bounces@tsornin.BostonRadio.org > Date: Wed, 27 Oct 2010 23:05:06 > To: Linc Reed-Nickerson; 'Doug > Drown'; 'Dan.Strassberg' > Cc: > boston-radio-interest@rolinin.bostonradio.org > Subject: AM Skywave in Upstate NY - was Boom Boom > > Funny. I lived in Delmar, less than ten miles from, WPTR, but right in the > middle of one of its two deep nulls. I could not receive the station > reliably at night. But WKBW 300 miles away? That was like local! > > Around 1969, Emerson Lake and Palmer played the War Memorial auditorium in > Syracuse. I drove down from Clarkson with a few buddies, listening to WLS > all the way down. We picked up a female hitchhiker after the concert, while > WLS was playing "Brandy." She turned out to be from Chicago, and we geeks > were amazed that she didn't know she could listen to WLS at night in upstate > New York. I don't exactly recall where any of us wound up that night... > > > > > -------------------------------------------------- > From: "Linc Reed-Nickerson" > Sent: Wednesday, October 27, 2010 2:28 PM > To: "'Doug Drown'" ; "'Dave Doherty'" > ; "'Dan.Strassberg'" > Cc: "''" > Subject: worthy competition - was Boom Boom > > > > > At night in Unity, Maine, where I miss-spent the summers of my teenage > > years, WPTR was what every kid listened to! Even in Actom, MA WPTR and > > WKBW were often listened to. OK, which one was Union9-9272 and which one > > was TT4-5107... Dave Dougherty will know. Got to visit the WKBW > > transmitter circa 1976, but not WPTR, although I've driven by it on the > > throughway many times, as recently as 3 years ago. Yes, Kid Rock (All > > Summer Long) makes me think of my teen summers in Unity, wonder what > > became of Donna (who is now 67)? > > > > > From revdoug1@myfairpoint.net Thu Oct 28 08:19:55 2010 From: revdoug1@myfairpoint.net (=?utf-8?b?RG91ZyBEcm93bg==?=) Date: Thu, 28 Oct 2010 08:19:55 -0400 Subject: Boom Boom Brannigan passes on Message-ID: <20101028081955.2p5278pns04kskso@webmail.myfairpoint.net> I remember hearing some startling stuff on WGY around that time, too. It was a long way from being a rock station, but it seemed Brown was trying to move it in a somewhat more contemporary direction, probably to enable it to remain competitive. -Doug Quoting Rick Kelly : > On Wed, Oct 27, 2010 at 11:08 PM, Dave Doherty wrote: > > > Could be. I don't know where he was before WGY. ?He was about > 30-35 in 1970 > > and had a six to eight year old daughter at the time. > > I remember Don Brown as PD at WGY... he really started playing more > current music, and Bill Edwardson was very upset and left. I recalled > hearing Blood, Sweat and Tears on WGY at that time - and that was a > real mind blower. A friend of mine claimed to hear "Signs" by the 5 > Man Electrical Band on the station during Brown's regime, but I can't > see that being true. > > -Rick Kelly > From hykker@wildblue.net Thu Oct 28 08:35:16 2010 From: hykker@wildblue.net (SteveOrdinetz) Date: Thu, 28 Oct 2010 08:35:16 -0400 Subject: Norman Knight honored by Boston Police In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: He also owned WTSV AM/FM Claremont, N.H. for a while. Sold those in the early-ish 70s. On Tue, Oct 26, 2010 at 7:31 PM, Kevin Vahey wrote: > Norm Knight who owned radio stations in NH and MA was honored today. > > I think he owned WSRS, WHEB and I think WGIR at one time. > > > http://mobile.boston.com/art/35/news/local/breaking_news/2010/10/loading_video_p_2 > From dave@skywaves.net Thu Oct 28 11:14:07 2010 From: dave@skywaves.net (Dave Doherty) Date: Thu, 28 Oct 2010 11:14:07 -0400 Subject: Boom Boom Brannigan passes on In-Reply-To: <20101028081955.2p5278pns04kskso@webmail.myfairpoint.net> References: <20101028081955.2p5278pns04kskso@webmail.myfairpoint.net> Message-ID: I thought he did a good job of it, too. He was probably brought in because WGY's audience was aging out. So even though they claimed to have 80-85% of all the radio revenue in the market, they decided to change the format. That was pretty gutsy. Harry Downie had been a rock jock before he came to the station, and when I ran the board for him, we kept it pretty tight. Don always said he could tell when I was on duty. I asked him if that was a problem and he said no, he wished the station always sounded like that. One summer, I put all the music on carts, and that by itself tightened up the sound a lot, except for the cart that skipped... To get the job done on schedule, I had to do two at a time, so I didn't listen to each cart all the way through. On one, the record skipped a couple of times. That made for a pretty funny entry on the discrepancy log the first or second day after we started using the carts. -d -------------------------------------------------- From: "Doug Drown" Sent: Thursday, October 28, 2010 8:19 AM To: "Dave Doherty" ; "Rick Kelly" Cc: "'Boston radio e-mail list'" Subject: Re: Boom Boom Brannigan passes on > > I remember hearing some startling stuff on WGY around that time, too. It > was a long way from being a rock station, but it seemed Brown was trying > to move it in a somewhat more contemporary direction, probably to enable > it to remain competitive. -Doug > > > From dave@skywaves.net Thu Oct 28 11:51:10 2010 From: dave@skywaves.net (Dave Doherty) Date: Thu, 28 Oct 2010 11:51:10 -0400 Subject: Boom Boom Brannigan passes on In-Reply-To: <4CC8F72D.8010006@attorneyross.com> References: <209208.35342.qm@web110506.mail.gq1.yahoo.com><58CE6E568C764979A64C15FC82B9546D@dave><785A03D4EB2145EFBC9822973258A6C9@SatU205S5044> <4CC8F72D.8010006@attorneyross.com> Message-ID: <0A369A2A515F444FBE0DAD8A3C4CA90F@dave> His name was Pudney. One of the nicest gentlemen I ever met, and a pleasure to work with. -d -------------------------------------------------- From: "A Joseph Ross" Sent: Thursday, October 28, 2010 12:08 AM To: Subject: Re: Boom Boom Brannigan passes on > > On 10/27/2010 8:55 AM, Dan.Strassberg wrote: > >> I remember Edwardson and Putney from WGY in my college days (early to >> mid '50s). In those days, though, Steve Fitz was on little WSNY, a >> 250W Class IV on 1240. WSNY sounded amazingly professional for such a >> small station--its signal reached the entire Capital District by day >> but was competitive only in Schenectady and adjoining communities, >> such as Rotterdam. > > I remember discovering WSNY by accident from our home in Guilderland > around 1954 or so. I wondered about it because it wasn't listed or > mentioned at all in the radio listings in the Times Union. > > I also remember Earl Putney (I thought it was Pudney, at least that's how > it sounded to me) on WGY in the morning, where my mother used to turn for > news and weather. He also had a weekday early-evening TV show (I don't > remember whether it was on every day or just once or twice a week) on > WRGB, where he sang and played piano. He must have worked an incredibly > long day to be on the early morning shift on radio and then an early > evening TV show. Likewise Howard Tupper, the weatherman, who did the > weather forecast in morning and then on the evening local news. > > -- > A. Joseph Ross, J.D. 617.367.0468 > 92 State Street, Suite 700 Fax: 617.507.7856 > Boston, MA 02109-2004 http://www.attorneyross.com > > > From dave@skywaves.net Thu Oct 28 11:55:26 2010 From: dave@skywaves.net (Dave Doherty) Date: Thu, 28 Oct 2010 11:55:26 -0400 Subject: Boom Boom Brannigan passes on In-Reply-To: <4CC8F72D.8010006@attorneyross.com> References: <209208.35342.qm@web110506.mail.gq1.yahoo.com><58CE6E568C764979A64C15FC82B9546D@dave><785A03D4EB2145EFBC9822973258A6C9@SatU205S5044> <4CC8F72D.8010006@attorneyross.com> Message-ID: <9D1BA9BC28C24150BFCBCC62DE86EAB4@dave> WSNY was a great little radio station. I used to listen to it sometimes. Around 1970, when I was at WGY, WOKO was flipping to country, WROW was playing beautiful music, WTRY, WABY, and WPTR were all rockers. I forget what WQBK was playing then, maybe country. -d -------------------------------------------------- From: "A Joseph Ross" Sent: Thursday, October 28, 2010 12:08 AM To: Subject: Re: Boom Boom Brannigan passes on > > On 10/27/2010 8:55 AM, Dan.Strassberg wrote: > >> I remember Edwardson and Putney from WGY in my college days (early to >> mid '50s). In those days, though, Steve Fitz was on little WSNY, a >> 250W Class IV on 1240. WSNY sounded amazingly professional for such a >> small station--its signal reached the entire Capital District by day >> but was competitive only in Schenectady and adjoining communities, >> such as Rotterdam. > > I remember discovering WSNY by accident from our home in Guilderland > around 1954 or so. I wondered about it because it wasn't listed or > mentioned at all in the radio listings in the Times Union. > > I also remember Earl Putney (I thought it was Pudney, at least that's how > it sounded to me) on WGY in the morning, where my mother used to turn for > news and weather. He also had a weekday early-evening TV show (I don't > remember whether it was on every day or just once or twice a week) on > WRGB, where he sang and played piano. He must have worked an incredibly > long day to be on the early morning shift on radio and then an early > evening TV show. Likewise Howard Tupper, the weatherman, who did the > weather forecast in morning and then on the evening local news. > > -- > A. Joseph Ross, J.D. 617.367.0468 > 92 State Street, Suite 700 Fax: 617.507.7856 > Boston, MA 02109-2004 http://www.attorneyross.com > > > From dave@skywaves.net Thu Oct 28 11:58:18 2010 From: dave@skywaves.net (Dave Doherty) Date: Thu, 28 Oct 2010 11:58:18 -0400 Subject: Boom Boom Brannigan passes on In-Reply-To: <4CC90592.3040508@ttlc.net> References: <20101026230957.u3t5gzqtr94w04ww@webmail.myfairpoint.net> <9525E6022365420398B9F75CCED201B7@dave> <073601cb764c$a8087630$f8196290$@com> <9C5AC64998E144CA8B5367BE037EF02C@dave> <4CC90592.3040508@ttlc.net> Message-ID: <4F2D1E7F12FB456BA639318EA9CE3508@dave> I don't recall playing "Signs" on WGY but we definitely were playing BS&T. Around 1972, after I left the building, they started a very hip, up-tempo overnight show, and "Signs" could easily have been in the rotation for that. -------------------------------------------------- From: "Roger Kirk" Sent: Thursday, October 28, 2010 1:09 AM To: "Rick Kelly" Cc: "Dave Doherty" ; "Boston radio e-mail list" Subject: Re: Boom Boom Brannigan passes on > > >I remember Don Brown as PD at WGY... he really started playing more > current music, and Bill Edwardson was > >very upset and left. I recalled hearing Blood, Sweat and Tears on WGY > at that time - and that was a real mind > >blower. A friend of mine claimed to hear "Signs" by the 5 Man > Electrical Band on the station during Brown's > >regime, but I can't see that being true. > > > WRKO played "Signs" & BS&T too. > > IIRC, 5 Man Electrical Band was a Canadian group and upstate NY was just > across the lake. > > Just speculating. > > > > From joe@attorneyross.com Thu Oct 28 12:58:37 2010 From: joe@attorneyross.com (A Joseph Ross) Date: Thu, 28 Oct 2010 12:58:37 -0400 Subject: Boom Boom Brannigan passes on In-Reply-To: <9D1BA9BC28C24150BFCBCC62DE86EAB4@dave> References: <209208.35342.qm@web110506.mail.gq1.yahoo.com><58CE6E568C764979A64C15FC82B9546D@dave><785A03D4EB2145EFBC9822973258A6C9@SatU205S5044> <4CC8F72D.8010006@attorneyross.com> <9D1BA9BC28C24150BFCBCC62DE86EAB4@dave> Message-ID: <4CC9ABBD.5070904@attorneyross.com> On 10/28/2010 11:55 AM, Dave Doherty wrote: > WSNY was a great little radio station. I used to listen to it sometimes. I also remember when, for some reason, WHUE-AM 1150 changed its calls to WSNY and then, after a fairly short time, changed back to WHUE. -- A. Joseph Ross, J.D. 617.367.0468 92 State Street, Suite 700 Fax: 617.507.7856 Boston, MA 02109-2004 http://www.attorneyross.com From revdoug1@myfairpoint.net Thu Oct 28 14:45:09 2010 From: revdoug1@myfairpoint.net (=?utf-8?b?RG91ZyBEcm93bg==?=) Date: Thu, 28 Oct 2010 14:45:09 -0400 Subject: worthy competition - was Boom Boom Message-ID: <20101028144509.a34xc8oed2o8s4os@webmail.myfairpoint.net> 'Twas the old request number for WPTR. -Doug Quoting Dave Doherty : > I'll give it up to Doug. > > Union 9-9272 sounds like the old WABC ads for the all-night clothier in > Union, NJ, but I can't be sure. > > OK. I'm getting old. > > -d > > > -------------------------------------------------- > From: "Doug Drown" > Sent: Wednesday, October 27, 2010 3:27 PM > To: "'Doug Drown'" ; "'Dave Doherty'" > ; "'Dan.Strassberg'" ; "Linc > Reed-Nickerson" > Cc: "''" > Subject: Re: worthy competition - was Boom Boom > > > > >>> OK, which one was Union9-9272 and which one was TT4-5107... Dave > >>> Dougherty will know. > > > > I know too, but I'll defer to Dave. > > From revdoug1@myfairpoint.net Thu Oct 28 14:50:54 2010 From: revdoug1@myfairpoint.net (=?utf-8?b?RG91ZyBEcm93bg==?=) Date: Thu, 28 Oct 2010 14:50:54 -0400 Subject: Boom Boom Brannigan passes on Message-ID: <20101028145054.lkx9lcuq103k4s4k@webmail.myfairpoint.net> Joe, you heard it right: It was Pudney. Earle (with an "e") Pudney. He was with WGY for over fifty years. I only vaguely remember him. I do remember Howard Tupper, who was also there for decades and who retired, IIRC, not long before WGY morphed into a talk station --- early- to mid-'80s, perhaps. Ernie Tetrault, the longtime evening anchor for WRGB, who was there about fifty years as well, remarked shortly after GE sold the stations that working for WGY-WRGB was like working for the federal government --- great pay, great benefits, great job security. -Doug Quoting A Joseph Ross : > On 10/27/2010 8:55 AM, Dan.Strassberg wrote: > > > I remember Edwardson and Putney from WGY in my college days (early to > > mid '50s). In those days, though, Steve Fitz was on little WSNY, a > > 250W Class IV on 1240. WSNY sounded amazingly professional for such a > > small station--its signal reached the entire Capital District by day > > but was competitive only in Schenectady and adjoining communities, > > such as Rotterdam. > > I remember discovering WSNY by accident from our home in Guilderland > around 1954 or so. I wondered about it because it wasn't listed or > mentioned at all in the radio listings in the Times Union. > > I also remember Earl Putney (I thought it was Pudney, at least that's > how it sounded to me) on WGY in the morning, where my mother used to > turn for news and weather. He also had a weekday early-evening TV show > (I don't remember whether it was on every day or just once or twice a > week) on WRGB, where he sang and played piano. He must have worked an > incredibly long day to be on the early morning shift on radio and then > an early evening TV show. Likewise Howard Tupper, the weatherman, who > did the weather forecast in morning and then on the evening local news. > > -- A. Joseph Ross, J.D. 617.367.0468 > 92 State Street, Suite 700 Fax: 617.507.7856 > Boston, MA 02109-2004 http://www.attorneyross.com > From dan.strassberg@att.net Thu Oct 28 10:18:00 2010 From: dan.strassberg@att.net (Dan.Strassberg) Date: Thu, 28 Oct 2010 10:18:00 -0400 Subject: worthy competition - was Boom Boom References: <20101027152720.c38dvhzmepb4os88@webmail.myfairpoint.net><14627758.4253.1288214524414.JavaMail.root@m05><002701cb762a$2d716020$88542060$@com> <4CC8F911.3060206@attorneyross.com> Message-ID: <0C7EA6B5D0E44488A0A12593CE69249C@SatU205S5044> I think 1150 is currently WWDJ. Those calls are being parked in Boston after being retired from 970 in Hackensack NJ (New York City), where Salem revived a less well-known set of calls, WNYM, which, I believe, had last been used at the Salem-owned NYC 1330 share-timer that had previously become WPOW when Richard Eaton bought it from Watchtower Bible and Tract Society (AKA Jehova's Witnesses) and flipped it from WBBR (no relation to Mayor Bloomberg's WBBR). Given the obscurity of the first WNYM, I find it hard to believe that, when those calls appeared at 970 a year or two ago, more than a handful of people remembered the earlier WNYM. But hey, I guess you have to give Salem credit for paying its respects to radio history by reviving old, forgotten calls from obscure signals. The WWDJ calls predate by quite a few years the Hackensack station's acquisition by Salem; they were used on 970 when it attempted to challenge the late, lamented, WNEW (AM) for honors as the #1 pop-music station in the #1 market. WWDJ hired several WNEW personalities, including Art Ford, long-time host of the overnight Milkman's Matinee. ----- Dan Strassberg (dan.strassberg@att.net) eFax 1-707-215-6367 ----- Original Message ----- From: "A Joseph Ross" To: Sent: Thursday, October 28, 2010 12:16 AM Subject: Re: worthy competition - was Boom Boom > On 10/27/2010 8:43 PM, Dan.Strassberg wrote: > >> (Can >> anyone remember what 1150's calls were when WSRO moved in?) > > I can't even remember what 1150's calls are now! :-) > > -- > A. Joseph Ross, J.D. 617.367.0468 > 92 State Street, Suite 700 Fax: 617.507.7856 > Boston, MA 02109-2004 http://www.attorneyross.com > From dave@skywaves.net Thu Oct 28 16:09:55 2010 From: dave@skywaves.net (Dave Doherty) Date: Thu, 28 Oct 2010 16:09:55 -0400 Subject: worthy competition - was Boom Boom In-Reply-To: <0C7EA6B5D0E44488A0A12593CE69249C@SatU205S5044> References: <20101027152720.c38dvhzmepb4os88@webmail.myfairpoint.net><14627758.4253.1288214524414.JavaMail.root@m05><002701cb762a$2d716020$88542060$@com><4CC8F911.3060206@attorneyross.com> <0C7EA6B5D0E44488A0A12593CE69249C@SatU205S5044> Message-ID: <9B4E315E3809421BA8621767402DC973@dave> You're right. Here's the call sign history for those stations going back to the early '80s: Call Sign History Current Call Sign: WWDJ Facility ID Number: 25051 Call Sign Begin Date WWDJ 07/25/2008 WTTT 10/31/2003 WBPS 05/27/2003 WAMG 07/13/1999 WNFT 10/21/1996 WROR 08/16/1996 WMEX 02/21/1985 WHUE 01/13/1982 WSNY 04/01/1981 Call Sign History Current Call Sign: WNYM Facility ID Number: 58635 Call Sign Begin Date WNYM 08/06/2008 WTTT 07/25/2008 WWDJ -------------------------------------------------- From: "Dan.Strassberg" Sent: Thursday, October 28, 2010 10:18 AM To: "Boston Radio Interest" Subject: Re: worthy competition - was Boom Boom > > I think 1150 is currently WWDJ. Those calls are being parked in Boston > after being retired from 970 in Hackensack NJ (New York City), where > Salem revived a less well-known set of calls, WNYM, which, I believe, > had last been used at the Salem-owned NYC 1330 share-timer that had > previously become WPOW when Richard Eaton bought it from Watchtower > Bible and Tract Society (AKA Jehova's Witnesses) and flipped it from > WBBR (no relation to Mayor Bloomberg's WBBR). Given the obscurity of > the first WNYM, I find it hard to believe that, when those calls > appeared at 970 a year or two ago, more than a handful of people > remembered the earlier WNYM. But hey, I guess you have to give Salem > credit for paying its respects to radio history by reviving old, > forgotten calls from obscure signals. > > The WWDJ calls predate by quite a few years the Hackensack station's > acquisition by Salem; they were used on 970 when it attempted to > challenge the late, lamented, WNEW (AM) for honors as the #1 pop-music > station in the #1 market. WWDJ hired several WNEW personalities, > including Art Ford, long-time host of the overnight Milkman's Matinee. > > ----- > Dan Strassberg (dan.strassberg@att.net) > eFax 1-707-215-6367 > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "A Joseph Ross" > To: > Sent: Thursday, October 28, 2010 12:16 AM > Subject: Re: worthy competition - was Boom Boom > > >> On 10/27/2010 8:43 PM, Dan.Strassberg wrote: >> >>> (Can >>> anyone remember what 1150's calls were when WSRO moved in?) >> >> I can't even remember what 1150's calls are now! :-) >> >> -- >> A. Joseph Ross, J.D. 617.367.0468 >> 92 State Street, Suite 700 Fax: 617.507.7856 >> Boston, MA 02109-2004 http://www.attorneyross.com >> > > > From joe@attorneyross.com Fri Oct 29 00:56:09 2010 From: joe@attorneyross.com (A Joseph Ross) Date: Fri, 29 Oct 2010 00:56:09 -0400 Subject: worthy competition - was Boom Boom In-Reply-To: <9B4E315E3809421BA8621767402DC973@dave> References: <20101027152720.c38dvhzmepb4os88@webmail.myfairpoint.net><14627758.4253.1288214524414.JavaMail.root@m05><002701cb762a$2d716020$88542060$@com><4CC8F911.3060206@attorneyross.com> <0C7EA6B5D0E44488A0A12593CE69249C@SatU205S5044> <9B4E315E3809421BA8621767402DC973@dave> Message-ID: <4CCA53E9.6030908@attorneyross.com> On 10/28/2010 4:09 PM, Dave Doherty wrote: > You're right. Here's the call sign history for those stations going > back to the early '80s: > > Call Sign History > Current Call Sign: WWDJ > Facility ID Number: 25051 > Call Sign Begin Date > WWDJ 07/25/2008 > WTTT 10/31/2003 > WBPS 05/27/2003 > WAMG 07/13/1999 > WNFT 10/21/1996 > WROR 08/16/1996 > WMEX 02/21/1985 > WHUE 01/13/1982 > WSNY 04/01/1981 And before that, it was WHUE WACQ WCOP Except I keep thinking it was WCOZ for about a week somewhere in there, perhaps in between WACQ and WHUE. > Call Sign History > Current Call Sign: WNYM > Facility ID Number: 58635 > Call Sign Begin Date > WNYM 08/06/2008 > WTTT 07/25/2008 > WWDJ Huh? Wht's WNYM? -- A. Joseph Ross, J.D. 617.367.0468 92 State Street, Suite 700 Fax: 617.507.7856 Boston, MA 02109-2004 http://www.attorneyross.com From paul@derrynh.net Fri Oct 29 04:16:35 2010 From: paul@derrynh.net (Paul Hopfgarten) Date: Fri, 29 Oct 2010 04:16:35 -0400 Subject: worthy competition - was Boom Boom In-Reply-To: <4CCA53E9.6030908@attorneyross.com> References: <20101027152720.c38dvhzmepb4os88@webmail.myfairpoint.net><14627758.4253.1288214524414.JavaMail.root@m05><002701cb762a$2d716020$88542060$@com><4CC8F911.3060206@attorneyross.com><0C7EA6B5D0E44488A0A12593CE69249C@SatU205S5044><9B4E315E3809421BA8621767402DC973@dave> <4CCA53E9.6030908@attorneyross.com> Message-ID: 100.7 was WCOZ for about 2 weeks in Dec 1984.....between WHUE-FM and WKKT, which was the Cat for about 8-9 m0nths in 1985 before WZLX was born......1150 was never WCOZ AFAICR... =Paul Hopfgarten -Concord NH ----- Original Message ----- From: "A Joseph Ross" To: Sent: Friday, October 29, 2010 12:56 AM Subject: Re: worthy competition - was Boom Boom > On 10/28/2010 4:09 PM, Dave Doherty wrote: >> You're right. Here's the call sign history for those stations going back >> to the early '80s: >> >> Call Sign History >> Current Call Sign: WWDJ >> Facility ID Number: 25051 >> Call Sign Begin Date >> WWDJ 07/25/2008 >> WTTT 10/31/2003 >> WBPS 05/27/2003 >> WAMG 07/13/1999 >> WNFT 10/21/1996 >> WROR 08/16/1996 >> WMEX 02/21/1985 >> WHUE 01/13/1982 >> WSNY 04/01/1981 > > And before that, it was > > WHUE > WACQ > WCOP > > Except I keep thinking it was WCOZ for about a week somewhere in there, > perhaps in between WACQ and WHUE. > >> Call Sign History >> Current Call Sign: WNYM >> Facility ID Number: 58635 >> Call Sign Begin Date >> WNYM 08/06/2008 >> WTTT 07/25/2008 >> WWDJ > > Huh? Wht's WNYM? > > -- > A. Joseph Ross, J.D. 617.367.0468 > 92 State Street, Suite 700 Fax: 617.507.7856 > Boston, MA 02109-2004 http://www.attorneyross.com > From radiotest@plymouthcolony.net Fri Oct 29 06:50:17 2010 From: radiotest@plymouthcolony.net (Dale H. Cook) Date: Fri, 29 Oct 2010 06:50:17 -0400 Subject: worthy competition - was Boom Boom In-Reply-To: <4CCA53E9.6030908@attorneyross.com> References: <20101027152720.c38dvhzmepb4os88@webmail.myfairpoint.net> <14627758.4253.1288214524414.JavaMail.root@m05> <002701cb762a$2d716020$88542060$@com> <4CC8F911.3060206@attorneyross.com> <0C7EA6B5D0E44488A0A12593CE69249C@SatU205S5044> <9B4E315E3809421BA8621767402DC973@dave> <4CCA53E9.6030908@attorneyross.com> Message-ID: <7.0.1.0.2.20101029064732.02a3b3c8@plymouthcolony.net> On 10/28/2010 4:09 PM, Dave Doherty wrote: >WTTT 10/31/2003 Perhaps I'm reactionary, but I liked it better before we had an unending shuffling of calls. A few decades ago I lived just down the road from the original WTTT for five years. Dale H. Cook, Contract Engineer, Roanoke/Lynchburg, VA http://plymouthcolony.net/starcityeng/index.html From dan.strassberg@att.net Fri Oct 29 08:28:22 2010 From: dan.strassberg@att.net (Dan.Strassberg) Date: Fri, 29 Oct 2010 08:28:22 -0400 Subject: worthy competition - was Boom Boom References: <20101027152720.c38dvhzmepb4os88@webmail.myfairpoint.net><14627758.4253.1288214524414.JavaMail.root@m05><002701cb762a$2d716020$88542060$@com><4CC8F911.3060206@attorneyross.com><0C7EA6B5D0E44488A0A12593CE69249C@SatU205S5044><9B4E315E3809421BA8621767402DC973@dave> <4CCA53E9.6030908@attorneyross.com> Message-ID: WNYM are the current calls of the 970 station in Hackensack NJ (New York City) that used to be WWDJ. And years before Salem exiled the WWDJ calls to Boston, and flipped the Hackensack station to WNYM, WNYM were the calls of the first station that Salem owned in New York City. That WNYM was a share-timer (and eventually a full-timer) on 1330 that had been WPOW and before that, had been WBBR (no relation to today's WBBR). Salem had to divest itself of the first WNYM when it acquired WMCA, because, in those days, the FCC did not permit broadcasters to own multiple stations on the same service in the same market. I believe that Salem sold the 1330 WNYM to RadioVision Christiana who re-umm-Christened it WWRV. In one of those radio-only "what goes around comes around" scenarios, WWRV (which was the original WNYM) is now diplexed with today's WNYM from a three-tower site in Hackensack that was built when what was then WAAT Newark moved from S Kearney to Hackensack and increased to from 5 kW-D/1 kW-N to 5 kW-U to better serve the New York market. When I was a kid in the west Bronx, WAAT was inaudible at night because the null to protect WCSH passed right over my neighborhood. When the station moved to Hackensack, it boomed in at night where it had previously been inaudible. Salem increased the day power to 50 kW a couple of years ago but the 5 kW night signal remains unchanged. ----- Dan Strassberg (dan.strassberg@att.net) eFax 1-707-215-6367 ----- Original Message ----- From: "A Joseph Ross" To: Sent: Friday, October 29, 2010 12:56 AM Subject: Re: worthy competition - was Boom Boom > >> Call Sign History >> Current Call Sign: WNYM >> Facility ID Number: 58635 >> Call Sign Begin Date >> WNYM 08/06/2008 >> WTTT 07/25/2008 >> WWDJ > > Huh? Wht's WNYM? > > -- > A. Joseph Ross, J.D. 617.367.0468 > 92 State Street, Suite 700 Fax: 617.507.7856 > Boston, MA 02109-2004 http://www.attorneyross.com > From dan.strassberg@att.net Fri Oct 29 08:39:40 2010 From: dan.strassberg@att.net (Dan.Strassberg) Date: Fri, 29 Oct 2010 08:39:40 -0400 Subject: worthy competition - was Boom Boom References: <20101027152720.c38dvhzmepb4os88@webmail.myfairpoint.net><14627758.4253.1288214524414.JavaMail.root@m05><002701cb762a$2d716020$88542060$@com><4CC8F911.3060206@attorneyross.com><0C7EA6B5D0E44488A0A12593CE69249C@SatU205S5044><9B4E315E3809421BA8621767402DC973@dave><4CCA53E9.6030908@attorneyross.com> <7.0.1.0.2.20101029064732.02a3b3c8@plymouthcolony.net> Message-ID: <4A01EC88F55243E0BBA90D796C7CE7EF@SatU205S5044> But the never-ending parade (or merry-go-round) of call letters on 1150 has been going on for about half a century--really. Call-sign changes are common among stations that are perenially unable to find successful formats. That certainly has been the case with 1150. Its 12 call signs put it at the top of the list of most call signs on one frequency in the Boston market. I have no idea just where 12 ranks nationally, however. My guess is not far from the top, but probably several places away from the very top. Maybe Scott or Garrett have a better idea of which US station has had the largest number of call signs and how many call signs it has had. ----- Dan Strassberg (dan.strassberg@att.net) eFax 1-707-215-6367 ----- Original Message ----- From: "Dale H. Cook" To: Sent: Friday, October 29, 2010 6:50 AM Subject: Re: worthy competition - was Boom Boom > On 10/28/2010 4:09 PM, Dave Doherty wrote: > >>WTTT 10/31/2003 > > Perhaps I'm reactionary, but I liked it better before we had an > unending shuffling of calls. A few decades ago I lived just down the > road from the original WTTT for five years. > > Dale H. Cook, Contract Engineer, Roanoke/Lynchburg, VA > http://plymouthcolony.net/starcityeng/index.html From scott@fybush.com Fri Oct 29 10:52:23 2010 From: scott@fybush.com (Scott Fybush) Date: Fri, 29 Oct 2010 10:52:23 -0400 Subject: worthy competition - was Boom Boom In-Reply-To: <4A01EC88F55243E0BBA90D796C7CE7EF@SatU205S5044> References: <20101027152720.c38dvhzmepb4os88@webmail.myfairpoint.net><14627758.4253.1288214524414.JavaMail.root@m05><002701cb762a$2d716020$88542060$@com><4CC8F911.3060206@attorneyross.com><0C7EA6B5D0E44488A0A12593CE69249C@SatU205S5044><9B4E315E3809421BA8621767402DC973@dave><4CCA53E9.6030908@attorneyross.com> <7.0.1.0.2.20101029064732.02a3b3c8@plymouthcolony.net> <4A01EC88F55243E0BBA90D796C7CE7EF@SatU205S5044> Message-ID: <4CCADFA7.6070101@fybush.com> Dan.Strassberg wrote: > But the never-ending parade (or merry-go-round) of call letters on > 1150 has been going on for about half a century--really. Call-sign > changes are common among stations that are perenially unable to find > successful formats. That certainly has been the case with 1150. Its 12 > call signs put it at the top of the list of most call signs on one > frequency in the Boston market. I have no idea just where 12 ranks > nationally, however. My guess is not far from the top, but probably > several places away from the very top. Maybe Scott or Garrett have a > better idea of which US station has had the largest number of call > signs and how many call signs it has had. I believe the current record holder is an LPFM station near Lebanon, PA. It's licensed to Gap, PA on 92.9, and I think the current calls are WLRI-LP, but for a few years it was filing for new calls on almost a monthly basis. It's not clear to me how many of those calls actually made it on the air, since the station was apparently silent for a while. The FCC's current list includes 20 callsigns for the station just since 2003. And one other note, just from the nitpicky department: I am quite certain the move from Kearny to Hackensack happened long after 970 had given up the WAAT calls. It was either WNTA or WJRZ when the move was made; I think the latter. s From dan.strassberg@att.net Fri Oct 29 11:42:13 2010 From: dan.strassberg@att.net (Dan.Strassberg) Date: Fri, 29 Oct 2010 11:42:13 -0400 Subject: worthy competition - was Boom Boom References: <20101027152720.c38dvhzmepb4os88@webmail.myfairpoint.net><14627758.4253.1288214524414.JavaMail.root@m05><002701cb762a$2d716020$88542060$@com><4CC8F911.3060206@attorneyross.com><0C7EA6B5D0E44488A0A12593CE69249C@SatU205S5044><9B4E315E3809421BA8621767402DC973@dave><4CCA53E9.6030908@attorneyross.com> <7.0.1.0.2.20101029064732.02a3b3c8@plymouthcolony.net> <4A01EC88F55243E0BBA90D796C7CE7EF@SatU205S5044> <4CCADFA7.6070101@fybush.com> Message-ID: <967BCCFA773E4610BDD74102C32C2297@SatU205S5044> WNTA stood for National Telefilm Associates, right? I believe that that company still owned the station when its calls became WWDJ. If that's correct, then WNTA most likely followed WJRZ and preceded WWDJ. But that's purely a guess. I remember that WAAT was owned for a long time by Bremer Broadcasting, which also owned 94.7 FM and Channel 13, WATV, whose transmitter was on the Watchung (Wachung?) Range in (I think) S Orange. That location prevented it, for many years, from delivering a competitive signal to the five boroughs. Now, did Bremer own 970 when it was WJRZ? If not, was NTA the owner at that time? And if not them either, who did own the station when it was WJRZ? And what was the format? I have the impression that, at least in recent years, the WJRZ calls have become associated with a county format and with stations pretty far south of Newark. When 970 was WJRZ did it have a country format? I don't remember. The last country music I can remember on New York radio was surely not the last country music on New York radio. It was Rosalee Allen on WOV 1280, whose positioner was "WOV fills your nights with music." WOV programmed in Italian during the daytime and after 6:00PM and maybe overnight did music with English-speaking announcers, one of whom, I believe, was William B Williams. Newark has an interesting radio history. Maybe because of the phenomenal soil conductivity in the Meadowlands, a lot of New York AMs were originally licensed to Newark, including WJZ, WOR, and WNEW (or its predecessors, WODA and WAAM). Before it moved to Long Island Sound, I believe that the original WABC (the one that's now WCBS), transmitted from someplace in north-central New Jersey--Bound Brook, maybe. ----- Dan Strassberg (dan.strassberg@att.net) eFax 1-707-215-6367 ----- Original Message ----- From: "Scott Fybush" To: "Dan.Strassberg" Cc: ; "Dale H. Cook" ; "Garrett Wollman" Sent: Friday, October 29, 2010 10:52 AM Subject: Re: worthy competition - was Boom Boom > > And one other note, just from the nitpicky department: I am quite > certain the move from Kearny to Hackensack happened long after 970 > had given up the WAAT calls. It was either WNTA or WJRZ when the > move was made; I think the latter. > > s From joe@attorneyross.com Fri Oct 29 16:52:33 2010 From: joe@attorneyross.com (A. Joseph Ross) Date: Fri, 29 Oct 2010 16:52:33 -0400 Subject: worthy competition - was Boom Boom In-Reply-To: References: <20101027152720.c38dvhzmepb4os88@webmail.myfairpoint.net><14627758.4253.1288214524414.JavaMail.root@m05><002701cb762a$2d716020$88542060$@com><4CC8F911.3060206@attorneyross.com><0C7EA6B5D0E44488A0A12593CE69249C@SatU205S5044><9B4E315E3809421BA8621767402DC973@dave> <4CCA53E9.6030908@attorneyross.com> Message-ID: <4CCB3411.1090906@attorneyross.com> On 10/29/2010 4:16 AM, Paul Hopfgarten wrote: > 100.7 was WCOZ for about 2 weeks in Dec 1984.....between WHUE-FM and > WKKT, which was the Cat for about 8-9 m0nths in 1985 before WZLX was > born......1150 was never WCOZ AFAICR... THAT'S what I was remembering. Thanks. -- A. Joseph Ross, J.D. 617.367.0468 92 State Street, Suite 700 Fax: 617.507.7856 Boston, MA 02109-2004 http://www.attorneyross.com From dave@skywaves.net Fri Oct 29 19:13:28 2010 From: dave@skywaves.net (Dave Doherty) Date: Fri, 29 Oct 2010 19:13:28 -0400 Subject: worthy competition - was Boom Boom In-Reply-To: <4CCADFA7.6070101@fybush.com> References: <20101027152720.c38dvhzmepb4os88@webmail.myfairpoint.net><14627758.4253.1288214524414.JavaMail.root@m05><002701cb762a$2d716020$88542060$@com><4CC8F911.3060206@attorneyross.com><0C7EA6B5D0E44488A0A12593CE69249C@SatU205S5044><9B4E315E3809421BA8621767402DC973@dave><4CCA53E9.6030908@attorneyross.com><7.0.1.0.2.20101029064732.02a3b3c8@plymouthcolony.net><4A01EC88F55243E0BBA90D796C7CE7EF@SatU205S5044> <4CCADFA7.6070101@fybush.com> Message-ID: <2714F711D01249C1B510F2C28895546A@dave> >From the data mining department at Skywaves... WLRI-LP (92.9) does indeed hold the title for most changes at 20. Next, with 14 changes, is CBS's W23CN-D (Low Power Digital TV) in Sebring, FL. Tied for third place, with 12 changes each, are WAMS in Dover, DE (1600) and KSFN, Piedmont, CA (1510). -Dave Doherty Skywaves Consulting LLC PO Box 4 Millbury, MA 01527 401-354-2400 202-370-6357 (DC) -------------------------------------------------- From: "Scott Fybush" Sent: Friday, October 29, 2010 10:52 AM To: "Dan.Strassberg" Cc: Subject: Re: worthy competition - was Boom Boom > > Dan.Strassberg wrote: >> But the never-ending parade (or merry-go-round) of call letters on >> 1150 has been going on for about half a century--really. Call-sign >> changes are common among stations that are perenially unable to find >> successful formats. That certainly has been the case with 1150. Its 12 >> call signs put it at the top of the list of most call signs on one >> frequency in the Boston market. I have no idea just where 12 ranks >> nationally, however. My guess is not far from the top, but probably >> several places away from the very top. Maybe Scott or Garrett have a >> better idea of which US station has had the largest number of call >> signs and how many call signs it has had. > > I believe the current record holder is an LPFM station near Lebanon, PA. > It's licensed to Gap, PA on 92.9, and I think the current calls are > WLRI-LP, but for a few years it was filing for new calls on almost a > monthly basis. It's not clear to me how many of those calls actually made > it on the air, since the station was apparently silent for a while. > > The FCC's current list includes 20 callsigns for the station just since > 2003. > > And one other note, just from the nitpicky department: I am quite certain > the move from Kearny to Hackensack happened long after 970 had given up > the WAAT calls. It was either WNTA or WJRZ when the move was made; I think > the latter. > > s > > From wollman@bimajority.org Sat Oct 30 22:04:31 2010 From: wollman@bimajority.org (Garrett Wollman) Date: Sat, 30 Oct 2010 22:04:31 -0400 Subject: Callsign records (was: Re: worthy competition - was Boom Boom) In-Reply-To: <4CCADFA7.6070101@fybush.com> References: <20101027152720.c38dvhzmepb4os88@webmail.myfairpoint.net> <14627758.4253.1288214524414.JavaMail.root@m05> <002701cb762a$2d716020$88542060$@com> <4CC8F911.3060206@attorneyross.com> <0C7EA6B5D0E44488A0A12593CE69249C@SatU205S5044> <9B4E315E3809421BA8621767402DC973@dave> <4CCA53E9.6030908@attorneyross.com> <7.0.1.0.2.20101029064732.02a3b3c8@plymouthcolony.net> <4A01EC88F55243E0BBA90D796C7CE7EF@SatU205S5044> <4CCADFA7.6070101@fybush.com> Message-ID: <19660.52911.359546.626519@hergotha.csail.mit.edu> < said: > I believe the current record holder is an LPFM station near Lebanon, PA. > It's licensed to Gap, PA on 92.9, and I think the current calls are > WLRI-LP, but for a few years it was filing for new calls on almost a > monthly basis. It's not clear to me how many of those calls actually > made it on the air, since the station was apparently silent for a while. > The FCC's current list includes 20 callsigns for the station just since > 2003. If only the data in CDBS went back before 1978! It's a simple database query to pull out the current winners: bra=> select fac_callsign, num_calls from facility natural join (select facility_id, max(callsign_seq_id) as num_calls from call_sign_history group by facility_id) calls order by num_calls desc; fac_callsign | num_calls --------------+----------- WLRI-LP | 20 W23CN-D | 14 KSFN | 12 WAMS | 12 WREW | 11 W17CD | 11 KFUL-LP | 11 K48GO | 11 KQNM | 11 WHTK-FM | 11 WSMM | 11 WZBK-FM | 11 KUSS | 11 KBAY | 11 DKIIS | 11 It turns out that there are some discrepancies in CDBA (imagine that), so the number of callsign records doesn't match up with the sequence in the database for about 350 stations, including WSMM (9 or 11) and KUSS (also 9 or 11). For WSMM, CDBS records: WSPW, WERQ, missing, missing, WGTC, WZUW, WWLV, WOZW, WZOW, WOZW, WSMM. (This station is in the South Bend market; when we were there in 2001 it was WGTC.) If you instead look at the number of distinct callsigns, the list is slightly different: bra=> select fac_callsign, num_distinct_calls from facility natural join (select facility_id, count(distinct callsign) as num_distinct_calls from call_sign_history group by facility_id) calls order by num_distinct_calls desc; fac_callsign | num_distinct_calls --------------+-------------------- WLRI-LP | 13 WZBK-FM | 11 WHTK-FM | 11 KPDA-FM | 10 KQNM | 10 WYAI | 10 WAIV | 10 KJFA | 10 DKIIS | 10 WCSY-FM | 10 "DKIIS", by the way, is the dead 850 in Thousand Jokes, California, whuch was owned by our friends at 50 East Rivercenter Blvd. in Covington when the license was turned in. -GAWollman From dan.strassberg@att.net Sat Oct 30 22:25:05 2010 From: dan.strassberg@att.net (Dan.Strassberg) Date: Sat, 30 Oct 2010 22:25:05 -0400 Subject: Callsign records (was: Re: worthy competition - was Boom Boom) References: <20101027152720.c38dvhzmepb4os88@webmail.myfairpoint.net><14627758.4253.1288214524414.JavaMail.root@m05><002701cb762a$2d716020$88542060$@com><4CC8F911.3060206@attorneyross.com><0C7EA6B5D0E44488A0A12593CE69249C@SatU205S5044><9B4E315E3809421BA8621767402DC973@dave><4CCA53E9.6030908@attorneyross.com><7.0.1.0.2.20101029064732.02a3b3c8@plymouthcolony.net><4A01EC88F55243E0BBA90D796C7CE7EF@SatU205S5044><4CCADFA7.6070101@fybush.com> <19660.52911.359546.626519@hergotha.csail.mit.edu> Message-ID: But from our local record-holder, AM 1150-Boston, we know that CDBS records can be incomplete. Someone on this list already posted that CDBS listed nine calls for this station, when, in fact, someone else on the list had shown us 12. CDBS had failed to capture the three oldest call signs, of which WCOP may be both the oldest and the one that was in place the longest. So why should we not believe that there must be similar omissions in the CDBS call-sign histories of at least some of the stations that it lists as having had the greatest numbers of call signs? I think we have adequate evidence that at least some CDBS call-sign histories are incomplete, particularly with respect to older call signs. ----- Dan Strassberg (dan.strassberg@att.net) eFax 1-707-215-6367 ----- Original Message ----- From: "Garrett Wollman" To: "Scott Fybush" Cc: Sent: Saturday, October 30, 2010 10:04 PM Subject: Callsign records (was: Re: worthy competition - was Boom Boom) > < said: > >> I believe the current record holder is an LPFM station near >> Lebanon, PA. >> It's licensed to Gap, PA on 92.9, and I think the current calls are >> WLRI-LP, but for a few years it was filing for new calls on almost >> a >> monthly basis. It's not clear to me how many of those calls >> actually >> made it on the air, since the station was apparently silent for a >> while. From wollman@bimajority.org Sat Oct 30 22:30:40 2010 From: wollman@bimajority.org (Garrett Wollman) Date: Sat, 30 Oct 2010 22:30:40 -0400 Subject: Callsign records (was: Re: worthy competition - was Boom Boom) In-Reply-To: References: <20101027152720.c38dvhzmepb4os88@webmail.myfairpoint.net> <14627758.4253.1288214524414.JavaMail.root@m05> <002701cb762a$2d716020$88542060$@com> <4CC8F911.3060206@attorneyross.com> <0C7EA6B5D0E44488A0A12593CE69249C@SatU205S5044> <9B4E315E3809421BA8621767402DC973@dave> <4CCA53E9.6030908@attorneyross.com> <7.0.1.0.2.20101029064732.02a3b3c8@plymouthcolony.net> <4A01EC88F55243E0BBA90D796C7CE7EF@SatU205S5044> <4CCADFA7.6070101@fybush.com> <19660.52911.359546.626519@hergotha.csail.mit.edu> Message-ID: <19660.54480.200369.616646@hergotha.csail.mit.edu> < said: > But from our local record-holder, AM 1150-Boston, we know that CDBS > records can be incomplete. We know (and have always known) that they *are* incomplete, because (as I mentioned in my email) they only go back to 1978. CDBS does not contain data about call sign changes (or facility changes, for that matter) prior to that. The historical data in CDBS was ported over from the FCC's old database, BAPS. The Commission did not pay anyone to key in all the historical data from half a century of microform records in the National Archives. (I'm sure Senator Proxmire would have had a fit if they had!) -GAWollman From dlh@donnahalper.com Sun Oct 31 17:59:55 2010 From: dlh@donnahalper.com (Donna Halper) Date: Sun, 31 Oct 2010 17:59:55 -0400 Subject: WEIM call letter change In-Reply-To: <19556.53724.781408.840918@hergotha.csail.mit.edu> References: <19556.53724.781408.840918@hergotha.csail.mit.edu> Message-ID: <201010312159.o9VLxQUL096107@tsornin.bostonradio.org> I've been really busy with my PhD and writing my 5th book, so if this was discussed already, I apologize. When did WEIM in Fitchburg change call letters? They had those calls since they went on the air in 1941. There are so few heritage calls around these days... WBZ's is one of the few in Massachusetts that never has changed. From dave@skywaves.net Sun Oct 31 18:38:59 2010 From: dave@skywaves.net (Dave Doherty) Date: Sun, 31 Oct 2010 18:38:59 -0400 Subject: WEIM call letter change In-Reply-To: <201010312159.o9VLxQUL096107@tsornin.bostonradio.org> References: <19556.53724.781408.840918@hergotha.csail.mit.edu> <201010312159.o9VLxQUL096107@tsornin.bostonradio.org> Message-ID: Hi Donna- According to the FCC call sign history data, WEIM (FCC facility ID 71434) was granted a call sign change to WPKZ on 4/6/2009. -Dave Doherty Skywaves Consulting LLC -------------------------------------------------- From: "Donna Halper" Sent: Sunday, October 31, 2010 5:59 PM To: "Garrett Wollman" Cc: Subject: WEIM call letter change > > I've been really busy with my PhD and writing my 5th book, so if this was > discussed already, I apologize. When did WEIM in Fitchburg change call > letters? They had those calls since they went on the air in 1941. There > are so few heritage calls around these days... WBZ's is one of the few in > Massachusetts that never has changed. > > From gary@garysicecream.com Sun Oct 31 19:33:10 2010 From: gary@garysicecream.com (Gary's Ice Cream) Date: Sun, 31 Oct 2010 19:33:10 -0400 Subject: 5th book, eh? In-Reply-To: <201010312159.o9VLxQUL096107@tsornin.bostonradio.org> References: <19556.53724.781408.840918@hergotha.csail.mit.edu> <201010312159.o9VLxQUL096107@tsornin.bostonradio.org> Message-ID: <027501cb7953$faabca40$f0035ec0$@com> You just keep trying til you get it right, eh? Just kidding. -Gary Francis -----Original Message----- From: boston-radio-interest-bounces@tsornin.BostonRadio.org [mailto:boston-radio-interest-bounces@tsornin.BostonRadio.org] On Behalf Of Donna Halper Sent: Sunday, October 31, 2010 6:00 PM To: Garrett Wollman Cc: boston-radio-interest@bostonradio.org Subject: WEIM call letter change I've been really busy with my PhD and writing my 5th book, so if this was discussed already, I apologize. When did WEIM in Fitchburg change call letters? They had those calls since they went on the air in 1941. There are so few heritage calls around these days... WBZ's is one of the few in Massachusetts that never has changed. From raccoonradio@gmail.com Sun Oct 31 18:44:33 2010 From: raccoonradio@gmail.com (Bob Nelson) Date: Sun, 31 Oct 2010 18:44:33 -0400 Subject: WEIM call letter change In-Reply-To: <201010312159.o9VLxQUL096107@tsornin.bostonradio.org> References: <19556.53724.781408.840918@hergotha.csail.mit.edu> <201010312159.o9VLxQUL096107@tsornin.bostonradio.org> Message-ID: Wikipedia says that they changed calls in April of 2009 "in anticipation" of their FM translator which would sign on in March of this year http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WEIM (redirects to page about WPKZ) On Sun, Oct 31, 2010 at 5:59 PM, Donna Halper wrote: > I've been really busy with my PhD and writing my 5th book, so if this was > discussed already, I apologize. ?When did WEIM in Fitchburg change call > letters? ?They had those calls since they went on the air in 1941. ?There > are so few heritage calls around these days... WBZ's is one of the few in > Massachusetts that never has changed. > From kvahey@gmail.com Sun Oct 31 20:32:51 2010 From: kvahey@gmail.com (Kevin Vahey) Date: Mon, 1 Nov 2010 00:32:51 +0000 Subject: WEIM call letter change In-Reply-To: References: <19556.53724.781408.840918@hergotha.csail.mit.edu><201010312159.o9VLxQUL096107@tsornin.bostonradio.org> Message-ID: <1946609991-1288571573-cardhu_decombobulator_blackberry.rim.net-1689730067-@bda268.bisx.prod.on.blackberry> WILD may be second in Boston after WBZ for same calls and freq Commercial FM WBOS has never changed nor has WHRB. Sent on from my BlackBerry? so typos are because of tiny keys -----Original Message----- From: Bob Nelson Sender: boston-radio-interest-bounces@tsornin.BostonRadio.org Date: Sun, 31 Oct 2010 18:44:33 To: Donna Halper Cc: Subject: Re: WEIM call letter change Wikipedia says that they changed calls in April of 2009 "in anticipation" of their FM translator which would sign on in March of this year http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WEIM (redirects to page about WPKZ) On Sun, Oct 31, 2010 at 5:59 PM, Donna Halper wrote: > I've been really busy with my PhD and writing my 5th book, so if this was > discussed already, I apologize. ?When did WEIM in Fitchburg change call > letters? ?They had those calls since they went on the air in 1941. ?There > are so few heritage calls around these days... WBZ's is one of the few in > Massachusetts that never has changed. > From revdoug1@myfairpoint.net Sun Oct 31 22:03:45 2010 From: revdoug1@myfairpoint.net (=?utf-8?b?RG91ZyBEcm93bg==?=) Date: Sun, 31 Oct 2010 22:03:45 -0400 Subject: WEIM call letter change Message-ID: <20101031220345.ourkv7mhabc0k0ck@webmail.myfairpoint.net> I never did understand why WEIM changed its call letters after 71 years. I still don't. Makes no sense. -Doug Quoting Kevin Vahey : > WILD may be second in Boston after WBZ for same calls and freq > > Commercial FM WBOS has never changed nor has WHRB. > Sent on from my BlackBerry? so typos are because of tiny keys > > -----Original Message----- > From: Bob Nelson > Sender: boston-radio-interest-bounces@tsornin.BostonRadio.org > Date: Sun, 31 Oct 2010 18:44:33 > To: Donna Halper > Cc: > Subject: Re: WEIM call letter change > > Wikipedia says that they changed calls in April of 2009 "in > anticipation" of their > FM translator which would sign on in March of this year > > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WEIM > (redirects to page about WPKZ) > > On Sun, Oct 31, 2010 at 5:59 PM, Donna Halper wrote: > > I've been really busy with my PhD and writing my 5th book, so if this was > > discussed already, I apologize. ?When did WEIM in Fitchburg change call > > letters? ?They had those calls since they went on the air in 1941. ?There > > are so few heritage calls around these days... WBZ's is one of the few in > > Massachusetts that never has changed. > > > > From jjlehmann@comcast.net Sun Oct 31 22:10:02 2010 From: jjlehmann@comcast.net (Jeff Lehmann) Date: Sun, 31 Oct 2010 22:10:02 -0400 Subject: WEIM call letter change In-Reply-To: <20101031220345.ourkv7mhabc0k0ck@webmail.myfairpoint.net> References: <20101031220345.ourkv7mhabc0k0ck@webmail.myfairpoint.net> Message-ID: <007001cb7969$e54bd3f0$afe37bd0$@net> > I never did understand why WEIM changed its call letters after 71 > years. I still don't. Makes no sense. -Doug 1460 in Brockton fits into the same category as well. It just makes no sense at all. Jeff Lehmann Hanson, MA From dlh@donnahalper.com Sun Oct 31 22:10:45 2010 From: dlh@donnahalper.com (Donna Halper) Date: Sun, 31 Oct 2010 22:10:45 -0400 Subject: WEIM call letter change In-Reply-To: <20101031220345.ourkv7mhabc0k0ck@webmail.myfairpoint.net> References: <20101031220345.ourkv7mhabc0k0ck@webmail.myfairpoint.net> Message-ID: <201011010210.oA12Aqtb050413@hergotha.csail.mit.edu> At 10:03 PM 10/31/2010, Doug Drown wrote: >I never did understand why WEIM changed its call letters after 71 >years. I still don't. Makes no sense. -Doug That was exactly my point. I gather they are simulcasting the AM & FM (I drove by their studios today, which is what jogged my memory about the call letter change-- there is a big sign out in front, and it used to say WEIM). Why give up heritage call letters? From kvahey@gmail.com Sun Oct 31 22:14:49 2010 From: kvahey@gmail.com (Kevin Vahey) Date: Mon, 1 Nov 2010 02:14:49 +0000 Subject: WEIM call letter change In-Reply-To: <20101031220345.ourkv7mhabc0k0ck@webmail.myfairpoint.net> References: <20101031220345.ourkv7mhabc0k0ck@webmail.myfairpoint.net> Message-ID: <466633979-1288577689-cardhu_decombobulator_blackberry.rim.net-504876222-@bda268.bisx.prod.on.blackberry> To quote Larry King on radio - Management never sleeps.... I am surprised nobody in Boston grabbed WHUB when channel 66 have them up Sent on from my BlackBerry? so typos are because of tiny keys -----Original Message----- From: "Doug Drown" Date: Sun, 31 Oct 2010 22:03:45 To: Bob Nelson; ; Donna Halper; Cc: 'Boston Radio' Subject: Re: WEIM call letter change I never did understand why WEIM changed its call letters after 71 years. I still don't. Makes no sense. -Doug Quoting Kevin Vahey : > WILD may be second in Boston after WBZ for same calls and freq > > Commercial FM WBOS has never changed nor has WHRB. > Sent on from my BlackBerry? so typos are because of tiny keys > > -----Original Message----- > From: Bob Nelson > Sender: boston-radio-interest-bounces@tsornin.BostonRadio.org > Date: Sun, 31 Oct 2010 18:44:33 > To: Donna Halper > Cc: > Subject: Re: WEIM call letter change > > Wikipedia says that they changed calls in April of 2009 "in > anticipation" of their > FM translator which would sign on in March of this year > > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WEIM > (redirects to page about WPKZ) > > On Sun, Oct 31, 2010 at 5:59 PM, Donna Halper wrote: > > I've been really busy with my PhD and writing my 5th book, so if this was > > discussed already, I apologize. ?When did WEIM in Fitchburg change call > > letters? ?They had those calls since they went on the air in 1941. ?There > > are so few heritage calls around these days... WBZ's is one of the few in > > Massachusetts that never has changed. > > > > From scott@fybush.com Sun Oct 31 21:45:04 2010 From: scott@fybush.com (Scott Fybush) Date: Sun, 31 Oct 2010 21:45:04 -0400 Subject: WEIM call letter change In-Reply-To: <1946609991-1288571573-cardhu_decombobulator_blackberry.rim.net-1689730067-@bda268.bisx.prod.on.blackberry> References: <19556.53724.781408.840918@hergotha.csail.mit.edu><201010312159.o9VLxQUL096107@tsornin.bostonradio.org> <1946609991-1288571573-cardhu_decombobulator_blackberry.rim.net-1689730067-@bda268.bisx.prod.on.blackberry> Message-ID: <4CCE1BA0.5040001@fybush.com> Kevin Vahey wrote: > WILD may be second in Boston after WBZ for same calls and freq > > Commercial FM WBOS has never changed nor has WHRB. Nor WGBH, WBUR or WERS, all dating back to that same late 40s/early 50s period. s From scott@fybush.com Sun Oct 31 22:52:17 2010 From: scott@fybush.com (Scott Fybush) Date: Sun, 31 Oct 2010 22:52:17 -0400 Subject: WEIM call letter change In-Reply-To: <466633979-1288577689-cardhu_decombobulator_blackberry.rim.net-504876222-@bda268.bisx.prod.on.blackberry> References: <20101031220345.ourkv7mhabc0k0ck@webmail.myfairpoint.net> <466633979-1288577689-cardhu_decombobulator_blackberry.rim.net-504876222-@bda268.bisx.prod.on.blackberry> Message-ID: <4CCE2B61.1040302@fybush.com> Kevin Vahey wrote: > To quote Larry King on radio - Management never sleeps.... > > I am surprised nobody in Boston grabbed WHUB when channel 66 have them up They couldn't, at least not on the AM dial, because channel 66 was WHUB-TV, with the calls licensed from the Cookeville, Tennessee AM station that's been WHUB since time immemorial. One supposes that a sufficiently interested party could similarly license those calls to create a WHUB-FM, but the logical home for those calls decided it made more sense to be WBZ-FM instead (and at no cost!), and it's hard to argue with that choice. s From joe@attorneyross.com Sun Oct 31 23:51:13 2010 From: joe@attorneyross.com (A Joseph Ross) Date: Sun, 31 Oct 2010 23:51:13 -0400 Subject: WEIM call letter change In-Reply-To: <1946609991-1288571573-cardhu_decombobulator_blackberry.rim.net-1689730067-@bda268.bisx.prod.on.blackberry> References: <19556.53724.781408.840918@hergotha.csail.mit.edu><201010312159.o9VLxQUL096107@tsornin.bostonradio.org> <1946609991-1288571573-cardhu_decombobulator_blackberry.rim.net-1689730067-@bda268.bisx.prod.on.blackberry> Message-ID: <4CCE3931.3040908@attorneyross.com> On 10/31/2010 8:32 PM, Kevin Vahey wrote: > WILD may be second in Boston after WBZ for same calls and freq WILD got its current calls in September 1957. WLYN 1360, since 1947 surpasses it on the AM band. There are also some FM stations that have had their present calls and frequencies longer. See below. > Commercial FM WBOS has never changed nor has WHRB. > Sent on from my BlackBerry? so typos are because of tiny keys WHRB did change from 107.1 sometime around 1959. WERS began on 88.1 in 1949, but moved to the present 88.9 in 1950, which means that it surpasses WILD. WGBH does, too, since 1951 on 89.7. WBUR began in 1950, but it had one call-letter change in 1997, from WBUR to WBUR-FM, when it took over an AM on the Cape. I leave it to others whether that kind of change should count. Thanks to the Boston Radio Archives for a lot of this information. No, my memory is good, but not that good. > -----Original Message----- > From: Bob Nelson > Sender: boston-radio-interest-bounces@tsornin.BostonRadio.org > Date: Sun, 31 Oct 2010 18:44:33 > To: Donna Halper > Cc: > Subject: Re: WEIM call letter change > > Wikipedia says that they changed calls in April of 2009 "in > anticipation" of their > FM translator which would sign on in March of this year > > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WEIM > (redirects to page about WPKZ) > > On Sun, Oct 31, 2010 at 5:59 PM, Donna Halper wrote: >> I've been really busy with my PhD and writing my 5th book, so if this was >> discussed already, I apologize. When did WEIM in Fitchburg change call >> letters? They had those calls since they went on the air in 1941. There >> are so few heritage calls around these days... WBZ's is one of the few in >> Massachusetts that never has changed. >> > > > > ----- > No virus found in this message. > Checked by AVG - www.avg.com > Version: 10.0.1144 / Virus Database: 424/3219 - Release Date: 10/25/10 > > > -- A. Joseph Ross, J.D. 617.367.0468 92 State Street, Suite 700 Fax: 617.507.7856 Boston, MA 02109-2004 http://www.attorneyross.com From joe@attorneyross.com Sun Oct 31 23:52:34 2010 From: joe@attorneyross.com (A Joseph Ross) Date: Sun, 31 Oct 2010 23:52:34 -0400 Subject: WEIM call letter change In-Reply-To: <4CCE1BA0.5040001@fybush.com> References: <19556.53724.781408.840918@hergotha.csail.mit.edu><201010312159.o9VLxQUL096107@tsornin.bostonradio.org> <1946609991-1288571573-cardhu_decombobulator_blackberry.rim.net-1689730067-@bda268.bisx.prod.on.blackberry> <4CCE1BA0.5040001@fybush.com> Message-ID: <4CCE3982.1080404@attorneyross.com> On 10/31/2010 9:45 PM, Scott Fybush wrote: > Nor WGBH, WBUR or WERS, all dating back to that same late 40s/early > 50s period. Well, WBUR did go from WBUR to WBUR-FM, if that counts. -- A. Joseph Ross, J.D. 617.367.0468 92 State Street, Suite 700 Fax: 617.507.7856 Boston, MA 02109-2004 http://www.attorneyross.com From bob.bosra@demattia.net Sun Oct 31 22:17:07 2010 From: bob.bosra@demattia.net (Bob DeMattia) Date: Sun, 31 Oct 2010 22:17:07 -0400 Subject: WEIM call letter change In-Reply-To: <201011010210.oA12Aqtb050413@hergotha.csail.mit.edu> References: <20101031220345.ourkv7mhabc0k0ck@webmail.myfairpoint.net> <201011010210.oA12Aqtb050413@hergotha.csail.mit.edu> Message-ID: The FM is just a translator, so yes the FM content is a simulcast of the AM, 24/7 Still have trouble hearing the translator (and WROR) in the Worcester area due to the pirate 105.5. -Bob On Sun, Oct 31, 2010 at 10:10 PM, Donna Halper wrote: > At 10:03 PM 10/31/2010, Doug Drown wrote: > >> I never did understand why WEIM changed its call letters after 71 years. >> I still don't. Makes no sense. -Doug >> > > That was exactly my point. I gather they are simulcasting the AM & FM (I > drove by their studios today, which is what jogged my memory about the call > letter change-- there is a big sign out in front, and it used to say WEIM). > Why give up heritage call letters? > From ka3zci@yahoo.com Thu Oct 28 01:25:39 2010 From: ka3zci@yahoo.com (Robert Paine) Date: Wed, 27 Oct 2010 22:25:39 -0700 (PDT) Subject: Union NJ men's clothier Message-ID: <86323.18023.qm@web30107.mail.mud.yahoo.com> That could have been Dennison's, which I think was in Union. I should remember because I listened to WABC all night. All of you north of Waterford CT had better reception for the Boston stations; while you heard Arnie "Woo-Woo" Ginsburg, Bud Ballou and the rest, I could only get WMCA and Musicradio 77 WABC (ding). The overnight guy was Charlie Greer and he did Dennison's commercials. I can't recall if their spots began with "Is this the place? It's gotta be the place, 'cause there's no other place like this place". After the first line, the jock would slap the desk - ba-dum-dum-dum-dum or whatever SFX fits. I am pretty certain that Dennison's ads had an end tag, "Dennison's, Route __, Union, New Jersey. Dennison's, where money talks, nobody walks." I sometimes use that line today. Of course, no one has the foggiest notion of the significance but I just smile and let them wonder what I'm up to...... Bob Paine