The Concert Network (WXCN-FM)

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

     T. Mitchell Hasting's "Concert Network" was similar to the "QXR
Network" in the fact that over-the-air relays were used in place of
using high-fidelity telco lines.  Take a gander of the stations that
comprised the "Concert Network's" operations (O & O stations)........
WNCN (104.3) New York
WRCN (103.9) Riverhead, Long Island (NY)
WHCN (105.9) Hartford, CT
WXCN (101.5) Providence, RI (xmtr in Foster, RI)
and last but not least.....
WBCN (104.1) Boston

     The network was set up in to which anything live in Boston would
be "daisy-chained" down the network to Providence, Hartford, Riverhead
and finally New York.  It worked in reverse, too.  There were times
when stations outside of the normal network operations would pick the
CN feed and rebroadcast it to other areas.  WMTW-FM (94.9) Mount Washington,
New Hampshire was an occasional affiliate.  That monster signal helped
A LOT.  Slowly the local CN stations discontinued the chain broadcasts and
just did their own thing.  
     Phone line charges were and still are prohibitive for the smaller
broadcaster.  FM relay was a brilliant way of beating those charges.  But
when FM was beginning to get a life of its' own, the practice quickly
subsided.  The CN Network, The Rural Radio Network, The Empire State
Network, Sonshine Radio (CBN) Network and others have faded away.  The
Public Networks are a different breed.  Most Public Nets are satellite
fed from the headquarters and delivered to transmitter sites throughout
the state that operates it.  Minnesota Public, Nebraska Public and others
use that delivery system.  


     WXCN is now WWBB ("B-101") in Providence.  It used to be the famous
WLKW ("L" means 50 and "KW" means kilowatts.....50 kilowatts... or 50,000
watts).  Before that, it was WCRX.  Before that, it was WXCN.


And now you know......the REST of the story....


- -Pete-

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Peter Q. George, N1GGP                  *  "Scanning the bands since 1967 !" 
P.O. Box 1183                           *                  +
Randolph, Massachusetts 02368-1183      *                  |
USA                                     *      73         +|+    de N1GGP
PGEORGE@wellesley.edu                   *                +\|/+
XERB@bigfoot.com                        *               + \|/ +
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