WHDH-FM/WCOZ

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

     WHDH (94.5) used to transmit from high-above the OLD Hancock Tower 
(as did a couple of other FM stations in the market) until 1965.  According
to Paul Hurd (a former engineer of the WHDH/WCOZ stations) WHDH-FM left the
Hancock Building to go to the Channel 5 site in Newton (now affectionately
as FM-128) in 1965 to make way for stereo and separate programming.  WHDH
- -FM was automated Beautiful Music in stereo from 1965 until 1968.  All of
the Red Sox games were simulcasted in both AM and FM, with (get this) a totally
separate roster of sponsors for both stations.  The Red Sox simulcast ended
in 1972.
     WHDH-FM dabbled with some unusual mixes of Beautiful Music and Album
Rock in 1968.  It would not be surprising to hear "Incense and Peppermints"
(that 1967 hit) followed by some light instrumental song followed by Bob
Dylan's "Blowing in the Wind".  Apparently, somebody wanted to slowly switch
the format on the FM to "Progressive Rock".  WHDH CEO Harold J. Clancy got
wind of it and quickly ended that attempted coup.  He said that NOBODY is
going to ROCK this FM station.  So, WHDH-FM reverted back to its' previous
format without fanfare.  With the loss of the Channel 5 license in 1972,
WHDH AM and FM were sold Blair Broadcasting where in December, 1972...WHDH-FM
switched to WCOZ (I'm playing it COZY !!).  It was nothing more than a name
change.  However, a big change was coming in less than three years later.
August, 1975 brought Clark Schmidt and "Modified Progressive Rock".  For
the next six weeks, WCOZ/"Rock 94.5" played wall to wall Rock hits using
the old automation system.  Clark did the liners telling about the new
Rock 94.5/WCOZ, coming soon !!  By September, he lined up a fine roster
jocks to make the station go LIVE.  It became the biggest pain in the
butt for cross-town rocker WBCN.  The rest as they say...was history !!!


Pete

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