RE: WHIL/WWEL

["Peter Q. George" <radiojunkie1@yahoo.com>]

     WWEL-AM and FM debuted in late November, 1972.  They fired-up the
Prudential Tower FM transmitter site in January, 1973 and switched to
stereo very shortly thereafter.  They were using the Bonneville
Beautiful Music format, "the difference... is the music..........
W-W-E-L ......." .  Bonneville was, and still is owned by the Church
of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (the Mormons).  WMTQ (now WHOM)
Mt. Washington, NH used the same format and jingle package.
     WHIL (AM/FM) disappeared forever when the station was sold to the
WWEL folks.  Prior to moving to the Pru, 107.9 had one of the worst FM
signals anywhere.  It was 50,000 watts at less than 100 feet. No
doubt, it would NOT pass today's ANSI standards for non-ionizing
radiation limits. An interesting story about WHIL ("Will-power Radio")
was that when the FM station shut-down for the night at midnight, the
on-air studio was used for production purposes.  Their clanky old
transmitter had an exciter that still radiated for a couple of miles. 
It was allegedly common for the production director to use expletives
whenever he "messed-up" a production take. It made for some very
interesting radio.  An all-night diner in Medford tuned into the
station regularly for some rather "blue" entertainment.
     Today, 107.9 in Boston (Medford) is the famous WXKS-FM
("Kiss/108").  Hey, it works.

- -Pete
==
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Peter Q. George (K1XRB)
33 Stetson Street, Apt. 2
Whitman, Massachusetts 02382

radiojunkie1@yahoo.com
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