Re: WHDH and Blue/ 1956

["David W. Harris" <dwh@totalnetnh.net>]

A couple sidebars connected to this thread:

As noted in a previous post, in the early 30's WHDH was affiliated with
a string of highly perishable minor networks, but in 1935 a chance for
the big leagues came along.  Not too long after WHDH returned to being
independent after an association with George Storer's American
Broadcasting Company (no relation to today's ABC), Variety reported
(4/24/35) that CBS sought 'HDH as an affiliate.  This was conditional
upon the station becoming a full time operation and apparently the
network was willing to do what it could to help 'HDH go through the FCC
process.  Is this a clue to Columbia having a problem with its
arrangement with John Shepard (owner of WNAC and WAAB) or what?  (Read
lots more about the man in Donna Halper's article at
<http://radio.lcs.mit.edu/radio/shepard.html>.)  For whatever reason,
WHDH didn't get its expanded hours back then, and CBS was able to get
its hands on WEEI a few months later.

If NBC could rake in revenue from two networks, why not CBS?  Variety
says Columbia was considering doing this (3/20/35) by taking over the
ABC mentioned above and luring away stations unhappy with their NBC
deals to form its second network.  Didn't happen, of course.

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