Re: WMTW-TV starts broadcasting from new tower

[rjoc@webtv.net (Rod O'Connor)]

Surprised to see these WMTW posts when I got back home from a three-day
trip to Mass. last night, I was in Portland most  of yesterday  and
could have headed out to get pics of the new tower! Oh well....
 
Yes, Pete, both WHOM and WPKQ come in here on Mount Desert Island, and
you don't need to get up to the top of Cadillac. (Although I'll be glad
when May gets here and the road to the summit re-opens) WHOM used to put
in a near-local signal here until WSYY Millinocket shifted to 94.9 in
early 90's. Now it depends on precisely where you are and how your
antenna is pointed and positioned whether you get WHOM or WSYY. The 2
signals  cut each other out and while driving they are unlistenable
around  here. (I have whined  on this before, so no need to go on)

WPKQ also comes in here on MDI, but not as strong as WHOM. although it
does cause some adjacent-channel interference to WVOM 103.9 on my
car-radio, especially on the west side of MDI.

IMO, It will be sad to see WHOM leave the top of Mt. Washington. Back in
their easy-listening heyday they were very popular here and could be
easily picked up as far down-east as Eastport Lubec and Campobello and
Grand Manan Islands NB. I have even heard them at Cape Sable, NS,
Montauk Point NY and Mars Hill, ME during non-skip conditions.

As for WMTW TV they never did quite reach as far east as MDI, except on
a very selective TV with antenna beamed west. Occasionally when trops
were good they would show up, along with the Boston/Providence VHFs, but
WVII  Chan. 7 puts in a strong signal here, and all around Eastern
Maine. The only Portland area station that does come in here is WCBB
Chan.10, and occasionally WPXT 51 if you have a humongous UHF antenna.
(Adelphia Cable here actually picks up their signal off-air from
500-foot high Dollard Hill Ellsworth, according to one of their
technicians) From there they re-transmit the signal to their systems in
Eastern Maine, 

On my next visit to the folks, I will be curious to see if WMTW is still
on their cable system in Meredith NH. They actually have 3 ABC
Affiliates on their system: WMTW, WMUR and WCVB! I wonder how many cable
systems have actually re-positioned their antennas to the new WMTW site.


Rod O'Connor
Southwest Harbor, Maine