Re: The Colonial Network

[Dan.Strassberg@att.net]

It could have been from as late as 1943 because I believe that was the year 
that the FCC banned duopolies and Shepard moved WAAB from Boston to Worcester. 
The clue could be WNBX. When did it move from Springfield to Keene NH and 
become WKNE? The Socony trademark was the flying red horse--Pegasus from Greek 
mythology.

As I understand it, the Colonial Network was Shepard's other network (as the 
Blue Network was Sarnoff's other network). Shepard's main network was the 
Yankee Network and Sarnoff's was the Red Network (of NBC), later known as just 
NBC.

When I first became aware of regional networks--sometime during World War II--I 
think the Colonial Network was already defunct. I lived in the Bronx and could 
pick up WICC 600 and WNAB 1450 (and later WLIZ 1300) from Bridgeport. I don't 
recall whether WICC or WNAB was the Yankee Network affiliate in Bridgeport, but 
I vividly remember the network outcue: "Serving 24 hometown stations from 
Bangor to Bridgeport... This is the YANKEE Network." Most, though not all, 
Yankee affiliates were also affiliated with Mutual.

I think Cedric Foster's news commentary, which originated in Boston at WNAC 
1260, was fed to any Mutual affiliate that wanted it. Talk about DULL radio!

And it's not as if nobody had yet figured out how to make a radio newscast 
interesting. Lowell Thomas was perhaps the best in the business, but there were 
many really good news commentators during World War II.

The CBS World News Roundup, which aired on CBS M-F from 8:00 AM to 8:15 (with, 
I believe, an optional cutout at 8:11 for local stations to fill the remainder 
of the 15 minutes with local news) was excellent. I think Douglas Edwards 
anchored for years and years. And during the War, there were live shortwave 
feeds from Europe and the Pacific. The audio quality was sometimes horrendous 
but some top-flight journalists were in the field, including Edward R Murrow 
and Charles Collingwood. Needless to say, it would take many decades before the 
term embedded, as applied to journalists, would be invented.
--
dan.strassberg@att.net
617-558-4205
eFax 707-215-6367
> Have come across a poster from I would guess the 1930s that promotes 
> Boston Red Sox and Bees broadcasts on the Colonial Network. Poster 
> features the logo of SOCONY OIL now Mobil and lists these stations
> BOSTON WAAB
> BANGOR WLBZ
> BRIDGEPORT WICC
> FALL RIVER WSAR
> HARTFORD WTHT
> LACONIA WLNH
> LOWELL WLLH
> MANCHESTER WFEA
> NEW BEDFORD WNBH
> NEW LONDON WNLC
> PROVIDENCE WEAN
> SPRINGFIELD WSPR
> SPRINGFIELD VT WNBX
> WATERBURY WBRY
> 
> Announcer was Fred Hoey who I thought worked for Shepard at the Yankee 
> Network. Donna can you offer any background?
> 
> Curious why Portland ME wasn't listed.
>