WXHR-TV and WKBG-TV/Channel 56

["Peter Q. George" <radiojunkie3@yahoo.com>]

The test you saw on WXHR-TV/Channel 56 was part of the
1964 FCC sponsored tests to see if UHF could work in
the Largest Television markets.  Another bigger,
better known station was set-up in New York by the FCC
itself, WUHF-TV/Channel 31 (not to be confused with
Channel 31 in Rochester (also WUHF) was put on the air
that year.  WXHR's Indian Head test-pattern
transmissions were three fold.  One, it kept the long
dormant station's license intact for renewal. 
Secondly, it was to check for coverage and for
multi-path, very prevalent in the concrete jungle. 
WXHR-TV/WKBG-TV operated with 1,000,000 watts (ERP) of
power on a rather short stick on Zion Hill in Woburn. 
The problem with Zion was that it was north of Boston.
 People south of Boston were stuck with multipath due
to obstructions like the City of Boston and the Blue
Hills.  Finally, Kaiser Broadcasting was in the market
for a full-powered UHF in Boston and these tests were
probably done to show the execs at Kaiser that buying
Channel 56 would be well worth the investment.  First,
though, they probably needed to see the signal for
themselves.  Well, seeing is believing and Kaiser/with
financial support from the Boston Globe bought
WXHR-AM, FM and TV from the Lyman family (Harvey Radio
Laboratories) in 1965 and made big plans to bring all
of these properties up to snuff.  December, 1966 was
the date to bring 56 back to life.  Today, Channel 56
is still kicking and is the same license dating back
to 1953.
    
When Channel 56 made to move to Needham in October,
1968, even on 10% power (until the full power signal
was established in late 10/68), the signal was
amazing.  We "South of Bostonites" got a perfect
signal from Channel 56 for the first time and welcomed
another choice of programming on the fairly empty UHF
dial, other than 14, 38 and 44.  When Channel 56
signed on from Needham, they used a 60,000 watt UHF
transmitter.  Two years later, they more than doubled
the power with "the world most powerful transmitter". 
125,000 watts (TPO).  To kick all off, that late
February Sunday afternoon in 1971, Channel 56's Arch
McDonald (Dean of Boston news) welcomed Channel 56
viewers to the "world's most powerful transmitter" and
intro'd to a very high powered movie, "The Music Man".

Ah, those UHF memories! (http://listen.to/peterq)


73,

Peter Q. George (K1XRB)
Whitman, Massachusetts



=====
Peter Q. George (K1XRB)
Whitman, Massachusetts
                           "Scanning the bands since 1967"
radiojunkie1@yahoo.com
radiojunkie3@yahoo.com
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