WTAG leaves CBS for Fox

[Doug Drown]

WTAG was not only an NBC affiliate for years, but was one of the network's
original affiliates in 1926.  It remained with NBC until the early '40s,
then switched to CBS.  In 1956, if memory serves, it became independent, and
then rejoined NBC around 1965 when three Worcester stations did a three-way
network switch all at the same time.   WTAG did indeed carry "Monitor," as
well as most, if not all, of NBC's other programming.  WTAG left NBC, along
with many other long-time affiliates (e.g. WHJJ, WGY, WTIC, WSM, WSB, WVMT),
shortly after Westwood One took over the network in 1987 and tragically
eviscerated it.  (WGY's management publicly expressed its disgust with
Westwood One in a Schenectady Gazette article that I read at the time.  The
station had been with the network for 62 years.)

How well I remember the tag line the station proudly gave for years before
the NBC hourly newscasts:  "This is WTAG Worcester, the radio station of the
Telegram and Gazette, NBC for Worcester and all of central New England."

-Doug

----- Original Message ----- 
From: <marklaurence@mac.com>
To: "Boston Radio Interest Board"
<boston-radio-interest@rolinin.bostonradio.org>
Sent: Tuesday, February 13, 2007 1:47 PM
Subject: Re: WTAG leaves CBS for Fox


> On Tuesday, February 13, 2007, at 11:39AM, "Don A"
<Donad_Astelle@yahoo.com> wrote:
> >I could've sworn that WTAG was an NBC affilliate for years.
>
> That's true - it was quite a surprise to long-time Worcesterites when they
went CBS after decades with NBC.  They had carried a lot of network features
like Monitor Radio and commentaries by NBC personalities.  But that was 20
years ago.  These days a lot fewer people will notice if the top of the hour
news changes networks.
>
> Mark