WTAG-TV?

[Dan.Strassberg]

CBS was the first applicant for a TV station in Boston that proposed a
site in the Newton/Needham area. It was for WEEI-TV on Channel 5. It
may or may not have been the first application for Channel 5 in
Boston. If others had applied for Channel 5 in Boston before CBS, I
don't know who they were or what transmitter sites they had proposed.
I don't remember the date of the CBS app either, but my guess is
around 1953 or '54. At the time, I believe, Channel 7 was in Medford,
Channel 4 was in Allston, and Channel 2 was on Great Blue Hill.

Also, at the time of the CBS app, I believe that George Storer either
owned Channel 9 in Manchester or was trying to buy it. He wanted to
move Channel 9 to a 1000+-ft tower that he proposed to build in
Georgetown MA. I believe he lost interest in Georgetown and Channel 9
after it became clear that there would be three commercial VHF
stations in Boston and that his proposed Channel 9, even if it
retained Manchester as its CoL, would have a signal in Boston that was
inferior to those of the other three commercial VHFs. Channel 9 would
thus wind up without a network affiliation, which meant that, at best,
it would be only marginally profitable.

-----
Dan Strassberg (dan.strassberg@att.net)
eFax 1-707-215-6367

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Maureen Carney" <m_carney@yahoo.com>
To: <vzeej5wn@myfairpoint.net>; "Boston Radio Group"
<boston-radio-interest@lists.BostonRadio.org>
Sent: Friday, November 20, 2009 3:40 PM
Subject: Re: WTAG-TV?


> Perhaps CBS had something to do with turing in the license? First,
> they were ambivalent about TV well into the 50s (especially after
> mechanical color was scrapped). Second, they had part ownership in
> the original channel 2 license in Boston. You have to think they
> were giving prospective affiates mixed messages. On the other hand
> no one was enamored with WNAC as an affiliate, so an alternative
> would have been nice.
>
> Maureen
>
>
>