Al Kennedy

[The Seacoast]

Now I remember the "X-15" (Is my radio station) during 1975.


SS 

-----Original Message-----
From: revdoug1@myfairpoint.net [mailto:revdoug1@myfairpoint.net] 
Sent: Friday, May 14, 2010 12:38 PM
To: Dan.Strassberg; Doug Drown; =?utf-8?b??=; SteveOrdinetz; Kevin Vahey
Subject: Re: Al Kennedy

Dan and Kevin,
I will defer to your knowledge of the situation; you know it better than I.
I do remember that for a while in the late '60s - early '70s, WMEX (still
owned by the Richmonds, I think) adopted the moniker "X15," 
which I thought was inane.  I'm quite sure the station was broadcasting with
50K by the time I was in college (fall' 69). 

Given that the jump to 50K didn't improve the station's coverage area all
that much, what did the Richmonds think they were going to 
accomplish by going to all that trouble?   (I can get 1510 clearly all 
day up here near Blue Hill, Maine, but I can get 590, 1260, 1300, and 1600
too --- all 5K'ers.  And I can remember pulling in WMEX up in the Portland
area way back in 1965, long before it amplified its power
output.)

-Doug



Quoting Kevin Vahey <kvahey@gmail.com>:
> Dan
>
> Mac Richmond was very much alive when they made the jump to 50K and he 
> died in October of 1971.
>
> A big part of the problem was the new subway that was built in the 
> late 60's and the office complex that followed.
>
> On 5/14/10, Dan.Strassberg <dan.strassberg@att.net> wrote:
> > I would scarcely stake my life on it, especially now that two people 
> > have pegged the power increase as having taken place during the 
> > summer of 1968, but I still think that you've got the wrong year. I 
> > worked in Framingham from November '68 until July or August (I'm not 
> > certain about the month) '72. I can remember driving down Route 126 
> > in Wayland on my way to work listening to the big baritone voice of 
> > TJ Martin (yes, Grace Metalius's lover from Peyton Place) doing AM 
> > drive as WMEX tested its new day signal. In Wayland, it was somewhat 
> > of an improvement over the old 5 kW, but it still wasn't 
> > great--especially during critical hours. I had read that the 
> > increase was in the works and I had listened for quite a while in 
> > anticipation of it and to get a frame of reference on the signal for 
> > comparison before the new DA-D/Tx were switched on. Anyhow, my 
> > recollection is that this took place just as I was about to give 
> > notice on my job in Framingham, which is how I placed the increase 
> > in '72. I suppose that it's possible that it was in '68, but it 
> > would have had to be later than October, because I left my previous 
> > job in Waltham on October 31 1968 and then immediately started on my 
> > new job in Framingham. (I am positive about the dates; 10/31/'68 was 
> > the last day of the Waltham company's fiscal year.)
> >
> > -----
> > Dan Strassberg (dan.strassberg@att.net) eFax 1-707-215-6367
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: <revdoug1@myfairpoint.net>
> > To: "=?utf-8?b??=" <kvahey@gmail.com>; "=?utf-8?b??="
> > <boston-radio-interest@bostonradio.org>; "=?utf-8?b??="
> > <revdoug1@myfairpoint.net>
> > Sent: Friday, May 14, 2010 9:37 AM
> > Subject: Re: Al Kennedy
> >
> >
> >>I neglected to mention that outing was in the summer of 1968.   -Doug
> >>
> >>
> >> Quoting revdoug1@myfairpoint.net:
> >>> When I was a junior in high school, we had a one-day summer outing 
> >>> at Crane's Beach in Ipswich.  WMEX was doing 50kw at that time, 
> >>> and I (who always carried my trusty GE portable radio with me) was 
> >>> in seventh heaven.
> >>> Living out near
> >>> Fitchburg, I could never get the station.  -D.D. 
> >>>
> >>> Quoting Kevin Vahey <kvahey@gmail.com>:
> >>> > WMEX starting testing 50K daytime in the summer of 68. I 
> >>> > remember Ron
> >>> > (Polcari) Robin telling Mac that the signal in Manchester was 
> >>> > worse.
> >>> > Mac just wanted 50K on the rate cards and coverage maps he sent 
> >>> > out.
> >>> > WRKO blindsided Mac as he just assumed he would hold his own as 
> >>> > he did with WBZ.
> >>> > On 5/14/10, SteveOrdinetz <hykker@wildblue.net> wrote:
> >>> > > On Thu, May 13, 2010 at 8:06 PM, Dan.Strassberg
> >>> > > <dan.strassberg@att.net>wrote:
> >>> > >
> >>> > >> WMEX was owned and managed by people who pinched pennies 
> >>> > >> until Lincoln howled in pain. The station had antiquated 
> >>> > >> equipment and generally lousy facilities (and this time, I am 
> >>> > >> not referring just to the signal, although that was terrible 
> >>> > >> until the daytime power increase of 1972).
> >>> > >
> >>> > >
> >>> > > Not sure of the exact chronology of WMEX's power increase, but
> >>> ISTR mentions
> >>> > > of being 50,000W as early as 1969.  I have several music 
> >>> > > surveys
> >>> from 1971
> >>> > > that refer to the station as a "50,000 W Hitmaker". 
> >>> >
> >>> > --
> >>> > Sent from my mobile device
> >>> >
> >>>
> >>>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >
> >
>
> -- Sent from my mobile device
>