Al Kennedy

Sat May 15 14:47:23 EDT 2010

I recall they were tagged as the X-15 Air Force (which made a bit more sence 
than just X-15) I want to say it was at least 1972 as I had moved in Feb 72 
and recall not really listening to WMEX as much before then (more an RKO guy 
pre Feb 72)

I was a WMEX listener at that time (King Authur Knight, etc)

-Paul Hopfgarten
Concord NH

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "The Seacoast" <theseacoast@maine.rr.com>
To: <revdoug1@myfairpoint.net>; "'Dan.Strassberg'" <dan.strassberg@att.net>; 
"''" <boston-radio-interest@bostonradio.org>; "'SteveOrdinetz'" 
<hykker@wildblue.net>; "'Kevin Vahey'" <kvahey@gmail.com>
Sent: Saturday, May 15, 2010 12:10 PM
Subject: RE: Al Kennedy


> 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
>>
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