WHIL

[Dan.Strassberg]

I don't know about a Bulova connection with 950, but at the FCC,
Bulova seemed to have a reputation as kind of a shadowy character.
AFAIK, he never owned any stations through Bulova Watch Co, which he
owned, but rather, his radio ownerships were listed under his own
name, Arde Bulova. He owned WNEW in New York City and also either WAAM
or WODA, share timers (on what would eventually become 1280) that
later merged to become WOV. Once WODA and WAAM merged, I believe
Bulova owned WOV. That was probably before 1943, when the FCC broke up
duopolies, So for a while, I think he owned both WOV and WNEW. I'm not
sure which of the two he retained after duopolies were abolished. We
probably need Donna and/or Scott to untangle that one. Oh, and
remember that WORL went dark for several months or years in the the
mid/late 1940s after losing its license for, IIRC, unauthorized
transfer of control. That sounds like the sort of shenanigan that
Bulova could easily have been involved with.

I'm pretty sure that, before it went dark, WORL had its transmitter in
Wellesley or someplace close by. That site was likely on the campus of
Babson College, which was somehow related to the original owner, The
Babson Statistical Organization. Then, around the time when when WORL
was to return to the air, WHDH had completed its move from its site on
the Lynn Marsh Rd in Saugus to the current (WEEI) site in Needham.
That move freed up the Saugus site for WORL, which as WROL occupies it
to this day. Despite frequent incursions by the Atlantic Ocean, the
site is a gem because of the salt water path to so much of the Boston
area.

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

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Doug Drown" <vzeej5wn@myfairpoint.net>
To: <boston-radio-interest@lists.BostonRadio.org>; "Chris Hall"
<chris2526@comcast.net>; "Doug Drown" <vzeej5wn@myfairpoint.net>
Sent: Friday, July 22, 2011 7:18 AM
Subject: Re: WHIL


>I stand corrected, Chris, after rereading your post. I believe Bulova
>did own WORL at one time --- and WCOP as well.
> On Fri, 22 Jul 2011 07:08:00 -0400, Doug Drown  wrote:
> I think Bulova owned WCOP, not WHIL. WCOP was later sold to Plough,
>> the pharmaceutical company. I don't know who owned WHIL, but I
>> remember it being a classy little station. -Doug
>>
>> On Fri, 22 Jul 2011 02:11:23 -0400, Chris Hall  wrote:
>> Three of the WHIL announcers I remember were Dave Maynard and Jack
>> Chatterton one of several WHDH staff including Alan Dary’s
>> > first time (pre WHDH) after WORL owned by Bulova Watch went
>> > silent, later returned for the Music of your Life. They would
>> > occasionally stop by to visit Joe Kruger and Dottie
>> Jones > (Receptionist-den mother of WHIL=WWEL:-WXKS)
>> >
>> >
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