40 years ago - Boston became a 2 newspaper town

[Dan.Strassberg]

I arrived in Boston in May 1956. IIRC, WHDH-TV didn't sign on until at
least several months afterward (I have no problem with the idea that
the date was November '57). My recollection is that WHDH-TV signed on
from what had been the WHDH (AM) studios (which I believe were on St
James Ave). Part of those studios were converted into a cramped TV
studio. It was billed as an interim location but I can't recall
whether larger studios were built before WHDH-TV was forced to go dark
and was replaced by WCVB. Weren't the first WCVB studios at the
current location--on the west side of Route 128 in Needham? The
WHDH-TV transmitter was where you said--on what today is the FM-128
tower in Newton. The WCVB transmitter was also where it is today--on
the WBZ-TV tower in Needham. The Herald would not sell or lease any of
its TV facilities to WCVB. Allegedly, by refusing to cooperate with
WCVB, the Herald was trying to force WCVB into bankruptcy before it
could go on the air. The story I heard is that the Herald came close
to succeeding in this endeavor.

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

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Kevin Vahey" <kvahey@gmail.com>
To: "Garrett Wollman" <wollman@bimajority.org>
Cc: "Boston Radio Group" <boston-radio-interest@lists.BostonRadio.org>
Sent: Tuesday, June 19, 2012 12:28 AM
Subject: Re: 40 years ago - Boston became a 2 newspaper town


> Garrett
>
> My father was an employee and that is what he was told. That is good
> enough for me.
>
> You have refused for years to correct this entry in the
> archives...even though it has been brought to your attention
>
> http://www.bostonradio.org/stations/1912.html
>
>> By the early 50s, the Herald-Traveler was pursuing TV, and in the
>> mid-50s the company was granted an interim license to put channel 5
>> on the air. The allocation originally belonged to Worcester, but
>> after going unclaimed for several years, it was moved to Boston.
>> WHDH-TV made its debut as an ABC affiliate November 26, 1957, from
>> the new WHDH AM/FM/TV building at 50 Morrissey Boulevard in
>> Dorchester, and transmitter on Chestnut Street in Newton (the
>> present-day FM-128 tower). An affiliation swap in 1962 made WHDH-TV
>> Boston's CBS affiliate, and WNAC-TV 7 became the ABC affiliate.
>
> WHDH-TV signed on in 1957 at the Payne Furniture building at 6 St
> James Ave.
>
>
> When the move to 50 Morrissey happened exactly I can not pinpoint (
> either 1959 or 1960 ) - but Bozo didn't happen until the move to
> Dorchester.
>
> Here is video of the move from Park Sq
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=85_IhzDoECg
>
> For the sake of history will you correct this error?
>
>
>
>
>
>
> On Tue, Jun 19, 2012 at 12:04 AM, Garrett Wollman
> <wollman@bimajority.org> wrote:
>>
>> <<On Mon, 18 Jun 2012 21:44:13 -0400, Kevin Vahey
>> <kvahey@gmail.com> said:
>>
>> > I have heard the story from several Herald staffers.
>> > The H-T wanted to remind the Taylor family every day.
>>
>> So in other words, no, you don't have any actual evidence.
>>
>> -GAWollman
>>
>