WKLB Axes "Sunday Morning Country Oldies"

[Scott Fybush]

On 6/17/2014 8:46 PM, Jeff Lehmann wrote:
>> Anyways, I believe it was GM that moved it to Boston. I don't recall an
>> intermediatemove to FM128, so I believe there was country music
>> emanating from the Framinghamtowers when it all began.
>
> Don't forget that 105.7 was once owned by one of the predecessors to Clear
> Channel (Evergreen?) between Fairbanks and GM. I'll almost guarantee that it
> was transmitting from FM128 or the Pru during most of the 80s, as WVBF was
> definitely a full market signal.
>
> Hopefully someone like Scott can clear this up for certain.

The 1985 Broadcasting Yearbook lists WVBF with 50 kW at 954 feet. That's 
not entirely plausible, because that would far have exceeded the height 
restriction on a class B station without derating the power.

There is an archived license record on the FCC database from 1986, 
showing 14 kW/954' from the candelabra tower in Needham.

There is a 1990 license record showing 8.5 kW/1145' from the FM128 tower 
in Newton.

The transmitter move to the Pru was licensed in 2000.

I am quite certain the FM transmitter was gone from Framingham by the 
early 1970s. (Something in the back of my head says 1971, but I haven't 
researched an exact date.) Even with a full 50 kW, the 1190 tower in 
Framingham wasn't very tall, and an FM there wouldn't have done much.

The main studio was gone from Framingham by the time I got to WKOX as an 
intern in 1990. There was a production studio still there, and I think 
there was at least the ability to go live from Mount Wayte Ave. over 
105.7, but the main studio was on the 13th floor of the Pru by the 1980s.

So: no, by the time the storm took down the WKOX tower, the WVBF 
transmitter was at the candelabra, then at FM128 (1990-2000), then at 
the Pru (2000-present).

s