From joe@attorneyross.com Wed Dec 1 02:32:37 2021 From: joe@attorneyross.com (A Joseph Ross) Date: Wed, 1 Dec 2021 02:32:37 -0500 Subject: WBCN, Channel-13, and the old Hancock tower In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <3dbca797-8b76-3b86-6815-44e340d49b93@attorneyross.com> WSRS, which used to be WTAG-FM?? What's its story? On 11/29/2021 1:27 PM, Rob Landry wrote: > > I think WERS is the oldest surviving FM in the Boston market. > > The oldest in New England is, of course, WSRS. > > > Rob > > On Mon, 29 Nov 2021, Donna Halper wrote: > >> From the article I wrote for the Emerson alumni magazine in 1998:? >> "Very few people outside of the Emerson community realized what a >> momentous occasion Monday, November 14, 1949 was. It had been >> preceded, on November 2, by a dedication ceremony, then a few days of >> equipment testing, and the granting of the license by the FCC on >> November 10th; on November 14th, Emerson's new FM station, WERS, >> turned on its transmitter officially.? The engineer who did it (G. >> Bradford Tiffany, class of 1951) recalls that there was no >> announcement, no major media blitz-- just a program test for a while, >> and then, a day or two later, regular broadcasts began-- from 2 pm to >> 8 pm weekdays." -- A. Joseph Ross, J.D. ? 1340 Centre Street, Suite 103 ? Newton, MA 02459 617.367.0468 ? http://www.attorneyross.com From rbello@belloassoc.com Wed Dec 1 08:03:20 2021 From: rbello@belloassoc.com (Ron Bello) Date: Wed, 1 Dec 2021 08:03:20 -0500 Subject: WBCN, Channel-13, and the old Hancock tower In-Reply-To: <3dbca797-8b76-3b86-6815-44e340d49b93@attorneyross.com> References: <3dbca797-8b76-3b86-6815-44e340d49b93@attorneyross.com> Message-ID: Lets not forget WTAG-TV channel 5 --------------------------------------------------- On Wed, Dec 1, 2021 at 3:04 AM A Joseph Ross wrote: > WSRS, which used to be WTAG-FM? What's its story? > > On 11/29/2021 1:27 PM, Rob Landry wrote: > > > > I think WERS is the oldest surviving FM in the Boston market. > > > > The oldest in New England is, of course, WSRS. > > > > > > Rob > > > > On Mon, 29 Nov 2021, Donna Halper wrote: > > > >> From the article I wrote for the Emerson alumni magazine in 1998: > >> "Very few people outside of the Emerson community realized what a > >> momentous occasion Monday, November 14, 1949 was. It had been > >> preceded, on November 2, by a dedication ceremony, then a few days of > >> equipment testing, and the granting of the license by the FCC on > >> November 10th; on November 14th, Emerson's new FM station, WERS, > >> turned on its transmitter officially. The engineer who did it (G. > >> Bradford Tiffany, class of 1951) recalls that there was no > >> announcement, no major media blitz-- just a program test for a while, > >> and then, a day or two later, regular broadcasts began-- from 2 pm to > >> 8 pm weekdays." > > -- > A. Joseph Ross, J.D. ? 1340 Centre Street, Suite 103 ? Newton, MA 02459 > 617.367.0468 ? http://www.attorneyross.com > From w1tag@charter.net Wed Dec 1 09:20:18 2021 From: w1tag@charter.net (John Andrews) Date: Wed, 1 Dec 2021 09:20:18 -0500 Subject: WBCN, Channel-13, and the old Hancock tower In-Reply-To: <3dbca797-8b76-3b86-6815-44e340d49b93@attorneyross.com> References: <3dbca797-8b76-3b86-6815-44e340d49b93@attorneyross.com> Message-ID: <4c85bf14-7417-804d-974f-b65e22d00cc9@charter.net> On 12/1/2021 2:32 AM, A Joseph Ross wrote: > WSRS, which used to be WTAG-FM?? What's its story? Joe, WSRS was born as W1XTG on June 17, 1940, on 43.4 MHz from a turnstile antenna mounted on WTAG's #2 tower in Holden, MA. It was owned, of course, by the Worcester Telegram & Gazette, with programming coming from 18 Franklin Street in Worcester. The station would have been on the air earlier, except the original three WTAG towers were leveled in the 1938 Hurricane. Trivia: parts of that original turnstile antenna are still visible about 20' down from the top of the #2 tower. The T&G bought 20 acres of land on Little Asnebumskit Hill in Paxton in August, 1940. They filed an application for 300 kw from a 300' tower at that site, but that app was a casualty of regulations and WWII. Programming during WWII was complicated due to labor shortages (the station had an all-female staff at one point), network restrictions on simulcasts, lack of revenue on the FM side, and so on. In 1944, the call letters became WTAG-FM, and the frequency was moved to 46.1 MHz. After the war, the 92-108 MHz band came along, and they moved to 102.7 MHz. That was done by hack-sawing the brass pipe used in the turnstile antenna, after modeling by Prof. Hobart Newell at WPI showed that the higher frequency signal would not be badly distorted by the shorter antenna inside the tower. They moved to 96.1 MHz in 1947. The postponed move to the present Paxton site was not done until December, 1948. Allowance in developing that location had been made for TV operations on Channel 5 and Channel 20, but they never took place for reasons covered in earlier email trails on this reflector. The original Paxton tower was 192', and is still there, and has an auxiliary antenna on it. As is well-known, WTAG-FM was sold to Norman Knight in 1963, and it continued in Knight Communications' ownership until the Capstar sale in the late '90s. They put up a new 330' tower in 1991, and that is currently in use, although with an antenna less ice-sensitive than the original. John Andrews (WTAG 1970-96) From 011010001@interpring.com Wed Dec 1 12:29:21 2021 From: 011010001@interpring.com (Rob Landry) Date: Wed, 1 Dec 2021 12:29:21 -0500 (EST) Subject: WBCN, Channel-13, and the old Hancock tower In-Reply-To: <3dbca797-8b76-3b86-6815-44e340d49b93@attorneyross.com> References: <3dbca797-8b76-3b86-6815-44e340d49b93@attorneyross.com> Message-ID: According to Wikipedia, WSRS was first licensed as W1XTG in 1940 on 43.4 MHz in the old 42 - 50 MHz FM band. I believe it was actually the second FM to be licensed in New England, after one set up by Major Armstrong just up the hill at the end of Asnebumskit Road. Armstrong's station does not survive, but his tower is still there and is used by WICN and WBPR (WUMB). Rob On Wed, 1 Dec 2021, A Joseph Ross wrote: > WSRS, which used to be WTAG-FM?? What's its story? From martinjwaters@yahoo.com Wed Dec 1 17:35:14 2021 From: martinjwaters@yahoo.com (Martin Waters) Date: Wed, 1 Dec 2021 22:35:14 +0000 (UTC) Subject: WBCN, Channel-13, and the old Hancock tower In-Reply-To: References: <3dbca797-8b76-3b86-6815-44e340d49b93@attorneyross.com> Message-ID: <678789902.3198278.1638398114865@mail.yahoo.com> ? ? WHCN-FM in Hartford lists a start date of May 13, 1939, as W1XPW. It was the station that relayed Armstrong's transmissions from Alpine to the station in Massachusetts when he began broadcasting. IIRC, Armstrong and Doolittle first did some experimental relays from Alpine to W1XPW, whose transmitter was on top of Meriden Mountain/West Peak in Meriden, Conn. ? ? ?W1XPW was set up by Franklin Doolittle, owner of WDRC (AM) in Hartford, in cooperation with Armstrong. It became WDRC-FM, but is unrelated to today's WDRC-FM. ? ? The original FM station was sold in 1957 to owners who changed the calls to WHCN later on. WHCN, as well as WDRC-FM and some other Hartford market FM's still transmit from Meriden Mountain. ? ? ?When I was last up there about 17 years ago, the original, disused W1XPW/WDRC-FM tower was still there. On Wednesday, December 1, 2021, 12:30:10 PM EST, Rob Landry <011010001@interpring.com> wrote: According to Wikipedia, WSRS was first licensed as W1XTG in 1940 on 43.4 MHz in the old 42 - 50 MHz FM band. I believe it was actually the second FM to be licensed in New England, after one set up by Major Armstrong just up the hill at the end of Asnebumskit Road. Armstrong's station does not survive, but his tower is still there and is used by WICN and WBPR (WUMB). Rob On Wed, 1 Dec 2021, A Joseph Ross wrote: > WSRS, which used to be WTAG-FM?? What's its story? From 011010001@interpring.com Wed Dec 1 20:37:50 2021 From: 011010001@interpring.com (Rob Landry) Date: Wed, 1 Dec 2021 20:37:50 -0500 (EST) Subject: New England's first all-digital station on the AM band Message-ID: WSRO Ashland, MA is on the air in the digital-only MA-3 mode of HD Radio. The transition occurred about 3:30 this afternoon (December 1). If any of y'all can hear it, I'd appreciate reception reports. The station drops from 1,500 watts in the day to 100 watts at night. Thanks, Rob From wollman@bimajority.org Wed Dec 1 22:35:13 2021 From: wollman@bimajority.org (Garrett Wollman) Date: Wed, 1 Dec 2021 22:35:13 -0500 Subject: New England's first all-digital station on the AM band In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <25000.16113.684121.785128@hergotha.csail.mit.edu> < said: > WSRO Ashland, MA is on the air in the digital-only MA-3 mode of HD > Radio. The transition occurred about 3:30 this afternoon (December 1). > If any of y'all can hear it, I'd appreciate reception reports. The station > drops from 1,500 watts in the day to 100 watts at night. I just pulled out my trusty old XDR-F1HD and hooked up the AM loop, and it locked instantly (for the first time ever on any "HD" AM station). I'm not setup for listening to line-level outputs right now so I can't comment on the audio quality. (Note that I am just about two miles east of Mt. Wayte Ave., so practically in the peak of the pattern.) I'll see if I can remember to check when driving tomorrow (usually I have the car on Bluetooth for podcasts). -GAWollman From joe@attorneyross.com Thu Dec 2 00:43:18 2021 From: joe@attorneyross.com (A Joseph Ross) Date: Thu, 2 Dec 2021 00:43:18 -0500 Subject: WBCN, Channel-13, and the old Hancock tower In-Reply-To: <4c85bf14-7417-804d-974f-b65e22d00cc9@charter.net> References: <3dbca797-8b76-3b86-6815-44e340d49b93@attorneyross.com> <4c85bf14-7417-804d-974f-b65e22d00cc9@charter.net> Message-ID: <021af02d-027c-3cc9-1500-400ebd55e9f3@attorneyross.com> Thank you for this bit of history.? I remember first hearing WTAG-FM from Bedford when I got my first FM radio, back in 1957.? At that time, they were simulcasting WTAG (AM), mainly for some newscasts, but mostly carrying the QXR network.? Awhile later, WXHR also started carrying the QXR network for awhile. On 12/1/2021 9:20 AM, John Andrews wrote: > On 12/1/2021 2:32 AM, A Joseph Ross wrote: >> WSRS, which used to be WTAG-FM?? What's its story? > > Joe, > > WSRS was born as W1XTG on June 17, 1940, on 43.4 MHz from a turnstile > antenna mounted on WTAG's #2 tower in Holden, MA. It was owned, of > course, by the Worcester Telegram & Gazette, with programming coming > from 18 Franklin Street in Worcester. The station would have been on > the air earlier, except the original three WTAG towers were leveled in > the 1938 Hurricane. Trivia: parts of that original turnstile antenna > are still visible about 20' down from the top of the #2 tower. > > The T&G bought 20 acres of land on Little Asnebumskit Hill in Paxton > in August, 1940. They filed an application for 300 kw from a 300' > tower at that site, but that app was a casualty of regulations and WWII. > > Programming during WWII was complicated due to labor shortages (the > station had an all-female staff at one point), network restrictions on > simulcasts, lack of revenue on the FM side, and so on. In 1944, the > call letters became WTAG-FM, and the frequency was moved to 46.1 MHz. > After the war, the 92-108 MHz band came along, and they moved to 102.7 > MHz. That was done by hack-sawing the brass pipe used in the turnstile > antenna, after modeling by Prof. Hobart Newell at WPI showed that the > higher frequency signal would not be badly distorted by the shorter > antenna inside the tower. > > They moved to 96.1 MHz in 1947. The postponed move to the present > Paxton site was not done until December, 1948. Allowance in developing > that location had been made for TV operations on Channel 5 and Channel > 20, but they never took place for reasons covered in earlier email > trails on this reflector. The original Paxton tower was 192', and is > still there, and has an auxiliary antenna on it. > > As is well-known, WTAG-FM was sold to Norman Knight in 1963, and it > continued in Knight Communications' ownership until the Capstar sale > in the late '90s. They put up a new 330' tower in 1991, and that is > currently in use, although with an antenna less ice-sensitive than the > original. > > John Andrews (WTAG 1970-96) -- A. Joseph Ross, J.D. ? 1340 Centre Street, Suite 103 ? Newton, MA 02459 617.367.0468 ? http://www.attorneyross.com From obrienron2@gmail.com Wed Dec 1 23:53:47 2021 From: obrienron2@gmail.com (Ron) Date: Wed, 1 Dec 2021 23:53:47 -0500 Subject: New England's first all-digital station on the AM band In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <001d01d7e738$982315e0$c86941a0$@gmail.com> I picked them up on Storrow Drive around 4:30PM, sunset. (Was that night pattern?) After one seconds of static the HD radio in my car locked on and it.....sounded GREAT! Amazed at the quality of the sound! Made me wonder if we were all too quick to dismiss HD on AM. Then I recalled that this isn't hybrid, it's all-digital. Maybe that makes a difference in coverage and fidelity? I found myself wondering what other music formats could sound great on AM! Are there future plans for developing this signal...or is it staying traditional jazz for the time being? R -----Original Message----- From: Boston-Radio-Interest On Behalf Of Rob Landry Sent: Wednesday, December 1, 2021 8:38 PM To: boston-radio-interest@lists.bostonradio.org Subject: New England's first all-digital station on the AM band WSRO Ashland, MA is on the air in the digital-only MA-3 mode of HD Radio. The transition occurred about 3:30 this afternoon (December 1). If any of y'all can hear it, I'd appreciate reception reports. The station drops from 1,500 watts in the day to 100 watts at night. Thanks, Rob From joe@attorneyross.com Thu Dec 2 00:53:30 2021 From: joe@attorneyross.com (A Joseph Ross) Date: Thu, 2 Dec 2021 00:53:30 -0500 Subject: WBCN, Channel-13, and the old Hancock tower In-Reply-To: <4c85bf14-7417-804d-974f-b65e22d00cc9@charter.net> References: <3dbca797-8b76-3b86-6815-44e340d49b93@attorneyross.com> <4c85bf14-7417-804d-974f-b65e22d00cc9@charter.net> Message-ID: <3fe34796-28cd-4e9e-56f6-0a54d32da46f@attorneyross.com> It occurs to me that WTAG must have an interesting transmission pattern to avoid interference with 590 in Boston and 590 in Albany. On 12/1/2021 9:20 AM, John Andrews wrote: > On 12/1/2021 2:32 AM, A Joseph Ross wrote: >> WSRS, which used to be WTAG-FM?? What's its story? > > Joe, > > WSRS was born as W1XTG on June 17, 1940, on 43.4 MHz from a turnstile > antenna mounted on WTAG's #2 tower in Holden, MA. It was owned, of > course, by the Worcester Telegram & Gazette, with programming coming > from 18 Franklin Street in Worcester. The station would have been on > the air earlier, except the original three WTAG towers were leveled in > the 1938 Hurricane. Trivia: parts of that original turnstile antenna > are still visible about 20' down from the top of the #2 tower. > > The T&G bought 20 acres of land on Little Asnebumskit Hill in Paxton > in August, 1940. They filed an application for 300 kw from a 300' > tower at that site, but that app was a casualty of regulations and WWII. > > Programming during WWII was complicated due to labor shortages (the > station had an all-female staff at one point), network restrictions on > simulcasts, lack of revenue on the FM side, and so on. In 1944, the > call letters became WTAG-FM, and the frequency was moved to 46.1 MHz. > After the war, the 92-108 MHz band came along, and they moved to 102.7 > MHz. That was done by hack-sawing the brass pipe used in the turnstile > antenna, after modeling by Prof. Hobart Newell at WPI showed that the > higher frequency signal would not be badly distorted by the shorter > antenna inside the tower. > > They moved to 96.1 MHz in 1947. The postponed move to the present > Paxton site was not done until December, 1948. Allowance in developing > that location had been made for TV operations on Channel 5 and Channel > 20, but they never took place for reasons covered in earlier email > trails on this reflector. The original Paxton tower was 192', and is > still there, and has an auxiliary antenna on it. > > As is well-known, WTAG-FM was sold to Norman Knight in 1963, and it > continued in Knight Communications' ownership until the Capstar sale > in the late '90s. They put up a new 330' tower in 1991, and that is > currently in use, although with an antenna less ice-sensitive than the > original. > > John Andrews (WTAG 1970-96) -- A. Joseph Ross, J.D. ? 1340 Centre Street, Suite 103 ? Newton, MA 02459 617.367.0468 ? http://www.attorneyross.com From joe@attorneyross.com Thu Dec 2 01:14:33 2021 From: joe@attorneyross.com (A Joseph Ross) Date: Thu, 2 Dec 2021 01:14:33 -0500 Subject: WBCN, Channel-13, and the old Hancock tower In-Reply-To: <678789902.3198278.1638398114865@mail.yahoo.com> References: <3dbca797-8b76-3b86-6815-44e340d49b93@attorneyross.com> <678789902.3198278.1638398114865@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: Interestingly enough, according to Wikipedia, WHRB's original callsign, as a carrier-current station, was WHCN, which stood for Harvard Crimson Network.? Originally the Crimson funded the station. On 12/1/2021 5:35 PM, Martin Waters wrote: > ? ? WHCN-FM in Hartford lists a start date of May 13, 1939, as W1XPW. > It was the station that relayed Armstrong's transmissions from Alpine > to the station in Massachusetts when he began broadcasting. IIRC, > Armstrong and Doolittle first did some experimental relays from Alpine > to W1XPW, whose transmitter was on top of Meriden Mountain/West Peak > in Meriden, Conn. > > ? ? ?W1XPW was set up by Franklin Doolittle, owner of WDRC (AM) in > Hartford, in cooperation with Armstrong. It became WDRC-FM, but is > unrelated to today's WDRC-FM. > > ? ? The original FM station was sold in 1957 to owners who changed the > calls to WHCN later on. WHCN, as well as WDRC-FM and some other > Hartford market FM's still transmit from Meriden Mountain. > > ? ? ?When I was last up there about 17 years ago, the original, > disused W1XPW/WDRC-FM tower was still there. > > On Wednesday, December 1, 2021, 12:30:10 PM EST, Rob Landry > <011010001@interpring.com> wrote: > > > > According to Wikipedia, WSRS was first licensed as W1XTG in 1940 on 43.4 > MHz in the old 42 - 50 MHz FM band. I believe it was actually the second > FM to be licensed in New England, after one set up by Major Armstrong > just > up the hill at the end of Asnebumskit Road. Armstrong's station does not > survive, but his tower is still there and is used by WICN and WBPR (WUMB). > > > Rob > > On Wed, 1 Dec 2021, A Joseph Ross wrote: > > > WSRS, which used to be WTAG-FM?? What's its story? -- A. Joseph Ross, J.D. ? 1340 Centre Street, Suite 103 ? Newton, MA 02459 617.367.0468 ? http://www.attorneyross.com From 011010001@interpring.com Thu Dec 2 05:52:30 2021 From: 011010001@interpring.com (Rob Landry) Date: Thu, 2 Dec 2021 05:52:30 -0500 (EST) Subject: New England's first all-digital station on the AM band In-Reply-To: <001d01d7e738$982315e0$c86941a0$@gmail.com> References: <001d01d7e738$982315e0$c86941a0$@gmail.com> Message-ID: On Wed, 1 Dec 2021, Ron wrote: > I picked them up on Storrow Drive around 4:30PM, sunset. (Was that night > pattern?) Yes; the station went to night power at 4:15 (this is December, aaargh). > Amazed at the quality of the sound! Made me wonder if we were all too quick > to dismiss HD on AM. Then I recalled that this isn't hybrid, it's > all-digital. Maybe that makes a difference in coverage and fidelity? Yes, all-digital provides more bandwidth, so it makes a difference. The other factor, though, is that these are all linear recordings, not from mp3. There are a couple of spots that came in as mp3s, and I can clearly tell them apart. > Are there future plans for developing this signal...or is it staying > traditional jazz for the time being? There are plans, but what I know of them may not be current. Rob From 011010001@interpring.com Thu Dec 2 05:53:33 2021 From: 011010001@interpring.com (Rob Landry) Date: Thu, 2 Dec 2021 05:53:33 -0500 (EST) Subject: WBCN, Channel-13, and the old Hancock tower In-Reply-To: <021af02d-027c-3cc9-1500-400ebd55e9f3@attorneyross.com> References: <3dbca797-8b76-3b86-6815-44e340d49b93@attorneyross.com> <4c85bf14-7417-804d-974f-b65e22d00cc9@charter.net> <021af02d-027c-3cc9-1500-400ebd55e9f3@attorneyross.com> Message-ID: On Thu, 2 Dec 2021, A Joseph Ross wrote: > Thank you for this bit of history.? I remember first hearing WTAG-FM from > Bedford when I got my first FM radio, back in 1957.? At that time, they were > simulcasting WTAG (AM), mainly for some newscasts, but mostly carrying the > QXR network.? Awhile later, WXHR also started carrying the QXR network for > awhile. Interesting. I hadn't known that WQXR once had a network. I wonder how they fed it. Rob From 011010001@interpring.com Thu Dec 2 06:02:07 2021 From: 011010001@interpring.com (Rob Landry) Date: Thu, 2 Dec 2021 06:02:07 -0500 (EST) Subject: WBCN, Channel-13, and the old Hancock tower In-Reply-To: References: <3dbca797-8b76-3b86-6815-44e340d49b93@attorneyross.com> <678789902.3198278.1638398114865@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: On Thu, 2 Dec 2021, A Joseph Ross wrote: > Interestingly enough, according to Wikipedia, WHRB's original callsign, as a > carrier-current station, was WHCN, which stood for Harvard Crimson Network.? > Originally the Crimson funded the station. It was started by some Crimson members in 1940; they organized thmselves as the Radio Board and called the station the Crimson Network. After three years or so the Radio Board became an independent organization, and changed the unofficial call sign from WHCN to WHRV ("Harvard Radio Voice"). In 1950 they were formally incorporated as The Harvard Radio Broadcasting Company, Inc., and the call sign became WHRB. They acquired their FM license in 1957, initially with 90 watts on 107.1, but moved to 95.3, allegedly because 107.1 was too close to 106.7 for comfort. Members still refer to the station internally as "the Network", a survival from the WHCN era. (Disclaimer: I am on WHRB's board of trustees) Rob From ehennessy@verizon.net Thu Dec 2 06:59:10 2021 From: ehennessy@verizon.net (Ed Hennessy) Date: Thu, 2 Dec 2021 11:59:10 +0000 (UTC) Subject: WBCN, Channel-13, and the old Hancock tower In-Reply-To: <3fe34796-28cd-4e9e-56f6-0a54d32da46f@attorneyross.com> References: <3dbca797-8b76-3b86-6815-44e340d49b93@attorneyross.com> <4c85bf14-7417-804d-974f-b65e22d00cc9@charter.net> <3fe34796-28cd-4e9e-56f6-0a54d32da46f@attorneyross.com> Message-ID: <1551707559.7505473.1638446350606@mail.yahoo.com> I don't know the history of the signals in terms of who got there first (without digging through the history cards anyway), but 590 Boston has main lobes that go north/south and nulls to the east (not a big deal when originating from Medford) and west (presumably these were required to reduce the adjacent channel signal heading toward WTAG. and Albany). Ed Hennessy -----Original Message----- From: A Joseph Ross It occurs to me that WTAG must have an interesting transmission pattern to avoid interference with 590 in Boston and 590 in Albany. From richard@chonak.com Thu Dec 2 11:11:26 2021 From: richard@chonak.com (Richard Chonak) Date: Thu, 2 Dec 2021 11:11:26 -0500 Subject: New England's first all-digital station on the AM band In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <78fe1934-940a-cd5a-cb28-4703d8762a18@chonak.com> With a tunable AM loop antenna, 650HD comes in here in Stoneham at 11 AM. --RC From Supersport@maine.rr.com Thu Dec 2 12:33:00 2021 From: Supersport@maine.rr.com (Supersport 106.1) Date: Thu, 02 Dec 2021 12:33:00 -0500 Subject: 650 AM All Digital Message-ID: <17d7c34cd58.27f4.7596a117606220354373f2ed060e1662@maine.rr.com> They are spotty in some areas within the Portsmouth, NH/Kittery, ME area as I drive around. When they do lock in, they sound clean and stereo. John From aerie.ma@comcast.net Thu Dec 2 14:25:41 2021 From: aerie.ma@comcast.net (aerie.ma@comcast.net) Date: Thu, 2 Dec 2021 14:25:41 -0500 Subject: 650 AM All Digital In-Reply-To: <17d7c34cd58.27f4.7596a117606220354373f2ed060e1662@maine.rr.com> References: <17d7c34cd58.27f4.7596a117606220354373f2ed060e1662@maine.rr.com> Message-ID: <023c01d7e7b2$662c6760$32853620$@comcast.net> I was listening in the Andover/Salem NH area on 93 and 495. I had only heard static from WSRO in the past. In HD, it sounds great. A few drop outs when hills get in the way, but definitely listenable. Very nice music too. -----Original Message----- From: Boston-Radio-Interest On Behalf Of Supersport 106.1 Sent: Thursday, December 2, 2021 12:33 PM To: boston-radio-interest@lists.BostonRadio.org Subject: 650 AM All Digital They are spotty in some areas within the Portsmouth, NH/Kittery, ME area as I drive around. When they do lock in, they sound clean and stereo. John From w1tag@charter.net Thu Dec 2 15:58:09 2021 From: w1tag@charter.net (John Andrews) Date: Thu, 2 Dec 2021 15:58:09 -0500 Subject: 650 AM All Digital In-Reply-To: <023c01d7e7b2$662c6760$32853620$@comcast.net> References: <17d7c34cd58.27f4.7596a117606220354373f2ed060e1662@maine.rr.com> <023c01d7e7b2$662c6760$32853620$@comcast.net> Message-ID: <734a8f75-6a56-9023-8f3b-928f3469c157@charter.net> No HD receiver here, but by ear on a car radio near Worcester, it is nicely respecting WFAN on 660. A look with an SDR at 650 doesn't provide much of a signal, but the BW is pretty much confined to +/- 5 kHz. That's a lot prettier than the "old" IBOC signals. John Andrews On 12/2/2021 2:25 PM, aerie.ma@comcast.net wrote: > I was listening in the Andover/Salem NH area on 93 and 495. I had only heard > static from WSRO in the past. In HD, it sounds great. A few drop outs when > hills get in the way, but definitely listenable. Very nice music too. > > -----Original Message----- > From: Boston-Radio-Interest > On Behalf Of > Supersport 106.1 > Sent: Thursday, December 2, 2021 12:33 PM > To: boston-radio-interest@lists.BostonRadio.org > Subject: 650 AM All Digital > > They are spotty in some areas within the Portsmouth, NH/Kittery, ME area as > I drive around. When they do lock in, they sound clean and stereo. > > John > > From jjlehmann@comcast.net Thu Dec 2 16:12:47 2021 From: jjlehmann@comcast.net (Jeff Lehmann) Date: Thu, 2 Dec 2021 16:12:47 -0500 Subject: 650 AM All Digital In-Reply-To: <734a8f75-6a56-9023-8f3b-928f3469c157@charter.net> References: <734a8f75-6a56-9023-8f3b-928f3469c157@charter.net> Message-ID: <980E7806-E6EE-4EB5-8AA8-340422A8C7FC@comcast.net> On a SDR receiver it doesn?t appear to be doing much damage to WFAN, but in my work van this morning on the expressway, WFAN was getting wiped out by hash from 650. The hash was nowhere near as loud as on 650 itself, but it was enough to cover up FAN. In comparison, 710 WOR and 880 WCBS were listenable. I suspect the radio in the van (stock radio in a 2021 Ford Transit Connect) must receive pretty wide, and was picking it up because of that. Jeff Lehmann > On Dec 2, 2021, at 4:00 PM, John Andrews wrote: > > ?No HD receiver here, but by ear on a car radio near Worcester, it is nicely respecting WFAN on 660. A look with an SDR at 650 doesn't provide much of a signal, but the BW is pretty much confined to +/- 5 kHz. That's a lot prettier than the "old" IBOC signals. > > John Andrews > >> On 12/2/2021 2:25 PM, aerie.ma@comcast.net wrote: >> I was listening in the Andover/Salem NH area on 93 and 495. I had only heard >> static from WSRO in the past. In HD, it sounds great. A few drop outs when >> hills get in the way, but definitely listenable. Very nice music too. >> -----Original Message----- >> From: Boston-Radio-Interest >> On Behalf Of >> Supersport 106.1 >> Sent: Thursday, December 2, 2021 12:33 PM >> To: boston-radio-interest@lists.BostonRadio.org >> Subject: 650 AM All Digital >> They are spotty in some areas within the Portsmouth, NH/Kittery, ME area as >> I drive around. When they do lock in, they sound clean and stereo. >> John From rbello@belloassoc.com Thu Dec 2 16:39:44 2021 From: rbello@belloassoc.com (Ron Bello) Date: Thu, 2 Dec 2021 16:39:44 -0500 Subject: 650 AM All Digital In-Reply-To: <734a8f75-6a56-9023-8f3b-928f3469c157@charter.net> References: <17d7c34cd58.27f4.7596a117606220354373f2ed060e1662@maine.rr.com> <023c01d7e7b2$662c6760$32853620$@comcast.net> <734a8f75-6a56-9023-8f3b-928f3469c157@charter.net> Message-ID: Clear and solid driving around Newton then out to Framingham --------------------------------------------------- On Thu, Dec 2, 2021 at 4:00 PM John Andrews wrote: > No HD receiver here, but by ear on a car radio near Worcester, it is > nicely respecting WFAN on 660. A look with an SDR at 650 doesn't provide > much of a signal, but the BW is pretty much confined to +/- 5 kHz. > That's a lot prettier than the "old" IBOC signals. > > John Andrews > > On 12/2/2021 2:25 PM, aerie.ma@comcast.net wrote: > > I was listening in the Andover/Salem NH area on 93 and 495. I had only > heard > > static from WSRO in the past. In HD, it sounds great. A few drop outs > when > > hills get in the way, but definitely listenable. Very nice music too. > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: Boston-Radio-Interest > > On Behalf Of > > Supersport 106.1 > > Sent: Thursday, December 2, 2021 12:33 PM > > To: boston-radio-interest@lists.BostonRadio.org > > Subject: 650 AM All Digital > > > > They are spotty in some areas within the Portsmouth, NH/Kittery, ME area > as > > I drive around. When they do lock in, they sound clean and stereo. > > > > John > > > > > From joe@attorneyross.com Fri Dec 3 02:38:37 2021 From: joe@attorneyross.com (A Joseph Ross) Date: Fri, 3 Dec 2021 02:38:37 -0500 Subject: WBCN, Channel-13, and the old Hancock tower In-Reply-To: References: <3dbca797-8b76-3b86-6815-44e340d49b93@attorneyross.com> <4c85bf14-7417-804d-974f-b65e22d00cc9@charter.net> <021af02d-027c-3cc9-1500-400ebd55e9f3@attorneyross.com> Message-ID: <5724cce9-630c-f1d3-2fef-2c0535cc45c9@attorneyross.com> I think the QXR network was one of the earlier such networks.? It certainly preceded WCRB's efforts.? I imagine it was? fed like other FM networks of the day (Concert Network, and later the CRB Network), by picking up the signal of another FM station carrying the programs.? I imagine that WXHR probably got the QXR Network from WTAG-FM and WTAG-FM got it from some other station closer to New York, etc. On 12/2/2021 5:53 AM, Rob Landry wrote: > > > On Thu, 2 Dec 2021, A Joseph Ross wrote: > >> Thank you for this bit of history.? I remember first hearing WTAG-FM >> from Bedford when I got my first FM radio, back in 1957.? At that >> time, they were simulcasting WTAG (AM), mainly for some newscasts, >> but mostly carrying the QXR network.? Awhile later, WXHR also started >> carrying the QXR network for awhile. > > Interesting. I hadn't known that WQXR once had a network. I wonder how > they fed it. > > > Rob -- A. Joseph Ross, J.D. ? 1340 Centre Street, Suite 103 ? Newton, MA 02459 617.367.0468 ? http://www.attorneyross.com From w1tag@charter.net Fri Dec 3 07:39:52 2021 From: w1tag@charter.net (John Andrews) Date: Fri, 3 Dec 2021 07:39:52 -0500 Subject: WBCN, Channel-13, and the old Hancock tower In-Reply-To: <5724cce9-630c-f1d3-2fef-2c0535cc45c9@attorneyross.com> References: <3dbca797-8b76-3b86-6815-44e340d49b93@attorneyross.com> <4c85bf14-7417-804d-974f-b65e22d00cc9@charter.net> <021af02d-027c-3cc9-1500-400ebd55e9f3@attorneyross.com> <5724cce9-630c-f1d3-2fef-2c0535cc45c9@attorneyross.com> Message-ID: WTAG-FM got the QXR Network from WDRC-FM. Couldn't be done from the 4-story building in downtown Worcester, so it was done at the Paxton site, beginning in 1959. Prof. Newell at WPI built a corner-reflector receiving antenna, and a 3/4 wave filter made of copper pipe (4", if memory serves), to try to keep WTAG-FM from overloading the REL receiver. That filter still exists in the basement of the WTAG-AM transmitter site, moved there just before the sale of WTAG-FM to Knight. John Andrews On 12/3/2021 2:38 AM, A Joseph Ross wrote: > I think the QXR network was one of the earlier such networks.? It > certainly preceded WCRB's efforts.? I imagine it was? fed like other FM > networks of the day (Concert Network, and later the CRB Network), by > picking up the signal of another FM station carrying the programs.? I > imagine that WXHR probably got the QXR Network from WTAG-FM and WTAG-FM > got it from some other station closer to New York, etc. > > On 12/2/2021 5:53 AM, Rob Landry wrote: >> >> >> On Thu, 2 Dec 2021, A Joseph Ross wrote: >> >>> Thank you for this bit of history.? I remember first hearing WTAG-FM >>> from Bedford when I got my first FM radio, back in 1957.? At that >>> time, they were simulcasting WTAG (AM), mainly for some newscasts, >>> but mostly carrying the QXR network.? Awhile later, WXHR also started >>> carrying the QXR network for awhile. >> >> Interesting. I hadn't known that WQXR once had a network. I wonder how >> they fed it. >> >> >> Rob > From 011010001@interpring.com Fri Dec 3 09:46:25 2021 From: 011010001@interpring.com (Rob Landry) Date: Fri, 3 Dec 2021 09:46:25 -0500 (EST) Subject: 650 AM All Digital In-Reply-To: <734a8f75-6a56-9023-8f3b-928f3469c157@charter.net> References: <17d7c34cd58.27f4.7596a117606220354373f2ed060e1662@maine.rr.com> <023c01d7e7b2$662c6760$32853620$@comcast.net> <734a8f75-6a56-9023-8f3b-928f3469c157@charter.net> Message-ID: On Thu, 2 Dec 2021, John Andrews wrote: > No HD receiver here, but by ear on a car radio near Worcester, it is nicely > respecting WFAN on 660. A look with an SDR at 650 doesn't provide much of a > signal, but the BW is pretty much confined to +/- 5 kHz. That's a lot > prettier than the "old" IBOC signals. The MA-3 mode seeems to be less obnoxious in terms of interference than the MA-1 (hybrid) mode. Alex Langer's WZBR (1410 in Hyde Park, but licensed to Dedham) used to get plastered by 1430 in Medford when it was running HD. Rob From 011010001@interpring.com Fri Dec 3 09:56:12 2021 From: 011010001@interpring.com (Rob Landry) Date: Fri, 3 Dec 2021 09:56:12 -0500 (EST) Subject: 650 AM All Digital In-Reply-To: <980E7806-E6EE-4EB5-8AA8-340422A8C7FC@comcast.net> References: <734a8f75-6a56-9023-8f3b-928f3469c157@charter.net> <980E7806-E6EE-4EB5-8AA8-340422A8C7FC@comcast.net> Message-ID: Interesting. Where are you listening from? Rob On Thu, 2 Dec 2021, Jeff Lehmann wrote: > On a SDR receiver it doesn?t appear to be doing much damage to WFAN, but > in my work van this morning on the expressway, WFAN was getting wiped > out by hash from 650. The hash was nowhere near as loud as on 650 > itself, but it was enough to cover up FAN. In comparison, 710 WOR and > 880 WCBS were listenable. From joe@attorneyross.com Sat Dec 4 01:48:58 2021 From: joe@attorneyross.com (A Joseph Ross) Date: Sat, 4 Dec 2021 01:48:58 -0500 Subject: WBCN, Channel-13, and the old Hancock tower In-Reply-To: References: <3dbca797-8b76-3b86-6815-44e340d49b93@attorneyross.com> <4c85bf14-7417-804d-974f-b65e22d00cc9@charter.net> <021af02d-027c-3cc9-1500-400ebd55e9f3@attorneyross.com> <5724cce9-630c-f1d3-2fef-2c0535cc45c9@attorneyross.com> Message-ID: <00344d15-a9bd-18dd-bdf9-6560254c9a37@attorneyross.com> It's good to have this list up and running again.? This is really interesting stuff. I seem to remember that I first heard FM radio in 1953, when my family moved from Allston to Albany, NY.? The Boston school system was rather stuck in the 19th century in many ways.? There was an "FM School of the air" network which carried a number of educational radio programs in the early afternoon, and we heard them on the PA system.? At first I thought they put a radio in front of the microphone (I was in 4th grade at the time).? I eventually saw the equipment in the office, which had a built-in AM-FM tuner.? Teachers got a publication in advance which told them the program schedule, and they would select which ones they wanted, and the office staff would tune in the radio and the classrooms where they were going to be heard. The Boston school system at the time didn't even have PA systems. On 12/3/2021 7:39 AM, John Andrews wrote: > WTAG-FM got the QXR Network from WDRC-FM. Couldn't be done from the > 4-story building in downtown Worcester, so it was done at the Paxton > site, beginning in 1959. Prof. Newell at WPI built a corner-reflector > receiving antenna, and a 3/4 wave filter made of copper pipe (4", if > memory serves), to try to keep WTAG-FM from overloading the REL > receiver. That filter still exists in the basement of the WTAG-AM > transmitter site, moved there just before the sale of WTAG-FM to Knight. > > John Andrews > > On 12/3/2021 2:38 AM, A Joseph Ross wrote: >> I think the QXR network was one of the earlier such networks.? It >> certainly preceded WCRB's efforts.? I imagine it was? fed like other >> FM networks of the day (Concert Network, and later the CRB Network), >> by picking up the signal of another FM station carrying the >> programs.? I imagine that WXHR probably got the QXR Network from >> WTAG-FM and WTAG-FM got it from some other station closer to New >> York, etc. >> >> On 12/2/2021 5:53 AM, Rob Landry wrote: >>> >>> >>> On Thu, 2 Dec 2021, A Joseph Ross wrote: >>> >>>> Thank you for this bit of history.? I remember first hearing >>>> WTAG-FM from Bedford when I got my first FM radio, back in 1957.? >>>> At that time, they were simulcasting WTAG (AM), mainly for some >>>> newscasts, but mostly carrying the QXR network.? Awhile later, WXHR >>>> also started carrying the QXR network for awhile. >>> >>> Interesting. I hadn't known that WQXR once had a network. I wonder >>> how they fed it. >>> >>> >>> Rob >> -- A. Joseph Ross, J.D. ? 1340 Centre Street, Suite 103 ? Newton, MA 02459 617.367.0468 ? http://www.attorneyross.com From wollman@bimajority.org Sun Dec 5 00:51:00 2021 From: wollman@bimajority.org (Garrett Wollman) Date: Sun, 5 Dec 2021 00:51:00 -0500 Subject: WSRO (650) MA-3 digital signal Message-ID: <25004.21316.615714.689938@hergotha.csail.mit.edu> On Friday I had to drive out to our remote data center in Holyoke, and did spend some time checking out the 650 HD signal. Of course, since I was driving west from Framingham I was on the back side of the directional pattern the whole time. Daytime, the 650 signal was reasonably copyable all the way to Route 146 in Worcester, albeit with the usual "overpass fade" that we all remember from traditional AM mediumwave. Coming back after sunset, my car radio could detect the HD carrier starting at about Millbury (Route 122) but did not lock until just about the Hopkinton line, about a mile west of I-495. Still a pretty decent signal; MetroWest has about half a million people, most of whom live in towns with no meaningful transit service, so the in-car listening potential is significant if Langer can figure out how to sell that audience to advertisers. -GAWollman From kvahey@gmail.com Sun Dec 5 04:29:39 2021 From: kvahey@gmail.com (Kevin Vahey) Date: Sun, 5 Dec 2021 04:29:39 -0500 Subject: WSRO (650) MA-3 digital signal In-Reply-To: <25004.21316.615714.689938@hergotha.csail.mit.edu> References: <25004.21316.615714.689938@hergotha.csail.mit.edu> Message-ID: I am very surprised that I can get 650 at night in Cambridge and it sounds fine. Took about 5 seconds for the signal to lock-in. On Sun, Dec 5, 2021 at 12:52 AM Garrett Wollman wrote: > > On Friday I had to drive out to our remote data center in Holyoke, and > did spend some time checking out the 650 HD signal. Of course, since > I was driving west from Framingham I was on the back side of the > directional pattern the whole time. > > Daytime, the 650 signal was reasonably copyable all the way to Route > 146 in Worcester, albeit with the usual "overpass fade" that we all > remember from traditional AM mediumwave. Coming back after sunset, > my car radio could detect the HD carrier starting at about Millbury > (Route 122) but did not lock until just about the Hopkinton line, > about a mile west of I-495. > > Still a pretty decent signal; MetroWest has about half a million > people, most of whom live in towns with no meaningful transit service, > so the in-car listening potential is significant if Langer can figure > out how to sell that audience to advertisers. > > -GAWollman > From kvahey@gmail.com Sun Dec 5 05:01:49 2021 From: kvahey@gmail.com (Kevin Vahey) Date: Sun, 5 Dec 2021 05:01:49 -0500 Subject: WWOO is now 17.1, 17.2, 17.3 Message-ID: WWOO is now showing as 17.1 running Decades, 17.2 infomercials and 17.3 is Newsnet They still are using Westmoreland as COL From tgordo49@gmail.com Sat Dec 4 22:37:08 2021 From: tgordo49@gmail.com (Tim Gordon) Date: Sat, 4 Dec 2021 22:37:08 -0500 Subject: 650 AM All Digital In-Reply-To: References: <17d7c34cd58.27f4.7596a117606220354373f2ed060e1662@maine.rr.com> <023c01d7e7b2$662c6760$32853620$@comcast.net> <734a8f75-6a56-9023-8f3b-928f3469c157@charter.net> Message-ID: Amazingly clear, excellent dynamic range and stereo separation. No day-time drop outs on a '15 Toyota radio in Carlisle, Bedford, Acton, Lexington, Lincoln, and Waltham. Nights in Carlisle, Acton, and Westford it's in & out about 50/50 driving around. Questionable programming enjoyment so far, though. Kind of neat to hear the data stream noise for a fraction of a second before the radio figures out it's data. Takes me back to the days of picking up the receiver when someone was using a 1200 baud modem on the line 40 odd years ago. :) --Tim On Thu, Dec 2, 2021 at 6:25 PM Ron Bello wrote: > Clear and solid driving around Newton then out to Framingham > > --------------------------------------------------- > > > > On Thu, Dec 2, 2021 at 4:00 PM John Andrews wrote: > > > No HD receiver here, but by ear on a car radio near Worcester, it is > > nicely respecting WFAN on 660. A look with an SDR at 650 doesn't provide > > much of a signal, but the BW is pretty much confined to +/- 5 kHz. > > That's a lot prettier than the "old" IBOC signals. > > > > John Andrews > > > > On 12/2/2021 2:25 PM, aerie.ma@comcast.net wrote: > > > I was listening in the Andover/Salem NH area on 93 and 495. I had only > > heard > > > static from WSRO in the past. In HD, it sounds great. A few drop outs > > when > > > hills get in the way, but definitely listenable. Very nice music too. > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > > From: Boston-Radio-Interest > > > On Behalf Of > > > Supersport 106.1 > > > Sent: Thursday, December 2, 2021 12:33 PM > > > To: boston-radio-interest@lists.BostonRadio.org > > > Subject: 650 AM All Digital > > > > > > They are spotty in some areas within the Portsmouth, NH/Kittery, ME > area > > as > > > I drive around. When they do lock in, they sound clean and stereo. > > > > > > John > > > > > > > > > From jjlehmann@comcast.net Sun Dec 5 10:35:59 2021 From: jjlehmann@comcast.net (jjlehmann@comcast.net) Date: Sun, 5 Dec 2021 10:35:59 -0500 Subject: WWOO is now 17.1, 17.2, 17.3 In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <01f801d7e9ed$d32e8040$798b80c0$@comcast.net> 17.2 is "Movies!" which used to be on 25.2 a few years back. Jeff Lehmann Rockland, MA -----Original Message----- From: Boston-Radio-Interest On Behalf Of Kevin Vahey Sent: Sunday, December 5, 2021 5:02 AM To: bri Subject: WWOO is now 17.1, 17.2, 17.3 WWOO is now showing as 17.1 running Decades, 17.2 infomercials and 17.3 is Newsnet They still are using Westmoreland as COL From dlh@donnahalper.com Sun Dec 5 15:15:50 2021 From: dlh@donnahalper.com (Donna Halper) Date: Sun, 5 Dec 2021 15:15:50 -0500 Subject: Dean Johnson RIP Message-ID: <34ed0e92-5cfb-c577-9bf0-afeef75fd1d4@donnahalper.com> I was absolutely stunned to hear that Dean Johnson had passed. He was the media critic for the Boston Herald for years, and also wrote for the Lowell Sun. He later became a talk show host on WBZ. One of the gentlemen of the industry, a kind and ethical person. He will be missed. -- Donna L. Halper, PhD Associate Professor of Communication & Media Studies Lesley University, Cambridge MA From 011010001@interpring.com Sun Dec 5 17:18:31 2021 From: 011010001@interpring.com (Rob Landry) Date: Sun, 5 Dec 2021 17:18:31 -0500 (EST) Subject: 650 AM All Digital In-Reply-To: References: <17d7c34cd58.27f4.7596a117606220354373f2ed060e1662@maine.rr.com> <023c01d7e7b2$662c6760$32853620$@comcast.net> <734a8f75-6a56-9023-8f3b-928f3469c157@charter.net> Message-ID: On Sat, 4 Dec 2021, Tim Gordon wrote: > Questionable programming enjoyment so far, though. The format is supposed to be changing shortly. The current one I cobbled together on a Sunday afternoon as a temporary stopgap several years ago for WZBR 1410. I'm surprised how many times it's come back from the dead, and particularly that it's been on 650 for more than a year now. > Kind of neat to hear the data stream noise for a fraction of a second > before the radio figures out it's data. Takes me back to the days of > picking up the receiver when someone was using a 1200 baud modem on the > line 40 odd years ago. :) Interesting. My radio doesn't do that, but I have a Boston Acoustics Recepter HD, a very old model. Rob From scott@fybush.com Sun Dec 5 22:54:46 2021 From: scott@fybush.com (Scott Fybush) Date: Sun, 5 Dec 2021 22:54:46 -0500 Subject: Clarifying the early history of Hartford FM Message-ID: <0a29def9-27ae-57bf-a638-9a38a6e3a5d7@fybush.com> I sat down with the history cards to try to get it all straight in my mind, and it turns out some of what I've thought was true in the past actually wasn't accurate. Here's what the history cards tell us: The station now known as WHCN on 105.9 is in fact the direct descendant of the Doolittle/Armstrong experimental W1XPW on Meriden Mountain. The history cards do not cover experimental operation, so they don't give us the exact timeline of the very earliest broadcasts up there. The earliest records they provide are of the applications for commercial operation, which were first made Dec. 4, 1940 for 46.5 mc. Power wasn't specified back then, but rather coverage area of 6100 square miles. Special authority (we'd now call it STA) was granted 5/1/41 for commercial operation on 46.5, rebroadcasting W2XMN from Alpine and W1XOJ from Asnebumskit. Now known as W65H, the station was granted a license to cover for commercial operation on March 16, 1943. On 3/29/46, by now as WDRC-FM, it was granted permission to begin simulcasting on 106.3, which was then moved to 94.3 and then 93.7 in 1947 once the FM dial was reallocated on the 88-108 band. Wait - 93.7? Yes, and that's where a lot of the confusion comes in. In 1956, WDRC sold WDRC-FM to General Broadcasting Corp., which renamed the station WFMQ. On 4/24/57, General applied to move WFMQ from 93.7 to 105.9 and to change the licensee name to the Concert Network. The calls changed to WHCN, I think sometime before the move to 105.9 on 12/22/58. The history of 105.9 isn't very complicated after that - it's been WHCN ever since, with Concert Network selling to Beck-Ross in 1970 and eventually to what became today's iHeart. It's the oldest continuously-operating FM station in New England and possibly in the US. So why the confusion? Because what also happened in 1958 was that on 2/26/58, General Broadcasting applied for a *new* station on 93.7 in Hartford, which was granted 11/25/58 and filed for a license to cover on 12/31/58. This new 93.7, which replaced WFMQ, was called... WFNQ. It was sold a few years later to South Church, which ran it noncommercially as WSCH. Later, it was WLAE, WLVH and eventually today's WZMX. Many histories of WZMX trace *it* back to W1XPW and Doolittle, but that turns out not to be true - the current 93.7 license is a new one issued in 1958. And no, I have no idea why General and Concert Network went through their weird dance of moving one license to a different frequency instead of just getting a new license on 105.9. But wait - it gets even more complicated. Sometimes, you see claims that the station that's now WDRC-FM on 102.9 is the descendant of W1XPW. Not so! After WHCN sold the original W1XPW/WHCN-FM 93.7 in 1956, it applied for its own new FM license on 11/5/58. That was the 102.9 facility, for which a license to cover was filed 5/17/1960. While it certainly shares history with the original WDRC-FM, it's a different license. I guess now I need to go do a dive into the Broadcasting archives to find out why that weird 93.7/105.9 shuffle happened in 1958... stay tuned! s From tgordo49@gmail.com Mon Dec 6 18:57:53 2021 From: tgordo49@gmail.com (Tim Gordon) Date: Mon, 6 Dec 2021 18:57:53 -0500 Subject: 650 AM All Digital In-Reply-To: References: <17d7c34cd58.27f4.7596a117606220354373f2ed060e1662@maine.rr.com> <023c01d7e7b2$662c6760$32853620$@comcast.net> <734a8f75-6a56-9023-8f3b-928f3469c157@charter.net> Message-ID: ...And I was just enjoying a jaunty free-form jazz tune when the transmitter unceremoniously turned off at 6:47pm. ??? They must have finished whatever testing they were performing. I've never tried to DX on AM 650, but in the car in wide-open flat areas of Carlisle & Westford I now mostly get a very twangy country music station after dark. I wonder where that is coming from. On Sun, Dec 5, 2021 at 5:18 PM Rob Landry <011010001@interpring.com> wrote: > > > On Sat, 4 Dec 2021, Tim Gordon wrote: > > > Questionable programming enjoyment so far, though. > > The format is supposed to be changing shortly. The current one I cobbled > together on a Sunday afternoon as a temporary stopgap several years ago > for WZBR 1410. I'm surprised how many times it's come back from the dead, > and particularly that it's been on 650 for more than a year now. > > > Kind of neat to hear the data stream noise for a fraction of a second > > before the radio figures out it's data. Takes me back to the days of > > picking up the receiver when someone was using a 1200 baud modem on the > > line 40 odd years ago. :) > > Interesting. My radio doesn't do that, but I have a Boston Acoustics > Recepter HD, a very old model. > > > Rob > From w1tag@charter.net Mon Dec 6 22:12:14 2021 From: w1tag@charter.net (John Andrews) Date: Mon, 6 Dec 2021 22:12:14 -0500 Subject: 650 AM All Digital In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: WSM, Nashville. John Andrew?s > On Dec 6, 2021, at 9:50 PM, Tim Gordon wrote: > > ?...And I was just enjoying a jaunty free-form jazz tune when the > transmitter unceremoniously turned off at 6:47pm. > ??? > They must have finished whatever testing they were performing. > I've never tried to DX on AM 650, but in the car in wide-open flat areas of > Carlisle & Westford I now mostly get a very twangy country music station > after dark. I wonder where that is coming from. > > >> On Sun, Dec 5, 2021 at 5:18 PM Rob Landry <011010001@interpring.com> wrote: >> >> >> >>> On Sat, 4 Dec 2021, Tim Gordon wrote: >>> >>> Questionable programming enjoyment so far, though. >> >> The format is supposed to be changing shortly. The current one I cobbled >> together on a Sunday afternoon as a temporary stopgap several years ago >> for WZBR 1410. I'm surprised how many times it's come back from the dead, >> and particularly that it's been on 650 for more than a year now. >> >>> Kind of neat to hear the data stream noise for a fraction of a second >>> before the radio figures out it's data. Takes me back to the days of >>> picking up the receiver when someone was using a 1200 baud modem on the >>> line 40 odd years ago. :) >> >> Interesting. My radio doesn't do that, but I have a Boston Acoustics >> Recepter HD, a very old model. >> >> >> Rob >> From 011010001@interpring.com Tue Dec 7 07:16:12 2021 From: 011010001@interpring.com (Rob Landry) Date: Tue, 7 Dec 2021 07:16:12 -0500 (EST) Subject: 650 AM All Digital In-Reply-To: References: <17d7c34cd58.27f4.7596a117606220354373f2ed060e1662@maine.rr.com> <023c01d7e7b2$662c6760$32853620$@comcast.net> <734a8f75-6a56-9023-8f3b-928f3469c157@charter.net> Message-ID: On Mon, 6 Dec 2021, Tim Gordon wrote: > They must have finished whatever testing they were performing. > I've never tried to DX on AM 650, but in the car in wide-open flat areas of > Carlisle & Westford I now mostly get a very twangy country music station > after dark. I wonder where that is coming from. Nashville. It's the legendary WSM, home of the Grand Ole Opry. WSRO reduces power at night to 100 watts to protect WSM. Rob From scott@fybush.com Mon Dec 6 21:54:47 2021 From: scott@fybush.com (Scott Fybush) Date: Mon, 6 Dec 2021 21:54:47 -0500 Subject: 650 AM All Digital In-Reply-To: References: <17d7c34cd58.27f4.7596a117606220354373f2ed060e1662@maine.rr.com> <023c01d7e7b2$662c6760$32853620$@comcast.net> <734a8f75-6a56-9023-8f3b-928f3469c157@charter.net> Message-ID: <94f46333-36dc-845f-7380-04b646e0c112@fybush.com> WSRO drops to 100 watts after sunset to protect the I-A clear channel station on 650, WSM from Nashville, which is what you were hearing after dark. On 12/6/2021 6:57 PM, Tim Gordon wrote: > ...And I was just enjoying a jaunty free-form jazz tune when the > transmitter unceremoniously turned off at 6:47pm. > ??? > They must have finished whatever testing they were performing. > I've never tried to DX on AM 650, but in the car in wide-open flat areas of > Carlisle & Westford I now mostly get a very twangy country music station > after dark. I wonder where that is coming from. > > > On Sun, Dec 5, 2021 at 5:18 PM Rob Landry <011010001@interpring.com> wrote: > >> >> >> On Sat, 4 Dec 2021, Tim Gordon wrote: >> >>> Questionable programming enjoyment so far, though. >> >> The format is supposed to be changing shortly. The current one I cobbled >> together on a Sunday afternoon as a temporary stopgap several years ago >> for WZBR 1410. I'm surprised how many times it's come back from the dead, >> and particularly that it's been on 650 for more than a year now. >> >>> Kind of neat to hear the data stream noise for a fraction of a second >>> before the radio figures out it's data. Takes me back to the days of >>> picking up the receiver when someone was using a 1200 baud modem on the >>> line 40 odd years ago. :) >> >> Interesting. My radio doesn't do that, but I have a Boston Acoustics >> Recepter HD, a very old model. >> >> >> Rob >> From tgordo49@gmail.com Tue Dec 7 18:43:20 2021 From: tgordo49@gmail.com (Tim Gordon) Date: Tue, 7 Dec 2021 18:43:20 -0500 Subject: 650 AM All Digital In-Reply-To: <94f46333-36dc-845f-7380-04b646e0c112@fybush.com> References: <17d7c34cd58.27f4.7596a117606220354373f2ed060e1662@maine.rr.com> <023c01d7e7b2$662c6760$32853620$@comcast.net> <734a8f75-6a56-9023-8f3b-928f3469c157@charter.net> <94f46333-36dc-845f-7380-04b646e0c112@fybush.com> Message-ID: Yes, and I've been impressed that at night I still get an almost constant HD indicator, and a listenable signal out in these parts cutting in & out about 50% of the time, as I drive around. This time (last night) was different, a complete shut down of their transmitter as far as I could tell, and at 6:47pm which is 2+ hours after sunset. Maybe they went back to non-HD for some reason? That'd be a different change, too. Curious! I thought someone here might know what their bigger game plan for their format is shaping up to be... But they're back on today, and for the first time I've heard some air checks along the lines of, "AM 650, Boston's True Jazz station, WSRO" and the like. Seems to be programming that's a little different than what Rob L. had mentioned that he'd arranged, I think? --Tim On Tue, Dec 7, 2021 at 8:42 AM Scott Fybush wrote: > WSRO drops to 100 watts after sunset to protect the I-A clear channel > station on 650, WSM from Nashville, which is what you were hearing after > dark. > > On 12/6/2021 6:57 PM, Tim Gordon wrote: > > ...And I was just enjoying a jaunty free-form jazz tune when the > > transmitter unceremoniously turned off at 6:47pm. > > ??? > > They must have finished whatever testing they were performing. > > I've never tried to DX on AM 650, but in the car in wide-open flat areas > of > > Carlisle & Westford I now mostly get a very twangy country music station > > after dark. I wonder where that is coming from. > > > > > > On Sun, Dec 5, 2021 at 5:18 PM Rob Landry <011010001@interpring.com> > wrote: > > > >> > >> > >> On Sat, 4 Dec 2021, Tim Gordon wrote: > >> > >>> Questionable programming enjoyment so far, though. > >> > >> The format is supposed to be changing shortly. The current one I cobbled > >> together on a Sunday afternoon as a temporary stopgap several years ago > >> for WZBR 1410. I'm surprised how many times it's come back from the > dead, > >> and particularly that it's been on 650 for more than a year now. > >> > >>> Kind of neat to hear the data stream noise for a fraction of a second > >>> before the radio figures out it's data. Takes me back to the days of > >>> picking up the receiver when someone was using a 1200 baud modem on the > >>> line 40 odd years ago. :) > >> > >> Interesting. My radio doesn't do that, but I have a Boston Acoustics > >> Recepter HD, a very old model. > >> > >> > >> Rob > >> > From tgordo49@gmail.com Tue Dec 7 21:47:44 2021 From: tgordo49@gmail.com (Tim Gordon) Date: Tue, 7 Dec 2021 21:47:44 -0500 Subject: 650 AM All Digital In-Reply-To: References: <17d7c34cd58.27f4.7596a117606220354373f2ed060e1662@maine.rr.com> <023c01d7e7b2$662c6760$32853620$@comcast.net> <734a8f75-6a56-9023-8f3b-928f3469c157@charter.net> <94f46333-36dc-845f-7380-04b646e0c112@fybush.com> Message-ID: Oops, answered my own question: When in doubt, search! lol... https://radioinsight.com/headlines/214659/fcc-report-10-31-all-digital-am-coming-to-boston/ --Tim On Tue, Dec 7, 2021 at 6:43 PM Tim Gordon wrote: > Yes, and I've been impressed that at night I still get an almost constant > HD indicator, and a listenable signal out in these parts cutting in & out > about 50% of the time, as I drive around. This time (last night) was > different, a complete shut down of their transmitter as far as I could > tell, and at 6:47pm which is 2+ hours after sunset. Maybe they went back to > non-HD for some reason? That'd be a different change, too. Curious! > I thought someone here might know what their bigger game plan for their > format is shaping up to be... > But they're back on today, and for the first time I've heard some air > checks along the lines of, "AM 650, Boston's True Jazz station, WSRO" and > the like. Seems to be programming that's a little different than what Rob > L. had mentioned that he'd arranged, I think? > --Tim > > > > On Tue, Dec 7, 2021 at 8:42 AM Scott Fybush wrote: > >> WSRO drops to 100 watts after sunset to protect the I-A clear channel >> station on 650, WSM from Nashville, which is what you were hearing after >> dark. >> >> On 12/6/2021 6:57 PM, Tim Gordon wrote: >> > ...And I was just enjoying a jaunty free-form jazz tune when the >> > transmitter unceremoniously turned off at 6:47pm. >> > ??? >> > They must have finished whatever testing they were performing. >> > I've never tried to DX on AM 650, but in the car in wide-open flat >> areas of >> > Carlisle & Westford I now mostly get a very twangy country music station >> > after dark. I wonder where that is coming from. >> > >> > >> > On Sun, Dec 5, 2021 at 5:18 PM Rob Landry <011010001@interpring.com> >> wrote: >> > >> >> >> >> >> >> On Sat, 4 Dec 2021, Tim Gordon wrote: >> >> >> >>> Questionable programming enjoyment so far, though. >> >> >> >> The format is supposed to be changing shortly. The current one I >> cobbled >> >> together on a Sunday afternoon as a temporary stopgap several years ago >> >> for WZBR 1410. I'm surprised how many times it's come back from the >> dead, >> >> and particularly that it's been on 650 for more than a year now. >> >> >> >>> Kind of neat to hear the data stream noise for a fraction of a second >> >>> before the radio figures out it's data. Takes me back to the days of >> >>> picking up the receiver when someone was using a 1200 baud modem on >> the >> >>> line 40 odd years ago. :) >> >> >> >> Interesting. My radio doesn't do that, but I have a Boston Acoustics >> >> Recepter HD, a very old model. >> >> >> >> >> >> Rob >> >> >> > From kvahey@gmail.com Wed Dec 8 04:09:51 2021 From: kvahey@gmail.com (Kevin Vahey) Date: Wed, 8 Dec 2021 04:09:51 -0500 Subject: 650 AM All Digital In-Reply-To: References: <17d7c34cd58.27f4.7596a117606220354373f2ed060e1662@maine.rr.com> <023c01d7e7b2$662c6760$32853620$@comcast.net> <734a8f75-6a56-9023-8f3b-928f3469c157@charter.net> <94f46333-36dc-845f-7380-04b646e0c112@fybush.com> Message-ID: Even on my cheap HD table radio in Cambridge, I have been able to get excellent reception during the day. ( and I am in a high rise that faces east ) On Tue, Dec 7, 2021 at 9:49 PM Tim Gordon wrote: > > Oops, answered my own question: When in doubt, search! lol... > > https://radioinsight.com/headlines/214659/fcc-report-10-31-all-digital-am-coming-to-boston/ > > --Tim > > > On Tue, Dec 7, 2021 at 6:43 PM Tim Gordon wrote: > > > Yes, and I've been impressed that at night I still get an almost constant > > HD indicator, and a listenable signal out in these parts cutting in & out > > about 50% of the time, as I drive around. This time (last night) was > > different, a complete shut down of their transmitter as far as I could > > tell, and at 6:47pm which is 2+ hours after sunset. Maybe they went back to > > non-HD for some reason? That'd be a different change, too. Curious! > > I thought someone here might know what their bigger game plan for their > > format is shaping up to be... > > But they're back on today, and for the first time I've heard some air > > checks along the lines of, "AM 650, Boston's True Jazz station, WSRO" and > > the like. Seems to be programming that's a little different than what Rob > > L. had mentioned that he'd arranged, I think? > > --Tim > > > > > > > > On Tue, Dec 7, 2021 at 8:42 AM Scott Fybush wrote: > > > >> WSRO drops to 100 watts after sunset to protect the I-A clear channel > >> station on 650, WSM from Nashville, which is what you were hearing after > >> dark. > >> > >> On 12/6/2021 6:57 PM, Tim Gordon wrote: > >> > ...And I was just enjoying a jaunty free-form jazz tune when the > >> > transmitter unceremoniously turned off at 6:47pm. > >> > ??? > >> > They must have finished whatever testing they were performing. > >> > I've never tried to DX on AM 650, but in the car in wide-open flat > >> areas of > >> > Carlisle & Westford I now mostly get a very twangy country music station > >> > after dark. I wonder where that is coming from. > >> > > >> > > >> > On Sun, Dec 5, 2021 at 5:18 PM Rob Landry <011010001@interpring.com> > >> wrote: > >> > > >> >> > >> >> > >> >> On Sat, 4 Dec 2021, Tim Gordon wrote: > >> >> > >> >>> Questionable programming enjoyment so far, though. > >> >> > >> >> The format is supposed to be changing shortly. The current one I > >> cobbled > >> >> together on a Sunday afternoon as a temporary stopgap several years ago > >> >> for WZBR 1410. I'm surprised how many times it's come back from the > >> dead, > >> >> and particularly that it's been on 650 for more than a year now. > >> >> > >> >>> Kind of neat to hear the data stream noise for a fraction of a second > >> >>> before the radio figures out it's data. Takes me back to the days of > >> >>> picking up the receiver when someone was using a 1200 baud modem on > >> the > >> >>> line 40 odd years ago. :) > >> >> > >> >> Interesting. My radio doesn't do that, but I have a Boston Acoustics > >> >> Recepter HD, a very old model. > >> >> > >> >> > >> >> Rob > >> >> > >> > > From 011010001@interpring.com Wed Dec 8 10:13:47 2021 From: 011010001@interpring.com (Rob Landry) Date: Wed, 8 Dec 2021 10:13:47 -0500 (EST) Subject: 650 AM All Digital In-Reply-To: References: <17d7c34cd58.27f4.7596a117606220354373f2ed060e1662@maine.rr.com> <023c01d7e7b2$662c6760$32853620$@comcast.net> <734a8f75-6a56-9023-8f3b-928f3469c157@charter.net> <94f46333-36dc-845f-7380-04b646e0c112@fybush.com> Message-ID: On Tue, 7 Dec 2021, Tim Gordon wrote: > Yes, and I've been impressed that at night I still get an almost constant > HD indicator, and a listenable signal out in these parts cutting in & out > about 50% of the time, as I drive around. This time (last night) was > different, a complete shut down of their transmitter as far as I could > tell, and at 6:47pm which is 2+ hours after sunset. Maybe they went back to No, they never went back to analog. I can only assume you were experiencing some sort of interference. Without an analog signal to back up the HD, it just mutes if it can't decode the digital. And all that interferece you typically hear on the AM band is still there; it's just being covered up. WSRO can only run 100 watts after sunset, and it's got a Class A in Nashville on the same frequency. > But they're back on today, and for the first time I've heard some air > checks along the lines of, "AM 650, Boston's True Jazz station, WSRO" and > the like. Seems to be programming that's a little different than what Rob > L. had mentioned that he'd arranged, I think? The format got tweaked a bit by Stu Fink, but it's still basically the same format. There is a format change coming at the beginning of next month. I *think* the jazz format will continut on 1410/98.1, but I'm not sure. Rob From tgordo49@gmail.com Thu Dec 9 10:30:36 2021 From: tgordo49@gmail.com (Tim Gordon) Date: Thu, 9 Dec 2021 10:30:36 -0500 Subject: Any WBUR antenna/signal news? Friend reports periodic poor reception lately Message-ID: They're in Carlisle, trying to be sure it isn't just their radio. I haven't noticed any changes in the area, myself. Thanks, --Tim From obrienron2@gmail.com Fri Dec 10 14:49:18 2021 From: obrienron2@gmail.com (Ron) Date: Fri, 10 Dec 2021 14:49:18 -0500 Subject: FYI: Popular Cape Cod radio worker apparently murdered in Hyannis Message-ID: <003901d7edff$058f4dc0$10ade940$@gmail.com> I don't know anything about this.but thought I would send along the story. So sad. Esp at Christmastime. https://www.boston.com/news/local-news/2021/12/10/eric-christensen-hyannis-h omicide/?p1=hp_secondary From obrienron2@gmail.com Sat Dec 11 15:47:26 2021 From: obrienron2@gmail.com (Ron) Date: Sat, 11 Dec 2021 15:47:26 -0500 Subject: FW: FYI: Popular Cape Cod radio worker apparently murdered in Hyannis Message-ID: <002701d7eed0$4ed5ed50$ec81c7f0$@gmail.com> I don't know anything more about this.but thought I would send along the story. So sad. Esp at Christmastime. https://www.boston.com/news/local-news/2021/12/10/eric-christensen-hyannis-h omicide/?p1=hp_secondary From obrienron2@gmail.com Mon Dec 20 22:17:45 2021 From: obrienron2@gmail.com (Ron) Date: Mon, 20 Dec 2021 22:17:45 -0500 Subject: FW: FYI: Popular Cape Cod radio worker apparently murdered in Hyannis Message-ID: <005b01d7f619$5313f0b0$f93bd210$@gmail.com> I don't know anything more about this.but thought I would send along the story. So sad. Esp at Christmastime. https://www.boston.com/news/local-news/2021/12/10/eric-christensen-hyannis-h omicide/?p1=hp_secondary From walkerbroadcasting@gmail.com Mon Dec 20 22:33:05 2021 From: walkerbroadcasting@gmail.com (Paul B. Walker, Jr.) Date: Mon, 20 Dec 2021 18:33:05 -0900 Subject: FW: FYI: Popular Cape Cod radio worker apparently murdered in Hyannis In-Reply-To: <005b01d7f619$5313f0b0$f93bd210$@gmail.com> References: <005b01d7f619$5313f0b0$f93bd210$@gmail.com> Message-ID: so, youve sent this twice already.... when it happened, weeks ago On Mon, Dec 20, 2021 at 6:19 PM Ron wrote: > I don't know anything more about this.but thought I would send along the > story. > > So sad. Esp at Christmastime. > > > https://www.boston.com/news/local-news/2021/12/10/eric-christensen-hyannis-h > omicide/?p1=hp_secondary > > > From obrienron2@gmail.com Mon Dec 20 22:41:00 2021 From: obrienron2@gmail.com (Ron) Date: Mon, 20 Dec 2021 22:41:00 -0500 Subject: FW: FYI: Popular Cape Cod radio worker apparently murdered in Hyannis In-Reply-To: References: <005b01d7f619$5313f0b0$f93bd210$@gmail.com> Message-ID: <006201d7f61c$92e6b7b0$b8b42710$@gmail.com> Sorry?I didn?t see it come thru. My bad. From: Paul B. Walker, Jr. Sent: Monday, December 20, 2021 10:33 PM To: Ron Cc: bri Subject: Re: FW: FYI: Popular Cape Cod radio worker apparently murdered in Hyannis so, youve sent this twice already.... when it happened, weeks ago On Mon, Dec 20, 2021 at 6:19 PM Ron > wrote: I don't know anything more about this.but thought I would send along the story. So sad. Esp at Christmastime. https://www.boston.com/news/local-news/2021/12/10/eric-christensen-hyannis-h omicide/?p1=hp_secondary From marklaurence@mac.com Mon Dec 20 22:47:02 2021 From: marklaurence@mac.com (Mark Laurence) Date: Mon, 20 Dec 2021 22:47:02 -0500 Subject: Roaalie Trombley Message-ID: <770693EF-0CAF-4EC0-80AD-19481652A7B5@mac.com> I don?t know of many radio people who would rate an obituary in the New York Times, especially those who aren?t New Yorkers or nationally known personalities. But famed CKLW Music Director Rosalie Trombley received a half-page write-up as the powerful starmaker who ?furthered the careers of Alice Cooper, Bob Seger, The Temptations, and many others.? If you can get through the Times? paywall, here?s the story. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/17/arts/music/rosalie-trombley-dead.html