WBCN, Channel-13, and the old Hancock tower
Dave
bostonradio.org-list@wsfd.ath.cx
Wed Nov 24 14:55:13 EST 2021
On 11/24/21 12:00 PM,
boston-radio-interest-request@lists.BostonRadio.org wrote:
>From: A Joseph Ross <joe@attorneyross.com>
>Date: Tue, 23 Nov 2021 23:44:19 -0500
>Subject: Re: RIP Al Perry - former GM of WBCN
>
>I wonder if anyone is left who ran the original WBCN and
>the Concert Network. I wonder how many people are left,
>besides me, who were listeners in those days.
Ahhh. WBCN.
Long time lurker, I'm going to finally crawl out from under this rock.
My father, Jim Bonney was the titular Chief Engineer for WBCN in the
50's/60's. And once, while he was on vacation, I made $ subbing in for
him doing the weekly transmitter checks and log signing on the 27th/28th
upper equipment floor of the old Hancock tower. Does that qualify me as
'working' for WBCN?
As a kid I would frequently accompany him on his rounds when he did his
weekly station visits. He built and was full-time Chief Engineer for
WBUR but also, over the years, had 'Chief Operator' responsibility for
WBCN, WERS, WPAW/WXTR, the Boston end of the WMTW-TV microwave link, a
radio-page company, and other stations/facilities too numerous and/or
lost in my memory to remember right now.
Once at WBCN I even got to stand on top of the Hancock weather beacon
when the tower monkey's were servicing the antenna. Going up the stairs
inside the flashing blue beacon was a memory-maker.
Which brings me around to a Question I've had for years:
On the upper equipment floor of the old Hancock tower, colocated with
the WBCN transmitter was another, non-operating transmitter. Which may
have been a television transmitter. I have seen an old reference to a
Boston Channel-13. Could this have been it? And can anyone provide
confirmation? Was it ever licensed/operational?
Thanx,
Dave
More information about the Boston-Radio-Interest
mailing list