WBCN, Channel-13, and the old Hancock tower

[Kevin Vahey]

What was WMTW-FM today is WHOM 94.9 and a good car radio can lock into
the signal from just north of Boston to Montreal.





On Tue, Nov 30, 2021 at 1:44 AM A Joseph Ross <joe@attorneyross.com> wrote:
>
> What the Wikipedia article misses is that there once was also a WMTW-FM on Mt. Washington.  I got its signal in Bedford, MA back in the early 1960s.  I remember it being affiliated with the Concert Network.
>
> On 11/29/2021 3:02 AM, Kevin Vahey wrote:
>
> WMTW-TV rivaled WMUR-TV for being a barebones operation in those days.
>
> The OTA signal from Mt Washington was inferior to Channels 6 and 13 in
> Portland and Channels 3 and 5 in Burlington.
>
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WMTW_(TV)
>
> Portland, Maine actually had 3 VHF stations before any other market in
> New England. but WMTW was never a major player in Southern Maine which
> remains true to this day.
>
> On Mon, Nov 29, 2021 at 1:08 AM A Joseph Ross <joe@attorneyross.com> wrote:
>
> Why would there have been a Boston end of a WMTW-TV microwave link? That
> was channel 8 in Poland Springs, Maine.
>
> On 11/24/2021 2:55 PM, Dave wrote:
>
> 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
>
>
> --
> A. Joseph Ross, J.D. · 1340 Centre Street, Suite 103 · Newton, MA 02459
> 617.367.0468 · http://www.attorneyross.com
>
>
> --
> A. Joseph Ross, J.D. · 1340 Centre Street, Suite 103 · Newton, MA 02459
> 617.367.0468 · http://www.attorneyross.com