WBCN, Channel-13, and the old Hancock tower

[billohno@gmail.com]

> On Nov 30, 2021, at 2:19 AM, Kevin Vahey <kvahey@gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> 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

When we relocated from Lowell, Mass. to Shoreham, Vermont in 2000, the two OTA stations I was able to bring with me were WBZ on the AM side and WHOM on the FM side, the latter of which boasts a decent signal just about wherever I drive throughout the state. 

Bill O’Neill


> 
> 
> 
>> 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
>