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Happy 50th Anniversary to WTBS/WMBR!

E

Eli Polonsky

On April 10, 1961, students in the basement of MIT's Walker Memorial Building put the finishing touches on an electronics project, flipped a switch, and put MIT's radio station, previously a "carrier-current" AM station unofficially known as WMIT serving only MIT dorms, on the air as licensed FM station WTBS (Technology Broadcasting System), with ten watts on 88.1 FM for the first time!

In 1979, cable TV tycoon Ted Turner offered WTBS a large donation in exchange for its call letters. WTBS became WMBR (Walker Memorial Basement Radio), and was able to purchase a new 200 watt transmitter. Having begun doing a once-annual on-air fundraising drive starting in 1983, through the generosity of its listeners, WMBR has since been able to upgrade to its FCC legal maximum of 720 watts ERP and completely renovate its studios, in addition to streaming online worldwide.

Tonight from 8-10 PM EDT, WMBR presents a special 50th anniversary program, with both live and retrospective content. More information, live streaming, and audio archives of all programs for two weeks is available on the WMBR website.

Click here for yesterdays Boston Globe article on WMBR's 50th Anniversary, and here for their accompanying photo essay!
 
4CX1000A said:
As part of the Turner upgrade, WMBR was the last FM station in Boston to go stereo.
Click to expand...

Actually, WMBR went stereo well after the Turner upgrade to 200 watts in 1979. WMBR finally went stereo in 1986, but the Turner money was long gone by then. Listener contributions from WMBR's annual on-air fundraisers, which began in 1983, paid for most of the expenses of the studio and airchain renovations necessary for going stereo in 1986.
 
Was WMFO stereo by 1986? ZBC went stereo in 1979. WLYN went stereo in early 80s when it became FNX. BUR went stereo in the mid-70s. BUR used a 10 watt Wilkenson exicter feeding the old 1940s vintage 20kw Raytheon xtmr. at 630 Comm Ave. doing mostly classical and jazz.
 
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