Radio History for the Portland and Portsmouth-Dover-Rochester markets.

[chrish]

The WHEB 750 tower was a self supporter with a short base and tall upper
segment identical to some of the towers in the Meadowlands at 1380 in Carlsdat, NJ and it was on a pier in the marsh, this was the one that was removed.

The original FM tower is still standing and it is a self supporter....the only FM guyed
tower WHEB has ever had is the current new 700' a block north of the studios

 

[JIBGUY]

The WHEB 750 tower was a self supporter with a short base and tall upper
segment identical to some of the towers in the Meadowlands at 1380 in Carlsdat, NJ and it was on a pier in the marsh, this was the one that was removed.

Then what IS that self-supporter with a short base and tall upper segment and sitting on cement blocks at edge of the water that is still standing there now? (not far from the much taller FM tower)

 

[Bored Op]

Then what IS that self-supporter with a short base and tall upper segment and sitting on cement blocks at edge of the water that is still standing there now? (not far from the much taller FM tower)

From what I understand, that self-supporter was the original WHEB-AM tower which now holds the STL dishes for the other stations. The tall tower - which looks close to 500 feet - behind that shopping center is WHEB-FMs stick with their antenna at the top. I was always curious which station that 4 bay antenna a little lower on that tower is for.

 

[pqgeorge]

Ah, yes..... WHEB/750..... a lot of memories of that station, especially around 1971-1975. I believe that WHEB AM/FM was one of the first stations in the world to broadcast "American Top 40" with Casey Kasem back in 1970. WJTO/730 (Bob's station) also ran AT40 around that time. Living South of Boston (MA) around that time, I was able to switch between the two stations ('HEB and 'JTO) and see the lagtime between them.

Back to WHEB. In the summer of '72, I spent my summer vacation at a cottage up in East Wakefield, NH, about 50 miles north of Portmouth. At that time, the AM side of 'HEB was still strong and even carried nicely up until Conway (up in the White Mountains). The FM just about made it to the cottage. At that the FM side was pretty weak, in mono and only operating about 5,000 watts horizontal only. It eventually went Stereo in 1974. It wasn't until 1978 when the FM finally went to a full 31,000 watts in Stereo and now really covered a lot of real estate. The AM always signed-off at around 1 hour after local sunset (L-WSB Atlanta) with a cute sign-off with appropriate sleepy sounding music-box music with an proper voice-over saying "WHEB 750 now goes to sleep, but don't go away, more music continues throughout the night on FM 100, WHEB-FM".

Shutting the AM side was (IMHO) a big mistake. If the "tower" situation with the local city officials mandated that one of the towers were to be removed, they could have moved the AM to the FM tower, with some modifications. If the "protest" move to shut down the AM (due to WSB/Atlanta) was the reason, it in essence shut down a very strong local service AM that potentially that could have made it. I believe if 750 were still on the air today, the more relaxed FCC rules probably could have allowed for some night service, of sort. Too bad we'll never know.

 

[Mediaace]

Bored Op --- The 4-bay antenna you see is the auxiliary for WHEB.

The original AM stand-free tower (formally located to the right hand side of the station was removed in 1991 to make way for the 459' FM tower situated behind the Lafayette Shopping Plaza. The City of Portsmouth required the removal because of the eyesore of excess radio towers. It was also stated at one time that Pease Airforce Base required this action because of flight path issues but was NOT so. The existing stand-free tower is the original FM stick located closer to the river behind the building at the far end of the back parking area. It now supports a stack of STL dishes. After desperate attempts to keep the AM on the air by relocating the TX into York, Maine (as JibGuy mentioned) Knight Quality took it dark cause of the endless NIMBY issues. The only good things to come of this was no more RF leaking into the studio consoles and recording gear and the church up the street no longer receives WHEB's audio leaking into the house pipe organ.

Great programming history thread here...

Remembering the "Rising with Fran" morning show featuring Jim Rising and the very beautiful Fran Lane. Lunchtime was not the same without Wendy Bennett hosting the "Electric Lunch". Later to become "Classic Tunes at Noon" with Lori D. Remember the WHEB jingles, "WHEB....where your friends are"?

Then what IS that self-supporter with a short base and tall upper segment and sitting on cement blocks at edge of the water that is still standing there now? (not far from the much taller FM tower)

From what I understand, that self-supporter was the original WHEB-AM tower which now holds the STL dishes for the other stations. The tall tower - which looks close to 500 feet - behind that shopping center is WHEB-FMs stick with their antenna at the top. I was always curious which station that 4 bay antenna a little lower on that tower is for.

 

[JIBGUY]

So....back then, the FM tower was not as high as the AM tower? (since the AM tower was on a higher elevation).

Now understand the situation with the town... kind of... essentially they didn't want THREE towers there?....
Or at least they didn't want TWO of them on a higher ground. Knight probably offered to take down the self-supporter by the river.

Anyway, 750 ain;t coming back... for 2 reasons... FCC will not license new AM's (unless one is imported from Wyoming), and 760 in Worcester upped its 10kw to 25kw shortly after 750 went dark; now making it virtually impossible for 750 to come back, at Portsmouth. And there's a 750 CP somewhere up north in Maine....

 

[SERy694]

......The AM always signed-off at around 1 hour after local sunset (L-WSB Atlanta) with a cute sign-off with appropriate sleepy sounding music-box music with an proper voice-over saying "WHEB 750 now goes to sleep, but don't go away, more music continues throughout the night on FM 100, WHEB-FM".

Peter....you missed the tie-in with WHEB's then-slogan "The Star Station." The background mx for the signoff was "When You Wish Upon A Star," and during the signoff script, most of which you quoted, Duncan Dewar, in a bedtime-storyesque voice reminded everybody that WHEB-AM Portsmouth "has to go to bed now." The signoff ended with Jimminy Cricket singing the end of that song. Longtime WHEB chief engineer Tony Vaccaro devised a down-and-dirty method for handling the AM signoff: there was a toggle switch next to the stack of cart machines in the FM studio that cut off the studio feed to the AM chain and fed the bottom cart machine directly to the AM. Flip switch, play signoff cart, take readings, shut off AM xmitter. Memories!!

 

[pqgeorge]

......The AM always signed-off at around 1 hour after local sunset (L-WSB Atlanta) with a cute sign-off with appropriate sleepy sounding music-box music with an proper voice-over saying "WHEB 750 now goes to sleep, but don't go away, more music continues throughout the night on FM 100, WHEB-FM".

Peter....you missed the tie-in with WHEB's then-slogan "The Star Station." The background mx for the signoff was "When You Wish Upon A Star," and during the signoff script, most of which you quoted, Duncan Dewar, in a bedtime-storyesque voice reminded everybody that WHEB-AM Portsmouth "has to go to bed now." The signoff ended with Jimminy Cricket singing the end of that song. Longtime WHEB chief engineer Tony Vaccaro devised a down-and-dirty method for handling the AM signoff: there was a toggle switch next to the stack of cart machines in the FM studio that cut off the studio feed to the AM chain and fed the bottom cart machine directly to the AM. Flip switch, play signoff cart, take readings, shut off AM xmitter. Memories!!

I recall the jingles quite well ("The Star Station For Northern New England..... WHEB!"). But that moniker wasn't in use until the late 70's to early 80's when they eventually switched to Rick Carroll's "Rock of the 80's" format. It was a disaster. I hated the new format. The AM went to a full-service AC format that lasted for a couple of years. Then the simulcast returned to the end of the AM's life.

But back in the summer of '72, they were basically calling themselves "FM 100, H-E-B". Even then they were kind of putting the AM to second tier status in terms of on-air ID's. In 1974, they modified their promos with their new Stereo status to call themselves "Stereo 'HEB!" using the same jingle package heard in WLS ("The Big 89!") in Chicago. "The Star Station" moniker came a little later.

 

[Mediaace]

I wonder if Andy Carry brought that positioner to WJBQ in it's 106.3 hay days. I remember a shotgun jingle "Stereo JBQ" from back then.

That AM shutdown sounds very similar to the shutdown procedures used when ending the broadcast day for WJBQ AM 1440. "Due to provisions, WJBQ AM Westbrook/Portland must now leave the air...blah, blah blah...as WJBQ FM 106 rocks on". If memory serves me, I was told a cart machine pot would be placed in the audition channel feeding audio only to the AM processor to run the sign off announcement. For those not familiar with their history, AM 1440 Westbrook used to be a 5,000 watt non-directional daytime only operation from a tower on Warren Avenue (I believe still standing there). That thing had a killer signal too.

......The AM always signed-off at around 1 hour after local sunset (L-WSB Atlanta) with a cute sign-off with appropriate sleepy sounding music-box music with an proper voice-over saying "WHEB 750 now goes to sleep, but don't go away, more music continues throughout the night on FM 100, WHEB-FM".

Peter....you missed the tie-in with WHEB's then-slogan "The Star Station." The background mx for the signoff was "When You Wish Upon A Star," and during the signoff script, most of which you quoted, Duncan Dewar, in a bedtime-storyesque voice reminded everybody that WHEB-AM Portsmouth "has to go to bed now." The signoff ended with Jimminy Cricket singing the end of that song. Longtime WHEB chief engineer Tony Vaccaro devised a down-and-dirty method for handling the AM signoff: there was a toggle switch next to the stack of cart machines in the FM studio that cut off the studio feed to the AM chain and fed the bottom cart machine directly to the AM. Flip switch, play signoff cart, take readings, shut off AM xmitter. Memories!!

I recall the jingles quite well ("The Star Station For Northern New England..... WHEB!"). But that moniker wasn't in use until the late 70's to early 80's when they eventually switched to Rick Carroll's "Rock of the 80's" format. It was a disaster. I hated the new format. The AM went to a full-service AC format that lasted for a couple of years. Then the simulcast returned to the end of the AM's life.

But back in the summer of '72, they were basically calling themselves "FM 100, H-E-B". Even then they were kind of putting the AM to second tier status in terms of on-air ID's. In 1974, they modified their promos with their new Stereo status to call themselves "Stereo 'HEB!" using the same jingle package heard in WLS ("The Big 89!") in Chicago. "The Star Station" moniker came a little later.

 

[Mediaace]

Bob,

Not sure what the whole deal was with that extra tower as I was not there at that time. The chief engineer Ken Neenan has the history on that place. He is a great guy and very talented individual who does things right. He could fill you in on those missing pieces.

As for AM 750 returning; that license is gone for good. Too many upgrades around the region have closed that window once and for all. Besides, it is one less signal walking on WJIB.

Still good to know local radio is alive and well thanks to you, Bob. Keep up the great work!

So....back then, the FM tower was not as high as the AM tower? (since the AM tower was on a higher elevation).

Now understand the situation with the town... kind of... essentially they didn't want THREE towers there?....
Or at least they didn't want TWO of them on a higher ground. Knight probably offered to take down the self-supporter by the river.

Anyway, 750 ain;t coming back... for 2 reasons... FCC will not license new AM's (unless one is imported from Wyoming), and 760 in Worcester upped its 10kw to 25kw shortly after 750 went dark; now making it virtually impossible for 750 to come back, at Portsmouth. And there's a 750 CP somewhere up north in Maine....

 

[wthorne]

Mediaace,
WJBQ AM's 3 antenna array was located on Conant St. in Westbrook (now RT25), it's still there now operating as WJJB AM owned by Atlantic Broadcasting. The little antenna at the studio on Warren Ave was put up when JBQ switched to 97.9, it shot the signal to the FM tower in Gray. The tower is now used by Pine Tree Communication to communicate with their service vehicles.

 

[KML0224]

WPXT? Please check your history of 102.9 FM in Portland. When I moved to Old Orchard Beach in September of 1985, they were already "FM-103", a CHR/Top 40 station. The WGAN-FM call letters changed to WTHT-FM in June of 1987. I know this because I moved back to Connecticut on Saturday, June 20,1987, listening to FM 103 as far south as the signal would get on I-95 and I-495 in northeastern Massachusetts on the car radio. Leaving 10th grade only a couple of days earlier, me and my brother were questioning the call letter change. I always remember having trouble with the 107.5 signal at our apartment in Old Orchard Beach. We never had a problem with 102.9 at all.

 

[wpxt]

WPXT? Please check your history of 102.9 FM in Portland. When I moved to Old Orchard Beach in September of 1985, they were already "FM-103", a CHR/Top 40 station. The WGAN-FM call letters changed to WTHT-FM in June of 1987. I know this because I moved back to Connecticut on Saturday, June 20,1987, listening to FM 103 as far south as the signal would get on I-95 and I-495 in northeastern Massachusetts on the car radio. Leaving 10th grade only a couple of days earlier, me and my brother were questioning the call letter change. I always remember having trouble with the 107.5 signal at our apartment in Old Orchard Beach. We never had a problem with 102.9 at all.

Thank you KML, I'll go update it right now.

Edit: I just finished updating.

 

[Mediaace]

The WTHT calls came to life in June 1987. The CHR format signed on in February 1985 still as WGAN-FM.

WPXT? Please check your history of 102.9 FM in Portland. When I moved to Old Orchard Beach in September of 1985, they were already "FM-103", a CHR/Top 40 station. The WGAN-FM call letters changed to WTHT-FM in June of 1987. I know this because I moved back to Connecticut on Saturday, June 20,1987, listening to FM 103 as far south as the signal would get on I-95 and I-495 in northeastern Massachusetts on the car radio. Leaving 10th grade only a couple of days earlier, me and my brother were questioning the call letter change. I always remember having trouble with the 107.5 signal at our apartment in Old Orchard Beach. We never had a problem with 102.9 at all.

 

[Mediaace]

The tower on the 583 Warren Avenue property long predates the May 1986 transition for the 97.9 TX site swap. It had been there since 1974. Turner Porter opted to use it as a STL dipole since the current site in Gray could not be hit directly from the roof of the station where the STL antenna had been located since FM service began from that location from way back to it's 106.3 days. I remember when they (Roger Brace) installed the dish. They were having interference problems with another STL from another station the first week it went up only to be fixed within a few days. The current 1440 site was built in 1982. Though they kept a Raython 250 watter connected to the Warren Avenue site up until 1985 as a back up. Thanks for the update on the Warren Avenue site!

Mediaace,
WJBQ AM's 3 antenna array was located on Conant St. in Westbrook (now RT25), it's still there now operating as WJJB AM owned by Atlantic Broadcasting. The little antenna at the studio on Warren Ave was put up when JBQ switched to 97.9, it shot the signal to the FM tower in Gray. The tower is now used by Pine Tree Communication to communicate with their service vehicles.

 

[Andy Taylor]

Some addittional info:WOKQ 97.5 was WDNH until around 1978.
WERZ 107.1 was previously WKXR.
WHOM 94.9 was previously WMTQ & WMTW-FM
WWGT was originally a full service a/c WGT The Great 98,befor becomming CHR as WWGT G-98.
WPKQ 103.7 before WZPK was WMOU-FM Licensed to Berlin N.H.and as WZPK was still licensed to Berlin for quite a few years before switching to North Conway.
WBYY 98.7,When it had the call letters WRGW called themselves"The Rock Garden".I believe they had the call letters WRZY in 1993.

 

[Mediaace]

98.7 Signed on around January 1995 as an AC as the "Rock Garden" using the calls WRGW. Then *for a month* in 1996 became WRDX (stunting?...never understood this, playing standards music). Then after, became WBYY (returning to the original format as "The Bay").



WJBQ April 1974 -- signed on at 106.3 Scarborough "The Right Side of FM-106". (An answer to WIGY "Y-106" just to the left...at 105.9)
September 21, 1980 -- Swapped frequencies with WDCS 97.9 (Last song played: Billy Joel "Still Rock and Roll to Me" first song: Ace "How Long") positioners included: "The Center of your FM dial" and "Most Music Radio...98 JBQ".
May 1986 -- Switched transmitter sites from Finn Parker Road West Gorham to Dutton Hill in Gray co-located on the WPXT-TV tower.
June 1986 -- Changed call letters from WJBQ to WWGT "The Great 98" Overnight jock badly flubbed the letters. Unfortunately, I couldn't record this change over as I was driving in the Portsmouth traffic circle as it happened.
November 2, 1987 -- Changed formats from AC to CHR (keeping the call letters) and positioner to "G-98" (First song: Robert Palmer "Addicted to Love" the format switch happened at midnight coming out of a "Solid Gold Scrapbook" show with Dick Bartley).
1991 -- (I was out of state..so guessing here) The calls were switched to WCSO as first "Coast 98" then cause of WQSS (Coast) 102.5 in Camden putting up a legal challenge, Barnstable change it to Ocean 98. I'm guessing that was when WHOM moved from 477 Cogress Street to 583 Warren Avenue. Not sure when Turner Porter sold it to them.
1997 -- The facility was purchased by Fuller-Jefferey Broadcasting who restored the WJBQ calls. A very smart move!!!


Other call sign changes-

Note: the years listed below are approximate.



94.3 Biddeford (at only 3,000 watts) --

WIDE-FM
WBYC -- (I think this happened in 1981) Stood for Beautiful Music in York County.
WYJY -- "Joy 94.3" -- in 1985 as an automated AC station.
WSTG -- "Star 94.3" -- in 1991 and boosted power and TX location to Old Orchard Beach as a Class B1 carrying an AC format via satellite. *NOTE: The WSTG call letters wound up on 102.1 in Hampton as "The Stage" playing live music only 3 or 4 years later).*
WCYY -- AAA format simulcasting with 93.9 -- 1993 from One City Center.
(format change to modern rock in 1994).


95.3 York Center --

WQMI -- Signed on the air May 1986 - as a soft AC format with *very* compressed audio using "I-95" as the positioner).
WCQL -- 1988 - as "Cool 95.3" doing Oldies. (Last Song: Gordon Lightfoot "Wreck of the Edmund Fiztgerald").
WXHT -- September 1996 - as "Heat 95.3" "Where it's always in the 80's and 90's) doing a 'hot' AC format (First song: Natalie Merchant "Carnivale").
May 1998 - Format change to modern rock via satellite from Radio One adjusting the positioner to "95/3 The Heat"
WUBB -- December 1998? - Format change to country. Positioner as: "The B".
WSKX -- February 2009 - Format Change to CHR simulcasting WXKS "Kiss 108" Medford/Boston.


95.9 Saco --

WPIG -- Signed on July 1982 as a Country format with a positioner: "Southern Maine's Country" FM-96 WPIG.
WHYR -- Call letter and format change to hot AC in 1984 using the positioner "Your Stereo" and later on "R-96".
WRED -- Call letter and format change to rhythm in 1997?? using the positioner "Red Hot 95".
WPEI -- Call letter and format change to sports talk (simulcast with WEEI Boston).

I think most of the other stations have been covered. Hopefully this info helps those researching Portsmouth-Dover-Rochester and Portland radio!

Some addittional info:WOKQ 97.5 was WDNH until around 1978.
WERZ 107.1 was previously WKXR.
WHOM 94.9 was previously WMTQ & WMTW-FM
WWGT was originally a full service a/c WGT The Great 98,befor becomming CHR as WWGT G-98.
WPKQ 103.7 before WZPK was WMOU-FM Licensed to Berlin N.H.and as WZPK was still licensed to Berlin for quite a few years before switching to North Conway.
WBYY 98.7,When it had the call letters WRGW called themselves"The Rock Garden".I believe they had the call letters WRZY in 1993.

 

[sassysam]

WUBB, B95.3 went online March 1999 commercial free for one month with Kenny Tibbetts as the Morning Show. Then flipped to the simulcast of KISS 108, February 2008.

 

[Chuckigo]

(...snip...)
94.3 Biddeford (at only 3,000 watts) --

WIDE-FM
WBYC -- (I think this happened in 1981) Stood for Beautiful Music in York County.
WYJY -- "Joy 94.3" -- in 1985 as an automated AC station.
WSTG -- "Star 94.3" -- in 1991 and boosted power and TX location to Old Orchard Beach as a Class B1 carrying an AC format via satellite. *NOTE: The WSTG call letters wound up on 102.1 in Hampton as "The Stage" playing live music only 3 or 4 years later).*
WCYY -- AAA format simulcasting with 93.9 -- 1993 from One City Center.
(format change to modern rock in 1994).
(...snip...)

as the morning guy there for 4.5 years, WYJY was very much live with auto-assist. i was there for sign-on under the ownership of Ocean Coast Properties - the McCann family out of NH (owners of WEMJ in Laconia). Dick Lutsk was our general manager; i was ops/pd for both WYJY and WIDE. the previous owners were the Hoy family, and their final GM was Frank Defrancisco. WBYC was "We're Beautiful York County"
Joy FM 94.3 had live mornings and live afternoons, and the occasional live midday whenever someone who might have caught the ear of boss might be available. so not totally automated AC - more of a soft AC - light&easy favorites... Drake-Chenault music format which we were allowed to "embellish" somewhat.

great thread workin' here. keep 'em comin'!

 

[wpxt]

WOKQ 97.5 was WDNH until around 1978.
WERZ 107.1 was previously WKXR.
WHOM 94.9 was previously WMTQ & WMTW-FM

Did WDNH play country? What format was WKXR? and What format was WMTQ and WMTW?