Talk About A Mickey-Mouse Operation...

[oaktree]

M-I-C ... See you wherever the signal takes us where Mommy & Daddy spend money to buy YOU things ...

K-E-Y ... Why? Because we'll make you nag Mommy & Daddy until they buy you stuff from us and our "partners" like McDonalds!

M-O-U-S-EEEEEEEEEE

Huh huh ... see ya, kids!

 

[nightfly61]

Half the songs on the Disney chart are currently CHR or HAC...Kid's Bop's big bu$ine$$. Surprised more Hot AC's aren't throwing more in their daypart after school hours. Oh yeah...School's out for the summer...they'll listen to it at the beach.

 

[DanStrassberg]

Chrish above says it was 1967, but I seem to remember 1969 was when the daytime upgrade finally went on the air... I could be wrong... but either way, Arnie was no longer on WMEX by the time the upgrade went into effect.

No, you are correct. The work could easily have started in 1967 or before but it definitely wasn't completed until 1969 or later. I remember listening to the new signal on my way home to Arlington from work in Framingham. I didn't start working in Framingham until early November 1968.

The explanation for the replacement of one of the two night towers as part of the 50 kW day upgrade was that, after the CP for 50 kW D was granted but before construction could begin, the Commonwealth took the land on which stood one of the two original self-supporting towers for construction of a new bridge across the Neponset River. The new bridge replaced the then-existing bridge, which I believe was a drawbridge. This necessitated reconfiguration of the night array and relocation of the new day tower from its originally planned location. Besides the delay in the project, I think the result was that the new towers stood ~200' closer to the transmitter building than had been planned originally.

 

[HHH]

I remember the WMEX 50KW-D upgrade and Arnie was gone by then. Also remember that it took forever, and now I read why. Interesting background. Thanks.

In Natick, where I grew up, the original DA-1 5KW WMEX signal was not bad in the day, but weak (but listenable, however) at night.
On a good, tube radio, positioned properly, you could pull it out from between WTOP 1500 and WKBW 1520. But on those cheap plastic clock radios, forget it. Arnie's show was so cool, that you went out of your way to get it. I remember that Arnie used to always dedicate songs to people listening at some military base in Goose Bay, Labrador. My friend from Nova Scotia said that WMEX came in very strong up there at night. And when I went to Montreal, they started bombing in even before sundown. Strange night signal!

 

[bub]

I used to listen to Radio Disney when I was 9 or 10. That's when it was brand new. If we had 12- ratings, Radio Disney would be near the top.

And the ad agencies should jump on those numbers and get the kids' allowances or paper route money to spend, spend, spend! ;D

 

[mcamp]

Back to the "Mickey Mouse" operation ...

Very easily explained ... promotion / marketing for Disney, first.

Second, built in captive audience, not all things to all people.

Third, Mommy and Daddy approve, for at least as long as AM lasts and "they" know what AM is.

I try to give my kids (11 nad 8) a good base for music....sorry everyone, radio is rarely on when the kids are in the car, but they get a good dose of The Beatles (my daughter loves Hey Bulldog), The Who, classical, jazz, and my originals.
Not all kids/ parents turned into animals over trying to get Hannah Montana tix like some did...but them again, most don't have the music collection we do, or take their kids to see Elvin Jones (RIP).