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The GREAT TOP-40 RIVALRY BETWEEN WFEA & WKBR BACK "IN THE DAY"

E

Early Byrd

Doing a little nostalgic thinking tonight...remembering a great Top-40 rivalry in the Northeast back in the 70s and before: WKBR and WFEA, Manchester. Both FEA and KBR had great reverb that made them both sound larger than the market itself...FEA had a live jock in the overnight period, while KBR was live until 2am, IIRC. FEA used records, but KBR didn't have any turntables in their studios, from what I understand. There music was supposedly ALL on cart. I also remember that KBR had that "drive-in request window" in the rear of their building just off Rte 93, where kids would drive to give their song requests to the DJ who would poke his head out when a car pulled up. Great stations at a great time for radio. We will never see it again.
 
Are there any airchecks of these stations? I poked around the internet and came up empty. I drive past the WFEA brick transmitter / former studio building and the cool Blaw-Knox tower in Merrimack every day and always wondered what was in there.
If there are any engineering folks on here, I would love to get a look inside some time if it's not too much trouble.
 
WKBR all carted music Mid-70s.Semi automatic cart machines(trip tones).You could line up afew songs/jingles etc. This was because they also had WZID fully automated in the next studio,but the DJ on duty at 'KBR had to change tapes,etc.

Alan Edwards had the Drive Up request window.

Air checks may be available through MAN FROM MARS (manfrommars.com).
 
For most of the 1960s and well into the 70s, WKBR had "extended coverage" of its signal with WKBR-FM, 95.7. This enabled them to be heard well beyond Manchester and Southern New Hampshire into a good chunk of Massachusetts and small pieces of Maine and Vermont. Later in the '70s, 95.7 was sold and became WZID with "elevator" err... "easy listening" music ending the simulcast.

-Mike
 
ebol said:
WKBR all carted music Mid-70s.Semi automatic cart machines(trip tones).You could line up afew songs/jingles etc. This was because they also had WZID fully automated in the next studio,but the DJ on duty at 'KBR had to change tapes,etc.

Alan Edwards had the Drive Up request window.
Click to expand...

Actually, 'KBR started playing music off carts in the early 70s...'71 IIRC. The "mini-mation" (as it was referred to) was pretty cool for its time, though the tones that fired the next event were not always tight enough. Early Byrd is correct...no turntables in the control room...American Top 40 was run from the production studio.
WFEA started using carts around '75 or so, but I think only for currents.

The drive up request window must have been before my time, jock's name doesn't sound familiar (though the place was kind of a revolving door talent-wise with the exception of Bill Morrissey).

The FM simulcast ended in the very early 70s too.
 
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