While passing through Waterbury on I-84 yesterday, I naturally looked to my left (heading west) towards the analog channel 20 TV tower. I noticed there's also a red and white striped tower to the right when looking towards the clock tower and train station in the other direction. Who's tower might that be? Also, was 104.1 FM ever on the channel 20 tower? I know they were in that vicinity in their early days.
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Waterbury tower question
- Thread starter KML0224
- Start date
G
GreatCalloftheNE
Guest
The tower that you see looking north from the I-84, Rt 8 interchange is WWCO.
104.1 was never on the Channel 20 tower but they did broadcast for quite some time from a tower located in Prospect where their studio was also located at the time. They transmitted from there until the late '70s when they moved to the WWYZ tower on West Peak in Meriden. The Prospect tower is still standing, owned by Clear Channel I believe, perhaps with some non-broadcast tenants on it.
104.1 did originally broadcast from WATR-TV's small tower. I saw the transmitter in the WATR-TV building in the late 60s. WATR-TV was on a small tower next to the one that was built in 1982 for WTXX. WIOF moved to its Rt 69 Prospect tower and building in 1973 after Merv Griffin sold WWCO to buy WPOP.
Thanks for the info Bill, I stand corrected.
I worked at WATR-TV in the late seventies as a weekend master control operator, prior to the big stick going up, so I know the tower you are referring to well. I was more of a radio guy back then than a TV guy (still am) and I asked CE Charlie Allen if the site had ever been used for radio and I thought he had said "no" so that is what I had based my answer on.
I wondered where the 104 studios were located prior to their putting up the Prospect tower?
I worked at WATR-TV in the late seventies as a weekend master control operator, prior to the big stick going up, so I know the tower you are referring to well. I was more of a radio guy back then than a TV guy (still am) and I asked CE Charlie Allen if the site had ever been used for radio and I thought he had said "no" so that is what I had based my answer on.
I wondered where the 104 studios were located prior to their putting up the Prospect tower?
Mr. Gilmore (who owned the land & the tower farm that WIOF was on & was renting) wasn't very happy when Magic104 was beating his "Connecticuts' Natural 92 'YZ" in the ratings!
I worked @Magic @the time.
Also @1240CO when the Dudley Tower Service Inc. of S. Easton MA completed the new antenna job on December 6, 1979.
It's CTs' tallest AM antenna.
The 486 ft xmtr tower is on open space off Thomaston Ave.
That is almost triple the size of 'COs' old tower.
It is supported by 27 guy wires, each weighing 300 lbs.
In '79, the tower cost $30,000.
Wonder how much it would cost today?
Even though 'CO is 1kw, it strengthened the signal & boosted it's coverage by 25%.
The old tower covered 950 sq. mi., but the new one covers 1,275 sq. mi., mostly in the NW part of CT.
The new tower can withstand a 175 mph wind & if a plane hit it, it would fall vertically, not horizontally, because of the guy wires.
The FCC & FAA were the federal approvals, & the only city requirement was that the station have a building permit.
The "new" tower is now almost 30 years old.
I worked @Magic @the time.
Also @1240CO when the Dudley Tower Service Inc. of S. Easton MA completed the new antenna job on December 6, 1979.
It's CTs' tallest AM antenna.
The 486 ft xmtr tower is on open space off Thomaston Ave.
That is almost triple the size of 'COs' old tower.
It is supported by 27 guy wires, each weighing 300 lbs.
In '79, the tower cost $30,000.
Wonder how much it would cost today?
Even though 'CO is 1kw, it strengthened the signal & boosted it's coverage by 25%.
The old tower covered 950 sq. mi., but the new one covers 1,275 sq. mi., mostly in the NW part of CT.
The new tower can withstand a 175 mph wind & if a plane hit it, it would fall vertically, not horizontally, because of the guy wires.
The FCC & FAA were the federal approvals, & the only city requirement was that the station have a building permit.
The "new" tower is now almost 30 years old.
B
bub
Guest
That's Mistah Gilmore. At least that's how Mr. Gilmore pronounced it. ;Damfmradio1 said:
B
bub
Guest
When you were at WATR-TV, was the radio side out by Baldwin Avenue or were they still at Meadow Street at the time? I know they transferred the radio operations out to Baldwin Ave at the transmitter site in '72.rcs said:
Let me change this Waterbury thread just a little bit: Where is the tower for WATR-AM 1320? Is it visible from I-84? I only ask because I get that station a bit better here in New Britain's south end compared with 1240 AM.
As for cities of license, Is WWYZ/WWYZ-HD1 92.5 FM identified as Waterbury/Hartford because they also started as a Waterbury station with a different transmitter site, like WWCO/WIOF/WYSR/WMRQ/WPHH/WURH 104.1 FM did? (
Phew!)
As for cities of license, Is WWYZ/WWYZ-HD1 92.5 FM identified as Waterbury/Hartford because they also started as a Waterbury station with a different transmitter site, like WWCO/WIOF/WYSR/WMRQ/WPHH/WURH 104.1 FM did? (
Phew!)
Hartford is an optional city name for WWYZ and WURH. I think they do it because it's the market they serve. They COL for both WWYZ and WURH is Waterbury so it must be said first. They can add any other city afterwards that they want to. WKSS is the only station (in this area with the dual city COL Hartford-Meriden).
When I first started at AM 990 in Southington we had 3 cuts of the ID we used during regular programming.
1. WNTY - Southington, Bristol, Hartford is Connecticut's newest style of radio "NOTTY 99."
2. WNTY Southington, New Britain, Hartford is Connecticut's newest style of radio "NOTTY 99."
3. WNTY Southington, Waterbury, Hartford is Connecticut's newest style of radio "NOTTY 99."
But as long as we said WNTY and then Southington, it was all good.
Nowadays they've got the automated ID inserted on top of the Spanish Christian Programming "WXCT Southington".
When I first started at AM 990 in Southington we had 3 cuts of the ID we used during regular programming.
1. WNTY - Southington, Bristol, Hartford is Connecticut's newest style of radio "NOTTY 99."
2. WNTY Southington, New Britain, Hartford is Connecticut's newest style of radio "NOTTY 99."
3. WNTY Southington, Waterbury, Hartford is Connecticut's newest style of radio "NOTTY 99."
But as long as we said WNTY and then Southington, it was all good.
Nowadays they've got the automated ID inserted on top of the Spanish Christian Programming "WXCT Southington".
B
bub
Guest
WATR-AM actually has 3 towers all located at the station site off Baldwin Avenue; although their "official" mailing address is One Broadcast Lane. You actually have to drive through another homeowner's driveway to get there since that driveway is used as an easement to the station. Not visible from I-84 as far as I can tell.KML-224 said:Let me change this Waterbury thread just a little bit: Where is the tower for WATR-AM 1320? Is it visible from I-84? I only ask because I get that station a bit better here in New Britain's south end compared with 1240 AM.
As for cities of license, Is WWYZ/WWYZ-HD1 92.5 FM identified as Waterbury/Hartford because they also started as a Waterbury station with a different transmitter site, like WWCO/WIOF/WYSR/WMRQ/WPHH/WURH 104.1 FM did? (
Even when WWYZ was located in Waterbury, they always ID'ed themselves as WWYZ - Waterbury, Hartford, New Haven...long before the Country flip in '88.
>The "new" (WWCO) tower is now almost 30 years old.
That is WWCO's third tower. The orginal tower was an eiffel, and it and the building were replaced when the station was forced to moved to an adjacent piece of property in the early 70s. The current building is quite large for a transmitter facility, and a former chief engineer told me the station originally planned to apply for a CP to put a 104.1 aux transmitter there.
That is WWCO's third tower. The orginal tower was an eiffel, and it and the building were replaced when the station was forced to moved to an adjacent piece of property in the early 70s. The current building is quite large for a transmitter facility, and a former chief engineer told me the station originally planned to apply for a CP to put a 104.1 aux transmitter there.
Hey Bill1820,
Would that former CE be John Tomasiewicz?
He was CE when I worked @Magic, & the aux xmtr was in the Engineering Rm., adjacent (& viewable through a large window - was probably a studio @one time) from the Magic Control Rm.
This was @Magic Mtn. on Route 69 in Prospect.
Would that former CE be John Tomasiewicz?
He was CE when I worked @Magic, & the aux xmtr was in the Engineering Rm., adjacent (& viewable through a large window - was probably a studio @one time) from the Magic Control Rm.
This was @Magic Mtn. on Route 69 in Prospect.
>Would that former CE be John Tomasiewicz?
No. It was Frank Jankowitz. He was WWCO's chief in the early 90s when I was part time there.
John built the studios with very thin walls for WBRY and WWCO. Thin walls at Magic Mountain?
You can see a video of CO at
http://nz.youtube.com/watch?v=p55irB9iUlk
The on-air studio in this clip was originally the FM studio.
No. It was Frank Jankowitz. He was WWCO's chief in the early 90s when I was part time there.
John built the studios with very thin walls for WBRY and WWCO. Thin walls at Magic Mountain?
You can see a video of CO at
http://nz.youtube.com/watch?v=p55irB9iUlk
The on-air studio in this clip was originally the FM studio.
Putting 104.1 on Rattlesnake Mtn. may have been more likely to interfere with the signal contour of Boston's established WBCN. 104.1 in CT was shortspaced enough when they got their 1978 signal boost. Moving a tower as little as ten miles can get complicated on the crowded Northeast FM dial.
Magic 104 was not an instant success against WWYZ in 1978 when the Natural 92 was at its peak. YZ started making changes in 1980 - less mellow, less obscure - but the format really developed trouble in late '82. The road was wide open for slow-and-steady WIOF Magic 104 to own the AC format after that. The switch to country in '88 was a nice comeback for WWYZ and a company that didn't take an older style, lower power country competitor very seriously in the 70s.
Magic 104 was not an instant success against WWYZ in 1978 when the Natural 92 was at its peak. YZ started making changes in 1980 - less mellow, less obscure - but the format really developed trouble in late '82. The road was wide open for slow-and-steady WIOF Magic 104 to own the AC format after that. The switch to country in '88 was a nice comeback for WWYZ and a company that didn't take an older style, lower power country competitor very seriously in the 70s.
Bill1820,
Now that you say it, & come to think of it, Magic did have thin walls (& the doors weren't very solid, either).
The thinnest walls of any station I've worked at.
The back of the bldg. had a flooding issue, too.
Do you know who occupies the land now, & is the microwave dish still there?
There was an STL issue where a large tree was blocking it, & the mgmt. (Merv?) thought it too expensive to cut down!
Now that you say it, & come to think of it, Magic did have thin walls (& the doors weren't very solid, either).
The thinnest walls of any station I've worked at.
The back of the bldg. had a flooding issue, too.
Do you know who occupies the land now, & is the microwave dish still there?
There was an STL issue where a large tree was blocking it, & the mgmt. (Merv?) thought it too expensive to cut down!
>is there a reason why the transmitters for 104.1 FM and 92.5 FM didn't go to Rattlesnake Mountain in Farmington?
The 92.5 land on West Peak was originally purchased for WATR-TV, which went on the air there as Channel 53 in 1953. WATR-FM went on the air from its West Peak TV tower in 1961.
The 92.5 land on West Peak was originally purchased for WATR-TV, which went on the air there as Channel 53 in 1953. WATR-FM went on the air from its West Peak TV tower in 1961.
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