What's your "most-missed" station(s)?

[webcastboy]

The new frequency was one that has never been considered usable in the greater Boston area, and I can't believe that wasn't known by the radio-savvy GM of the public radio station who suggested they move there. It was just a way of getting them off their desired frequency, regardless of the outcome.

Sell crazy someplace else, we're all stocked up here. Sorry Eli & Peter, I don't buy it. Crunch the numbers and you'll see you're wrong. Class D FM rules don't require the Class D signal to be protected from interference, only that their own interfering contours cannot overlap another station's 60dBu protected contour. WUMB's 60dBu barely reaches Somerville. While it would've been difficult to do with an omni antenna, WHSR could have employed a directional antenna to null to the south and stayed on 91.9FM. Would it have been ideal? No, of course not...being that close to a Class A on co-channel is not fun. Just ask WBRS. But it could've been done.

In fact, it's more likely that WMFO would've shoved WHSR off the air. WMFO's 60dBu contour comes VERY close to WHSR's old transmitter site. Even though they're 2nd adjacent, that still means that WHSR's 80dBu (Class D's still have the old 2nd adjacent protection rules) couldn't cross WMFO's 60. That would've been a near-impossibility once WMFO became Class A.

Also, I don't know WHAT the guys at WHSR were thinking (drinking?) when they applied with the FCC to be on 89.9FM. There was never a chance in hell that would be approved with WGBH being 98kW on 1st adjacent...and regardless of who did or did not tell them to apply for that frequency, the onus is on WHSR to do due diligence in preparing their application and I doubt diligence was done for that app. Not when there were far more viable 3rd and 2nd adjacent frequencies (96.3, 97.9) still available in the commercial band.

Regardless, I say WHSR "gave up" more than was "forced off". WBRS went through just as much trials and tribulations before they finally got to 100.1FM. WHSR could've tried to file for 96.3 like WGBH eventually did (for their translator) and probably would've won. Or maybe 97.9FM. Hell, WMFO didn't switch from Class D to Class A until 1985, wasn't it? WHSR could've filed for Class A status on 91.5 and stomped out WMFO if they were so intent on staying on the air. Ultimately I suspect that the high school just decided it wasn't worth the cost and hassle anymore.

 

[pqgeorge]

Also, I don't know WHAT the guys at WHSR were thinking (drinking?) when they applied with the FCC to be on 89.9FM. There was never a chance in hell that would be approved with WGBH being 98kW on 1st adjacent...and regardless of who did or did not tell them to apply for that frequency, the onus is on WHSR to do due diligence in preparing their application and I doubt diligence was done for that app. Not when there were far more viable 3rd and 2nd adjacent frequencies (96.3, 97.9) still available in the commercial band.

If I recall, the frequency in question was 89.3 (not 89.9, which would have been crazy), of which WHSR operated only briefly when the 88.9 and 89.7 people filed petitions to deny a covering license. WHSR actually built the new frequency according to its' CP parameters to move to 89.3. There was no way that this little 10 watter would harmed 'ERS or 'GBH in anyway, shape or form. They could have given a special waiver for WHSR. While driving practically underneath the tower (my own observation with a stock radio), there was no sign of interference on either the second adjacent Class C or Class A stations. When WHSR got the go ahead to go back to 91.9, with the tentative permission with 'UMB.....no sooner than they switched on, well.... the results were expected.

A major problem with Winchester High, and other schools in the Commonwealth at the time was that the state was in a recession. 97.9 and 96.3 were bandied about as possible alternatives for WHSR to move to. But (IMHO) it was probably too much for a school district to pay for further legal costs, so it died on the vine. Of course, 'GBH got a translator on 96.3, deep within their own Class A contour only months after WHSR left the air. You could practically see Great Blue Hill at the location of 96.3. BUT, some person in Kendall Square had difficulty in getting WGBH on 89.7. So, 96.3 was activated accordingly (after a brief stint on 97.7, but that's another story).

Nonetheless, were dealing with something that happened 18 years ago. WHSR is no more. Hindsight is 20/20. What could have been, didn't happen. It was shame that one of America's Oldest and finest Class D's did not survive. Oh, well.

 

[Eli Polonsky]

The new frequency was one that has never been considered usable in the greater Boston area, and I can't believe that wasn't known by the radio-savvy GM of the public radio station who suggested they move there. It was just a way of getting them off their desired frequency, regardless of the outcome.

Sell crazy someplace else, we're all stocked up here. Sorry Eli & Peter, I don't buy it. Crunch the numbers and you'll see you're wrong. Class D FM rules don't require the Class D signal to be protected from interference, only that their own interfering contours cannot overlap another station's 60dBu protected contour. WUMB's 60dBu barely reaches Somerville. While it would've been difficult to do with an omni antenna, WHSR could have employed a directional antenna to null to the south and stayed on 91.9FM. Would it have been ideal? No, of course not...being that close to a Class A on co-channel is not fun. Just ask WBRS. But it could've been done.

It never would have been allowed by the station that kicked them off the air in the first place. Regardless of what the numbers and regulations say, a way would have been found to have beaten WHSR's application for a directional antenna. Perhaps they would have applied for a co-channel directional relay of their own in a nearby town such as Lexington and beaten them that way, I don't know, but I'm sure it never would have been allowed.

In fact, it's more likely that WMFO would've shoved WHSR off the air. WMFO's 60dBu contour comes VERY close to WHSR's old transmitter site. Even though they're 2nd adjacent, that still means that WHSR's 80dBu (Class D's still have the old 2nd adjacent protection rules) couldn't cross WMFO's 60. That would've been a near-impossibility once WMFO became Class A.

WMFO's antenna since becoming Class A is so radically directional that it doesn't even put as much wattage toward Winchester as it did back when it was an omnidirectional Class D. On the north side of Winchester, you don't even hear WMFO, you hear co-channel WUML Lowell, with maybe some slight WMFO interference in the background. Also, WMFO has unfortunately shown time and again that they haven't had their act together to aggressively advocate for themselves with regard to pursuing interferece issues with the FCC.

Also, I don't know WHAT the guys at WHSR were thinking (drinking?) when they applied with the FCC to be on 89.9FM. There was never a chance in hell that would be approved with WGBH being 98kW on 1st adjacent...and regardless of who did or did not tell them to apply for that frequency, the onus is on WHSR to do due diligence in preparing their application and I doubt diligence was done for that app. Not when there were far more viable 3rd and 2nd adjacent frequencies (96.3, 97.9) still available in the commercial band.

It was 89.3 that WHSR briefly appeared on, not 89.9, and I remember hearing it there. 2'nd adjacent complaints from WERS and WGBH resulted in that not lasting long, as was probably known when it was suggested to them. I don't think that 89.9 application you found, which I agree obviously makes no sense, ever got on the air. As Peter mentioned above, after 89.3, WHSR did briefly go back to it's original frequency with tentative "permission", I remember hearing that too, but once the public radio station got a toehold on the audience in that area during the period while WHSR wasn't on that frequency, there was no way it would withstand the (anticipated and encouraged) public protest.

Hell, WMFO didn't switch from Class D to Class A until 1985, wasn't it? WHSR could've filed for Class A status on 91.5 and stomped out WMFO if they were so intent on staying on the air.

WMFO went Class A in 1982, just before the WHSR issue came up. I remember that because I knew people there and hung out there at times, and it was the time of their first stereo broadcast. They were never in stereo as a Class D. Also, Winchester is even closer to co-channel WUML (then WJUL), which was already Class A, than WMFO is, so I don't know how likely a Class A 91.5 WHSR could've been. WMFO's pattern already attenuates somewhat to the north to accomodate WUML, so it would've had to have been even a more radical null cut to the north from Winchester, if it would've been possible at all.

Ultimately I suspect that the high school just decided it wasn't worth the cost and hassle anymore.

"Wearing down the competition", financially and/or spiritually, was probably part of the plan to get rid of WHSR even if there were no legal grounds. It's a typical manoeuver in competitive business, even supposedly "non-profit" business, in which the most aggressive win even if they may have not been entitled to on paper because the competitor, who dosn't have the same resources, eventually has no reasonable choice but to give up.

 

[Eli Polonsky]

Getting back on-topic, stations (or formats) that I miss.

I know most of these are dated formats that would not be viable today, but I enjoyed them in their time.

First, FM:

88.1 WTBS 1960's - The predecessor of WMBR was a really cool station. Mostly students with some community members, there were in-depth folk and blues shows, live Passim Coffeehouse folk broadcasts, progressive "underground" album rock shows a year or two before WBCN became Boston's first commercial album rock station, and many of the student shows were genuinely hilarious. There was a self-effacing, humorous attitude that seems to be missing these days.

88.1 WTBS to 1979, WMBR 1979-1983 - during the 70's, WTBS/WMBR became infiltrated with community people to the point where by 1982 it was only about five percent students, because MIT had turned a blind eye to the station and was oblivious to what was going on. It never would have been permitted had they known. The programming was amazingly innovative - the country's pioneering punk rock and reggae shows, avant-garde shows, in depth jazz, folk and blues shows, the popular long running nighttime urban show "The Ghetto", a 1960's rock show called "Sleepwalk" debuted in 1980 five years before commercial Classic Rock stations existed... it was moved to noon in 1983 and renamed "Lost & Found"... and the standards of engineering, announcing and producing were at a professional level although it was always all-volunteer. It was like a community station with very talented individuals on-air taking a free radio ride on MIT, and unfortunately, shutting students out of their own college station wherein the school had never sanctioned such a community station with very little student involvement.

This was, of course, destined not to last as the station fell into disrepair and poor financial straits, and the college caught wind of what had been going on. Today, WMBR must adhere to being at least 50% students, still very generous for the remaining (almost) 50% community people who continue to do radio there. The student recruitment drives that were rejuvenated beginning around 1983 brought badly needed new blood to the station, resulted in new managements and technical personnel, ensured the stations survival within MIT's graces, and generally lightened up the place as some of the community people were frankly taking themselves too seriously for a volunteer college station. It was a reality check for everyone. There have been ups and downs over the years, but the station, though not sounding as professional at all times as it once did a few decades ago, is closer to fulfilling the mission that it's supposed to have per MIT, and there's still great programming produced by both students and community members.

89.7 WGBH, 104.1 WBCN and PBS-TV (Ch. 2 or 44) - circa 1970-1972:

Anyone remember the series of "quadrophonic" rock concerts aired in tandem on these stations? You got two stereos, a big old console color TV, your choice of consumables, and got engulfed in "surround sound" and video technology circa 1970 for concerts such as The Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, Quicksilver Messenger Service, Santana, Pink Floyd, Steve Miller, and more. WBCN even provided a "matchup" service for people to combine with others in their area to join together with the necessary media components. It was so cool!

89.7 WGBH 1980's and 90's - "Blues After Hours" w/Mae Cramer - It was a shame that when this blues airwaves maven passed away, WGBH reduced their blues programming from four hours on both weekend nights to three hours only one night. I guess blues listeners don't pledge as lucratively as jazz or classical. There's a tribute concert to Mae to benefit the Mass. Breast Cancer Coalition with many local blues greats at the Regent Theatre in Arlington this coming Saturday.

91.5 WMFO 1970-1982 - When their 18 watt omnidirectional mono signal used to come in much better in the west suburbs than their 125 watt directional does now! A couple of great longtime WMFO hosts passed away early - Mikey D. and Sean Patrick Murphy - they did great shows. Holly Harris, of WBOS' "Blues On Sunday", did their "Morning After Blues" show Sundays for many years.

91.7 WBRS circa 1968 - I remember hearing Norm Winer's first shows on this station. He went to WBCN shortly afterwards, and has been PD of WXRT Chicago for decades. The college radio start for a guy who became a longtime name in FM rock radio.

92.9 WBOS early 1980's AOR period - Maxanne Sartori of early 70's WBCN was PD (for part of it), and to me, it was pretty cool. Too bad it couldn't last.

93.7 WCGY late 70's/early 80's - oldies format - PD was Cheryl Ann Gowdy, Curt's daughter. What a great variety of upbeat, fun, deep 50's/early 60's oldies! Rock'n'Roll, R&B, Soul, Doo-Wop, it was all there. Little Walter Saturday nights, followed by "Little Dougie" Edwards (now on WMWM) at midnight. What a blast!

93.7 WCGY late 80's/early 90's - AOR format w/Jerry "Duke of Madness" Goodwin and more... the long version of "Oh, Well" by Fleetwood Mac in the middle of afternoon drive? Sure!!

94.5 WHDH-FM 1968/69 - Trying to compete with WBCN with a jockless automated progressive AOR format. Stuck more with album tracks by known rock artists, while WBCN was multi-genre progressive free-form.

94.5 WCOZ 1975-1979 - Stoner AOR (before the "KickAss Rock'n'Roll" metal format) - Strong competition to WBCN for a short time. Loose, laid back approach, programming to the mid-70's stoners and hippies (and vicarious hippies) "lighting the smoking lamp" every night, while WBCN was trying to be trendy catching the "new wave". Some great DJ's in their time - Ken Shelton, Leslie Palmiter, Harvey Wharfield, Larry Miller (now sharing the Tuesday "Lost & Found" 60's/70's show with me on WMBR).

97.7 WCAV 1980's/90's - This was a deeper than usual Country format with more classic country oldies than most, back when country oldies meant 1950's Johnny Cash, not Billy Ray Cyrus.

97.7 WILD-FM - It was an unfocused urban format trying to please adults and kids at the same time, but at least it had "The Time Tunnel" soul oldies show on Saturday mornings.

98.5 WRKO-FM 1966 - There was no more appropriate voice for an automated Top 40 station in the "Lost In Space" era than "Arko The Shy But Friendly Robot", and the format was a continuous showcase of the great Top 40 Rock'n'Roll, pop and soul hits of the mid-60's era in FM high fidelity, with few (if any) commercials. This, along with WMEX and WBZ, was one of my first favorite stations.

98.5 WROR 1973 "The Golden Great 98" - The first full-time major oldies station in the area, jumping on the early 70's "American Graffitti"/"Happy Days" 50's nostalgia wave. This format caught me up on all the major mainstream 1950's Rock'n'Roll, Doo-Wop and R&B hits I had missed since I didn't start listening to radio until 1966 (and until that 50's nostalgia wave hit in the early 70's, it was considered totally unhip to play 50's music on the radio in the psychedelic late 60's unless you were Little Walter or Peter Wolf).

100.7 WCOP-FM mid-70's - automated 50's oldies, competing with WROR

100.7 WTTK circa later 70's - Country-flavored progressive AOR. Lots of Southern rock.

100.7 WZLX 1986-1987 - Classic rock, music intensive, even in morning drive. On-air patter generally more respectful, not as dumbed-down as today.

100.7 WZLX 1996-2000 - Just because Charles was there.

101.7 WLYN-FM - very early 80's - "Y-102" - a more professional extention of area college radio "new wave" programming. Tom Lane and crew knew what they were doing with this genre, before the Phoenix picked it up.

103.3 WEEI-FM circa 1968 "The Young Sound" - automated softer Top 40 rock/pop hits with voicetracked announcer Dick Provo - not a bad music mix, frequent hilarious automation screwups.

104.1 WBCN March 1968 to early 70's - what can you say that isn't already known legend? Boston's groundbreaking commercial "free-form underground" rock station, initially blowing away the areas established radio boundaries, then slowly morphing to more typical AOR in the 70's, and then trying to catch the "new wave" and doing it more successfully and credibly than most other major market AOR's, and it still had some good moments through the 80's anyway... but not much later...

104.9 WVCA - Just knowing old Simon Geller was hanging in there playing classical music out of his basement for his local listeners for as long as he could always made me feel something was still right with the world...

105.7 WKOX-FM 1969-1970 - the only place you could hear good, upbeat AM Top 40 style programming and music in FM stereo at the time. (WROR had gone to a soft pop format called "Hit Parade" by then, and WEEI-FM was generally softer rock).

105.7 WVBF 1971 - mid-70's - "The Electronic Mama" blew us high schoolers away with a high-energy Top 40/AOR hybrid with hits and popular album cuts in heavy rotation. Their high-tech sounding jingles were amazing on our stereos!

105.7 WROR 1996 - Their initial attempt at recalling the original WROR format circa late 70's sounded good! Bringing back Joe Martelle made it even more authentic. Unfortunately, emulating past heritage stations doesn't necessarily have much mileage in the long run.

105.7 WROR 2002 - "Timeless Rock'n'Roll Classics" - I think I'm the only one who liked this unfortunately abortive attempt at recalling the heyday of 70's AOR radio. I thought it was great hearing Captain Ken again, but I could tell he wasn't cutting it with today's listeners. It was great hearing songs like "White Bird" by It's A Beautiful Day and early Blood Sweat & Tears with Al Kooper in the mid-day again, but all it did was alienate their prior Classic Hits listeners, without picking up the audience for 70's AOR who had moved on to satellite radio, public radio, CD and mp3 players, etc... their ratings took a fast nose dive, and it was back to Classic Hits, to the present.

106.7 WBZ-FM mid-70's - "Rock in stereo" or whatever - this station, though low budget, had it's moments, and some good people involved. Generally too poppy for me, though. Seemed like Elton John was their biggest artist.

106.7 WMJX 1981 - when it first came on the air, it was even reaching back into late 60's AOR and folk music for soft material to play. "The Wind" by Circus Maximus and "Urge For Going" by Tom Rush were in rotation. But, not for long.

107.3 WAAF 1970's - A good, solid, progressive AOR through that decade, from the "Cocaine Realty Building". Worth the difficulty to tune in.

Next time, the AM stations/formats I miss.

 

[ssetta]

Here are some of mine:

WBMX 1991-95 - Mix 98.5, The Best Variety of the 70s, 80s, and 90s. It was much softer than it is now, closer to Mainstream AC. They played a lot of 70s disco, and a lot of oldies from the 60s.

WPLM 1993-95 - Variety 99.1. Similar to Mix 98.5 at the time, but they had a MUCH bigger variety. But I remember they didn't have any like shows or special DJs. Pretty much all they did was play music. That's all I want when I listen to the radio.

WSSH 99.5 (early 90s) - I remember listening to this radio station on the bus on the way to school in Kindergarten. Some of the songs I remember hearing were "Live for Loving You" by Gloria Estefan and "Set the Night to Music." I'm not sure if it was the then-new Maxi Priest version, or the original Starship version.

Out of market:

WWLI Providence mid 90s - Lite 105. Then known as "The soft music station." In other words, it was a soft AC station, and it basically played ONLY the slow songs.

Further out of market:

WCSO in Portland, ME 1996 - The Ocean 97.9. It was basically a Hot AC station, but it played an awful lot of music from the 70s and early 80s compared to most. The first time I heard this station was actually on Cape Cod. And then during a hurricane Labor Day weekend, I was actually able to get it out towards Worcester. Then we went up to Maine on a ski trip during Christmas vacation, and it had changed to CHR Q97.9, and I was ticked.

 

[Retro]

I was gonna mention Mix 98-5 during their early days as well. I also liked when they were totally Modern AC in the later 90's also.

 

[cjf68]

Getting back on-topic, stations (or formats) that I miss.

I know most of these are dated formats that would not be viable today, but I enjoyed them in their time.

First, FM:

88.1 WTBS 1960's - The predecessor of WMBR was a really cool station. Mostly students with some community members, there were in-depth folk and blues shows, live Passim Coffeehouse folk broadcasts, progressive "underground" album rock shows a year or two before WBCN became Boston's first commercial album rock station, and many of the student shows were genuinely hilarious. There was a self-effacing, humorous attitude that seems to be missing these days.

88.1 WTBS to 1979, WMBR 1979-1983 - during the 70's, WTBS/WMBR became infiltrated with community people to the point where by 1982 it was only about five percent students, because MIT had turned a blind eye to the station and was oblivious to what was going on. It never would have been permitted had they known. The programming was amazingly innovative - the country's pioneering punk rock and reggae shows, avant-garde shows, in depth jazz, folk and blues shows, the popular long running nighttime urban show "The Ghetto", a 1960's rock show called "Sleepwalk" debuted in 1980 five years before commercial Classic Rock stations existed... it was moved to noon in 1983 and renamed "Lost & Found"... and the standards of engineering, announcing and producing were at a professional level although it was always all-volunteer. It was like a community station with very talented individuals on-air taking a free radio ride on MIT, and unfortunately, shutting students out of their own college station wherein the school had never sanctioned such a community station with very little student involvement.

This was, of course, destined not to last as the station fell into disrepair and poor financial straits, and the college caught wind of what had been going on. Today, WMBR must adhere to being at least 50% students, still very generous for the remaining (almost) 50% community people who continue to do radio there. The student recruitment drives that were rejuvenated beginning around 1983 brought badly needed new blood to the station, resulted in new managements and technical personnel, ensured the stations survival within MIT's graces, and generally lightened up the place as some of the community people were frankly taking themselves too seriously for a volunteer college station. It was a reality check for everyone. There have been ups and downs over the years, but the station, though not sounding as professional at all times as it once did a few decades ago, is closer to fulfilling the mission that it's supposed to have per MIT, and there's still great programming produced by both students and community members.

89.7 WGBH, 104.1 WBCN and PBS-TV (Ch. 2 or 44) - circa 1970-1972:

Anyone remember the series of "quadrophonic" rock concerts aired in tandem on these stations? You got two stereos, a big old console color TV, your choice of consumables, and got engulfed in "surround sound" and video technology circa 1970 for concerts such as The Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, Quicksilver Messenger Service, Santana, Pink Floyd, Steve Miller, and more. WBCN even provided a "matchup" service for people to combine with others in their area to join together with the necessary media components. It was so cool!

89.7 WGBH 1980's and 90's - "Blues After Hours" w/Mae Cramer - It was a shame that when this blues airwaves maven passed away, WGBH reduced their blues programming from four hours on both weekend nights to three hours only one night. I guess blues listeners don't pledge as lucratively as jazz or classical. There's a tribute concert to Mae to benefit the Mass. Breast Cancer Coalition with many local blues greats at the Regent Theatre in Arlington this coming Saturday.

91.5 WMFO 1970-1982 - When their 18 watt omnidirectional mono signal used to come in much better in the west suburbs than their 125 watt directional does now! A couple of great longtime WMFO hosts passed away early - Mikey D. and Sean Patrick Murphy - they did great shows. Holly Harris, of WBOS' "Blues On Sunday", did their "Morning After Blues" show Sundays for many years.

91.7 WBRS circa 1968 - I remember hearing Norm Winer's first shows on this station. He went to WBCN shortly afterwards, and has been PD of WXRT Chicago for decades. The college radio start for a guy who became a longtime name in FM rock radio.

92.9 WBOS early 1980's AOR period - Maxanne Sartori of early 70's WBCN was PD (for part of it), and to me, it was pretty cool. Too bad it couldn't last.

93.7 WCGY late 70's/early 80's - oldies format - PD was Cheryl Ann Gowdy, Curt's daughter. What a great variety of upbeat, fun, deep 50's/early 60's oldies! Rock'n'Roll, R&B, Soul, Doo-Wop, it was all there. Little Walter Saturday nights, followed by "Little Dougie" Edwards (now on WMWM) at midnight. What a blast!

93.7 WCGY late 80's/early 90's - AOR format w/Jerry "Duke of Madness" Goodwin and more... the long version of "Oh, Well" by Fleetwood Mac in the middle of afternoon drive? Sure!!

94.5 WHDH-FM 1968/69 - Trying to compete with WBCN with a jockless automated progressive AOR format. Stuck more with album tracks by known rock artists, while WBCN was multi-genre progressive free-form.

94.5 WCOZ 1975-1979 - Stoner AOR (before the "KickAss Rock'n'Roll" metal format) - Strong competition to WBCN for a short time. Loose, laid back approach, programming to the mid-70's stoners and hippies (and vicarious hippies) "lighting the smoking lamp" every night, while WBCN was trying to be trendy catching the "new wave". Some great DJ's in their time - Ken Shelton, Leslie Palmiter, Harvey Wharfield, Larry Miller (now sharing the Tuesday "Lost & Found" 60's/70's show with me on WMBR).

97.7 WCAV 1980's/90's - This was a deeper than usual Country format with more classic country oldies than most, back when country oldies meant 1950's Johnny Cash, not Billy Ray Cyrus.

97.7 WILD-FM - It was an unfocused urban format trying to please adults and kids at the same time, but at least it had "The Time Tunnel" soul oldies show on Saturday mornings.

98.5 WRKO-FM 1966 - There was no more appropriate voice for an automated Top 40 station in the "Lost In Space" era than "Arko The Shy But Friendly Robot", and the format was a continuous showcase of the great Top 40 Rock'n'Roll, pop and soul hits of the mid-60's era in FM high fidelity, with few (if any) commercials. This, along with WMEX and WBZ, was one of my first favorite stations.

98.5 WROR 1973 "The Golden Great 98" - The first full-time major oldies station in the area, jumping on the early 70's "American Graffitti"/"Happy Days" 50's nostalgia wave. This format caught me up on all the major mainstream 1950's Rock'n'Roll, Doo-Wop and R&B hits I had missed since I didn't start listening to radio until 1966 (and until that 50's nostalgia wave hit in the early 70's, it was considered totally unhip to play 50's music on the radio in the psychedelic late 60's unless you were Little Walter or Peter Wolf).

100.7 WCOP-FM mid-70's - automated 50's oldies, competing with WROR

100.7 WTTK circa later 70's - Country-flavored progressive AOR. Lots of Southern rock.

100.7 WZLX 1986-1987 - Classic rock, music intensive, even in morning drive. On-air patter generally more respectful, not as dumbed-down as today.

100.7 WZLX 1996-2000 - Just because Charles was there.

101.7 WLYN-FM - very early 80's - "Y-102" - a more professional extention of area college radio "new wave" programming. Tom Lane and crew knew what they were doing with this genre, before the Phoenix picked it up.

103.3 WEEI-FM circa 1968 "The Young Sound" - automated softer Top 40 rock/pop hits with voicetracked announcer Dick Provo - not a bad music mix, frequent hilarious automation screwups.

104.1 WBCN March 1968 to early 70's - what can you say that isn't already known legend? Boston's groundbreaking commercial "free-form underground" rock station, initially blowing away the areas established radio boundaries, then slowly morphing to more typical AOR in the 70's, and then trying to catch the "new wave" and doing it more successfully and credibly than most other major market AOR's, and it still had some good moments through the 80's anyway... but not much later...

104.9 WVCA - Just knowing old Simon Geller was hanging in there playing classical music out of his basement for his local listeners for as long as he could always made me feel something was still right with the world...

105.7 WKOX-FM 1969-1970 - the only place you could hear good, upbeat AM Top 40 style programming and music in FM stereo at the time. (WROR had gone to a soft pop format called "Hit Parade" by then, and WEEI-FM was generally softer rock).

105.7 WVBF 1971 - mid-70's - "The Electronic Mama" blew us high schoolers away with a high-energy Top 40/AOR hybrid with hits and popular album cuts in heavy rotation. Their high-tech sounding jingles were amazing on our stereos!

105.7 WROR 1996 - Their initial attempt at recalling the original WROR format circa late 70's sounded good! Bringing back Joe Martelle made it even more authentic. Unfortunately, emulating past heritage stations doesn't necessarily have much mileage in the long run.

105.7 WROR 2002 - "Timeless Rock'n'Roll Classics" - I think I'm the only one who liked this unfortunately abortive attempt at recalling the heyday of 70's AOR radio. I thought it was great hearing Captain Ken again, but I could tell he wasn't cutting it with today's listeners. It was great hearing songs like "White Bird" by It's A Beautiful Day and early Blood Sweat & Tears with Al Kooper in the mid-day again, but all it did was alienate their prior Classic Hits listeners, without picking up the audience for 70's AOR who had moved on to satellite radio, public radio, CD and mp3 players, etc... their ratings took a fast nose dive, and it was back to Classic Hits, to the present.

106.7 WBZ-FM mid-70's - "Rock in stereo" or whatever - this station, though low budget, had it's moments, and some good people involved. Generally too poppy for me, though. Seemed like Elton John was their biggest artist.

106.7 WMJX 1981 - when it first came on the air, it was even reaching back into late 60's AOR and folk music for soft material to play. "The Wind" by Circus Maximus and "Urge For Going" by Tom Rush were in rotation. But, not for long.

107.3 WAAF 1970's - A good, solid, progressive AOR through that decade, from the "Cocaine Realty Building". Worth the difficulty to tune in.

Next time, the AM stations/formats I miss.



WOW!! Thanks for the great post!!! looking forward to the AM side.

 

[pqgeorge]

Eli, I loved that post! I remember all of it!

Yes, the "Quadrophonic" rock concert simulcast on New Years Eve, 1970 was unique. It was broadcast with WGBH-FM/89.7 and WBCN/104.1 handling the audio, with WBZ-TV (Channel 4) handling the video. It would have been on WBZ-FM, but at that time, WBZ-FM was still operating in mono. And Westinghouse really could give a rats a** about WBZ-FM.

WKOX-FM/105.7("FM 105, WKOX"), one of the first FM Stereo stations in the market (located in Framingham), was one of the first non-simulcast live Top-40 FM stations in the market. However, with a limited signal from the WKOX tower in Framingham, it had very little impact outside of the western suburbs. It wasn't until the fall of 1971 did 105.7 (by then WVBF) make a splash with their new tall Needham tower signal. It was a major feat to put FM on the map. 'VBF did that and more. AM was already beginning to feel the FM sting. I LOVED those "EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE-lectronic MAMA!" jingles taboot. The day they moved to Needham, WVBF truly became a Boston station.

But I still feel that Boston Rock FM was truly started on October 12, 1966 at midnight. The very little known WRKO-FM/98.5 was about to change the way people thought about FM radio. I loved "R-KO FM", with "Arko, The Shy But Friendly Robot". As a kid of 7, I was an early convert to FM. In 1966, the FM band was loaded with classical and symphonic music, as well as the usual simulcast from an AM affiliate. Hearing clean crisp rock and roll in high-fidelity with very little interruption was new to me. I was quite pleased and waited everyday after the WNAC simulcast would end at 9:00AM and "R-KO" would takeover. Eventually, the WNAC simulcast would be stopped altogether. But, in March, 1967, 680 became WRKO and the two WRKO stations would simulcast from 6 AM until 6 PM. "R-KO" would return at 6 PM. I finally got my own FM radio for Christmas, 1967 (after "borrowing" my brother's portable GE two band radio for a year). I can still hear those Sonovox liners to this day...... "This is ARKO, your automated all music station in Boston!".


Thanks for bring back some great memories, Eli!

 

[mgpt6]

I remember the "quad" concert in 1970. Only had a B&W TV a Hitachi 1970 portable FM stereo radio with 4 inch speakers on BCN , and a mono table radio to GBH. Had better stuff in 1972-1975 when ABC did the "IN Concert" series. In Color on WCVB -tv5 and in stereo on WBCN-FM 104.1 Also, John Lennon's "one to one" concert,broadcast in 1973 on ABC and simulcast on BCN. That broadcast had Stevie Wonder, Roberta Flack and a great verison of "come Together"

 

[webcastboy]

It never would have been allowed by the station that kicked them off the air in the first place. Regardless of what the numbers and regulations say, a way would have been found to have beaten WHSR's application for a directional antenna. Perhaps they would have applied for a co-channel directional relay of their own in a nearby town such as Lexington and beaten them that way, I don't know, but I'm sure it never would have been allowed.

Man, Radio-Info: "Where slander means never having to say you're sorry". I don't mean to be nasty but jeez, man. You're getting off into lunatic fringe here. If what you say is true, then WUMB would have "found a way" to block WMLN's upgrade to Class A status...which does a helluva lot more damage to WUMB's main signal (with 2nd adjacent overlap) than anything WHSR would've done.

The rules are the rules. And despite what the real-world signal propagation is of WMFO, the rules are that WMFO's 60dBu contour just covers the Upper Mystic Lake in Winchester...which is perhaps half a mile from where WHSR was. Even with only 10 watts and an incredibly directional antenna, the 80dBu contour for any WHSR signal would go a lot further than half a mile. So regardless of how much you like to hate WUMB...they wouldn't have been the ultimate reason WHSR would have to go away. WMFO would've been the final blow that would've forced WHSR to find a new freq or shut down.

Speaking of which, Peter you might be right. I have no 1st hand knowledge of the situation, but if you search the FCC's CDBS applications for "DWHSR-FM" (in the Call Sign field) you'll call up all the applications the FCC still has on file for WHSR. Only three are there. For the last in the list (marked "dismissed") click the INFO link, then click PUBLIC NOTICE COMMENT and the details for the application are in there. It says 89.9 # 207D which admittedly is contradictory. Channel 207 is indeed 89.3FM. So somewhere in there is a typo...I don't know which way. Certainly 89.3 makes a lot more sense.

And to be honest, if your story is true...then I think WGBH and WERS deserve to be fingered as the "bad guys" here a lot more than WUMB does. They're the ones that waited until after a CP was granted to raise a ruckus, which is a cheap shot by any definition. BTW, the WGBH translator was because of a wealthy donor on the back side of Beacon Hill (or so the rumor goes)...not Kendall Square.

It's possible that WUMB might've pulled a cheap shot after WHSR moved back to 91.9...but I'd like to pose a question: was there an understanding that WHSR would be allowed to move to 91.9 but only temporarily while WHSR searched for a new frequency? The conclusion being that WHSR never got around to that search? This would make sense based on Peter's comment:

A major problem with Winchester High, and other schools in the Commonwealth at the time was that the state was in a recession. 97.9 and 96.3 were bandied about as possible alternatives for WHSR to move to. But (IMHO) it was probably too much for a school district to pay for further legal costs, so it died on the vine.

...and that would explain why. Maybe WHSR moved to 91.9 with the intention of re-filing for another frequency but dragged its feet for months or years because of a lack of funds? The application for the 89.9 (or 89.3) move was dismissed in 1986...but their license wasn't deleted until 1992. Quite a long time span there.

I just find it hard to believe that WUMB would be so vindictive so as to "lure" WHSR back to 91.9 only to "kill" it out of spite. Sure, I can see WUMB making an unpopular move to protect their own signal....but not a move out of pure spite.

 

[dhoule]

Missed stations:

1. 14WFTQ, Worcester
2. WHDH, where your friends are
3. JB 105 has big hits! (Providence)
4. The Rock Garden, WCGY
5. Star 93.7, the rhymthe of Boston
6. From Boston's Back Bay to the Bershires, WSRS
7. Ding-Ding, Ding-Ding, WJIB
8. Real Rock, WAAF (circa 1975)
9. WNCR Worcester, NewsCenter 14
10. Spirit of 103, the old WBZ

 

[pqgeorge]

Speaking of which, Peter you might be right. I have no 1st hand knowledge of the situation, but if you search the FCC's CDBS applications for "DWHSR-FM" (in the Call Sign field) you'll call up all the applications the FCC still has on file for WHSR. Only three are there. For the last in the list (marked "dismissed") click the INFO link, then click PUBLIC NOTICE COMMENT and the details for the application are in there. It says 89.9 # 207D which admittedly is contradictory. Channel 207 is indeed 89.3FM. So somewhere in there is a typo...I don't know which way. Certainly 89.3 makes a lot more sense.

And to be honest, if your story is true...then I think WGBH and WERS deserve to be fingered as the "bad guys" here a lot more than WUMB does. They're the ones that waited until after a CP was granted to raise a ruckus, which is a cheap shot by any definition. BTW, the WGBH translator was because of a wealthy donor on the back side of Beacon Hill (or so the rumor goes)...not Kendall Square.
It's possible that WUMB might've pulled a cheap shot after WHSR moved back to 91.9...but I'd like to pose a question: was there an understanding that WHSR would be allowed to move to 91.9 but only temporarily while WHSR searched for a new frequency? The conclusion being that WHSR never got around to that search? This would make sense based on Peter's comment:

A major problem with Winchester High, and other schools in the Commonwealth at the time was that the state was in a recession. 97.9 and 96.3 were bandied about as possible alternatives for WHSR to move to. But (IMHO) it was probably too much for a school district to pay for further legal costs, so it died on the vine.

...and that would explain why. Maybe WHSR moved to 91.9 with the intention of re-filing for another frequency but dragged its feet for months or years because of a lack of funds? The application for the 89.9 (or 89.3) move was dismissed in 1986...but their license wasn't deleted until 1992. Quite a long time span there.

We probably will truly never know how this whole situation really happened in detail as the events occured nearly 20 years ago. The bottom line is, WHSR was an excellent public servant that happened to be at a high school. Even as a 10 watt station, it was well known in educational circles. I enjoyed listening to it on a rather weak signal some 30 miles away in Randolph. Why a listen to a weak signal that barely made it over the noise level, you may ask? I listened to it because these were my peers.... fellow high school students. It was fun to listen to and I always wanted to do radio myself. (Eventually, I did get into the business.).
I was happy as a more-local 10 watter, WRPS-FM in Rockland (then on 91.5, now on 88.3) came to the air in 1974. Today that station is doing quite well as a full 100 watt Stereo station which operates 24/7 (it's really good!).

It was a shame that something couldn't have done a "little something extra" to keep WHSR alive today. IMHO, I'm sure something could have been done. But, we'll never know.

 

[Eli Polonsky]

I just find it hard to believe that WUMB would be so vindictive so as to "lure" WHSR back to 91.9 only to "kill" it out of spite. Sure, I can see WUMB making an unpopular move to protect their own signal....but not a move out of pure spite.

I can't say whether or not it was for "spite", but it was a calculated way of accomplishing the goal of getting WHSR finally knocked off the frequency. I doubt there was any further vendetta against WHSR beyond doing whatever it took, by whatever means, to clear that frequency in the area. If WHSR could've gotten it together to have moved someplace else on the FM dial that would've worked for them and had stayed on the air, I'm sure they would've been left alone.

 

[Time Traveler]

Getting back on-topic, stations (or formats) that I miss.

I know most of these are dated formats that would not be viable today, but I enjoyed them in their time.

First, FM:

88.1 WTBS 1960's - The predecessor of WMBR was a really cool station. Mostly students with some community members, there were in-depth folk and blues shows, live Passim Coffeehouse folk broadcasts, progressive "underground" album rock shows a year or two before WBCN became Boston's first commercial album rock station, and many of the student shows were genuinely hilarious. There was a self-effacing, humorous attitude that seems to be missing these days.

88.1 WTBS to 1979, WMBR 1979-1983 - during the 70's, WTBS/WMBR became infiltrated with community people to the point where by 1982 it was only about five percent students, because MIT had turned a blind eye to the station and was oblivious to what was going on. It never would have been permitted had they known. The programming was amazingly innovative - the country's pioneering punk rock and reggae shows, avant-garde shows, in depth jazz, folk and blues shows, the popular long running nighttime urban show "The Ghetto", a 1960's rock show called "Sleepwalk" debuted in 1980 five years before commercial Classic Rock stations existed... it was moved to noon in 1983 and renamed "Lost & Found"... and the standards of engineering, announcing and producing were at a professional level although it was always all-volunteer. It was like a community station with very talented individuals on-air taking a free radio ride on MIT, and unfortunately, shutting students out of their own college station wherein the school had never sanctioned such a community station with very little student involvement.

This was, of course, destined not to last as the station fell into disrepair and poor financial straits, and the college caught wind of what had been going on. Today, WMBR must adhere to being at least 50% students, still very generous for the remaining (almost) 50% community people who continue to do radio there. The student recruitment drives that were rejuvenated beginning around 1983 brought badly needed new blood to the station, resulted in new managements and technical personnel, ensured the stations survival within MIT's graces, and generally lightened up the place as some of the community people were frankly taking themselves too seriously for a volunteer college station. It was a reality check for everyone. There have been ups and downs over the years, but the station, though not sounding as professional at all times as it once did a few decades ago, is closer to fulfilling the mission that it's supposed to have per MIT, and there's still great programming produced by both students and community members.

89.7 WGBH, 104.1 WBCN and PBS-TV (Ch. 2 or 44) - circa 1970-1972:

Anyone remember the series of "quadrophonic" rock concerts aired in tandem on these stations? You got two stereos, a big old console color TV, your choice of consumables, and got engulfed in "surround sound" and video technology circa 1970 for concerts such as The Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, Quicksilver Messenger Service, Santana, Pink Floyd, Steve Miller, and more. WBCN even provided a "matchup" service for people to combine with others in their area to join together with the necessary media components. It was so cool!

89.7 WGBH 1980's and 90's - "Blues After Hours" w/Mae Cramer - It was a shame that when this blues airwaves maven passed away, WGBH reduced their blues programming from four hours on both weekend nights to three hours only one night. I guess blues listeners don't pledge as lucratively as jazz or classical. There's a tribute concert to Mae to benefit the Mass. Breast Cancer Coalition with many local blues greats at the Regent Theatre in Arlington this coming Saturday.

91.5 WMFO 1970-1982 - When their 18 watt omnidirectional mono signal used to come in much better in the west suburbs than their 125 watt directional does now! A couple of great longtime WMFO hosts passed away early - Mikey D. and Sean Patrick Murphy - they did great shows. Holly Harris, of WBOS' "Blues On Sunday", did their "Morning After Blues" show Sundays for many years.

91.7 WBRS circa 1968 - I remember hearing Norm Winer's first shows on this station. He went to WBCN shortly afterwards, and has been PD of WXRT Chicago for decades. The college radio start for a guy who became a longtime name in FM rock radio.

92.9 WBOS early 1980's AOR period - Maxanne Sartori of early 70's WBCN was PD (for part of it), and to me, it was pretty cool. Too bad it couldn't last.

93.7 WCGY late 70's/early 80's - oldies format - PD was Cheryl Ann Gowdy, Curt's daughter. What a great variety of upbeat, fun, deep 50's/early 60's oldies! Rock'n'Roll, R&B, Soul, Doo-Wop, it was all there. Little Walter Saturday nights, followed by "Little Dougie" Edwards (now on WMWM) at midnight. What a blast!

93.7 WCGY late 80's/early 90's - AOR format w/Jerry "Duke of Madness" Goodwin and more... the long version of "Oh, Well" by Fleetwood Mac in the middle of afternoon drive? Sure!!

94.5 WHDH-FM 1968/69 - Trying to compete with WBCN with a jockless automated progressive AOR format. Stuck more with album tracks by known rock artists, while WBCN was multi-genre progressive free-form.

94.5 WCOZ 1975-1979 - Stoner AOR (before the "KickAss Rock'n'Roll" metal format) - Strong competition to WBCN for a short time. Loose, laid back approach, programming to the mid-70's stoners and hippies (and vicarious hippies) "lighting the smoking lamp" every night, while WBCN was trying to be trendy catching the "new wave". Some great DJ's in their time - Ken Shelton, Leslie Palmiter, Harvey Wharfield, Larry Miller (now sharing the Tuesday "Lost & Found" 60's/70's show with me on WMBR).

97.7 WCAV 1980's/90's - This was a deeper than usual Country format with more classic country oldies than most, back when country oldies meant 1950's Johnny Cash, not Billy Ray Cyrus.

97.7 WILD-FM - It was an unfocused urban format trying to please adults and kids at the same time, but at least it had "The Time Tunnel" soul oldies show on Saturday mornings.

98.5 WRKO-FM 1966 - There was no more appropriate voice for an automated Top 40 station in the "Lost In Space" era than "Arko The Shy But Friendly Robot", and the format was a continuous showcase of the great Top 40 Rock'n'Roll, pop and soul hits of the mid-60's era in FM high fidelity, with few (if any) commercials. This, along with WMEX and WBZ, was one of my first favorite stations.

98.5 WROR 1973 "The Golden Great 98" - The first full-time major oldies station in the area, jumping on the early 70's "American Graffitti"/"Happy Days" 50's nostalgia wave. This format caught me up on all the major mainstream 1950's Rock'n'Roll, Doo-Wop and R&B hits I had missed since I didn't start listening to radio until 1966 (and until that 50's nostalgia wave hit in the early 70's, it was considered totally unhip to play 50's music on the radio in the psychedelic late 60's unless you were Little Walter or Peter Wolf).

100.7 WCOP-FM mid-70's - automated 50's oldies, competing with WROR

100.7 WTTK circa later 70's - Country-flavored progressive AOR. Lots of Southern rock.

100.7 WZLX 1986-1987 - Classic rock, music intensive, even in morning drive. On-air patter generally more respectful, not as dumbed-down as today.

100.7 WZLX 1996-2000 - Just because Charles was there.

101.7 WLYN-FM - very early 80's - "Y-102" - a more professional extention of area college radio "new wave" programming. Tom Lane and crew knew what they were doing with this genre, before the Phoenix picked it up.

103.3 WEEI-FM circa 1968 "The Young Sound" - automated softer Top 40 rock/pop hits with voicetracked announcer Dick Provo - not a bad music mix, frequent hilarious automation screwups.

104.1 WBCN March 1968 to early 70's - what can you say that isn't already known legend? Boston's groundbreaking commercial "free-form underground" rock station, initially blowing away the areas established radio boundaries, then slowly morphing to more typical AOR in the 70's, and then trying to catch the "new wave" and doing it more successfully and credibly than most other major market AOR's, and it still had some good moments through the 80's anyway... but not much later...

104.9 WVCA - Just knowing old Simon Geller was hanging in there playing classical music out of his basement for his local listeners for as long as he could always made me feel something was still right with the world...

105.7 WKOX-FM 1969-1970 - the only place you could hear good, upbeat AM Top 40 style programming and music in FM stereo at the time. (WROR had gone to a soft pop format called "Hit Parade" by then, and WEEI-FM was generally softer rock).

105.7 WVBF 1971 - mid-70's - "The Electronic Mama" blew us high schoolers away with a high-energy Top 40/AOR hybrid with hits and popular album cuts in heavy rotation. Their high-tech sounding jingles were amazing on our stereos!

105.7 WROR 1996 - Their initial attempt at recalling the original WROR format circa late 70's sounded good! Bringing back Joe Martelle made it even more authentic. Unfortunately, emulating past heritage stations doesn't necessarily have much mileage in the long run.

105.7 WROR 2002 - "Timeless Rock'n'Roll Classics" - I think I'm the only one who liked this unfortunately abortive attempt at recalling the heyday of 70's AOR radio. I thought it was great hearing Captain Ken again, but I could tell he wasn't cutting it with today's listeners. It was great hearing songs like "White Bird" by It's A Beautiful Day and early Blood Sweat & Tears with Al Kooper in the mid-day again, but all it did was alienate their prior Classic Hits listeners, without picking up the audience for 70's AOR who had moved on to satellite radio, public radio, CD and mp3 players, etc... their ratings took a fast nose dive, and it was back to Classic Hits, to the present.

106.7 WBZ-FM mid-70's - "Rock in stereo" or whatever - this station, though low budget, had it's moments, and some good people involved. Generally too poppy for me, though. Seemed like Elton John was their biggest artist.

106.7 WMJX 1981 - when it first came on the air, it was even reaching back into late 60's AOR and folk music for soft material to play. "The Wind" by Circus Maximus and "Urge For Going" by Tom Rush were in rotation. But, not for long.

107.3 WAAF 1970's - A good, solid, progressive AOR through that decade, from the "Cocaine Realty Building". Worth the difficulty to tune in.

Next time, the AM stations/formats I miss.



WOW!! Thanks for the great post!!! looking forward to the AM side.

Agreed!!!! This was an outstanding assessment about all of those stations. I also look forward to the AM side!!!!

 

[Eli Polonsky]

Boston area AM stations/formats I miss:

590 WEEI 1960's - my dad always put this on when he wanted the latest news headlines. It must've been good.

640 WECB 1970 - Just the fact that I could hear this supposedly "closed-circuit" Emerson College station out in Newton for a number of months that year was really cool! Must've been putting out at least ten watts ERP for awhile anyway...

680 WRKO 1967-1971 - "The Big 68" - A great mainstream Drake format Top 40 Rock'n'Roller. High energy, great jocks like Uncle Dale, a great signal within Route 128. Not quite as deep a playlist or as zany a presentation as WMEX, but a very solid Top 40 station. The most popular station among my junior high school friends in Newton, where the signal blasted in.

680 WRKO 1971-1972 - Adding some popular AOR album cuts to try to compete with FM rock stations. I thought it was cool, but it didn't last long. WRKO as a music station declined from the mid-70's until it went talk in the early 80's.

740 WCAS 1974-1980 - The legendary folk and folk-rock station (with a brief foray into jazz toward the end). Much better, more fun and more spontaneous than any station that has tried to follow them in this genre. Great, knowledgeable DJ's who were allowed to be upbeat and have fun with it. I could leave them on all day without getting bored. Too bad it couldn't survive.

740 WJIB 1992-present - It's still here, so I don't miss it, but I certainly will if it goes away.

830 WCRN 2003-2005 - It was a canned satellite oldies format, but I found myself putting it on in the background fairly often. I like upbeat early to mid 60's (with an occasional 50's) oldies, and they couldn't be heard anywhere else on the dial weekday daytimes. I haven't listened to the station since it went talk.

1030 WBZ - 1966-1967 - Full service Top 40, a real class act back then. Hosts like Carl DeSuze, Bruce Bradley, and it got eclectic in the evenings with Dick Summer pioneering the format that would eventually become known as soft rock, playing some pretty unusual stuff for a huge AM station at the time.

1060 "WEGN" (pirate) 1970-1971 - These guys running a converted vintage WWII era shortwave transmitter out of a basement in Waltham could be heard all over Boston and the northwest suburbs as far as Nashua NH and Worcester, playing wild free-form album rock with horrible fidelity, and the signal unstable on the frequency causing all kinds of up-and-down oscillating heterodynes against KYW at night. They were lucky their transmitter fried a year before John H. went to put WGTR in Natick on the air, or they might've gotten in trouble.

1060 WGTR 1972-late 70's - John H. Garabedian's home station, actually in his house at first, with a fairly unique upbeat mix of AOR and Top 40 for AM radio, especially for a suburban station. If this had a better signal and night coverage, it may have done a lot better. John H. was innovative, and this was fun to listen to.

1090 WILD mid-60's - Historical accounts say WILD wasn't black-owned until the early 70's, but I seem to remember the station cranking out the deep soul and Motown hits with black DJ's as far back as 1964. I wish I had listened to it more often. It wasn't quite accepted by my grade school friends in lily-white Newton back then, in contrast to today where many white suburban kids are now hip-hoppers.

1090 WILD 2000-2005 - I really miss being able to hear "Classic Soul & R&B" in AM stereo in the daytime. It was worth hassling with putting an AM stereo in the car just for that. It sounded great on wideband! (Except for the last year when they were running a mono mix on only one stereo channel).

1120 WADN 1989-1993 "Walden 1120" - Dick Pleasants, formerly of WCAS, was PD and tried to continue where WCAS had left off. A fun, upbeat mix of folk and folk-rock, and knowledgeable DJ's (including the last radio gig for Jim Parry of late 60's/70's WBCN). I went to a couple of their live folk events and toured the station.

Unfortunately, it couldn't make it with a day signal that barely got into Cambridge and a night signal that didn't even cover metro-west. They were also hoping that AM stereo was going to become fully marketed, which didn't happen. 1120 was never actually in AM stereo, but they were planning on it, and had even printed up bumper stickers that said it, but soon it became evident that it wouldn't have been worth going through with it.

1150 WMEX 1985-1989 - It started as Greater Media's valiant attempt to bring back the heritage 50's/60's Boston Top 40 legend as an oldies station. An upbeat, fun playlist with lots of "deep" suprises, veteran oldies DJ's including Quentin Migiori (formerly Jim Grant), Little Walter, etc... and many of the authentic WMEX jingles (some actual, some re-cut).

Unfortunately, after a few years it was compromised by letting good talent go and running boring birdfed oldies in various dayparts, then it went live again with some "economy" DJ's (former satellite board-ops, including myself) getting weekend and nighttime airshifts. It was a blast, but there was no way it could last once the powerful FM signal of WODS grabbed the audience, it was doomed, which also happened to most AM oldies stations nationwide.

1150 WNFT 1998 "The Touch" - This gold-heavy urban AC satellite format from Texas, with absolutely no promotion in Boston and no local content, rivaled WILD's ratings and inspired them to flip to their Classic Soul format. It was really good, and especially I think it was Sundays were all Classic Soul oldies all day. Unfortunately, for 1150, it was only another birdfed format-of-the-month.

1190 WKOX late 60's - metro-west neighborhood full-service AM playing Top 40 and serving the community. Daytime only.

1210 (days), 1200 (nights) "WOJX" (pirate) - 1973 - A couple of hippie ham radio freaks in Watertown did this as a side goof, claiming they were transmitting from western MA. It could be heard all over the west suburbs, faintly into Boston. Free-from music ranged from AOR, hippie country-rock and folk to Bengali Gamelan music.

1260 WEZE mid-70's - this short-lived spontaneous mix of Top 40, pop and oldies was often the best thing on AM in the area, especially at night.

1330 WCRB Late 50's/1960's - my parent's favorite station. WCRB was also simulcast at 102.5 FM, but my folks had gotten used to tuning it in at 1330. They only had mono table radios and portables, so it didn't make much difference anyway. There wasn't a stereo in the house until I got a cheap Radio Shack one in 1969.

My folks lost interest in WCRB as it became increasingly "Top 40 classical" over the years. My dad doesn't listen to radio much anymore through his homemade hearing aids, but when he does it's usually WHRB's classical programming, and my mom goes to mainly WGBH and WBUR.

1330 WDLW early 80's - this quirky country station was somewhat of a refuge for some former WCAS DJ's, and played a lot of hippie country-rock along with mainstream country. You could hear mixed in Grateful Dead, New Riders Of The Purple Sage, Poco, The Byrds, The Flying Burrito Brothers, etc... it didn't remain viable for long.

1430 WXKS early 80's - I wasn't much into Standards at the time, but I knew this started as a great attempt at a real classic 40's/50's Big Band and Standards format, with local hosts. It didn't last and went to MOR satellite standards eventually.

1510 WMEX 1960's - What more can be said about this legend? For me, hearing Arnie "Woo-Woo" Ginsburg and all the other DJ's, jingles, and craziness on WMEX in the mid-60's, along with all the great Top 40 music that was out at the time, was what originally made me want to get into radio in the first place. It barely came in out in Newton at night, but it was always worth tuning in.

1510 WMEX 1971 - John H. Garabedian was PD, and pioneered the idea of mixing in some of the more accesible AOR album cuts with Top 40. It worked at the time, but he was blown out and then went on to his own ventures. The original WMEX declined in it's last few years as a music station after that.

1510 WMRE early 80's - mostly birdfed big-band/standards, but it was great hearing Little Walter booming out on this 50 kW AM weekend nights, on the original WMEX frequency. Despite the directional pattern, he was getting calls from all over the northeast. I think this station also had Bill Marlowe's Sinatra show.

1550 WNTN 1970-1974 - Deep free-form progressive AOR! Frank Zappa and Captain Beefheart coming out of the AM radio, on a suburban daytimer! It was almost surreal. Too bad it had to die.

1570 WMLO 1967 - I remember I liked this little live, local pop/Top 40 community service station when we used to visit my aunt and uncle in Beverly. I didn't understand why it suddenly faded out as soon as we got on the highway heading home.

1630 and sometimes 1670 - Allston/Brighton Free Radio - technically at pirate levels after perhaps the very beginning. An outlet for some of the most eclectic/radical programmers in the area. I could get it fairly well in Somerville toward the end.

 

[CTListener]

Boston area AM stations/formats I miss:

1260 WEZE mid-70's - this short-lived spontaneous mix of Top 40, pop and oldies was often the best thing on AM in the area, especially at night.

Its "Album 1260" incarnation of a few years later was even better, IMO.

Some great AM nostalgia, Eli. Thanks! WGTR and WCAS are among my favorite stations of all time. And WCRB was my dad's station, too, and although he had FM at home, it was 1330 he'd always listen to in the car on our weekend trips to see the grandparents in Revere -- "1330 AM, 102.5 FM, broadcasting from Boston's elegant Hotel Sheraton Plaza."

Incidentally, I was the "other" listener who enjoyed WROR's brief deep-playlist experiment of a few years ago. Another sad reminder that only radio geeks and genre specialists ever support stations that try to "play the variety card." It had the sound of a doomed format from the beginning, but I enjoyed it on my visits to Boston while it lasted.

 

[TSBench]

A few from the memory vault...

It's not a station, but I miss the "Joe and Andy" AMD program on the old WROR.
It was a hoot, Moes was original and hilarious, and Joe was the perfect straight man.

Dick Summer, great laid back show, with some really funny bits. I remember being in New York on business in the early 70s and hearing Summer reduced to doing the voiceovers for an advertising crawl on my hotel television. It was sad.

The old Bruce Bradley on 'BZ, back when 'BZ and 'MEX used to fight it out for the high schooler and young adult market, and when 'home work time' was a real radio battleground.
I think I still have my Nutley Nutritional High School diploma, signed by principal Geronimo St. Cyr.

Larry Justice was pretty good in a number of his incarnations.

Arnie Ginsburg, back when he was flacking Adventure Car-Hop on the Night Train program. God, the Ginsburger was expensive and awful, but it was served on a '45'. The '45' was usually pretty awful, too, but it was free and a piece of the local culture. When Adventure Car-Hop was finally charbroiled, it marked the end of a era.

The old 'Test the Teams' trivia competitions on WBZ drives.

The 'old' Sports Huddle and Lobel/Bell sports talk programs back when sports talk wasn't all that easy to find. Not to mention The Cliff and Claf program on WITS.

Imus, back when he was a NYC DJ doing the funniest program in radio history. Also Stern, in his OTA days before he started confusing crudity for humor.

Charlie Jeffords on 'BZ PMD, especially on a good day.

WRKO, when it switched to Top 40 in March of 67 and then dominated the local music scene for a decade. When it faded, it marked the passing of the era when a single station could so completely dominate a demo.

Brudnoy. The best, and most informative and literate talk host ever, anywhere..

Yeah, I know, you're saying 'this guy is older than European dirt.' You're right.

Regards,
TSB

 

[cjf68]

Boston area AM stations/formats I miss:

590 WEEI 1960's - my dad always put this on when he wanted the latest news headlines. It must've been good.

640 WECB 1970 - Just the fact that I could hear this supposedly "closed-circuit" Emerson College station out in Newton for a number of months that year was really cool! Must've been putting out at least ten watts ERP for awhile anyway...

680 WRKO 1967-1971 - "The Big 68" - A great mainstream Drake format Top 40 Rock'n'Roller. High energy, great jocks like Uncle Dale, a great signal within Route 128. Not quite as deep a playlist or as zany a presentation as WMEX, but a very solid Top 40 station. The most popular station among my junior high school friends in Newton, where the signal blasted in.

680 WRKO 1971-1972 - Adding some popular AOR album cuts to try to compete with FM rock stations. I thought it was cool, but it didn't last long. WRKO as a music station declined from the mid-70's until it went talk in the early 80's.

740 WCAS 1974-1980 - The legendary folk and folk-rock station (with a brief foray into jazz toward the end). Much better, more fun and more spontaneous than any station that has tried to follow them in this genre. Great, knowledgeable DJ's who were allowed to be upbeat and have fun with it. I could leave them on all day without getting bored. Too bad it couldn't survive.

740 WJIB 1992-present - It's still here, so I don't miss it, but I certainly will if it goes away.

830 WCRN 2003-2005 - It was a canned satellite oldies format, but I found myself putting it on in the background fairly often. I like upbeat early to mid 60's (with an occasional 50's) oldies, and they couldn't be heard anywhere else on the dial weekday daytimes. I haven't listened to the station since it went talk.

1030 WBZ - 1966-1967 - Full service Top 40, a real class act back then. Hosts like Carl DeSuze, Bruce Bradley, and it got eclectic in the evenings with Dick Summer pioneering the format that would eventually become known as soft rock, playing some pretty unusual stuff for a huge AM station at the time.

1060 "WEGN" (pirate) 1970-1971 - These guys running a converted vintage WWII era shortwave transmitter out of a basement in Waltham could be heard all over Boston and the northwest suburbs as far as Nashua NH and Worcester, playing wild free-form album rock with horrible fidelity, and the signal unstable on the frequency causing all kinds of up-and-down oscillating heterodynes against KYW at night. They were lucky their transmitter fried a year before John H. went to put WGTR in Natick on the air, or they might've gotten in trouble.

1060 WGTR 1972-late 70's - John H. Garabedian's home station, actually in his house at first, with a fairly unique upbeat mix of AOR and Top 40 for AM radio, especially for a suburban station. If this had a better signal and night coverage, it may have done a lot better. John H. was innovative, and this was fun to listen to.

1090 WILD mid-60's - Historical accounts say WILD wasn't black-owned until the early 70's, but I seem to remember the station cranking out the deep soul and Motown hits with black DJ's as far back as 1964. I wish I had listened to it more often. It wasn't quite accepted by my grade school friends in lily-white Newton back then, in contrast to today where many white suburban kids are now hip-hoppers.

1090 WILD 2000-2005 - I really miss being able to hear "Classic Soul & R&B" in AM stereo in the daytime. It was worth hassling with putting an AM stereo in the car just for that. It sounded great on wideband! (Except for the last year when they were running a mono mix on only one stereo channel).

1120 WADN 1989-1993 "Walden 1120" - Dick Pleasants, formerly of WCAS, was PD and tried to continue where WCAS had left off. A fun, upbeat mix of folk and folk-rock, and knowledgeable DJ's (including the last radio gig for Jim Parry of late 60's/70's WBCN). I went to a couple of their live folk events and toured the station.

Unfortunately, it couldn't make it with a day signal that barely got into Cambridge and a night signal that didn't even cover metro-west. They were also hoping that AM stereo was going to become fully marketed, which didn't happen. 1120 was never actually in AM stereo, but they were planning on it, and had even printed up bumper stickers that said it, but soon it became evident that it wouldn't have been worth going through with it.

1150 WMEX 1985-1989 - It started as Greater Media's valiant attempt to bring back the heritage 50's/60's Boston Top 40 legend as an oldies station. An upbeat, fun playlist with lots of "deep" suprises, veteran oldies DJ's including Quentin Migiori (formerly Jim Grant), Little Walter, etc... and many of the authentic WMEX jingles (some actual, some re-cut).

Unfortunately, after a few years it was compromised by letting good talent go and running boring birdfed oldies in various dayparts, then it went live again with some "economy" DJ's (former satellite board-ops, including myself) getting weekend and nighttime airshifts. It was a blast, but there was no way it could last once the powerful FM signal of WODS grabbed the audience, it was doomed, which also happened to most AM oldies stations nationwide.

1150 WNFT 1998 "The Touch" - This gold-heavy urban AC satellite format from Texas, with absolutely no promotion in Boston and no local content, rivaled WILD's ratings and inspired them to flip to their Classic Soul format. It was really good, and especially I think it was Sundays were all Classic Soul oldies all day. Unfortunately, for 1150, it was only another birdfed format-of-the-month.

1190 WKOX late 60's - metro-west neighborhood full-service AM playing Top 40 and serving the community. Daytime only.

1210 (days), 1200 (nights) "WOJX" (pirate) - 1973 - A couple of hippie ham radio freaks in Watertown did this as a side goof, claiming they were transmitting from western MA. It could be heard all over the west suburbs, faintly into Boston. Free-from music ranged from AOR, hippie country-rock and folk to Bengali Gamelan music.

1260 WEZE mid-70's - this short-lived spontaneous mix of Top 40, pop and oldies was often the best thing on AM in the area, especially at night.

1330 WCRB Late 50's/1960's - my parent's favorite station. WCRB was also simulcast at 102.5 FM, but my folks had gotten used to tuning it in at 1330. They only had mono table radios and portables, so it didn't make much difference anyway. There wasn't a stereo in the house until I got a cheap Radio Shack one in 1969.

My folks lost interest in WCRB as it became increasingly "Top 40 classical" over the years. My dad doesn't listen to radio much anymore through his homemade hearing aids, but when he does it's usually WHRB's classical programming, and my mom goes to mainly WGBH and WBUR.

1330 WDLW early 80's - this quirky country station was somewhat of a refuge for some former WCAS DJ's, and played a lot of hippie country-rock along with mainstream country. You could hear mixed in Grateful Dead, New Riders Of The Purple Sage, Poco, The Byrds, The Flying Burrito Brothers, etc... it didn't remain viable for long.

1430 WXKS early 80's - I wasn't much into Standards at the time, but I knew this started as a great attempt at a real classic 40's/50's Big Band and Standards format, with local hosts. It didn't last and went to MOR satellite standards eventually.

1510 WMEX 1960's - What more can be said about this legend? For me, hearing Arnie "Woo-Woo" Ginsburg and all the other DJ's, jingles, and craziness on WMEX in the mid-60's, along with all the great Top 40 music that was out at the time, was what originally made me want to get into radio in the first place. It barely came in out in Newton at night, but it was always worth tuning in.

1510 WMEX 1971 - John H. Garabedian was PD, and pioneered the idea of mixing in some of the more accesible AOR album cuts with Top 40. It worked at the time, but he was blown out and then went on to his own ventures. The original WMEX declined in it's last few years as a music station after that.

1510 WMRE early 80's - mostly birdfed big-band/standards, but it was great hearing Little Walter booming out on this 50 kW AM weekend nights, on the original WMEX frequency. Despite the directional pattern, he was getting calls from all over the northeast. I think this station also had Bill Marlowe's Sinatra show.

1550 WNTN 1970-1974 - Deep free-form progressive AOR! Frank Zappa and Captain Beefheart coming out of the AM radio, on a suburban daytimer! It was almost surreal. Too bad it had to die.

1570 WMLO 1967 - I remember I liked this little live, local pop/Top 40 community service station when we used to visit my aunt and uncle in Beverly. I didn't understand why it suddenly faded out as soon as we got on the highway heading home.

1630 and sometimes 1670 - Allston/Brighton Free Radio - technically at pirate levels after perhaps the very beginning. An outlet for some of the most eclectic/radical programmers in the area. I could get it fairly well in Somerville toward the end.

Thanks again!!!!! For us kids on the south shore back in `67 ( I was 15) WRKO was a pretty big deal.
My dad however, hated it. He liked the old WNAC68 (YOUR MUSIC COMPANION STATION!) He called
`RKO "that G.D.hippie station!!"

Of course WBZ was a big listen too. How about WCOP?? I lived in
dorchester when I was real young and that too was on in the car, along with
`BZ, WHDH (The voice of the city) and `NAC

 

[Eli Polonsky]

Boston area AM stations/formats I miss:

1260 WEZE mid-70's - this short-lived spontaneous mix of Top 40, pop and oldies was often the best thing on AM in the area, especially at night.

Its "Album 1260" incarnation of a few years later was even better, IMO.

That must've been during the period when I had one of the original Pioneer Cassette/SuperTuners in the car, the one with the round analog FM dial, and no AM. The FM reception on that unit was amazing, though. I heard WMFO 91.5 Tufts University out in Natick when they were still only 18 watts, and WMBR 88.1 when it was still just 200 watts when I was parked at Old Orchard Beach, Maine! Very listenable reception in both cases.

I had two of them. One was stolen, the other eventually short-circuited and went up in smoke.

Of course WBZ was a big listen too. How about WCOP?? I lived in
dorchester when I was real young and that too was on in the car, along with
`BZ, WHDH (The voice of the city) and `NAC

I had missed 1150 WCOP's Top 40 era. It was Country by when I got my own radio in 1966, and it was simulcast on the FM 100.7 before it went easy listening. I think 1430 and 107.9 were also Country, WHIL AM/FM.

My folks were classical afficionados, so before I got my own radio it was always WCRB 1330 in the car, or once in a while WTAO/WXHR 740. Occasionally WEEI 590 for news. They were open-minded though, they didn't mind me listening to rock'n'roll from 1966 on.

 

[martin1945]

It's hard to pick out just one :-\

But some of my favorites were (in order of frequency) WEEI, WCCM ,WHDH, WBZ, WCOP, WKOX, WEZE, and WBOS (AM)