Worcester in the 60s

[Eli Polonsky]

Given the abysmal audio quality of most tv's back then that must have sounded dreadful. I can only imagine what it would have sounded like had a competitor taped it off an AM radio & tried to use it on the air.

I think what happened more often than not was that WORC got an advanced acetate recording of the "exclusive."
That song would then be recorded onto a tape cart with an occasional drop of the call letters to not only prevent
copying but also to simply promote the fact they they had the song and their competition didn't
The quality wouldn't be quite as good as coming straight from a regular 45, but certainly good enough for AM
broadcasting.

I recall WMEX in Boston also occasionally doing that in the late '60s.

 

[WLYNWAZNgm]

Finally, a thread that is actually INTERESTING -
instead of the same old, same old, from the usual
suspects! As a South Shore kid, I was not privvy
to Worcester area radio. Thanks!

 

[radio zombie]

Finally, a thread that is actually INTERESTING -
instead of the same old, same old, from the usual
suspects! As a South Shore kid, I was not privvy
to Worcester area radio. Thanks!

After talking with several individuals who were at WORC in the mid to late 50's,
it seems that station, and its owner, Bob Bryar, were quite innovative. As an
example, once they decided they wanted to put live calls on the air, (something I
believe was quite rare anywhere in the USA back then), they knew they needed
to have some sort of delay. As they didn't have the aforementioned looped tape
cart, they hit upon the idea of running tape between two reel-to-reel machines.
The first machine recorded, (apparently the playback head was removed), and the
second machine, spaced appropriately apart from the other, played back the call,
thus creating a delay. I assume this delay gave them enough time to pot down or
dump the call if necessary. It sounds unwieldly, but I'm told they actually did this.

 

[Oldbones]

As they didn't have the aforementioned looped tape
cart, they hit upon the idea of running tape between two reel-to-reel machines.
The first machine recorded, (apparently the playback head was removed), and the
second machine, spaced appropriately apart from the other, played back the call,
thus creating a delay. I assume this delay gave them enough time to pot down or
dump the call if necessary. It sounds unwieldly, but I'm told they actually did this.

Actually, this method of delay was quite common well into the 70s, maybe even later in smaller markets.

 

[WLYNWAZNgm]

WBZ-TV did this in 1984. At that time they were
also airing still frames from 2" quad ACR cartridges
(no still store yet...)

 

[Bob Swenson]

WORC 1310 new on Youtube

If you are interested in WORC I placed several videos on YouTube about the station. Begining in 1955 WORC was New Englands first Rock "N" Roll station. In 1984 the station brought back all the original DJ's. for one final weekend of Rock "N" Roll. The next day the station changed format to country. On YouTube volumes 1-7 takes you back to those days with more to come. Go to Youtube and search worc1310. Bob Swenson