WFTQ
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
WFTQ, also WVEI, is an AM radio station in Worcester, Massachusetts. It operates at 1440 AM with 5,000 watts. Its antenna tower is located at Latitude 42.29028 and Longitude -71.84639 [1]
Contents |
[edit] History
The station came on the air in October 1926 as WAGS with 5 Watts at 1200 AM and was licensed to Somerville outside of Boston. Its call letters stood for "Willow Avenue Garage Station." In September - October 1927, the station moved to Lexington, Massachusetts and it returned to the air on 1927-10-27 as WLEX at 1390 kHz with 50 watts. It was located in the home of part-owner Carl Wheeler. The other owner was Jesse Smith Dodge. The station time-shared with WMAF [2] [3] [4] On 1928-11-11 WLEX moved to 1420 AM with 100 watts time-sharing with WSSH. On 1930-03-20 the station moved to 1410 AM and was still time-share [3].
On 1931-04-20 the station was sold to John Shephard III of Shephard Stores and the station was changed to WAAB in Boston. WAAB moved into the same studios as WNAC. These were new studios at the Hotel Buckminster at Kenmore Square. By 1938 WAAB studios were located at 21 Brookline Avenue [5]
On 1937-01-26 the ownership of WAAB and WNAC (now WRKO) was consolidated under the Yankee Network, Inc. As a result of the NARBA frequency shift, WAAB moved to 1440 Kilohertz on 1941-03-29. [6] [2] [3] In late 1942 Shephard officially moved WAAB to Worcester, Massachusetts to avoid anti-duopoly rules [3] [4]. Despite this, ownership of the two stations was broken-apart in 1943. [7] After several decades as WAAB, it began a FM sister station WAAB-FM which later became WAAF.[6] As early as 1948, the station was broadcasting with 5,000 watts. [8]
In the 1950s and 1960s "14-40 WAAB" was a Top-40 radio station. In 1965, the "Fun-in-the-Sun Guys" were Bill Garcia, Chuck Spencer, Don Stevens and Bob Carrigan [9] [10] Morning man Steven Capen recalls the station then and how Atlantic Records purchased it and changed things around in 1967:
I was doing the morning show at WAAB in Worcester, my very first stint in rock & roll radio and in a metropolitan market. My first air name, in fact, Stephen Kane. A lot of firsts. Best of all I was given plenty of latitude. At this point I was so engrossed in my new work I was completely oblivious to the upheaval going on across the country and indeed in radio. A progressive music show — Cream, The Doors, The Mothers of Invention — premiered at night hosted by Jeff Starr while we continued our Ron Landryesque comedy in the A.M. It seems that just like almost all of my gigs the good times weren't to last. Atlantic Records bought the station, and you'd think that would be a good thing, but in came the consultants from New York and Washington, the air sound was tightened beyond belief, catchy new jingles added, and it wasn't long before their newly-installed PD, Sebastian Tripp, gave me my walking papers. [11]
In the mid-seventies, WAAB became WNCR and briefly had an all-news format.[2] The station owner about this time was Bob Williams.[12] Then, also in the seventies, WNCR changed call letters to WFTQ and was known as "Fourteen Q" (14Q).[6] [2] [13]
In March 1981 the Katz Agency purchased WFTQ and WAAF from Park City Communications. [14] In 1986 the Katz Agency sold all its radio stations [15] to NewCity Communications. This new company was organized at the time by members of Katz management to purchase all of Katz radio holdings, under its subsidiary Katz Broadcasting.[16]
During the eighties WFTQ was known as "The Weather Station".[17] As early as 1985, WFTQ was broadcasting in stereo using the 40 kHz Kahn system [18]
During the summer of 1989 NewCity Communications, Inc. sold WFTQ and WAAF to Zapis Communications in exchange for Atlanta station WEKS-FM.[19] [20] WFTQ then underwent restructuring [19]
WFTQ's notable personalities included Donna Halper, Don Kelley, and Steve Leveille.[6] WFTQ had massive lay-offs, however, and began simulcasting WAAF-FM on 1991-01-15. [21]
Over the summer of 1991, General Manager John Sutherland cited 18 months of "substantial losses" due to poor advertising sales.[22] On 1991-09-03 WFTQ changed its call letters to WVEI and began simulcasting WEEI (590 Boston), a sports-talk station.[6] [22]. WVEI continued to simulcast WEEI's programming when WEEI moved to 850 AM.[6] WEEI is also owned by Zapis Communications [23]
In September 1994 WVEI changed calls to WWTM[7] and was known as "Worcester's Team." It briefly had a local sports format.[6]
On 1996-07-31, Zapis Communications announced it was selling both WWTM and WAAF-FM to American Radio Systems (ARS) for $24.8 million.[23]
On 1998-08-13 David Field's Entercom purchased both stations for $65 million from CBS as part of an anti-trust settlement of its purchase of ARS.[24] WWTM resumed mostly simulcasting WEEI programming[6] under the similar call letters WVEI.
[edit] WAAB Personnel Highlights
Roy Harlow, Program Director 1937 [5]
Gerry Harrison, Publicity Director 1937 [5]
Irving B. Robinson, Chief Engineer 1937 [5]
Dick Partridge 1950s – 1960s (exact dates unknown) [25]
Neil Scott 1964 [25]
Bill Garcia, DJ 1965 - 1968 [25] [9]
Chuck Spencer, DJ 1965 [9]
Don Stevens, DJ 1965 [9]
Bob Carrigan, DJ 1965 [9]
Steven Capen A.K.A. Stephen Kane, Mornings, Music Director 1966 - 67 [26] [27]
Jeffrey Starr, DJ 1967 [28]
Sebastian Tripp, Program Director 1967 [11]
Sean Michael Devlin 1968 [25]
Rod Ewing, DJ 1969 (from WFEA) [29]
John Gallagher 1972 [25]
Geoff Metcalf 1974 [25]
Bill Shupert 1974 [25]
Kurt Oden 1976 [25]
[edit] WFTQ Personnel Highlights
Richard A. Reis, General Manager 1981, 1983 - 1989 [30]
John A. Sutherland, General Manager, Summer 1989 [19]
Steve A. Marx, Vice-President & General Manager "for seven years" [31]
Don Kelley, Program Director 1984 [6] [25]
Ron Valeri, Program Director 1991 [22]
Steve LeVeille, Mid-Day Newscaster 1986, News Director 1987, Operations Manager (Program Director) 1989, Morning Show 1990 - 1991 [6] [32] [33]
Bruce Feniger, Account Executive 1984 [34]
Donna Halper, DJ 1981 [6] [25].
Chris Tracy, DJ 1981. [25]
Mark Laurence, DJ, Music Director 1981-1991
J.Bruce, DJ - 1983-1990
Lorraine LeDuc, DJ - 1983 - 1990
Erica Fairbanks, DJ 1980s [35]
Mark Veau, DJ 1986 [36]
Steve D'Agostino, News Reporter - Democratic National Convention 1980 [37]
Bill Downs, on-air personality [38]
Joe Biedrzycki, on-air personality [39]
Chuck Perks, on-air personality [40]
Gary Nolin, DJ, Late 70's-Early 80's
Mike Finneigan, DJ, 1983 - 1987
Dave Taylor, DJ, 1983 - 1986, Program Director 1988
David Gablaskis, host of "First Amendment" Sunday morning community affairs program, 1987 [41]
Neil Sullivan [42]
Steven Craig [43]
Bill Roberts, Afternoon DJ, Producer/Public Service Director [44]
[edit] WWTM Personnel Highlights
Chuck Perks, Director Programming & Production [40]
[edit] Network and sports game broadcasts history
John Shephard's Yankee Network 1931-01-20 WLEX [4]
Mutual's Boston affiliate 1936 [5]
Shephard's Yankee and Colonial Networks 1937 [5]
Father Charles Coughlin's broadcasts carried on WAAB in 1938 [45]
Red Sox games 1939-42 WAAB AM [46]
Red Sox games 1995-2006 WEEI AM (WVEI simulcast) [46]
[edit] External links
[edit] References
- ^ SatelliteViews
- ^ a b c d FYBush
- ^ a b c d Boston Radio
- ^ a b c Old Radio, Shepard.
- ^ a b c d e f OldRadio, Bos1.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Boston Radio Gallery.
- ^ a b Boston Radio
- ^ Jeff.
- ^ a b c d e Mark. 1965-07-12 Chart Survey image.
- ^ Worcester Magazine.
- ^ a b Kane.
- ^ AccessMyLibrary.
- ^ Worcester Magazine, Lead.
- ^ New York Times.
- ^ Funding Universe.
- ^ Cox.
- ^ Boston Radio, Weather.
- ^ Totse.
- ^ a b c Newsbank 131. If Newsbank search expired, go to telegram archives and search WFTQ article 1989-09-02.
- ^ Newsbank 141. If Newsbank search expired, go to telegram archives and search WFTQ article 1989-03-11.
- ^ Newsbank 31. If Newsbank search expired, go to telegram archives and search WFTQ articles for 1991-01-04 and 1991-01-10.
- ^ a b c Newsbank 11. If Newsbank search expired, go to telegram archives and search WFTQ articles dated 1991-08-08 and 1991-08-31.
- ^ a b Find articles.
- ^ Boston Radio.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k 440int.
- ^ Bay Area Radio.
- ^ Jive95.
- ^ Reel Radio.
- ^ Man From Mars.
- ^ Cox Radio People.
- ^ The CSS Team.
- ^ Radio Steve.
- ^ Radio Steve, Tripod.
- ^ InterRep
- ^ Worcester Union
- ^ My Oldies.
- ^ City Desk.
- ^ Boston Talent.
- ^ NHRT.
- ^ a b Chuck Perks. Also see WWTM.
- ^ Tobacco Documents
- ^ Boston Radio Nerw
- ^ Old Radio Archives.
- ^ Resume.
- ^ Jeff.
- ^ a b WRKO.
