WTAG

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WTAG

Broadcast area	Worcester, Massachusetts
Slogan	"Worcester's News Leader"
First air date	May 1,1924
Frequency	580 (kHz)
Format	News/Talk
ERP	5,000 watts
Owner
Website	wtag.com

WTAG is an AM radio station broadcasting on 580 kHz in Paxton, Massachusetts. It is operated by Clear Channel Communications.

[edit] History

WTAG's history begins May 1, 1924 when the C T Sherer Co. a Worcester department store received the license for WDBH. WDBH began operation May 24, 1924 with a power of 100 watts on a frequency of 268 meters (1120 kHz). The call letters was assigned by the Commerce Department as the next available block of sequential letters. The station used a play on words and represented that they stood for We Do Business Honestly.

The call letters were changed to WCTS in March 1925. Its power went up to 500 watts in April 1925. WCTS joined the WEAF network run by AT&T about the same time.

The station was purchased by Theodore Ellis, then the owner of the Worcester Telegram & Gazette, on September 23, 1925. The call letters were changed to WTAG in October 1925 and have not changed since. Ellis sold the newspapers and radio station in December 1925 to Harry Stoddar and George F Booth. Their families would own the station until 1987.

A studio was constructed on the fourth floor of the newspaper building at 18 Franklin Street. Broadcasting began there in May 1926. The transmitter was still at Sherer's department store on Front Street. The transmitter was a Western Electric IB and the antenna an inverted L.

In July 1926 the frequency was changed to 545.1 meters, 550 kilohertz. It remained there briefly until June 15, 1927 when the frequency was changed to 516.9 meters, 580 kilohertz. It has remained on 580 kHz ever since.

WTAG was a charter member of the NBC Radio Network. It carried their first broadcast November 15, 1926.

From 1927 until 1934 the station ran various power levels on 580 kHz. finally ending up with 500 watts from a T antenna at 20 Franklin Street, the T&G building. An RCA 1-B transmitter was put on the air in 1931 and was used occasionally until the mid-1960s.

Limited by the downtown location, a site was located that would allow for construction of towers. A farm on Shrewsbury Street in Holden, about 5 miles (8 km) north of the center of Worcester, was purchased in 1934. Construction of a new transmitting facility was begun in 1935. On February 2, 1937 WTAG began transmitting with a power of 1000 watts using a three tower directional antenna system. This transmitter site has been in continuous use since that time. The transmitter used was a RCA 1-D which was kept until 1977.

September 21, 1938 saw the infamous 1938 New England hurricane which levelled all three towers between 5:00 and 5:20 P.M. WTAG operated from the 20 Franklin Street location until May 19, 1939 when the replacement of all three towers was completed. The replacement towers, self-supported 375 feet (114 m) tall built by the Blaw-Knox company, are still in use today.

WTAG's master control and studios were substantially renovated in 1939. The acoustics of the studio were much improved and theatre seating allowed for an audience for live programming. The custom RCA mixing console was one of the largest built by RCA for a radio station. WTAG had its own orchestra and originated many music and dramatic shows from studio A.

April 9, 1940 marked the beginning of day time operation with power of 5,000 watts. Night time operation with 5,000 watts began January 2, 1942. Two additional Blaw-Knox towers were added to allow 5 kW directional night time operation. Now there were five towers at the Holden site.

The station was the radio home of the Boston Red Sox in the Worcester area for forty years, from 1967-2006. However, WCRN will be the Red Sox' Worcester affiliate beginning in 2007.