WBZ-AM 100 years.
On September 19, 1921, one of America’s oldest radio stations will celebrate its 100th anniversary. On Friday (6/11), the 100-day countdown began to a century of serving New England began for a station currently offering an all-News format, owned today by iHeartMedia.
https://wbznewsradio.iheart.com/featured/the-history-of-wbz-radio/content/2017-11-17-wbz-newsradio-1030-history-1920s/
WBZ-AM 1030, a Class-A 50kw directional facility using 2 towers on the opposite of Nantasket Beach, Mass., is the station already saluting itself. This will see on-air and online vignettes recalling the most memorable moments in the station’s history.
While the oldest Radio station WBZ in Boston is celebrating in New England its 100th anniversary in 2021, The Billerica Amateur Radio Society, along with the Hampden County Radio Association in Springfield, will be commemorating this anniversary by conducting a special operating event starting at 1300z/9:00 AM EDT September 17 and ending at 0359z September 20/11:59 PM EDT September 19 WBZ began operations on September 15, 1921 at the Westinghouse Works building on Page Boulevard in East Springfield, Massachusetts broadcasting with just 100 watts. In 1931, Westinghouse moved the station to Boston; its 15,000-watt transmitter was moved to Millis. By 1933, Westinghouse increased WBZ’s power to 50,000 watts. In 1940, the transmitter was moved to Hull. The station was made famous with its slogan, “The Spirit of New England.” After WWI, wireless radio grew with an increase in ham radio operators. Amateurs greatly contributed to the advance of the radio arts. One of their contributions was the development of voice modulated radio signals, which used Amplitude Modulation (AM).
WBZ first broadcast using AM 100 years ago. For their efforts, amateurs were granted permanent privileges for frequencies in the 80-, 40-, 20-, and 10-meter shortwave bands by the International Treaty in 1927. The partnership of commercial broadcasting and amateur radio hobbyists was very beneficial to all.
Read more at https://nediv.arrl.org/wbz100/
Kari Kallio to nordx iog (2021-09-18)