HARTFORD RADIO HISTORY is now
CT BROADCAST HISTORY!
CT BROADCAST HISTORY!
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WDRC (AM) was one of the first stations in Connecticut. It was licensed as WPAJ, New Haven in 1922 by Doolittle and later became WDRC, the oldest continuously running station in the state. The first studios were at 817 Chapel Street in New Haven. Later WDRC moved into the Taft Hotel.
Contributor Robert Paine: "What I've read from the Courant and, perhaps The Times, is that CBS wanted the station to move to Hartford to fill in the gap between Springfield and New York City. I don't know the details of the time line but the station did move fairly quickly. The signal coverage tests, etc., took awhile but the physical move was apparently accomplished in somewhat less than (I think) two weeks. The New Haven studios, at the Hotel Taft, were closed and a lot of long days and nights were put in readying the studios and transmitter. I believe that not all the work was finished by the time the station signed on in early December."
WDRC moved to Hartford in November 1930. On or about Dec. 5, 1930, it signed on from new studios in the Cornish Building at 11 Asylum Street (the same building used by WCCC in the sixties and seventies). The CT State Register in 1931 has WDRC, owned by the Doolittle Radio Corp, operating on 1330 KHz with 500 watts.
Two new towers were erected at 869 Blue Hills Avenue to support the station's "T" antenna. These early towers were located near the south border of the property. According to Contributor Wayne Mulligan the base of the East tower had to be removed when we expanded the parking lot and parts of the other base are still visible in the field behind the fence.
In 1935 these towers were replaced with the two self-supporting towers that are still in use today (photo below) and the power was increased to 1,000 watts. Wayne recalls "the East tower was the first of the new towers built in 1935. When they went to build the second one they couldn't get galvanized steel so that one is not galvanized. Also, the original transmitter building was located in what is now the parking lot near where the generator now sits."
In Dec. 1936 the station moved to the 16th floor at 750 Main Street. Sometime in the 1950s, it moved to the transmitter site at 869 Blue Hills Avenue in Bloomfield. It moved back to 750 Main Street in at some point in the the 60s. Sometime in the mid seventies the Bloomfield site was renovated and they moved back there to stay.
In 1938 WDRC was operating with 5,000 watts day and 1,000 watts night and in 1941 the frequency was changed to 1360 Khz.
There is an excellent and comprehensive WDRC history/tribute site:
http://www.wdrcobg.com/home.html
Contributor Robert Paine: "What I've read from the Courant and, perhaps The Times, is that CBS wanted the station to move to Hartford to fill in the gap between Springfield and New York City. I don't know the details of the time line but the station did move fairly quickly. The signal coverage tests, etc., took awhile but the physical move was apparently accomplished in somewhat less than (I think) two weeks. The New Haven studios, at the Hotel Taft, were closed and a lot of long days and nights were put in readying the studios and transmitter. I believe that not all the work was finished by the time the station signed on in early December."
WDRC moved to Hartford in November 1930. On or about Dec. 5, 1930, it signed on from new studios in the Cornish Building at 11 Asylum Street (the same building used by WCCC in the sixties and seventies). The CT State Register in 1931 has WDRC, owned by the Doolittle Radio Corp, operating on 1330 KHz with 500 watts.
Two new towers were erected at 869 Blue Hills Avenue to support the station's "T" antenna. These early towers were located near the south border of the property. According to Contributor Wayne Mulligan the base of the East tower had to be removed when we expanded the parking lot and parts of the other base are still visible in the field behind the fence.
In 1935 these towers were replaced with the two self-supporting towers that are still in use today (photo below) and the power was increased to 1,000 watts. Wayne recalls "the East tower was the first of the new towers built in 1935. When they went to build the second one they couldn't get galvanized steel so that one is not galvanized. Also, the original transmitter building was located in what is now the parking lot near where the generator now sits."
In Dec. 1936 the station moved to the 16th floor at 750 Main Street. Sometime in the 1950s, it moved to the transmitter site at 869 Blue Hills Avenue in Bloomfield. It moved back to 750 Main Street in at some point in the the 60s. Sometime in the mid seventies the Bloomfield site was renovated and they moved back there to stay.
In 1938 WDRC was operating with 5,000 watts day and 1,000 watts night and in 1941 the frequency was changed to 1360 Khz.
There is an excellent and comprehensive WDRC history/tribute site:
http://www.wdrcobg.com/home.html
Below: Sixties photo of WDRC "Ski Daddler" in Bushnell Park in Hartford.
Above: WDRC's towers behind the studio complex on Blue Hills Avenue in 2000. The back tower dates back to the late twenties! During the day the station operates non-directional with the tower in the foreground. From sunset to sunrise they use both towers to create a directional pattern to protect a station to the West.
Above: Danny Thomas (R) visits WDRC, May, 1964.
1960s Billboard
Above: What can we say? Fun Is . . .
Above: Scott Baron at the WDRC-FM transmitter site on West Peak in Meriden. As Chief Engineer of Buckley's five CT stations Scott has his hands full.
Tom Ray at the controls of WDRC, 1977! Photo courtesy of Tom Ray.
Above: QSL card signed by Mr. Watson, chief engineer. 1968.
750 Main St. in Hartford, twice home of WDRC
April 23, 1971
August 27, 1971
I recognize Dickie Robinson, but who are those young lads with him?
Frank Holler, Chuck Dube and Mike Stevens in the AM studio, 1991.
1991
The infamous Howe board in the AM studio, 1991
