HARTFORD RADIO HISTORY
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WSTC
1400 KHz, Stamford, CT
WSRR 1400 begins as Stamford's first station in 1941, later becoming WSTC. By 1946, WSTC was owned by Western Connecticut Broadcasting Company and broadcasting with 250 watts.
As noted in the article below the station nearly lost its license in the fall of 1970 when they allegedly censored comments made by a political candidate.
In 1981, the station was purchased by Radio Stamford, Inc. In 1985 Chase Broadcasting purchased the station and in 1989 the Forrest-Brody Group purchased the station.
Contributor Peter Kemp writes:
Some history on WSTC - 1400 Stamford. The station was located on the third floor of an old three story walk up on Atlantic Street. The station moved to studios to Prospect Street and finally out of Stamford, when the station merged with WNLK in Norwalk, simulcasting programming on 1350 and 1400.
WSTC was an ABC affiliated station. During the mid sixties Ray Marlin was the Program Director, John Roman was the News Director and Lyle Dorrian was the Chief Engineer. The assistant chief engineer was John Karleski and Pete Kemp, handled the remotes. WSTC very much covered the community programming airing many governmental meetings, civic, religious and sporting events. All remotes were handled via dedicated pre-installed telephone lines.
The transmitter was located on a beautiful secluded estate like property on Strawberry Hill Avenue. There were two homes, one lived in by the chief engineer and the other rented. The box like transmitter building contained all transmitters, back-up generators and transmitters. The tower was 287 feet tall, with an FM antenna strapped on the side. As real Estate became more valuable, the site
was sold. The transmitters and tower moving to Magee Avenue, in the Shippan area of Stamford.
A unique feature of this building was that it had a
sub-basement. Access was via a trap door and a wooden ladder. In the musty area was a back-up studio control board, two turntables and random pieces of equipment. One has to remember that during the 50s-60s bomb shelters were common. This wouldn't have qualified as a
real shelter, but the next best thing.
The only time I recall the sub basement studio was ever used was the great northeast blackout of November 1965. The downtown studios didn't have any back-up power. Emergency lighting consisted of a glass jar, to break in case of an emergency containing a candle and
matches, as a joke. When the town went dark, staffers at the station gathered together some records and a portable radio, heading out for the transmitter site. Lyle Dorrian kept the transmitters running. For programming, all that was in the studio was a Maguire Sisters record and an USAF program transcription. With one record on each turntable, programming consisted of going back and forth, with
an occasional break-in advising the audience we were on emergency power. Please continue to listen as up dated news will be forth coming. About twenty minutes later the troops from downtown arrived.
Probably the best remembered on-air staff member was Don Russell (Rustici). Don was a Stamford native. He knew everyone. He had network experience having been an announcer for the old DuMont TV Network and the Jackie Gleason Show. He was in Nashville for a few years, later returning home to Stamford around 1965 to a long on-air
run until his retirement, around 2007. He was especially adept in interviewing the newsmakers.
WSRR 1400 begins as Stamford's first station in 1941, later becoming WSTC. By 1946, WSTC was owned by Western Connecticut Broadcasting Company and broadcasting with 250 watts.
As noted in the article below the station nearly lost its license in the fall of 1970 when they allegedly censored comments made by a political candidate.
In 1981, the station was purchased by Radio Stamford, Inc. In 1985 Chase Broadcasting purchased the station and in 1989 the Forrest-Brody Group purchased the station.
Contributor Peter Kemp writes:
Some history on WSTC - 1400 Stamford. The station was located on the third floor of an old three story walk up on Atlantic Street. The station moved to studios to Prospect Street and finally out of Stamford, when the station merged with WNLK in Norwalk, simulcasting programming on 1350 and 1400.
WSTC was an ABC affiliated station. During the mid sixties Ray Marlin was the Program Director, John Roman was the News Director and Lyle Dorrian was the Chief Engineer. The assistant chief engineer was John Karleski and Pete Kemp, handled the remotes. WSTC very much covered the community programming airing many governmental meetings, civic, religious and sporting events. All remotes were handled via dedicated pre-installed telephone lines.
The transmitter was located on a beautiful secluded estate like property on Strawberry Hill Avenue. There were two homes, one lived in by the chief engineer and the other rented. The box like transmitter building contained all transmitters, back-up generators and transmitters. The tower was 287 feet tall, with an FM antenna strapped on the side. As real Estate became more valuable, the site
was sold. The transmitters and tower moving to Magee Avenue, in the Shippan area of Stamford.
A unique feature of this building was that it had a
sub-basement. Access was via a trap door and a wooden ladder. In the musty area was a back-up studio control board, two turntables and random pieces of equipment. One has to remember that during the 50s-60s bomb shelters were common. This wouldn't have qualified as a
real shelter, but the next best thing.
The only time I recall the sub basement studio was ever used was the great northeast blackout of November 1965. The downtown studios didn't have any back-up power. Emergency lighting consisted of a glass jar, to break in case of an emergency containing a candle and
matches, as a joke. When the town went dark, staffers at the station gathered together some records and a portable radio, heading out for the transmitter site. Lyle Dorrian kept the transmitters running. For programming, all that was in the studio was a Maguire Sisters record and an USAF program transcription. With one record on each turntable, programming consisted of going back and forth, with
an occasional break-in advising the audience we were on emergency power. Please continue to listen as up dated news will be forth coming. About twenty minutes later the troops from downtown arrived.
Probably the best remembered on-air staff member was Don Russell (Rustici). Don was a Stamford native. He knew everyone. He had network experience having been an announcer for the old DuMont TV Network and the Jackie Gleason Show. He was in Nashville for a few years, later returning home to Stamford around 1965 to a long on-air
run until his retirement, around 2007. He was especially adept in interviewing the newsmakers.
1970
