WBZ-FM
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| City of license | Boston, Massachusetts |
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| Broadcast area | Greater Boston |
| Branding | 98.5 The Sports Bub |
| Slogan | Boston's Home for Sports |
| Frequency |
98.5 MHz (also on HD Radio) |
| First air date | October 1948 (as WNAC-FM)[1] August 13, 2009 (current format as WBZ-FM) |
| Format | Sports radio HD2: WBCN HD3: WBZ simulcast |
| ERP | 9,000 watts |
| HAAT | 349 meters |
| Class | B |
| Facility ID | 1901 |
| Transmitter coordinates | 42°18′27.4″N 71°13′25.2″W / 42.307611°N 71.223667°W |
| Callsign meaning | from heritage sister station WBZ (AM) |
| Former callsigns | WNAC-FM (1948–1958) WRKO-FM (1958–1968) WROR (1968–1991) WBMX(-FM) (1991–2009) |
| Affiliations | Fox Sports Radio New England Patriots Radio Network Boston Bruins Radio Network |
| Owner | CBS Radio (CBS Radio Stations Inc.) |
| Sister stations | WBMX, WBZ, WBZ-TV, WODS, WSBK-TV, WZLX |
| Webcast | Listen Live HD2: Listen Live |
| Website | www.cbsbostonsports.com www.wbcn.com (HD2) |
WBZ-FM is a sports radio station known as "98.5 The Sports Hub" and broadcasting on 98.5 MHz in Boston, Massachusetts. Owned by CBS Radio, the current WBZ-FM began on August 13, 2009 and competes with AM and FM sports talk station WEEI. WBZ-FM is home to the Boston Bruins, New England Patriots, and New England Revolution radio networks.
WBZ-FM has been the callsign of three broadcast stations in Boston, Massachusetts since 1943, all associated with Westinghouse Broadcasting/CBS Radio: one from 1943 to 1954; one from 1957 to 1981 (which became WMJX); and the new format from August 2009, which uses the frequency of the old WROR/WBMX.
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[edit] Callsign timeline
- 1943: W67B at 46.7 MHz becomes the first WBZ-FM
- 1946: WBZ-FM moves to 100.7 MHz
- 1947: WBZ-FM moves to 92.9 MHz
- 1954: First WBZ-FM goes off the air
- 1957: 106.7 goes on the air as the second WBZ-FM
- 1981: 106.7 sold; 106.7 drops WBZ-FM callsign to become WMJX
- 2009: 98.5 drops WBMX-FM callsign to become third WBZ-FM
[edit] First WBZ-FM
The first WBZ-FM had its origins in a construction permit held by Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Company to operate at 42.6 MHz;[2] this facility signed on as W1XK on November 7, 1940 from the Hull transmitter site of sister station WBZ.[3] Westinghouse soon sought a commercial FM license, and on February 19, 1941 was granted a construction permit for W67B on 46.7;[4] W1XK left the air for good on December 28, 1941, and W67B signed on March 29, 1942.[3] The call letters became WBZ-FM on November 2, 1943.[3] Initially, W67B/WBZ-FM was largely separately-programmed,[3] though in later years it became a simulcast of its AM sister station.[5]
After the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) moved the FM band to 88–108 MHz, WBZ-FM began to operate on 100.7 MHz on January 1, 1946 (while still operating on 46.7 as well).[3] The frequency again changed to 92.9 MHz on August 10, 1947[3] (the 100.7 frequency was reoccupied by WCOP-FM, now sister station WZLX, in 1948).[6] WBZ-FM's transmitter moved to the WBZ-TV (channel 4) tower at the stations' new studios in the Allston-Brighton portion of Boston in 1948,[7] with 92.9 operations from Hull ceasing on July 23 and the 46.7 operation shutting down on November 21.[3] The tower was destroyed by Hurricane Carol on August 31, 1954; after that point, WBZ-FM's operations were discontinued and the license surrendered to the FCC.[8] (The frequency has been occupied by WBOS since 1960.)
[edit] Second WBZ-FM: 106.7
After securing a new license for operation on 106.7 MHz, Westinghouse reactivated WBZ-FM on December 15, 1957.[9] The station initially operated only from 5 p.m.–midnight with a classical music format branded "Westinghouse Fine Music in Boston"; in 1959, WBZ-FM expanded its operating hours by simulcasting the AM sister station during periods in which the station had signed off.[5] After live programming was replaced with tapes of classical music in January 1960, WBZ-FM's separate programming was expanded, with the simulcast continuing in mornings.[5]
On December 31, 1971, WBZ-FM became a rock music station as "Rockin' Stereo 106.7"[10] programming mostly top 40 with some album cuts. Although automated, it featured voice-tracked announcing from Clark Smidt (who also programmed the station) and Ken Shelton. For a time in the mid-1970s, WBZ-FM was Boston's second most popular top 40 station, only trailing WRKO. In 1975, both Smidt and Shelton left to join WCOZ, which was changing formats from beautiful-music to album-oriented rock. By 1979, WBZ-FM had drifted into an automated album oriented rock format itself, which remained in place through 1981. As a rock station, WBZ-FM also simulcast the hourly newscasts from the AM side, the commercial spots on which were the only commercials heard on the FM side.
In 1981, WBZ-FM was sold to Greater Media, becoming that company's first Boston station. Under the new ownership, the station signed off for a couple of weeks at the very end of 1981. Before signing back on as "Magic" in January 1982 with the call letters WMJX, the station installed a new transmitter and raised the height of the antenna on the WBZ-TV tower. A few years later the transmission equipment was relocated to the Prudential Tower, giving 106.7 a great signal in downtown Boston.
[edit] Third WBZ-FM: 98.5
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In July 2009, CBS Radio announced that it would re-introduce WBZ-FM as a sports radio station named "98.5 The Sports Hub" at 1 p.m. on August 13,[11] moving the existing Hot AC "Mix 98.5" WBMX-FM to 104.1 as "Mix 104.1" on August 12,[12] and the existing active rock 104.1 WBCN to HD Radio subchannel 2 on the new 98.5, removing it from analog. "98.5 The Sports Hub" was created to go head to head against WEEI, at the time the top rated sports radio station in the Boston market. Two years later, WEEI would add an FM simulcast, a reaction to the success WBZ-FM was enjoying as an FM sports talker. The "Sports Hub" amended its slogan from "Boston's New (FM) Home For Sports" to "Boston's Home For Sports".
The call sign WBZ-FM was assigned to the station on August 5, 2009.
[edit] Shows
Boston Bruins games moved to WBZ-FM from WBZ/1030.[12] The Toucher and Rich Show and New England Patriots games came from WBCN.
[edit] Weekdays
- The Toucher and Rich Show
- This show airs from 6–10 a.m. The hosts are Fred Toucher, and Rich Shertenlieb. Sports headlines are read by Jon Wallach.
- Gresh and Zolak
- Andy Gresh and former New England Patriots quarterback Scott Zolak are the hosts. The show airs from 10 a.m.–2 p.m. Sports headlines are read by "Hardy" (Rob Poole).
- Felger and Massarotti
- Michael Felger and Tony Massarotti host in the afternoon from 2–6 p.m. Sports headlines are read by Marc Bertrand. Chris Gasper of the Boston Globe and former New England Patriots tight end Jermaine Wiggins make weekly appearences as a third co-host.
- The D.A. Show
- Damon Amendolara hosts the evening show from 6 p.m.–11 p.m. Sports headlines are read by Chuck Perks.
During the baseball season Massarotti hosts "The Baseball Reporters" from 6–7 p.m., with Amendolara following from 7 p.m. until midnight.
[edit] Weekends
- Bertrand and Gasper
Marc Bertrand and Christopher Gasper host from 8–11 a.m. on Saturday.
- Hardy and Trupiano
Airs at various times on weekends.
- Johnston and Flynn
Ryan Johnston and former NFL player Mike Flynn host at various times on weekends.
[edit] New England Patriots coverage
The New England Patriots pregame and postgame shows are hosted by Gary Tanguay, Scott Zolak, and Andy Gresh. Gil Santos and Gino Cappelletti continue to handle the play-by-play duties while Zolak is sideline reporter.
[edit] Boston Bruins coverage
Boston Bruins coverage features Dave Goucher as the play-by-play man and Bob Beers handling the color commentary.
[edit] New England Revolution coverage
New England Revolution coverage is a simulcast of the audio from the television coverage on Comcast SportsNet New England. Play-by-play is done by Brad Feldman. Jay Heaps contributed color commentary until his promotion to manager for the 2012 season.
[edit] References
- ^ "Yankee FM". ggn information systems. http://www.ggninfo.com/yankee1.htm. Retrieved January 15, 2012.
- ^ Halper, Donna; Wollman, Garrett. "The Eastern Massachusetts Radio Timeline: the 1930s". The Archives @ BostonRadio.org. http://www.bostonradio.org/timeline/timeline-30s. Retrieved January 15, 2012.
- ^ a b c d e f g Miller, Jeff. "Earliest FM Radio Stations". History of American Broadcasting. http://jeff560.tripod.com/fmfirst.html. Retrieved January 15, 2012.
- ^ Halper, Donna; Wollman, Garrett. "The Eastern Massachusetts Radio Timeline: the 1940s". The Archives @ BostonRadio.org. http://www.bostonradio.org/timeline/timeline-40s. Retrieved January 15, 2012.
- ^ a b c "The Boston Radio Dial: WMJX(FM)". The Archives @ BostonRadio.org. Framingham, Massachusetts: Garrett A. Wollman. 2007-04-20. http://www.bostonradio.org/stations/25052. Retrieved 2009-08-01.
- ^ "The Boston Radio Dial: WZLX(FM)". The Archives @ BostonRadio.org. Framingham, Massachusetts: Garrett A. Wollman. 2007-04-20. http://www.bostonradio.org/stations/13806. Retrieved 2009-08-01.
- ^ Fybush, Scott (August 5, 2005). "WBZ: 65 Years in Hull, part I". Tower Site of the Week. http://www.fybush.com/sites/2005/site-050805.html. Retrieved April 10, 2011.
- ^ "The Boston Radio Dial: WBOS(FM)". The Archives @ BostonRadio.org. August 16, 2009. http://www.bostonradio.org/stations/23439. Retrieved January 15, 2012.
- ^ "WBZ-FM Makes Bow on 106.7 Mc". Broadcasting-Telecasting. December 23, 1957. http://www.davidgleason.com/Archive%20BC/57-OCR/BC-1957-12-23-Page-58.pdf. Retrieved April 16, 2011.
- ^ http://las-solanas.com/arsa/surveys_item.php?svid=10312
- ^ CBS Radio (2009-07-15). "98.5 The Sports Hub Debut". Facebook. http://www.facebook.com/pages/985-The-Sports-Hub/118684094344?v=feed&story_fbid=118816334344&xyzzyxyzy=mf. Retrieved 2009-08-01.
- ^ a b CBS Radio. "CBS Radio to Launch Boston's Newest and Only FM Sports Station, 98.5 The Sports Hub, on Thursday, August 13". http://thephoenix.com/BLOGS/dontquoteme/archive/2009/07/14/cbs-s-wbcn-press-release.aspx. Retrieved 2009-08-01.
[edit] External links
- Official website
- Query the FCC's FM station database for WBZ-FM
- Radio-Locator information on WBZ
- Query Arbitron's FM station database for WBZ
| Preceded by 104.1 WBCN |
Radio home of the New England Patriots 2009–present |
Succeeded by incumbent |
| Preceded by 1030 WBZ |
Radio home of the Boston Bruins 2009–present |
Succeeded by incumbent |
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