WNAC Timeline

Date

Event

7-31-1922

WNAC goes on the air with 100 watts at 1199 kHz. Owned by , of Shepard Department Stores (on air via verbal permission from Dept. of Commerce, as Mr. Shepard had apparently grown impatient of the extensive time it took for license approval). WNAC operated out of one of the Shepard stores.

9-15-22

WNAC becomes officially-licensed. On-air, it was known only as" The Shepard Station." The frequency is moved to 833 kHz.

1923

is hired as the first radio announcer in Boston. He stayed until 1924. During World War II he served as an Army officer performing public relations duties in the United States and Africa. From 1946 to 1955, he headed the Plymouth Rock Center of Music and Drama, in Plymouth.

1-04-1923

The first "network" broadcast is aired when A New York City concert was simulcast on WNAC and New York's WEAF (660 kHz). The audio connection was made by telephone, and the show ran about 5 minutes.

1924

Frequency changes to 1080 kHz

1924

First synagogue services are broadcast from WNAC, featuring “Radio Rabbi” Harry Levi of Temple Israel.

2-4-25

Frequency changes to 1070 kHz

1927

Frequency changes to 850 kHz

9-18-27

WNAC becomes one of the original 16 CBS network stations

1928

Frequency changes to 650 kHz.

4-1928

WNAC combines with WBIS, also owned by John Shepard.

11-11-28

As part of the Federal Radio Commission's massive frequency re-allocation, WNAC moves to 1230 kHz, still at 100 watts of power.

3-28-29

WNAC moves its transmitter to Quincy, and ups its power to 1,000 watts

WNAC combines with sister station WBIS on 1230 kHz

5-25-1930

WNAC forms the Yankee Network and signs up WNBH/New Bedford as its first affiliate.

4-1931

WNAC moves to new studios at the Hotel Buckminster in Boston's Kenmore Square.

3-1934

WNAC begins Yankee Network News (the Yankee News Service), a 15-minute, hourly newscast. The station (and network's) slogan, “News While It Is News,” was a slap at the newspapers which had tried to prevent radio from doing news. Mr. Shepherd apparently considered newspaper-news as being news that "was" news.

10-??-34

Power is upgraded to 2,500 watts by day, 1,000 watts at night. WBIS is deleted.

08-05-36

The Colonial Network is formed, based at WAAB, 1410 kHz, Boston.

8-13-36

Power increased to 5,000 watts daytime; still 1,000 watts at night

9-27-36

WNAC loses its CBS affiliation and briefly becomes an NBC Red affiliate

1-26-37

The station's licensee name is changed to Yankee Network, Inc.

1-26-37

WNAC and WAAB ownership is consolidated under The Yankee Network, Inc

12-19-37

WLAW (owned by the Lawrence Eagle-Tribune) signs on at 680 kHz with 1,000 Watts. Studios are at the newspaper's office. The transmitter is located in Andover.

1-1938

WNAC runs some NBC Red Network and Mutual Radio, as well as the Yankee Network.

5-27-39

Shepard stores begins W1XOJ, a 20,000 watt FM station listed as "The Yankee Network", in Paxton, MA on 43.0 megaHertz.

7-24-49

W1XOJ begins operating on a schedule of 16 hours a day on the air (8 a.m. to midnight) with 250 Watts on 133.03 mHz. Calls would become WEOD.

12-19-40

WNAC (AM) night power is increased to 5,000 watts.

1-15-41

W1XOJ's power was boosted to 50,000 watts.

3-29-41

WNAC moves to 1260 kHz, at a transmitter site in Milton, Massachusetts, about 10 miles south of Boston.

4-29-41

W1XOJ becomes WGTR (General Tire & Rubber), broadcasting 8 AM to midnight on 44.3 mHz, with 31,000 watts.

5-26-41

The first commercials exclusively for FM were broadcast. The commercials were bought by the Socony Vacuum Oil Company, today's Mobil.

11-43

W43B changes to WGTR (as in General Tire & Rubber), and moves to 103.1 mHz.

2-29-44

The station is purchased by the Winter Street Corporation, owners of the Yankee Network, based in Boston.

1948

WGTR moves to 99.1 mHz

6-21-48

WNAC-TV, channel 7, goes on the air.

10-1948

WGTR changes to WNAC-FM, moving to 98.5 mHz, with 10,000 watts.

1949

WNAC joins the Mutual Radio Network

6-11-1950

John Shepard III passes away

5-2-51

Following the death of Mr. Shepard (in 1950), the stations are sold to Thomas S. Lee Enterprises, Inc.

7-24-52

Stations purchased by General Teleradio, Inc. Click here for the unusual story of "how rubber meets radio!"

6-17-1953

WNAC purchases WLAW/Lawrence, Massachusetts, and moved WLAW to 680 kHz. Moves WNAC to 680 kHz, and the transmitter to the former WLAW transmitter site in Burlington, about 20 miles northwest of Boston. WNAC ups its power to 50,000 Watts. The old 1260 license was sold to WVDA, which became WEZE.

12-12-55

Stations are purchased by RKO Pictures, Inc, as RKO Teleradio.

1-1957

RKO Teleradio is renamed RKO General.

7-25-57

WNAC moves its transmitter site to Burlington, Massachusetts; about 20 miles northeast of the city limits.

1960

WNAC attempts a short-lived, unsuccessful, Top-40 format

1960

WNAC-FM/98.5 became WRKO-FM, simulcasting with WNAC full-time.

1963

To satisfy an upcoming FCC regulation banning full-time AM/FM simulcasting, WRKO-FM adds 12 hours of its own programming — Middle of the Road music — while continuing to simulcast with WNAC through the remaining hours.

9-1965

WNAC switches to a talk format

10-12-1966

WRKO-FM splits completely from WNAC, and becomes automated Top 40 "ARKO-matic," in mono.

1-25-1967

A memo from WNAC sales staffer Paul Kelley, Jr. to Blair Agency salesmen says the rumored WNAC format change is to become a reality, "no later than April 1, 1967."

2-21-67

Signal pattern changed to DA-2 (different directional antennas, both day and night)

2-1967

Newspaper article (opens in new window) reveals WNAC canceling its radio shows pending change to WRKO.

2-26-1967

WNAC ends the Yankee (news) Network, toward the impending format change.

3-13-1967

WNAC becomes WRKO, and changes its format to Top 40. The station went off the air as usual at midnight, Sunday evening, and returned to the air Monday morning at six, with Al Gates. WRKO-FM simulcasts with WRKO-AM 6 AM to 6 PM only. WRKO kicks off the new Top 40 format not under Drake-Chenault, using reverb, and jingles from PAMS.