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Photo of the Month |
July 2005
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The Radio
Voice of New
Hampshire
WMUR-FM discontinues
operation after December 27, 1950
WMUR applies to
the FCC for an FM station on the low band, on December 12, 1940. The station
would be on 43.5 mc with a coverage area of 20.290 sq. miles, 103rd
to file with the FCC.
A memo dated March
21, 1942 discusses the pro's and con's of three location, Mt. Kearsarge,
Mt. Shaw and Mt. Uncanoonuc. Mt. Kearsarge was not available. The
memo indicates that a
50,000 transmitter on Uncanoonuc or a 10,000 watt unit on Mt. Shaw would yield approximately
the same coverage area in it's prime
coverage area of southern New Hampshire. Mt. Uncanoonuc
would require a directional antenna to protect an unnamed station in
Boston. (CBS).
Estimated construction cost for Shaw was $100,000 while Uncanoonuc would
be $200,000.
Operating expenses for Uncanoonuc estimated to be 100% more than Shaw.
"It appears that Mount Shaw excels in coverage, installation and maintenance
costs."
The August 1943
issue of Communications magazine still lists WMUR at 43.5mc with
with transmitter to be located on Mt. Shaw with no action from the FCC.
On January 26,
1947, the FCC issues a construction permit for WMUR-FM to operate on 95.7 mc
with an ERP of 3.3 KW at 1475' above sea level. On the same date WFEA is
also issued a CP
for a new FM on 101.1 mc and ERP of 3.4 KW (WVMA fm). Both stations
were to operate using
shared space on Mt. Uncanoonuc using a single 2 bay superturnstile FM antenna
fed via a diplexer.
There were weather
related construction problems with the Mt. Uncanoonuc transmitter site.
WMUR-FM begins broadcasting, on an interim basis with reduced power, on December
21 at 7pm.
The transmitter is located in the studio building at 1819 Elm
Street. On October 18, 1948 the
station is temporarily shut down to move the transmitter to it's permanent
location atop Mt. Uncanoonuc.
WMUR-FM resumes with full power from Mt. Uncanoonuc at 7:45 am on January
23, 1949.
Regular schedule is to be 3 to 11:15 pm daily. WVMA (fm) was never constructed.
The FCC granted WMUR-FM a license on July 15, 1949. The last day of broadcasting
was Wednesday
December 27, 1950, at which time the license was returned to the FCC and
the call letters were deleted.
The transmitter
building and tower would later be used for WMUR-TV and the RCA transmitter
would return
to service, still on 95.7, by WKBR-FM when the station moved to a Class B
facility.
The WVMA frequency of 101.1 was later assigned to WGIR-FM. WGIR is the
former WMUR (am)
WKBR-FM became WZID fm which is now paired with WFEA.
WMUR-FM tower and
antenna are on my HOME
page. Additional photos
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FCC documents from National Archives/FCC files, thanks to Ed Brouder.
