WBOQ
Encyclopedia
WBOQ is a radio station
licensed to Gloucester, Massachusetts
, USA, with studios on Route 1A
in North Beverly
. The station is currently owned by Westport Broadcasting.
baseball as part of the Red Sox Radio Network.
(c.1920-July 11, 1995. After working in radio in New Jersey, Geller moved to Gloucester in 1964 because, he told a reporter, it was the biggest town on the East Coast without a radio station. He first applied for a license for an AM station on 1410 kHz but the F.C.C. denied this, awarding the frequency instead to Brockton, Massachusetts. They suggested Geller apply for an FM channel at 104.9 MHz instead. This station became WVCA: The Voice of Cape Ann, a phrase which became attached to Mr. Geller himself.
Geller operated the station out of his apartment, running it primarily on donations from among his estimated 43,000 listeners within the 35-mile radius reached by the station. When it was time to take a lunch break or run an errand, the unpredictable Geller might simply shut the station down. His eccentric on-air behavior earned Geller a loyal following of listeners wondering what he might do or say next.
Geller owned the station for over 20 years before selling it in 1988 and moving to Las Vegas. During the time he owned WVCA, Grandbanke Communications filed a petition to deny license renewals because, they argued, he had not fulfilled the station's public service requirements. Grandbanke's application to take over the frequency was at first successful but upon appeal it was ultimately denied in 1985. Geller's argument was that the value of the frequency had gone up considerably, to at least $800,000, due to its proximity to Boston.
Radio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
licensed to Gloucester, Massachusetts
Gloucester, Massachusetts
Gloucester is a city on Cape Ann in Essex County, Massachusetts, in the United States. It is part of Massachusetts' North Shore. The population was 28,789 at the 2010 U.S. Census...
, USA, with studios on Route 1A
Massachusetts Route 1A
Route 1A is a south–north state highway in Massachusetts. It is an alternate route to U.S. 1 with three signed sections and two unsigned sections where the highway is concurrent with its parent...
in North Beverly
Beverly, Massachusetts
Beverly is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 39,343 on , which differs by no more than several hundred from the 39,862 obtained in the 2000 census. A resort, residential and manufacturing community on the North Shore, Beverly includes Beverly Farms and Prides...
. The station is currently owned by Westport Broadcasting.
Programming
The frequency was home to a longtime classical format, first as WVCA and then WBOQ ("W-Bach"). After the station's sale to new owner Douglas Tanger in 1988 it maintained its classical programming, adding on-air hosts well-versed in the form, such as professional flutist Heather Kent and program director Steve Murphy, a singer and choral conductor. In the late 90's WBOQ transitioned to a mix of Broadway and movie music, and later to a jazz standards format. At the end of 2003 the station flipped to an oldies format under new owner Todd Tanger and Program Director Charlie Curtis, a veteran air personality at such oldies outlets as WCBS-FM in New York and WOMC in Detroit. It also adopted the new name "North Shore 104.9", to reflect the station's dedication to its North Shore location. The station's listening audience has grown considerably since then. Since 2006 it has carried Boston Red SoxBoston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
baseball as part of the Red Sox Radio Network.
WVCA
The station was founded by Lowell, Massachusetts native Simon GellerSimon Geller
Simon Geller was an American classical music station radio personality who ran a one-man radio station in Gloucester, Massachusetts.- Radio career :...
(c.1920-July 11, 1995. After working in radio in New Jersey, Geller moved to Gloucester in 1964 because, he told a reporter, it was the biggest town on the East Coast without a radio station. He first applied for a license for an AM station on 1410 kHz but the F.C.C. denied this, awarding the frequency instead to Brockton, Massachusetts. They suggested Geller apply for an FM channel at 104.9 MHz instead. This station became WVCA: The Voice of Cape Ann, a phrase which became attached to Mr. Geller himself.
Geller operated the station out of his apartment, running it primarily on donations from among his estimated 43,000 listeners within the 35-mile radius reached by the station. When it was time to take a lunch break or run an errand, the unpredictable Geller might simply shut the station down. His eccentric on-air behavior earned Geller a loyal following of listeners wondering what he might do or say next.
Geller owned the station for over 20 years before selling it in 1988 and moving to Las Vegas. During the time he owned WVCA, Grandbanke Communications filed a petition to deny license renewals because, they argued, he had not fulfilled the station's public service requirements. Grandbanke's application to take over the frequency was at first successful but upon appeal it was ultimately denied in 1985. Geller's argument was that the value of the frequency had gone up considerably, to at least $800,000, due to its proximity to Boston.