| abstract
| - WBZ is the callsign for an AM radio station in Boston, Massachusetts which is owned by CBS Radio (formerly Infinity Broadcasting), which itself is owned by the CBS Corporation. Originally based in Springfield, Massachusetts, WBZ swapped callsigns with sister station WBZA in 1931, a move that placed the station @ it's current location. WBZ radio, which broadcasts @ 1030 kHz, is the oldest surviving commercial radio station in New England, as it began broadcasting in 1921 (pioneering station WGI in nearby Medford Hillsides was transmitting regular programming as early as 1919 as experimental station 1XE, but went out of business in 1925). WBZ currently runs an All-news format during the day & a talk radio format @ night, with hosts like Dan Rea, Steve LeVeille & Jordan Rich. The station is the most listened-to radio station in the Boston area & covers much of the eastern United States & Canada @ night with it's 50,000-watt signal from their transmitter location in Hull, Massachusetts, which has been used by the station since 1940. The transmitter is a 2 tower directional array where each tower is 160 m tall. During the daytime hours, WBZ is also well-known for "Traffic on the 3s", which provides a summary of traffic conditions in the area. In addition, national & international news, as well as some segments, are provided by the ABC Information network & the CBS Radio Network (until December 2005, this included noted radio raconteur Paul Harvey, which was provided by ABC), but almost all programming, except for nighttime talk shows, is produced in-house. WBZ has also been heavily involved in charitable work, with it's annual Christmastime fund drive for Boston's Children's Hospital (which it does along with sister TV station WBZ-TV) being the most high-profile. It was the home of talkmaster David Brudnoy for 15 years, until the day before his death in 2004. Other notable personalities included talk show host Bob Kennedy, poet/personality Dick Summer, disc jockeys Bruce Bradley, Jeff Kaye, Ron Landry & later, Larry Justice, jazz DJ turned talkmaster Norm Nathan, late-night talker & humorist Larry Glick & morning personalities Tom Bergeron & Dave Maynard. During the 1940s, WBZ operated a shortwave station using the callsign WBOS; this station has been dark since 1953 & the callsign has since been reassigned to what is now an AAA station. Group W made half-hearted attempts to launch FM service @ various points operating FM service on 100.7 (now WZLX, ironically a current sister to WBZ-AM) & 106.7 (now WMJX owned by Greater Media), before selling each to other chains. Additionally, during the 1970s, WBZ was 1 of a number of clear-channel AM stations that petitioned to be allowed to increase their power; WBZ would have used half a megawatt out of Provincetown, Massachusetts to reach all of New England during the day. A backlash from smaller stations led to the petition being denied & station protections limited to a 750-mile radius, as well as the cancellation of the entire clear-channel service.
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