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February
14, 1941 - Doolittle's FM took part in a unique
radio relay test. Major Armstrong, speaking by telephone (from
New York) to the Yankee Network studios in Boston, was fed
to Yankee's W1XOJ transmitter at Paxton. The signal was relayed,
by FM, to W1XER atop Mt. Washington...back to Paxton...on
to W1XPW on Meriden Mountain...and on to Armstrong's
W2XMN in Alpine. Engineers at each site spoke freely over
the air with each other, without static. (note: this excerpt
was recorded by W1XPW engineer John Denny at Meriden; he was
recording the off-air signal of W1XOJ. The first voice is
that of Major Armstrong, followed by Paul deMars of the Yankee
Network.)
(photo
l-r:) Major E.H. Armstrong and Franklin Doolittle in front
of an REL Catalog #517 FM receiver
used at W1XPW for relay chain pickups on Meriden Mountain.
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July,
1942 - Doolittle was appointed technical FM advisor
to Board of War Communications in Washington, DC.
1944
- He was named technical advisor to the Defense Communications
Board, Washington, DC. Doolittle and Walter
B. Haase assumed co-general manager responsibilities of
WDRC and W1XPW.
click
for more photos of Western Electric microphone
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April
3, 1944 - Doolittle purchased 68 acres atop Talcott Mountain
in Farmington, CT, "as a site for a future television station
and for other future radio purposes." He stressed TV would not
be available on a broad scale immediately after the war, though
frequency modulation would be in general use.
Click
for more on Doolittle's unsuccessful TV efforts.
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1945
- Doolittle served on the CBS Affiliates Advisory Board.
December
7, 1952 - Doolittle applied for a television license
(but ultimately it was awarded to another company).
August
18, 1958 - Doolittle fashioned an electronic announcer
monitor. A tape recorder running at slow speed was hooked
to the studio signal light and each time a microphone was
live, the recorder ran. About six hours of programming could
be stored on each reel.
July
15, 1959 - The FCC approved the sale of WDRC
(and an FM construction permit) to Buckley-Jaeger Broadcasting
Corporation of Connecticut for $815,000.
(photo
l-r:) Walter B. Haase & Franklin M. Doolittle, December,
1950.
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Winter,
1972 -
During WDRC's 50th Anniversary celebration, news director
Walt Dibble met with Doolittle
for an interview about the station's early days. The founder
was willing to share his recollections, but he refused to
permit his voice to be put on tape!
March
4, 1979 - Franklin M. Doolittle died at Yale-New
Haven Hospital at the age of 85.
For
more detailed information about both of Doolittle's FM stations
visit the History page.
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