Yankee Network

The Yankee Network was an American radio network, based in Boston, Massachusetts, with affiliate radio stations throughout New England.Francis G. Jenkins. "New radio Station Chain Under Way. Washington Post, February 2, 1930, p. F5. At the height of its influence, the Yankee Network had as many as 24 affiliated radio stations."Yankee Web's Comeuppance Via 24 Outlets." Variety, October 23, 1946, p. 31. The network was co-founded by John Shepard III and his brother Robert, in 1929–1930."Yankee Network is Being Formed." New York Times, February 9, 1930, p. X20. The beginnings of what became the Yankee Network occurred in the mid-1920s, when John Shepard's Boston station WNAC linked by telephone land lines with Robert Shepard's station in Providence, Rhode Island, WEAN, so that the two stations could share or exchange programming."Sporting Events Featured at WNAC." Boston Herald, July 5, 1925, p. D5. Those two stations became the first two Yankee Network stations. In 1930, they were joined by the first affiliated radio stations, including WLBZ in Bangor, Maine; WORC in Worcester, Massachusetts; WNBH in New Bedford, Massachusetts; and WICC in Bridgeport, Connecticut. During the 1930s, the network became known for developing its own local and regional news bureau, the Yankee News Service."News Listeners Cry Out Against Limited Programs." Christian Science Monitor, March 5, 1934, p. 4. The Yankee Network and the Yankee News Service operated until February 1967.Joseph T. Sullivan. "Golden Music to Replace WNAC Talk." Boston Herald, February 15, 1967, p. 31.

History Early years

The main benefit of joining the Yankee Network was that it offered its affiliates as much as 17 hours of daily programming."Yankee Network Becomes Reality." Boston Globe, July 13, 1930, p. 51. Yankee affiliates were provided with access to some of the best-known Boston vocalists and orchestras, as well as nationally-known entertainers who were appearing in Boston or Providence. For example, a concert by opera star Mary Garden was broadcast,"Two Operas Will Be Broadcast." Boston Herald, February 1, 1931, p. B8. as was a concert by the Providence Symphony Orchestra."Symphony on Air from Providence." Boston Herald, May 1, 1932, p. 10A. Dance music was often played by bandleader Joe Rines and his orchestra,"Joe Rines Orchestra for Scott Furriers." Boston Herald, September 25, 1932, p. 30. or by other popular bandleaders like Dok Eisenbourg."Eisenbourg to Start New Series on Chain." Boston Herald, June 5, 1932, p. 5A The Yankee Network also had its own 22-piece orchestra, led by Charles R. Hector.Francis G. Jenkins. "New radio Station Chain Under Way. Washington Post, February 2, 1930, p. F5. Among other popular entertainers heard on the Yankee Network in the early 1930s were pianist, songwriter and bandleader Gus Arnheim,"Gus Arnheim on Yankee Network." Boston Herald, November 22, 1931, p. A5. and local favorites "Hum and Strum.""WNAC Anniversary on Forty Stations." Boston Herald, July 27, 1930, p. 27. The Yankee Network broadcast radio plays, featuring its own drama troupe, made up of members of the WNAC staff, led by announcer Ben Hadfield."On the Air." Boston Herald, April 29, 1932, p. 40. In addition to religious services and educational talks, there were also cultural programs, including excerpts from "The Green Pastures," a play starring black actor Richard B. Harrison;"Members of Green Pastures Company in Half-Hour Broadcast." Springfield (MA) Republican, October 2, 1932, p. 6C. and talks by the region's mayors, governors, and other political leaders."Secretary Dern at Irish Dinner." Springfield MA) Republican, March 17, 1933, p. 21. For sports fans, they could hear Boston Braves and Boston Red Sox baseball games, announced by Fred Hoey."Fred Hoey to Report Baseball for WNAC." Boston Herald, April 21, 1931, p. C7. College football, broadcast live from various schools in the region, was also a popular feature."First Football Game on Yankee Network." Springfield (MA) Republican, September 24, 1932, p. 8. In addition to providing local and regional programming, the Yankee Network was also affiliated with the Columbia Broadcasting System (later known as CBS),"WNAC Anniversary on Forty Stations." Boston Herald, July 27, 1930, p. 27. which provided national programs to complement Yankee's New England focus.

By 1931, the network was also offering regular news broadcasts, on the half-hour, making use of reporting by some of Boston's newspapers.Mark J. Staples. "Yankee Network Has Cooperative News Arrangements with New England Press." Broadcasting, December 1, 1931, p. 10. But by 1933, the relationship between print and radio had become contentious, with newspapers no longer willing to provide news to radio stations. The so-called "Press-Radio Agreement" limited the number of newscasts radio stations could broadcast to only two a day, and listeners were very upset that they could no longer hear regular news on the air."News Listeners Cry Out Against Limited Programs." Christian Science Monitor, March 5, 1934, p. 4. In early March 1934, John Shepard III organized his own news bureau, the Yankee News Service, to provide his affiliates with regular local and regional news reports."John Shepard Organizes Own News Bureau to Feed Yankee Network." Variety, February 27, 1934, p. 39. It replaced the newscasts previously provided by reporters from the Boston Herald-Traveler, Boston American, and Boston Daily Record. Shepard hired Richard D. Grant, a former print journalist from the Boston Evening Transcript, to be in charge of the news broadcasts."Radio News Cut to Tabloid Size from March 1." Christian Science Monitor, February 28, 1934, pp 1, 4. Editor in chief was Leland Bickford,"Yankee News Marks 25th Anniversary on TV Today." Boston Globe, March 1, 1959, p. 55. who co-wrote a book in 1935 about the first year of the Yankee News Service. The Yankee News Service used the slogan "News while it IS News," intended as a jab at the newspapers, which disseminated news at a slower pace than radio. That was also the title of the book about the creation of the news service.Leland Bickford, with Walter Fogg. News While It Is News: The Real Story of the Radio News. Boston: Manthorne & Co., 1935. In addition, on February 20, 1938, the Yankee Network debuted its own radio weather service, to provide up-to-date weather information to affiliates."Radio Weather Service for New England." Christian Science Monitor, February 15, 1938, p. 10. The first chief meteorologist of the Yankee Network Weather Service was Salvatore Pagliuca, who had formerly worked at the Blue Hills Observatory and the Mount Washington Observatory."Military Rights for Maj. Pagliuca." Boston Herald, May 4, 1944, p. 21.

Expansion

Throughout the early-to-mid 1930s, the Yankee Network continued to expand, picking up affiliates in such cities as Springfield, Massachusetts; Hartford, Connecticut; and Manchester, New Hampshire."We Pay Our Respects." Broadcasting, August 15, 1932, p. 17. The network also received support from advertisers, who saw it as an effective way to reach an audience that extended throughout New England."WDRC Signs For Yankee Broadcasts." Hartford Courant, December 21, 1930, p.16A. In 1935, the Yankee Network centralized its executive offices and studios in a new headquarters, 21 Brookline Avenue in Boston. The move followed a $25,000 renovation of the facilities. Also included in the building were studios and offices of WNAC and WAAB, the network's Boston stations.

One area where the expansion was noticeable was in the news department, which was praised by national magazines like Variety for its coverage of state legislatures, as well as coverage of news-makers throughout New England."Yankee Network News Flashes." Variety, March 27, 1934, p. 38. There was some early controversy over John Shepard's policy of inserting brief "plugs" (sponsor mentions) into the newscasts, but Shepard defended the practice as necessary in order to support the broadcasts."Yankee Web Seeds Disguised Blurbs Into News Service-- Public No Like." Variety, April 3, 1935, p. 39. Gradually, as the network hired more staff and was able to cover stories more extensively, the complaints diminished. By 1939, the Yankee Network was said to be the first regional network to send a full-time reporter, Pete Tully, to Washington, D.C. to cover Congress."Yankee's Washington Newsman." Broadcasting, June 1, 1939, p. 22. The Yankee Network also earned praise for its coverage of natural disasters in New England, such as in April 1936, when heavy rainstorms caused flooding in western Massachusetts,Norman Corwin, "City's Ether Vibrated with Phenomenal Precedent as Spectacular Broadcasts Told Nation of the Flood." Springfield (MA) Sunday Republican, April 12, 1936, p. E1. or in September 1938, when a hurricane devastated much of Southern New England. Yankee affiliate WMAS in Springfield was instrumental in keeping the public informed, broadcasting weather reports and news coverage around the clock until the storm had ended;"Radio Again Succors Stricken Region." Broadcasting, October 1, 1938, p. 66 and later, WMAS raised funds for on-going disaster relief in the region."Western Mass. Red Cross Issues Joint Plea over WMAS Tonight." Springfield (MA) Republican, November 13, 138, p. 3.

Despite John Shepard's affiliation of his Yankee Network stations with CBS, he still became involved in the founding of a new network, which came to be known as the Mutual Broadcasting System, and he served on its board of directors.Christopher Sterling and Michael Keith. Sounds of Change: A History of FM Broadcasting in America. University of North Carolina Press, 2008, p. 24. Beginning around 1936, the Yankee Network also started to carry some Mutual programs."Networks Now Changed Over." Boston Herald, September 27, 1936, p. 4C. Meanwhile, there were some changes in Boston radio that affected the Yankee Network. CBS had begun purchasing stations, in addition to providing network programming. In early 1936, CBS purchased Boston's WEEI, making it necessary for Shepard's WNAC to affiliate with a different network, NBC's Red Network."Transfer of WEEI to CBS Approved." Broadcasting, July 1, 1936, p. 76. The change officially took place in late September of that year."WEEI and WNAC Change Networks." Boston Herald, September 27, 1936, p. C3.

In the late 1930s, Shepard had become interested in frequency modulation (later known as FM). In 1937 a plan was developed envisioning that 90% of New England could be provided with FM programs by building mountaintop stations, consisting of a 50 kilowatt transmitter on Mount Asnebumskit at Paxton, Massachusetts, plus 5 kilowatt stations on Mount Washington in New Hampshire and Mount Mansfield in Vermont."More FM Service in New England" by A. F. Sise, FM magazine, April 1941, pages 8-14. (Later plans dropped the proposed Mount Mansfield station). With the help of the inventor of FM, Major Edwin H. Armstrong, the Yankee Network inaugurated the nation's first FM radio network, beginning with an early January 1940 demonstration of an FM inter-city relay, linking Shepard's experimental FM station W1XOJ in Paxton, Massachusetts, to an FM transmitter at station W1XPW in Meriden, Connecticut (now WHCN), to Armstrong's W2XMN in Alpine, New Jersey, to the parent broadcasting system based in the studios of WEAF in New York."Short Wave Replaces Wires to Link Radio Chain in Test." Christian Science Monitor, January 6, 1940, p. 1. Shepard's FM network officially made its debut in December 1940 when W1XOJ in Paxton was permanently linked with W1XER on Mount Washington."Chain of Staticless Stations Organized by Shepard Group." Christian Science Monitor, May 6, 1941, p. 18. Because of their superior audio quality, the FM stations became known for broadcasting live classical music concerts."Boston String Orchestra in Debut Over FM." Boston Herald, January 11, 1942, p. 4B.