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WILD & WKOX TRANSMITTER SITE MAY BECOME SONIC DRIVE-IN RESTAURANT

E

Early Byrd

Has anybody heard that there are discussions before the City of Medford City Council about OKing a proposal to put a Sonic Drive-In Restaurant where the vacant former KISS-108 studios, WILD and WKOX transmitter site are at 99 Revere Beach Parkway?

Where would WILD and WKOX relocate their transmitter sites to?
 
Sonic is in the midst of a big push eastward. They have opened a bunch of places in both Philly and NYC. They could easily build their restaurant around the towers, especially if they replaced them with self supporting ones. Avis did exactly that here at my station (WURD) and park cars literally right next to the tower fences.

Wouldn't that be ironic though? That land started out as a fast food place (The Big S)and might well wind up as one.
 
Just what Wellington Circle needs! More traffic! ;D

That might not be the greatest spot for a high volume restaurant though. I think you can only enter/exit from the eastbound RBP. They recently opened a Sonic in Wilmington near me. I have yet to try it.
 
aerie said:
Just what Wellington Circle needs! More traffic! ;D

That might not be the greatest spot for a high volume restaurant though. I think you can only enter/exit from the eastbound RBP. They recently opened a Sonic in Wilmington near me. I have yet to try it.
Click to expand...

Try the onion rings, you will thank me.
 
I don't see them doing it without using the parking lot next door that used to be a fruit stand back in the day.

I have not been down that way lately, but that parking lot always seemed to generate a good bit of cash for not a lot of effort. Sonic must be offering big bucks.

Possible transmitter sites, up on 590's tower, or up on the old WFNX tower behind the old Malden Hospital, or stay put.

Given the NIMBY status of anything transmitter related inside of 495, good luck to them.
 
Couldn't they just tear down the existing former studios and build the Sonic there, towers intact?

The franchisee that is building Sonic Drive-in's in CT has been doing that. The Wallingford restaurant was built on a former building site, and the currently-under-construction Manchester, CT location in the highly profitable Buckland Hills development is being built where a not-so-old 99 Restaurant stood until a few weeks ago.

Sonic franchisees are rolling out the dough, this could be possible in Medford.
 
reelyreal said:
The Wallingford restaurant was built on a former building site.
Click to expand...

The site of the Yankee Silversmith, a restaurant in an old dining car that was much beloved by previous generations. It never reopened after a seemingly minor fire and was, somewhat surprisingly, declared a total loss. Not so surprisingly, the family that owned the aging restaurant is now involved with the Sonic expansion into the state.

I'm at a loss to explain the Sonic phenomenon. It has been a howling success so far, especially in the summer. I'd have thought the novelty of carhop service would have worn off by now, but it apparently hasn't. The food can't be the attraction; other than corn dogs and tater tots, Sonic doesn't sell anything you can't get at other fast food places or snack stands.
 
reelyreal said:
Couldn't they just tear down the existing former studios and build the Sonic there, towers intact?
Click to expand...

I would think so. The 1090 & 1430 transmitters are already housed in a pre-fab building behind the old studios.
 
I am originally from Medford and read the local papers often. I believe there were concerns about increased traffic in the area but plans to open a Sonic on the site of the old WXKS/WWEL/WHIL studios are moving forward. I believe the Kiss 108 and AM 1430 transmitters will continue to occupy the land behind the building.

The studios sit on land that was once the Medford Dump. Wasn't the Big S next door where the Wellington T station now sits?

I am not impressed with Sonic's O Rings but the Cherry Lime aid is worth stopping for especially during their happy hour when the drinks are 1/2 price
 
vmorrison said:
I believe the Kiss 108 and AM 1430 transmitters will continue to occupy the land behind the building.
The studios sit on land that was once the Medford Dump. Wasn't the Big S next door where the Wellington T station now sits?
Click to expand...

Kiss 108 has not had a transmitter at Wellington Circle for decades; it's on the Pru. The towers in the parking lot at 99 Revere Beach Parkway are for AM 1430 (now WKOX--both towers at night; one by day) and WILD AM 1090 (one tower daytime only). As do several others, I do not believe that a new drive-in restaurant on the property will affect the AM towers in the parking lot. As has already been stated, the parking lot will likely not be affected either; the AM ground system is under the hot-topping. There has been a succession of food-service places at that location for years. The one I remember was a sub shop. Was that The Big S?
 
DanStrassberg said:
Kiss 108 has not had a transmitter at Wellington Circle for decades; it's on the Pru.
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I don't believe that 107.9 ever transmitted from the Wellington site as "Kiss 108" (unless as an occasional backup). It was moved to the Pru in the mid-'70s when it was still "beautiful music" WWEL-FM. "Kiss 108" always transmitted from the Pru.
 
[Kiss 108 has not had a transmitter at Wellington Circle for decades; it's on the Pru. The towers in the parking lot at 99 Revere Beach Parkway are for AM 1430 (now WKOX--both towers at night; one by day) and WILD AM 1090 (one tower daytime only). As do several others, I do not believe that a new drive-in restaurant on the property will affect the AM towers in the parking lot. As has already been stated, the parking lot will likely not be affected either; the AM ground system is under the hot-topping. There has been a succession of food-service places at that location for years. The one I remember was a sub shop. Was that The Big S?
[/quote]

I am not a tech guy but I knew that the Kiss 108 stick was on the Pru. I thought there was still something in the back of 99 Revere Beach Parkway that sent the signal from Medford to the Pru.
 
I'm sure any STL got moved to 10 Cabot Rd when they moved over to the WZOU studios

I don't know how they are getting the WILD and 1430 audio onto the transmitter site these days, but being AM radio 2 tin cans and string would suffice
 
The original FM was on the old WHIL stick which was behind the Revere Beach studios, and the FM, WHIL-FM transmitted from the same tower in Medford before moving to the Pru and being WWEL.
 
The Big S! I was wondering about that place. On the Google Satellite view, the footprint of the old buildings for the Big S can still be seen today.
I remember eating there as a kid and remembered how great the food was there, great rice!
Also remember the Kiss-108 air staff often mentioning that place next door.
I thought it might have been the SSS, but it probably was the Big S.
Great memory.
 
Seeing "old" threads have been resurrected the last couple of days...does anyone know what happened to DanStrassberg? I always enjoyed reading his posts.
 
I remember calling WXKS one Sunday: "Do you know your transmitter on the Pru is cycling off and on?" "it is?? Geez! Thanks!"
 
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