103.3 WEEI-FM becomes Hit Radio WHTT
CBS’ 103.3 WEEI-FM in Boston was in the process of a drawn out evolution from Soft Rock to Top 40 in the early 1980’s. The station had already been using the name “Hit Radio 103″ when CBS sold AM sister 590 WEEI. As part of the sale, per FCC rules at the time, 103.3 had to change it call letters. In order to play up the new “Hit Radio” format, WHTT was born.
This aircheck features a WEEI-FM legal ID from 5:00pm on March 8 and the birth of WHTT at midnight on March 9.
Just one thing though…what was that last jingle package that WEEI-FM was using in the beginning of this clip before they signed off?
I’m not sure, but I would sure like to get a recording of that jingle and others in that package. Can anyone tell us who created these jingles of WEEI-FM on the last day at 5PM March 9, 1983?
Very good Top hour for WEEI swan song and a good Top hour for WHTT. The retrosepctive on the station’s history was good, however one might wonder with heritage calls,(back when those still mattered), why they went all out with new calls. I can understand the desire to reimage for the CHR format, but it seems like that was pretty much done before the call change. Also, if EEI had several different formats, why change the calls when they worked before?
He sounded 20 years ahead of his time, but that GM sure didn’t sound to concerned with the call change, more like he didn’t give a rat’s behind…
Perhaps it was karma let lead to HTT’s demise only a short 3 years after launch. Shame, it was a great CHR format for a time when CHR ROCKED.
The calls on WEEI-FM had to be changed… WEEI 590 was sold and at that time… unlike now… only one entity could get the calls WEEI and the AM was the winner.
For Richard, Nick & Brady,
The jingle package that WEEI-FM used prior to WHTT was JAM’s “The Fyre” package. WHen WHTT was born, they’ve used some cuts from the same package and later bought cuts from JAM’s “Hitradio 2″ and “The Flame Thrower” as well as TM’s “Airpower”.
Back to WEEI-FM, on Airchexx.com, you can hear an aircheck of Rod West from January of 1983 that includes the jingles that you’re interested in.
http://airchexx.com/contributors/steve-mcvie/rod-west-on-weei-fm-boston-january-15-1983
Robyn