Do you remember?

The September 1998 issue of Radio magazine featured a Field Report on the Harris DRC1000 digital console. The unit's standard configuration consisted of a programmable control surface with 10 faders and on/off buttons. Instant selection of bus routing and console programming was available. The features of this console included built-in effects, sample rate converters on each input, 22 AES3-ID or analog inputs, and programmable routing matrix and a 32-bit processor.

The board offered numerous programmable effects. Each channel's five-band equalizer could be set for multiple types of frequency adjustment, including shelving, cut boost and notch, and all were bandwidth adjustable. Harris also offered a larger version, the DRC2000.

That was then

This month marks the 80^th birthday of WTIC-AM in Hartford, CT. Originally sponsored by Travelers Insurance Company, WTIC began broadcasting in February 1925 at 860kHz with a 500W Western Electric transmitter and two 150' towers atop the Travelers' Grove Street building. In August of 1929 WTIC received a new RCA 50kW transmitter and the station began broadcasting at 1060kHz, sharing time on the frequency with WBAL Baltimore.

Eleven years later in early 1940, Travelers Broadcasting began operating an experimental FM station, W1XSO (later to become WTIC-FM). And on April 11, 1948, WTIC began operation at its current frequency, 96.5MHz.

By the late 50s, Travelers Broadcasting owned AM, FM and TV stations and had filled the Grove Street studios. The group moved to a new facility, called Broadcast House, which was a showplace with new studios, new equipment and room for growth.

Today, WTIC is continuing its tradition of being at the forefront of technology by preparing to install digital equipment in its facility.

Sample and hold

When tuned to your online radio station, how long is your average listening session?

Source: RRadio Network, "Survey 27," August to October 2004.