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Date Posted: 01:03:12 08/08/05 Mon
(published in, Boston Globe, Globe NorthWest, 8/7/05)
By Meg Villeneuve
Globe Correspondent
Nashua's first radio station has been dark since January, but with an initial investment of $250,000, Tom Monahan feels certain that he can restore WSMN to glory.
Monahan, owner of Absolute Broadcasting, said that when the station goes back on the air it will focus on local news and talk. The lifelong Nashua resident believes that WSMN and its sister station WSNH, a sports station that is on the air, will fill a niche.
''We believe the two will become destination stations," he said. ''If you want Howard Stern, listen to satellite. But if you want to hear the Red Sox game or find out if there are school closings, come to us."
In June, the 54-year-old real estate developer announced that he had started working with the Federal Communications Commission to transfer the radio station's license.
Absolute Broadcasting is awaiting FCC approval for the purchase of both stations. Currently, Absolute operates WSNH under a lease agreement with the previous owner, WSMN Broadcasting LLC.
The license transfer was just one hurdle.
With declining ratings, WSMN Broadcasting decided to cash in on the hot property market by selling the station's land in January. So Monahan now is looking for a new home for both stations.
Until a new site is found, WSMN will simulcast with WSNH out of the Indian Head Plaza in downtown Nashua. Monahan said he hopes to stay in downtown Nashua, perhaps in a Broad Street building he owns.
After its founding in 1958, WSMN became a fixture here.
''Many generations of Nashua residents have grown up listening to WSMN, relying on the station for community news and information," said Mayor Bernie Streeter. ''We felt a real sense of loss when WSMN went off the air several months ago."
Long before cable access television stations, AM 1590 broadcast the city's Board of Aldermen meetings. At the time, each board member would have his or her own microphone, which didn't have off switches.
''We sometimes heard what members said under their breath, and not all of it was nice," recalled Ed Lecius. In 1959, Lecius' father was one of the partners at WSMN.
In a phone interview, Lecius recalled tagging along with his father to press conferences; as a teenager he began working next to his father doing the play-by-play of the local sports games.
''I grew up with the station," he said. ''Everyone knew my dad's voice, and on snow days we all waited to hear if school was canceled."
Lecius now works as a public information officer for the Nashua Police Department. However, he still finds himself drawn to the microphone, and once WSMN is on the air, he said he plans to cover some of the local football games.
''The area is in a need for local news and local reporting," he said.Lecius is not the only broadcaster who is pleased about the station's comeback.
Seventy-six-year-old retired broadcaster Frank Teas said he is thrilled that the station will soon be back on the air.
''It's a remarkable achievement to own two stations," said Teas. ''And it is great that [Monahan] plans to provide local news."
Teas said he once auditioned to do vocal impersonations on ''The Ed Sullivan Show," and was told that his act needed work. But he found a solid niche at WSMN. He was the first to be heard on AM 1590 -- hosting the morning show, covering all the sports teams, and even selling ads. He joined the station in 1958 and retired in 2002.
In addition to the morning show, Teas hosted ''The Bargain Box," a kind of daily yard sale. Monahan likened it to a radio version of eBay. And while the format of shows for the new WSMN is still being worked on, there's talk of bringing back ''The Bargain Box."
''We are also considering some syndicated shows, but the goal is to keep it local," Monahan said.
Meg Villeneuve can be reached at megv@globe.com .
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New owner hopes to revive WSMN