WMEX (AM)
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| City | Boston, Massachusetts |
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| Branding | 1510 WMEX |
| Slogan | The Conversation Starts Here |
| Frequency | 1510 kHz |
| First air date | October 18, 1934 (at 1500) |
| Format | Libertarian and Personality Talk |
| Power | 50,000 watts day 50,000 watts night 50,000 watts critical hours |
| Class | B |
| Facility ID | 12789 |
| Transmitter coordinates | 42°23′10.00″N 71°12′01.00″W / 42.3861111°N 71.2002778°W |
| Former callsigns | 2012–2014: WUFC 2001–2012: WWZN 2001: WSZE (11 days only) 1995–2001: WNRB 1990–1995: WSSH 1989–1990: WKKU 1987–1989: WSSH 1983–1987: WMRE 1978–1983: WITS 1934–1978: WMEX |
| Former frequencies | 1940–1941: 1470 kHz 1934–1940: 1500 kHz |
| Affiliations | USA Radio Network |
| Owner | Henry Remmer and Mary Remmer (Daly XXL Communications LLC) |
| Webcast | ice64 |
| Website | 1510wmex |
WMEX (1510 AM) is a radio station licensed to serve the Boston media market. Its programming is a mixture of libertarian and personality talk shows. It first began broadcasting in 1934 as WMEX, and after using various call signs since 1978, regained the original WMEX call sign on November 17, 2014.
The highly directional 50,000-watt signal of WMEX protects directional Class A, 50,000-watt, WLAC in Nashville (which also protects WMEX since the station pre-dated WLAC on the frequency).
WMEX was founded in 1934 by Bill and Al Pote, with studios in the Hotel Manger, and was originally on 1500 kHz with 500 watts day, 100 watts night from a transmitter site on Powder Horn Hill in Chelsea, and later (1940-1981) from a site off West Squantum Road in Quincy, near the then-WNAC/WAAB (now WBIX) site in the Neponset River valley. After several unsuccessful attempts to move to 1470 with a power upgrade to 5,000 watts, WMEX finally made the move (with power increase) in 1941, just in time for the North American Regional Broadcasting Agreement to move that channel to its current frequency, 1510 kHz. Throughout this period, WMEX operated as an independent (non-network) station with a program schedule filled with everything from live music remotes to ethnic programming. In the early 1950s, the station featured some notable jazz programming, and the recording of a WMEX-originated Billie Holiday remote broadcast from a Boston club survives.
In 1957, the Pote family sold WMEX to the Richmond Brothers. Max Richmond, one of the brothers, changed the format of WMEX to a rock and roll-dominant pop music format (one of the first in the nation) and hired Arnie Ginsburg, whose nightly rock and roll broadcasts on WBOS (now WUNR) were very popular. The format lasted from 1957 until March 1975. Max Richmond was reportedly a challenge to work for, with his alleged micro-managing and abrasive personality, yet there is no denying his uncanny ability to spot deejay talent, and to keep his station—despite a poor nighttime signal in many suburban locations—a major player and innovator for many years.
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