New England Travel Articles | New England Dining Favorites and Hidden Gems Working overnights, a shift some station managers still considered unimportant, Dick proved there was a large and loyal audience just waiting to be entertained, and he made them part of his radio family. Easy-going, of sorts in many circles. better, sort of like the Larry Bird of radio. [107], For a time starting in the fall of 2001, the station relaunched the 1 p.m. hour of the Midday News as the WBZ Business Hour, with an increased focus on business news;[108] this program was similar to one on Los Angeles sister station KNX (WBZ has since returned to regular news in the 1 p.m. hour). with a fine command of the English language and a quick wit, would be to listen to Nancy Quill on a daily basis. Steve Prior to joining the Channel 4 news team, Hauser previously worked as the morning news anchor for News 12 Connecticut. As a youth, he taught himself not to stutter by talking repeatedly into a tape recorder. Dick mastered several musical instruments, including piano and guitar, but he was not expecting to have a career in music. Sullivan's wife, Mary-Jo Sullivan, was. Liam Martin, who joined WBZ in 2015 and previously co-anchored the 5:30 p.m. and 10 p.m. newscasts, now co-anchors the weekday morning newscasts from 4:30 a.m. to 7 a.m. alongside Kate Merrill.. [47] The following year, WBZ expanded its broadcasting schedule to 24-hour-a-day programming. From 1966 through 1979, and again from 1991 through 1994, WBZ was home to radio broadcasts of New England Patriots football. Roll Hall of Fame, and is, by, all accounts, a truly nice guy [35] At the same time WBZA was transferred from Boston to using the East Springfield transmitter, which now operated with 1,000 watts and relayed WBZ's programming to an area that was inadequately served by the Millis transmitter. [141] On October 3, 2013, the station announced it was canceling the Jen Brien Show with immediate effect. appeal -- you feel like you know someone just like him. [64] Starting in 1972, WBZ's football broadcasts featured the play-by-play team of Gil Santos and Gino Cappelletti. Scott We hope he creates a long-time presence listeners (In those days before the internet, announcers sought new jobs by sending an audition tape, usually on a cassette, which featured examples of their airwork.) ", It should be noted that Adams It is the oldest broadcasting station in New England, and one of the oldest in the United States. September 24, 2008:David Brudnoy, Larry Glick, and Carl DeSuze are inducted into the Massachusetts Broadcasters Hall of Fame. [18] This led Westinghouse to inaugurate, on August 20, 1925, a 250-watt relay station, WBZA, located in Boston and transmitting on 1240kHz. That voice -- seasoned and resonant -- is a delight to listen [4] The sale of WBZ, WRKO, WZLX, and WKAF to iHeart was completed on December 19, 2017, ending WBZ's 96 years of lineage under the same ownership. previous generation's way of conducting a sports radio show -- It doesn't matter to me how much money you're saving by whacking the local radio personalities. Lynn, Massachusetts WLYN became WFNX Former Rock DJ (disc jockey) at WBCN 104.1 FM Rock was our business and business was good Former Busser, Waiter at TGI Fridays Newbury St Boston Great gig. "It's been an honor to share my take with WBZ listeners. Carlo, WCRB-FM 102.5 ,Waltham, Mass. The reality is Hill has worked hard the past The ABC affiliation allowed the station to begin airing Paul Harvey's daily broadcasts, which were previously heard in Boston on WEZE (1260 AM, now WBIX) and, later, WECB, the carrier current station at Emerson College. Swartley, still dynamic at the age of 102, served as WBZs general manager during the 1940s and was, later, the General Manager of WBZ-TV. the next level with a personality-filled voice and sharp sense in his presentation and affable, as always. It was quite a time. is lively without being disrespectful to each other and their Casey has brought his deep, classic announcer's voice to a station The best known personality in WBZ's history, Dave Maynard, joined the station in 1958. medium. talking sports, and mugging for the camera better than Oliver Mike Addams, With DJ joke book [152][153] iHeart then began operating WBZ, WKAF, and WZLX under a local marketing agreement. [127] Cuddy would subsequently return to the station as well that May. [123] Rich and WBZ-TV reporter Dan Rea served as substitute hosts in the interim;[122] on October 1, Rea, who in the 1970s served as a weekend host for the station before moving to television in 1976, became the new host of the show, renamed NightSide with Dan Rea. Jordan Rich fills in while he recovers. We are modernizing our company to take advantage of the significant investments we have made in new technology and aligning our operating structure to match the technology-powered businesses we are now in, an iHeartMedia spokeswoman said in a statement. The station remained in mono through this period, but beginning on December 31, 1971, an automated top 40 format was launched in stereo, apparently in an attempt to blunt the popularity of WRKO (680 AM). In September, he succumbs to the cancer he had fought so courageously. He was also the guy who replaced Howard Stern on WCCC-FM Hartford, While being honored at a November 2021 event for Upstage Lung Cancer, a nonprofit that uses performing arts to raise awareness and funding for research into the disease, Shields said he was undergoing treatment again after a new diagnosis, WBZ reported. [61][62][63], During the 1970s, WBZ was one of a number of clear channel AM stations that petitioned to be allowed to increase their power. Ordway is incredibly perceptive and cuts to the chase like no (Matty in the Morning), WXKS-FM, KISS 108, Medford/Everett, Mass. Aug 26, 2021 1 min. show on New England Cable News in the 1990s, complete with snoring [13] It is an affiliate of CBS News Radio, as well as NBC News Radio, ABC News Radio, and AP Radio for national and international news as well as some features. (A prime example was the American Radio & Research Corporation's experimental station, 1XE in Medford Hillside, Massachusetts, near Boston, which was relicensed in early 1922 as WGI.) Fortunately, they don't take that can build a relationship with -- much like Sarandis did, but On the fun side were his characters, like Irving the Venus Fly Trap or Theopolous Q. Waterhouse; his Girl Watcher and Boy Watcher Club; his comedic campaign to have the sandwich renamed the shrewsbury, since, supposedly, it was the Duke of Shrewsbury rather than the Earl of Sandwich who invented the popular food item. [118] LaPierre continued to be heard on the station on occasion through voiceover work. a few more obscure ones. [56] The closure of WBZA ended over 40 years of transmission from East Springfield. It is the oldest broadcasting station in New England, and one of the oldest in the United States. the top Boston area announcers who have risen above a generic Another beloved WBZ host was Carl De Suze, whose career @ WBZ began in the 1940s & continued into the early 1980s. A Texas boy who embraced New England, and LOVED telling stories here. radio stations throughout the years has paid off for Justin as But that is why he has been [51] The combination of hit music, popular hosts, powerful signal, and top-notch news coverage, made WBZ the dominant radio station in the market. Like other major-market network-affiliated radio stations of the time, WBZ also broadcast a few hours of local programming, including Vaudeville-like musical performances from Max Zides, Tom Currier, and others, during those hours when NBC was not feeding programs to affiliates. I had the pleasure of working with Bill in the mid-/late 2000s. During the years when the Bruins and Celtics were both on WBZ and both playing at the same time, one of them (usually the Celtics) would be heard on WBZ-FM. NFL regulations only allowed WBZ to carry Giants' games not played at the same time as Patriots' games. and 70s. #WBZ https://t.co/Geu1bP8MTT, The very best reporter. It's too bad sound effects on his "Sports Snooze" segments (rugby, Nowlin, WZLX 100.7 FM, Boston -- Nowlin has a working-class, regular a fair and balanced talk show host with a deeply developed thought The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. observations and less of the lowbrow stuff. One of his final wishes is to give his shift to Paul Sullivan. [19] A key disadvantage of the Millis site was that the signal had to travel over land to Boston. By early 1922, WBZ's studios were set up at the luxurious Hotel Kimball in Metro Center Springfield. [51], As its ownership shifted, WBZ also continued to modify its program schedule. Jon Keller, a WBZ radio political analyst for three decades, said Wednesday morning's commentary was his last on the radio station. September 16, 2010:Former morning news anchor Gary LaPierre and Wilmer Bill Swartley are inducted into the Massachusetts Broadcasters Hall of Fame. there. on very good stations -- or, at least, making the best of a format Thousands of fans petitioned, called and sent letters. He is a staple in a market that has seen many to. On September 15, 1921, Westinghouse was issued a Limited Commercial license[14] with the randomly assigned call sign WBZ. running in the background (from seemingly floor to ceiling) while 1 Catholic Memorial; roundup/list of scores, Bostons WBZ Newsradio 1030 cuts ties with radio personalities, Ticker: Amazon pauses construction on 2nd HQ; Mississippi passes bill restricting electric car dealerships; Businessman Perry Johnson announces 2024 presidential bid, Tom Sizemore, Saving Private Ryan actor, dies at 61. of energy, some leftover silliness from the 60s and a lovably He was hired by WNEW, but unfortunately, his time there was short: management decided they wanted to put vocalist Julius LaRosa on the air, and Dick was fired to make room for him. the Boston radio chat room messages, you'd think the radio consultants @wbz will always miss his laughter in the newsroom. By September 1959, Dick had left WIBC, taking his Summertime show to another Indianapolis radio station, WISH. It was a dream come true, Shields said about becoming a journalist in a news clip on his retirement in September 2021. 479 Wbz Photos and Premium High Res Pictures - Getty Images Images Creative Editorial Video Creative Editorial FILTERS CREATIVE EDITORIAL VIDEO 479 Wbz Premium High Res Photos Browse 479 wbz stock photos and images available, or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. google_ad_width = 468; [144] Joe Mathieu left WBZ on April 28, 2017;[145] that August, the station announced Josh Binswanger, who hosted Kid Company on the station in the early 1990s and has also worked for WBZ-TV, as its new morning news anchor,[146] while Mathieu joined WGBH (89.7 FM) as its morning anchor. December 29, 2006: After nearly 43 years with WBZ, Gary LaPierre does his final stint as the morning news anchor, and retires. It was at WBZ that Bergeron met friend and legendary Boston radio personality Larry Glick, who died in 2009. During this time, the station also became known for having its own troupe of actors and actresses who produced and performed live radio plays: the "WBZ Players" made their radio debut in the spring of 1928,[32] and continued into the 1930s. He believed he would have more freedom to experiment, to create something that people would want to stay awake for. For decades, it was also the radio home of pioneering Boston meteorologist Don Kent. January 1, 2007: Ed Walsh, a 25 year radio veteran, replaces Gary LaPierre. September 2002: On the anniversary of 9/11, WBZ sends reporters Carl Stevens and Lana Jones to New York to cover the commemorative events. [41][44] This allowed the station to retain a link with NBC after the Justice Department ordered NBC to divest of one its two radio networks. Carl Stevens also wins an award for one of his commentaries. By 1978, Mainella, who had been the host of Calling All Sports since its inception on July 15, 1969,[50][60] had been replaced with Bob Lobel and Upton Bell. WAAF FM 107.3 Worcester, Mass. otherwise specified. His top out on the planned itinerary. noted that radio is such a subjective medium -- one man's station never quite fit the mold, having been employed as a car salesman His long career included twenty years with WBZ. (Parts of the new facility containing the master control and TV transmitter had already been in use). March 2005: WBZ begins to offer online streaming audio from its website. February 6, 2009: Walt Perkins is chosen to be the new morning sports anchor. Thanks also to everyone at WBZ for their encouragement and patience, I wish you all the best, Keller added. Elliot, who has been a CBS daytime anchor for about a year, had first shocked his own bosses on Friday, when he made an emotional farewell announcement to viewers without letting network executives. A quick [74] Program director David Bernstein, upon hearing the news of the war's start, ordered the on-duty engineer to remove the music carousel from the studio, vowing that "This station will never play music again;" even before the war, Bernstein had been considering dropping music from WBZ, theorizing that the station's listeners were listening for the personalities and not the songs. By 1931, Westinghouse had concluded that WBZ's primary market was Boston, so on February 21 the station began using a new transmitter site located at Millis, Massachusetts. The conversation of humor, and Sue Cope is a great news reader. some recently hilarious moments during Sen. John Kerry's (D-Mass.) [62] Also heard were Boston College Eagles football from 1987[63] through 1991. Brian Schenck, of Salt Lake City, takes advantage of the brisk winds to do kite-boarding on Nantasket Beach. google_cpa_choice = "CAAQ58WdzgEaCFLK1ovSD_DNKNvD93M"; much like the legendary Guy Manilla, of WBZ-AM, back in the 1960s [29] It later operated from Millis as W1XK, ultimately becoming WBOS. line radio out there, it's nice to hear someone not afraid to an instantly identifiable personality -- like all other WEEI station). Anybody know anything about this? Kelly, 15 years to turn himself into a great radio personality on this from a slightly different and somewhat twisted perspective. July 8, 2010: Bradley Jay, longtime WBCN announcer and, formerly, Dan Reas executive producer, gets his own Sunday night show, Jay Talking., October 1, 2010:WBZ wins the Marconi Award for Legendary Radio Station of the Year., 2010 Marconi Award For Legendary StationPhoto: WBZ Archive Photo. Love you, Bill., Bill Shields took a bite out of life.He was my friend, but truly - he was everyones friend. With that in mind, let's take a look at KISS 108 Radio Personality and Host of TV's "Dining Playbook" and "High School Quiz Show" Billy Costa, to be presented by KISS 108 "Matty in the Morning" show host Matt Siegel, . [35] It remained there until Hurricane Carol destroyed the tower on August 31, 1954. [35], The Hull site also provided ample space for WBZ's shortwave station,[35] which had been founded at Springfield as W1XAZ in November 1929. Home of Traffic and Weather Together on the 3s. Copyright 2023 Music Museum of New England, by Henry Santoro as told to Al Davis of WGBH and Tyler Alderson of WCRB, A Tribute to the Real Father of Classic Rock Radio. Gallery | Best Places |, Lodging Recently He has a nice repoire In November 1920, the Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Company established its first broadcasting station, KDKA, located in its plant in East Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Matt Siegel could be a fine radio talk show host, but has chosen to do with the loud, obnoxious, outspoken and sometimes witty Under the provisions of the North American Regional Broadcasting Agreement, on March 29, 1941, WBZ's "clear channel" assignment was shifted to its present frequency, 1030kHz. Up with shrewsburies! was the slogan); or giving listeners a chance to recite the Nightlight Password (One Hen, Two Ducks, Three Squawking Geese, et cetera). formats and a sound that is identical to stations in other cities, Steve Laveille (Left) and Jordan Rich (Right), Health News: Powered by Tufts Medical Center, Everyday Wealth with Soledad OBrian and Jean Chatzky, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Recently, he moved from his of recent"hall of fame" performance. This is a considerable challenge, given WEEI's juvenile arrived Mike -- hard to pinpoint exactly what, but the special sound is definitely Operating with a transmitter power output of 50,000 watts, and employing a directional antenna that sends a majority of its signal westward, the station can be heard during daylight hours throughout much of New England. Sidekick Tom Doyle brings a real This is equally difficult to get through physically, and mentally, its a longer haul. There are The station expanded into television on June 9, 1948, when WBZ-TV (channel 4) first signed on as an NBC television affiliate. Former long-time WBZ Radio host Jordan Rich, a Hall of Fame Board member, will emcee the luncheon. More Local News to Love Start today for 50% off Expires 3/6/23, Bruce Schwoegler, WBZ weather man for 33 years, dies at 80, Uma Pemmaraju, former WBZ anchor and reporter, dies at age 64, Renowned WBZ radio anchor Gary LaPierre dies at 76. family. [158], In February 2007, the station created the WBZ Radio Hall of Fame. [151] The merger was approved on November 9, 2017, and was consummated on November 17. of his callers, and for the most part they hold up their end He in hand and a nice easy going personality, Casey brings announcing it, Glenn Ordway is one of the best sports radio personalities as a career choice -- he is a household name in the Boston area outspoken and sometimes obnoxious, but those traits have little area): Loren In 2000, Della was hired by News 12 New Jersey in Edison, NJ. )[37] WBZ offered its first Boston Marathon coverage on April 19, 1931. WBZ continued its full-service AC formatby this point featuring four songs an hour[72]until January 1991, when Gulf War coverage led the station to stop playing music on a regular basis and pivot to news and talk full-time,[51][73] joining WRKO and WHDH (850 AM, now WEEI) in the format. out of the Robin Williams college of comedy, Adams is loud, witty, The edited broadcast included four hours of audience reaction with the participants and was aired on WBZ for 15 hours without commercials. run for president (saying he doesn't like what Kerry stands for Born in Brooklyn, New York in 1935, he grew up in a musical home: his dad was a church organist and choirmaster, who was also a music teacher. January 2005: Paul Sullivan begins doing what had been David Brudnoys show. [49] In June 1990, WBZ announced that it would replace Brudnoy with Tom Snyder's ABC Radio talk show,[68] with his last show airing July 13;[69] listener complaints[70] led the station to return Brudnoy to the air by the end of September. Hard work at several These and other artists, some of whom signed to the MGM label, came to be known as the Boston Sound. While these artists did not take off nationally the way they did locally, there were many people who enjoyed hearing them, especially on Dicks Sunday night Subway program. We were going around the world covering stories. WBZ radio personalities caught up in iHeartMedia layoffs Read full article Get 6 Months of Unlimited Access for $1 BANKING Citigroup female employees make 27 percent less than men Get Innovation. with an attitude (Nick Carter, the former WBCN source of irritation) It continued to run public affairs programming including "Shape-up Boston," "Stomp Smoking" and the 1969 "T-Group 15," a project produced by public affairs director Jerry Wishnow in which nine black and white school-decentralization activists in a room for 22 hours with microphones and cameras until compromises were reached. //-->, New England Dining Favorites and Hidden Gems, Scenic New England Photo in the nation. Madsen came to Western Mass News in 1992 after spending 12 years with WWLP-TV. ago at Channel 56 Boston! talk show hosts. During a transition like this its reasonable to expect that there will be some shifts in jobs some by location and some by function but the number is relatively small given our overall employee base of 12,500. format of WEEI. Scott worked at WBZ from 1965 until her retirement in 1996. [81], Initially, the new format was not carried over to WBZ's weekend schedule; while a weekend morning news block was launched,[81] the weekend afternoon schedule remained devoted to specialty talk shows until September 3, 1994, when the station introduced information-oriented sports shows, branded as WBZ Sports Saturday and WBZ Sports Sunday. pro, having been on WCRB-FM for many years. 781-834-4002 The WBMS Programming Lineup Sundays: 9:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. - The Story Behind Her . to those who regularly listen to radio. September 2001: When the tragic events of September 11th occur, WBZ provides non-stop reporting, and the war on terror becomes a much-discussed topic on Davids show. Carr, WRKO AM 680, Boston --Almost didn't make it due to a slip and Wally --WROR-FM, 105.7, Boston, Mass. WBZ NewsRadio, a pioneering voice in the early days of radio and a fixture in the Boston media landscape, is marking . November 30, 2010:Morning news anchor Ed Walsh retires from broadcasting. 2005, VisitingNewEngland.com. sports format. This brought Gil Santos to the station. [18], The power of the WBZ transmitter in East Springfield continued to be boosted. Kudos to Magic 106.7 for hiring great radio personalities and December 29, 2006: After nearly 43 years with WBZ, Gary LaPierre does his final stint as the morning news anchor, and retires. a staple at Magic 106.7 for three decades -- he can cast a sandman WBZ wins for coverage of Campaign 2000, and coverage of the Boston Marathon. Still sounding DELLA CREWS - The former WPXI morning/noon anchor spent time as the 5PM co-anchor and medical beat reporter at WSAZ-TV 3 in Huntington- Charleston, West Virginia from 1998-2000. Rick Sobey is a multimedia, general assignment reporter -- covering breaking news, politics and more across the region. Dick emulated the style of his radio hero, William B. Williams; he wanted his listeners to feel like he was talking directly to them, making them feel welcome whenever they tuned in. in his new time slot -- a true bonus for radio listeners from Also, while today's WBZ has 50,000 watts and. Howie Carr: What's so urgent in Holbrook, Mr. Speaker? Quill, [60] Also heard were Jerry Williams in the evenings and Larry Glick's overnight show (the latter two held the same popular shifts at WMEX years earlier). Please keep checking Information from VisitingNewEngland.com Gary LaPierre was the first inductee, on February 16;[159] Gil Santos was the second when he was inducted on July 9, 2009,[160] and Dave Maynard was the third with his induction on September 15, 2009. Bud Sawyer, former WGAN Morning Host 1960's-1970's-Part 1. (WBZ-TV). Westinghouse Opens Station WBZ", "Ampico in the Knabe Heard Over Half of U.S. Through Station WBZ at Springfield, Mass. Bob Stuart, The broadcasters departing the station include 35-veteran news anchor Deb Lawler,. The best known host in WBZ's history, Dave Maynard, joined the station in 1958. Westinghouse built new studios at 1170 Soldiers Field Road in the Allston section of Boston to house both the radio and television stations, with the new facility opening on June 17 of that year. By early 1963, Dick was hired at WBZ. Thank you all for your attention, support and feedback. too predictable and standardized, take a look at the rest of wit, great jokes and puns, down to earth personality and terrific That voice -- seasoned and resonant -- is a delight to listen to. [155], On March 30, 2018, iHeartMedia announced that anchor Rod Fritz was let go. But on the serious side, he spoke out against people who did nothing when they saw a crime being committed. reporting Red Sox scores, having his mouth full of food when After Norm Nathan's death on October 29, 1996,[88] his Friday night/Saturday morning show was taken over by Steve LeVeille, and his Saturday night/Sunday morning show went to former WSSH-FM (99.5, now WCRB) morning host Jordan Rich. As an Emmy Award-winning broadcast journalist, he brought creativity, emotion and a sense of humor to local news reporting, covering everything from the snowy New England weather to military parents being reunited with their children. Art Spencer, [120], Meanwhile, evening host Paul Sullivan was fighting a brain tumor, which was discovered on November 22, 2004shortly before Brudnoy's death. He now works at one of the most respected radio is terrific -- here's a radio personality who really seems genuine. He read poetry on the airhis version of The Highwayman was especially popular. She is a broadcasting [162], WBZ received the 2010 Marconi award in the legendary stations category from the National Association of Broadcasters. [50] In the fall of 1969, WBZ regained the radio rights to the Boston Bruins[50] (which it had lost in 1951), and also began carrying Boston Celtics basketball. [65] Later in the year, a schedule shuffle ended Carl DeSuze's run on the morning show (which was taken over by Dave Maynard), and he was moved to middays; the overnight show was then taken over by Bob Raleigh,[49] who had been WBZ's midday host since June 1976. WBZ was granted its first license by the United States Department of Commerce on September 15, 1921, and was originally located in Springfield, Massachusetts, before moving to Boston in 1931. [74] WBZ has, from time to time, played music on special occasions even after the change to news/talk; the station still offered 24 hours of Christmas music beginning on Christmas Eve through 1995, and it carried the audio of the Boston Pops' Fourth of July concert and fireworks display from 2003[76] through 2016; additionally, WBZ, along with sister stations WODS (103.3 FM, now WBGB) and WZLX (100.7 FM), carried the Beatles Let It Be Naked album premiere on November 13, 2003. city. Patrick WBZ also carried a Boston Celtics broadcast on January 11, 2014, due to conflicts with both a Patriots game on current Celtics flagship station WBZ-FM and a Bruins game on WZLX.[133]). Nancy She sounds more like a "lite rock" personality, de force of music, with a great announcer to match. [50], At the outset, WBZ's full-service radio format leaned toward middle of the road music, but also featuring an increasing amount of rock and roll. Callahan, WODS FM, Oldies 103.3, Boston -- Callahan brings a fresh edge to a Long-time sports director Gil Santos retired after 38 years with the station on January 30, 2009; after a week-long fill-in by Bob Lobel,[129] Walt Perkins took over as morning sports anchor on February 7.