Meanwhile, John Henning and Jon Keller are doing analysis of local politics. [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. [114], When Viacom split into two companies on December 31, 2005, Infinity became part of the new CBS Corporation and reverted to the CBS Radio name. of humor, and Sue Cope is a great news reader. It's too bad It was a dream come true, Shields said about becoming a journalist in a news clip on his retirement in September 2021. -- Blessed WBZ-AM 1030, Boston -- The esteemed chief voice on the all news morning there. In the summer of 1957, he was hired by top-40 leader WIBC, and it was there that he began to see his popularity increase. departed Ted repoire with his callers, Morin is a big-time personality in In mid-1968, Dick got the opportunity to return to New York City. [142] Bradley Jay then took over the overnight show, renamed Jay Talking. February 5, 2009:After losing his popular overnight show to budget cuts in early January, Steve Leveille gets his show back due to public demand. Recently [19], NBC's management of WBZ and WBZA ended on July 1, 1940, and Westinghouse resumed full control over the stations. We certainly are, as the station's fresh format and great personalities should be noted that Sarandis is a strong supporter of the local Matt Siegel could be a fine radio talk show host, but has chosen July 2000: Longtime announcer and sports reporter Leo Egan dies. [49] DeSuze was the station's morning man for over three decades. He attended Fordham University in the Bronx, and he decided to focus on Psychology and Communications. Legendary. After leaving WMEX in mid-1971, he returned to WBZ, where he did a weekend show. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. So, laughter is what this night is all about, Shields said. WBZ's inaugural program on September 19 was a remote broadcast originating from the Eastern States Exposition in West Springfield. WBZ ultimately dropped it's NBC affiliation in 1956 after 3 decades, deciding to program popular music around-the-clock. [75] The format change became permanent on March 4, 1991; concurrently, WBZ began promoting itself as "Boston's News Station",[72] positioning the station as the primary competitor for all-news station WEEI (590 AM, now WEZE). [30] Meanwhile, a combination of WBZ's growth and continued difficulties with the WBZA signal led the station to move its Boston studio to the Statler Hotel (now the Boston Park Plaza) on June 1, 1927,[29] and activate a new WBZA transmitter on June 9. #46 of 164. Mike Morin [35] A directional antenna array was constructed, consisting of two 520-foot- (160-meter) tall towers. really does feel good to hear a fine voice and announcer with December 29, 2006: After nearly 43 years with WBZ, Gary LaPierre does his final stint as the morning news anchor, and retires. [128] While Jordan Rich retained his weekend overnight show, the 25 a.m. portion of the program began to be simulcast on sister station WCCO in MinneapolisSaint Paul. comes from our editorial staff. Ordway is incredibly perceptive and cuts to the chase like no [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. He's come a long way from January 1, 2007: Ed Walsh, a 25 year radio veteran, replaces Gary LaPierre. Adams, WEEI AM Sports Radio 850 Boston -- In September, he succumbs to the cancer he had fought so courageously. [27], WBZ increased its transmitter power to 2,000 watts by April 1925. On October 10, CBS Radio announced that as part of the process of obtaining regulatory approval of the merger, WBZ would be one of sixteen stations that would be divested by Entercom, along with sister stations WBZ-FM and WZLX, as well as WRKO and WKAF (WBMX, WODS, WEEI AM/FM and WAAF would be retained by Entercom, while WBZ-FM would be traded to Beasley Broadcast Group in exchange for WMJX). has a livewire voice that comes jumping out of the airwaves and Bill had an amazing ability to tell personal stories with humanity, dignity, and grace. | Scenic New England Photo Biography [ edit] Bradley was born and raised in Rochester, New York. If you read Wright was part of the memorable top 40 format at WRKO-AM (now [48] That prompted the station to program middle of the road music around the clock. By 1925, it often shared programs with WJZ in New York City (which was transferred from Westinghouse to the Radio Corporation of America in May 1923), and a WBZ program commemorating the 150th anniversary of Paul Revere's "Midnight Ride" was also fed to WRC in Washington, D.C. and WGY in Schenectady, New York. The towers continued to stand atop the former Westinghouse plant in East Springfield for five more decades, until their removal on November 5, 2011, to accommodate redevelopment at the site of the factory. Steve Burton, sports director for the news outlet, called Shields beyond special in a tweet, and anchor David Wade called him the very best reporter with a top notch personality., This man was beyond special. Ed Walsh retired after four years as morning news anchor on November 30, 2010;[134] Rod Fritz then took over as interim anchor (with Gary LaPierre guest anchoring for a week in early December),[135] with Joe Mathieu, formerly of Sirius XM Radio's P.O.T.U.S. Bostons WBZ Newsradio 1030 reportedly cut ties with longtime radio personalities on Wednesday amid an onslaught of iHeartMedia layoffs across the country, a day after 1030s parent company announced a technology transformation and new organizational structure.. He is not mean-spirited -- the Andrew Brinker 9/17/2021. and Bertie Higgins ("Key Largo"). the 1960s and 70s, Dorman is now a consumate professional, intuitive great on WEEI. NFL regulations only allowed WBZ to carry Giants' games not played at the same time as Patriots' games. Back then, phone booths were common, and it cost a dime to place a calla call that might save a life during an emergency. that could be better. previous generation's way of conducting a sports radio show -- many years at KISS 108 (contemporary hits), Wright formerly commanded [6] WBZ's studios and offices are located on Cabot Road in the Boston suburb of Medford, and its transmitter site is in Hull, Massachusetts. In a cruel irony, Sullivan found out in December that he too has cancer. One might wonder if Cetlin said the same thing to Gary Lapierre, who also worked at the station before becoming WBZ's "Morning Drive" anchor for nearly 40 years, a place Bergeron called home for 12. callers (when compared to the loud morning and afternoon shows except with a more pedestrian voice and better interaction with the next level with a personality-filled voice and sharp sense If you were listening to Boston radio in the mid-1960s, chances are you remember WBZ's Dick Summer, and his unique brand of personality radio. 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. you what we feel are the best radio personalities that natives enjoy his job. Paul Sullivan made the transition nicely several years ago to the drive home. She sounds more like a "lite rock" personality, she may be the most solid woman radio personality in Boston. We recommend calling your vacation destination first before setting 2003: In the run-up to the Iraq War, WBZ makes good use of its affiliation with both CBS and ABC, going live to cover such events as Colin Powells speech to the United Nations. He also had It is the oldest broadcasting station in New England, and one of the oldest in the United States. Studios - Radio show host Paul Sullivan hosted his last show on WBZ 1030 radio Thursday night, June 28, 2007. sports format. in his new time slot -- a true bonus for radio listeners from Quill, 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. Bill was an incredible journalist and storyteller who also made us laugh along the way, WBZ President and General Manager Justin Draper said in a statement. and wonderful Charlie O'Brien, who left WZID-FM for Los Angeles. +11 Steve Raleigh WCPO March 28, 2022 Update: For those interested, there's a more detailed account of my Dad's arrangements & career at this link: https://sullivanfuneralhome.net//3357/Bob-Ra/obituary.html "Life is NOT a rehearsal" [163], In 2014, WBZ, along with sister station at the time, WBZ-TV, received a Peabody Award for its coverage of the Boston Marathon bombing. The Emerson College grad has more than two decades of news experience. his audience. By early 1963, Dick was hired at WBZ. at this alternative rocker. the great Bob Neumeier). Spencer is smooth, genuine and seems to really His top The reality is Hill has worked hard the past Sara Ann. airstaff that brings life to a longstanding light rock format. David Rick Sobey is a multimedia, general assignment reporter -- covering breaking news, politics and more across the region. He returned to Boston and got hired by WMEX in late May 1969. [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. station). He had most recently been working in Washington, D.C.His first day is May 16th. Stephanos transformed herself from a public radio washout into Boston's most glamorous and stunning anchor. Dan Justin, of the bargain with a high level of quality conversation. nasal, distinctive voice. That voice -- seasoned and resonant -- is a delight to listen with him on the radio, watch out -- he can get unpleasant and acknowledges all points of view. [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. [41] He remained at the station until 1985. Mike Audet, WGAN News Anchor/Reporter, 1970s and 1990s to 2013. Another beloved WBZ host was Carl De Suze, whose career @ WBZ began in the 1940s & continued into the early 1980s. January 2005: Paul Sullivan begins doing what had been David Brudnoys show. In September of 1922, it moved to 400 meters (750 kc); in early 1923, WBZ could be found at 710, then at 790, and by July of 1923, WBZ was at 890. Listen to more episodes. He also has a gifted way of playing with the As for WBZ they reportedly gave Morgan 10 min's notice --to airtime-- for this mornings overnight (Bob's former) shift. 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. [51], WBZ became an affiliate of ABC Radio on January 1, 1980;[49] ABC was the descendant of the Blue Network, which WBZ had dropped 38 years earlier. and 70s. With that in mind, let's take a look at @wbz will always miss his laughter in the newsroom. on very good stations -- or, at least, making the best of a format Anybody know anything about this? community, including our brave men and women serving in the U.S. Carl Stevens also wins an award for one of his commentaries. WMJX FM 106.7, Magic 106.7 Boston -- For women interested This initial station proved successful, so in 1921 the company expanded its activities by building three additional stations, beginning with WBZ, and followed by WJZ in Newark, New Jersey (now WABC in New York City), and KYW, originally in Chicago, and now in Philadelphia. Please keep checking The combination of being a solid And he continued a tradition that had begun in the early 1960s with the folk music craze: there had been a Sunday night program on WBZ called Hootenanny, originally hosted by Jefferson Kaye, and by the mid-1960s, Dick was hosting folk music shows too, including a program that originated at the Unicorn Coffee House. Scott This is from his son's FB page. Sort The audience responded so favorably that he released his first book of poetry in April 1970 and subsequently issued a series of Lovin Touch books. stations in the country. [39] During the late 1930s, WBZ began to offer more local news coverage. [126] LeVeille was replaced by Jon Grayson (whose show originates from St. Louis sister station KMOX), while Dyett and Desmarais were replaced by the syndicated Kim Komando Show. late night shift to early to mid evenings to replace the late Millions of college students, night owls, and insomniacs thought of him as a friend, and even years later, many former listeners remember him fondly. Remember when radio used to make and Reservations pro, having been on WCRB-FM for many years. radio jock and helping those in need have made Hill a local legend (It opted to sell the Blue Network, which became ABC, the American Broadcasting Company.) landmark radio station. But were getting through it, were still laughing, Shields said at the event, noting that his humor helped him while battling cancer, according to WBZ. (Matty in the Morning), WXKS-FM, KISS 108, Medford/Everett, Mass. Prior to joining the Channel 4 news team, Hauser previously worked as the morning news anchor for News 12 Connecticut. show, LaPierre has been on the air in Boston since the 1960s, Cant even think of him without a smile, Ebben said in a tweet. 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. [127] Cuddy would subsequently return to the station as well that May. It's a tour 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. and a wiseguy personality, Hill's "wink-wink" delivery [117], Longtime morning news anchor Gary LaPierre, who anchored WBZ's morning newscasts for nearly 40 years, retired from WBZ at the end of 2006. some recently hilarious moments during Sen. John Kerry's (D-Mass.) He also wanted to entertain. He has a nice repoire Ordway (The Big O), WEEI AM Sports Radio 850 Boston -- He's loud, obnoxious, Humorous, glib and self-effacing, he's has great Howie Carr: What's so urgent in Holbrook, Mr. Speaker? thrilled to announce Robyn Hitchcock, Weezer and Tori Amos songs. [115] That same day, WBZ dropped Paul Harvey after the station's contract to carry his broadcasts expired (however, despite coming under the CBS Radio banner once more, the station still maintains an affiliation with ABC News Radio);[116] in addition, the station dropped Looking at the Law, a legal advice show hosted by Neil Chayet, after its January 8, 2006, broadcast in favor of brokered financial programs. 40 leanings actually help the country format, by bringing in [29] It later operated from Millis as W1XK, ultimately becoming WBOS. The edited broadcast included four hours of audience reaction with the participants and was aired on WBZ for 15 hours without commercials. talking sports, and mugging for the camera better than Oliver out of the Robin Williams college of comedy, Adams is loud, witty, Jon Keller, a WBZ radio political analyst for three decades, said Wednesday morning's commentary was his last on the radio station. sarcastic, but most of the time it's justified. 122. national and international news. Helpful. [164], The station has won numerous Regional Edward R. Murrow Awards for excellence in journalism. 38 states listening to this chock-full-of-personality radio talk at top-40 WRKO AM 680 in the 1970s, has always been a natural 20-plus years at KISS-108. The Master of Ceremonies for the event is WBZs Jordan Rich. much like the legendary Guy Manilla, of WBZ-AM, back in the 1960s would be to listen to Nancy Quill on a daily basis. [35] WPIT, the shortwave station operated by KDKA in Pittsburgh, also moved its transmitters to Hull at this time, and in 1941 its operations were folded into WBOS. at a metro Boston car dealership while also working at WEEI. WBZ AM 1030 Boston -- A newspaper columnist by trade (Lowell Sun), @wbz will always miss his laughter in the newsroom. out of the radio in almost three dimensional fashion every night. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. He was also the guy who replaced Howard Stern on WCCC-FM Hartford, WBZ runs an all-news format during the day and a talk radio format at night, and is the current home of radio personality Dan Rea. like Magic 106.7 morning man Mike Addams, is a natural at her politics better than anyone on the Boston airwaves. to do with the loud, obnoxious, outspoken and sometimes witty in hand and a nice easy going personality, Casey brings announcing He begins undergoing treatment immediately, briefly leaving the air for chemotherapy, but then returning. Programming [ edit] Art Spencer, in the nation. [80] On September 28 the station became an all-news station from 5 a.m.7 p.m.[81] following the end of the two midday talk shows hosted by Tom Bergeron, who had moved to middays following the launch of the morning news block[82] (the noon hour, which separated the Bergeron shifts, was already occupied by a news program); the station's nighttime programming continued to be filled by David Brudnoy and Bob Raleigh's talk shows. -- gets goofy and has a great repoire with the traffic announcers. While some announcers only wanted to be on during the day or the early evening, Dick saw great possibilities in doing the overnight shift. new listeners who wouldn't normally listen to country music (much [51], As its ownership shifted, WBZ also continued to modify its program schedule. Shields retired from his role at WBZ in 2021 after covering the news for CBS Boston for 41 years. December 9, 2004: David Brudnoy loses his battle with cancer and dies, at age 64. DJ he was during his heydey on legendary top 40 rocker WRKO in ", Still, Adams fits in with This brought Gil Santos to the station. It was there that he met Dan Ingram, who would go on to a long and successful top-40 career at WABC in New York. For decades, it was also the radio home of pioneering Boston meteorologist Don Kent. He began his broadcasting career in 1970 with WMAS in Springfield. Paul Sullivan, Angel Aristone, an iHeartMedia. He also got his first professional radio job, working at WNRC, a 500 watt station in New Rochelle, not that far from the Bronx; he worked there till he graduated from college in 1956. audience the tall ships were coming to Lowell, Mass. That said, we recognize that the loss of any job is significant; we take that responsibility seriously and have been thoughtful in the process., On Tuesday, iHeartMedia announceda technology transformation and new organizational structure.. Home | [156] On August 25, 2018, after 70 years, WBZ left the Soldiers Field Road studios (which continue to house WBZ-TV) and moved to facilities on Cabot Road in Medford, putting it in the same building as iHeartMedia's other Boston stations. [152][153] iHeart then began operating WBZ, WKAF, and WZLX under a local marketing agreement. as there is something "extra" in his voice and presentation Lowell event! Hardy, Benny Hill and George Costanza combined. WBZ-FM was sold by Group W (which Westinghouse had rebranded its broadcasting division in 1963) to Greater Media in 1981, ultimately becoming WMJX. . radio stations throughout the years has paid off for Justin as 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. 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. Roll Hall of Fame, and is, by, all accounts, a truly nice guy Jordan Rich fills in while he recovers. October 1st, 2007:Longtime WBZ-TV news reporter Dan Rea takes over the 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. shift on WBZ NewsRadio with his new talk show Nightside with Dan Rea.. the articles and points-of-view on VisitingNewEngland.com, unless 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. [19] This paved the way for the station to become a charter affiliate of the National Broadcasting Company (NBC) on November 15, 1926, carrying the WJZ-originated NBC Blue Network beginning on January 1, 1927. under, reportedly, unhappy circumstances, but Mike Adams carries [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). knowledge of music makes him a local legend. [40] Shortly afterward, on July 27,[41] WBZ relocated its transmitter site once more, to its current location in Hull. Jay Dunn. WBZ (1030 AM) is a Class A clear channel radio station licensed to Boston, Massachusetts. of his callers, and for the most part they hold up their end April 4, 2011:WBZ announces that the new morning news anchor is Joe Matthieu. As Dick tells it, one night in Indianapolis, while driving to work and seeking out something interesting to listen to on his car radio, he heard WBZs signalthen as now, WBZ was a 50,000 watt powerhouse, and it gets into more than 30 states at night. Boucher has a deep, soothing voice that never tires, ironic in 19561985: becoming a full-service powerhouse, 2017present; end of Westinghouse heritage and sale to iHeartMedia, The "Form 761" station application requested the call letters KDKS be assigned "if possible", however, that call sign had already been issued to a ship named, Walter Gordon. Former long-time WBZ Radio host Jordan Rich, a Hall of Fame Board member, will emcee the luncheon. Its nighttime signal covers at least 38 American states and much of eastern Canada.[7][8][9][10][11]. tell a joke or two. We must remember [19], When WBZ began operations, there were no specific government standards for what constituted a broadcasting station. Dale Dorman, Steve As a result, Steve returns to the WBZ airwaves. Arnold is a steady force, hard-working, )[37] WBZ offered its first Boston Marathon coverage on April 19, 1931. Suddenly, he recognized a familiar voice on the airit was Bruce Bradley. Recently, he moved from his [143] Jordan Rich ended his weekend talk show on July 3, 2016, but continues to do feature segments for the station. a talk station). [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. If radio has become In 1972, he was back on New York radio, at WPLJ, then WNBC, and WYNY. in his presentation and affable, as always. But on the serious side, he spoke out against people who did nothing when they saw a crime being committed. of recent"hall of fame" performance. that radio is a microcosm of our society. 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. Hear exclusive interviews with WGAN personalities discussing their memories of WGAN from our 70th annivesary. 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. Inspired by the 1964 murder of Kitty Genovese, whose life might have been saved if her neighbors, who witnessed her being attacked, had called the police, rather than saying they didnt want to get involved, he started NAG (Nightlighters Against Gutlessness) and he invited his listeners to always carry a dime with them. [113] That March, WBZ began streaming its programming on the web, along with Infinity's other news and talk stations. Meanwhile, the music was changing, as psychedelic and so-called underground music became part of rock and roll; these songs were being played on FM and college stations, and WBZ played some of them too. [83][84] WBZ's sports commitment also included the return of the Boston Bruins Radio Network to the station in 1995;[85] however, the station lost the New England Patriots to WBCN (104.1 FM, now WWBX) starting with the 1995 season,[86] and for several seasons afterward WBZ was an affiliate of the New York Giants Radio Network. ago at Channel 56 Boston! WBZ also broadcast the United States Football League's Boston Breakers during the 1983 season (its lone season in Boston). And as he had done in Indianapolis, Dick also hosted record hops and made personal appearances. He believed he would have more freedom to experiment, to create something that people would want to stay awake for.