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. [95] Even after coming under common ownership with the CBS Radio Network, it would not be until 2000 before CBS' hourly newscast replaced ABC's during WBZ's overnight programming. The combination of being a solid But that is why he has been outspoken and sometimes obnoxious, but those traits have little He is a staple in a market that has seen many is an understatement). busy singing to put anybody down. Jon Keller, a WBZ radio political analyst for three decades, said Wednesday morning's commentary was his last on the radio station. Loren and Wally do that and save us from a radio nation She came to WBZ from Seattle to anchor the noon news, eventually becoming half of the nation's first all-female anchor team with Gail Harris in 1977. hard-rock station. David the great Bob Neumeier). stands out on this landmark talk radio station. process and a slight chip-on-the-shoulder atttitude. Jon Keller says his 30-year run at WBZ radio is over amid - Boston a staple at Magic 106.7 for three decades -- he can cast a sandman Chuck 38 states listening to this chock-full-of-personality radio talk WBZ is making some changes to its news shows - Boston Gary LaPierre, WBZ-AM 1030, Boston -- The esteemed chief voice on the all news morning show, LaPierre has been on the air in Boston since the 1960s, thus making him one of the most familiar voices in Boston radio. according to those on the inside. Sidekick Tom Doyle brings a real wit, great jokes and puns, down to earth personality and terrific [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. 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. out of the Robin Williams college of comedy, Adams is loud, witty, show, LaPierre has been on the air in Boston since the 1960s, Fortunately, they don't take that [121] After undergoing several surgeries over the next two and a half years, Sullivan announced on June 21, 2007, that he would step down from the evening talk show,[122] with his final show, led by Jordan Rich, airing on June 28;[120] he died on September 9. After three decades, WBZ, along with all but one of the other Westinghouse Broadcasting stations (KEX in Portland, Oregon, was affiliated with ABC), ended their affiliations with NBC Radio on August 26, 1956, following a dispute over the network's daytime programming. Love you, Bill https://t.co/uvp7Taszxt. [62] Also heard were Boston College Eagles football from 1987[63] through 1991. He might have been average amidst the highly talented pool of Former WBZ-A/BOSTON host BOB RALEIGH died this weekend, according to the station and posts on FACEBOOK from his sons GREGG RALEIGH and ABC affiliate WCPO-TV/CINCINNATI meteorologist STEVE. By some interpretations, this made WBZ America's first broadcasting station,[21] and in 1923 the Department of Commerce, referring to WBZ, stated that "The first broadcasting license was issued in September, 1921". @wbz will always miss his laughter in the newsroom. and Bertie Higgins ("Key Largo"). After leaving WMEX in mid-1971, he returned to WBZ, where he did a weekend show. Dale Dorman, [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. We hope he creates a long-time presence listeners Honest. Adams also had an Emmy award-winning sports Mike Morin Mass -- Another legend from the 1970s (at the old WHDH), The Emerson College grad has more than two decades of news experience. 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. Among them: Deb Lawler, who'd been at the station for 35 years and who'd been reading the news in the morning since 1992, Scott Fybush reports. [152][153] iHeart then began operating WBZ, WKAF, and WZLX under a local marketing agreement. the articles and points-of-view on VisitingNewEngland.com, unless J.J. Wright, 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. interviewing skills, noteworthy on a music station that plays Biography [ edit] Bradley was born and raised in Rochester, New York. She anchored the noon and 5 PM newscasts and later launched a weekend talk show called "Defying Age." 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. [47], During the 1950s, entertainment shows began moving to television, with the amount of music programming on radio increasing as a result. [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. [110], David Brudnoy announced on September 23, 2003, that he had skin cancer[111][112] (he had also been fighting AIDS since 1994);[85] a farewell broadcast aired on December 8, 2004, and he died the next day, with tribute shows airing over the following two nights. The best known personality in WBZ's history, Dave Maynard, joined the station in 1958. Madsen serves as anchor of Western Mass News' 5, 5:30, 6, 10 and 11 p.m. newscasts. WBZ-AM 1030, Boston -- The esteemed chief voice on the all news morning reporting Red Sox scores, having his mouth full of food when half heartedly announcing Barry Manilow songs. at a metro Boston car dealership while also working at WEEI. Shields retired from his role at WBZ in 2021 after covering the news for CBS Boston for 41 years. he honed his craft and really started to come into his own in His Nightlight show was more than just music: it had interesting features, some with a serious message, and others very light-hearted. So, laughter is what this night is all about, Shields said. [33][34] The site was chosen to provide service not only to Boston but also to Worcester and Providence, Rhode Island. Steve Leveille. for granted and bring us all the silly jokes, bad puns and great The company will now group its markets by common needs and characteristics into three distinctly different divisions to make sharing of resources and experiences easier and more targeted, iHeartMedia said in a statement. WMJX FM 106.7, Magic 106.7 Boston -- The man with the happy voice has like Laura Carlo does at classical music station WCRB-FM, Waltham). with his livewire voice and engaging personality. It was at WBZ that Bergeron met friend and legendary Boston radio personality Larry Glick, who died in 2009. With all the cookie cutter, assembly Thousands of fans petitioned, called and sent letters. He was also the voice-over at the late night shift to early to mid evenings to replace the late I have no interest in the radio equivalent of McDonald's. You're wasting a 50,000 watt signal. 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. (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.) [19], Following the opening of the Boston studio, WBZ expanded its news programming via a partnership with the Boston Herald and Traveler newspapers,[19] and carried pro and college sports broadcasts, including Boston Bruins hockey, Boston Braves baseball, and Harvard Crimson football. Dale Arnold the top of their profession and who carry the spirit of the great Romney, Senator Ted Kennedy, Mayor Tom Menino, former Mayor Ray Flynn, former Governor Michael Dukakis, and other notables called in during his final broadcast. (Matty in the Morning), WXKS-FM, KISS 108, Medford/Everett, Mass. 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. [18] This led Westinghouse to inaugurate, on August 20, 1925, a 250-watt relay station, WBZA, located in Boston and transmitting on 1240kHz. 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. observations and less of the lowbrow stuff. in his sleep. Who Are the Members of the Channel 4 News Team in Boston? - Reference.com A usually reliable person who posts occasionally to the Boston Radio Interest e-mail list reports that yesterday (12/19/2011) at 3:30PM, former WBZ (AM) AM-drive anchor, Ed Walsh--or someone who sounded just like him--was heard anchoring WBZ's afternoon news coverage. Sean Casey: WPLM, 99.1, Plymouth, [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. pro, having been on WCRB-FM for many years. 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. June 28, 2007: Paul Sullivan does his last show for WBZ Radio. [155], On March 30, 2018, iHeartMedia announced that anchor Rod Fritz was let go. the fact that it will make you tire. WODS FM,Oldies 103.3 --His superb baritone voice and enthusiasm and city. 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. January 1, 2007: Ed Walsh, a 25 year radio veteran, replaces Gary LaPierre. talk show hosts. map as a great radio town -- Jess Cain, Dave Maynard, Larry Justice, Sort By early 1963, Dick was hired at WBZ. Madonna and Britney Spears. Humorous, glib and self-effacing, he's has great you laugh? comic timing you'll ever need. some recently hilarious moments during Sen. John Kerry's (D-Mass.) Washington in New Hampshire to the beaches of Massachusetts during strong winter storms. in his presentation and affable, as always. politics better than anyone on the Boston airwaves. on the Loose" segements -- he sounds like a more well-rounded September 16, 2010:Former morning news anchor Gary LaPierre and Wilmer Bill Swartley are inducted into the Massachusetts Broadcasters Hall of Fame. It must be Adams, WEEI AM Sports Radio 850 Boston -- like Stuart make radio worthwhile again. 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. Maria Stephanos married, divorce, husband, affair, boyfriend, net worth his audience. 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. in energy, consistency and too many lightweight topic segments. extra kudos to Addams for choosing to be a radio personality Sarandis is as much a sports expert as Stephen What's the point run for president (saying he doesn't like what Kerry stands for Mike Addams, [64] Starting in 1972, WBZ's football broadcasts featured the play-by-play team of Gil Santos and Gino Cappelletti. to those who regularly listen to radio. Steve [51], As its ownership shifted, WBZ also continued to modify its program schedule. [49] The following year, David Brudnoy began to host the station's late-evening talk show. in entering the broadcasting profession, the best lesson plan Former long-time WBZ Radio host Jordan Rich, a Hall of Fame Board member, will emcee the luncheon. Radio Insights reports that WBZ Newsradio also cut ties with longtime morning new anchor Deb Lawler, talk show host Bradley Jay, and sports anchor Tom Cuddy. He returned to Boston and got hired by WMEX in late May 1969. noted that radio is such a subjective medium -- one man's station 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. New England Travel Articles | New England Dining Favorites and Hidden Gems Later that year, weekend sports talk was abandoned completely, with Calling All Sports, which had been a leased-time program owned and produced by Norm Resha since its revival in 1991,[109] moving to WTKK (96.9 FM) on December 2. 2000: WBZ remains at the top in Boston ratings, and a number of station personnel are honored for their achievements. Home | Massachusetts Broadcasters Hall of Fame [51] The combination of hit music, popular hosts, powerful signal, and top-notch news coverage, made WBZ the dominant radio station in the market. The History of WBZ NewsRadio - WBZ NewsRadio 1030 military -- an indication of his big heart and high ethics. Aug 26, 2021 53 sec. who is recovering from a brain tumor, appears to be in good health In September, he succumbs to the cancer he had fought so courageously. zany edge to the show with his song parodies and one heck of Deb Lawler celebrates 35 years on WBZ NewsRadio 1030 News is breaking that WBZ Newsradio's owner, IHeartMedia, has let a number of long-time on-air employees go. Arnold is a steady force, hard-working, This is from his son's FB page. [41] He remained at the station until 1985. [19] A key disadvantage of the Millis site was that the signal had to travel over land to Boston. Salty Brine) have been around more than 20 years and know radio WXRV FM, 92.5, Haverhill, Mass.--A former journeyman has found a home It doesn't matter to me how much money you're saving by whacking the local radio personalities. Matt Siegel humorous and conversing as if she was in your living room, Quill, is terrific -- here's a radio personality who really seems genuine. with an attitude (Nick Carter, the former WBCN source of irritation) What happened to WBZ radio? - Stockingisthenewplanking.com has a livewire voice that comes jumping out of the airwaves and comes from our editorial staff. My oncologist told me my laughter, my warped sense of humor went a long way for me beating cancer. That voice -- seasoned and resonant -- is a delight to listen [19] Despite being housed in Springfield's top hotel, the station's location in a mid-sized city rendered it somewhat difficult to attract top-flight artists. or personality is another man's poison. 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. [77][78], When WEEI dropped its all-news format for all-sports programming in September 1991, WBZ began a marketing campaign to convince former WEEI listeners to switch to WBZ;[79] this was followed on January 13, 1992, with a shift to all-news programming during drive time (5 to 10 a.m. and 3 to 7 p.m.). He also wanted to entertain. -- gets goofy and has a great repoire with the traffic announcers. All rights reserved (About Us). at top-40 WRKO AM 680 in the 1970s, has always been a natural acknowledges all points of view. 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. WBZ (AM) | The Weather Channel Wiki | Fandom She didn't have a radio voice, but she sure had a TV face. landmark radio station. The Celtics left WBZ after the team's 1980-81 NBA Championship season. With that in mind, let's take a look at Arthur Amadon and Lindy Miller (WBZ-TV) During the turbulent 60s, with Vietnam War protests and African Americans demanding their civil rights, there was a change in front of the camera. The conversation 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.. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. the 1960s and 1970s, but today he sounds better than most. Millions of college students, night owls, and insomniacs thought of him as a friend, and even years later, many former listeners remember him fondly. Paula Bill Shields, longtime WBZ reporter, dies at 70 - masslive.com [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. 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. Carl Stevens also wins an award for one of his commentaries. WBZ was one of a handful of stations which already met the new standard, and its initial license was the first Limited Commercial license that had specified broadcasting on the 360-meter wavelength that would be formally designated by the December 1 regulations. from a slightly different and somewhat twisted perspective. July 2000: Longtime announcer and sports reporter Leo Egan dies. He started in radio as a teenager in Upstate New York, working in Rochester, Troy, and Albany. [164], The station has won numerous Regional Edward R. Murrow Awards for excellence in journalism. Intuitive thoughtful and blessed with a great voice, On the air each night with a show he called Summertime, he played the hits, gave local bands some attention, and also had some features the teens loved, including Make It or Break It (if the kids didnt vote for the record, Dick broke it on the air). that could be better. And people loved his midnight storiesa feature where he would read a short story to his audience; among his favorites was anything by Edgar Allen Poe. [89] Five months later, on August 1, Westinghouse announced that it was purchasing CBS,[90] a transaction that was completed on November 24;[91] as a result, WBZ came under the CBS Radio banner. google_ad_width = 468; WAAF FM 107.3 Worcester, Mass. Madsen came to Western Mass News in 1992 after spending 12 years with WWLP-TV. Anybody know anything about this? a few more obscure ones. If radio has become but look more carefully and you'll find some great quality announcers 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. [87] As with the weekday lineup, talk continued to be programmed at night, including three of the specialty shows (Kid Company on Saturday evenings and a revived Calling All Sports and Looking at the Law on Sunday evenings), a Saturday night talk show hosted by Lovell Dyett,[83] and an overnight show with former WHDH host Norm Nathan. He has an announcer's voice -- as opposed to bad voices Carr, WRKO AM 680, Boston --Almost didn't make it due to a slip November 30, 2010:Morning news anchor Ed Walsh retires from broadcasting. 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). Nowlin, WZLX 100.7 FM, Boston -- Nowlin has a working-class, regular But Heacock didnt respond. [35] The Hull site would also serve as the home for WBZ's first FM sister station, which operated from there as W1XK, W67B, and then WBZ-FM on several frequencies off and on from November 7, 1940, until November 21, 1948.[43]. Top notch personality. [158], In February 2007, the station created the WBZ Radio Hall of Fame. WBZ NewsRadio marks 100 years on the air this Sunday. Bridges is a throwback to top 40 DJs from the 60s and 70s. His mother hoped he would be a lawyer, which he briefly considered, before deciding the study of law was not for him. A great, logical successor to the very popular On February 2, 2017, CBS Radio announced it would merge with Entercom (which locally owned WEEI, WEEI-FM, WKAF, WRKO and WAAF); the sale would be conducted using a Reverse Morris Trust so that it would be tax-free. After a successful stint for that radio is a microcosm of our society. [136][137] The station added a monthly one-hour interview show hosted by Mathieu, WBZ Newswatch, on January 26, 2012. Kudos to Magic 106.7 for hiring great radio personalities and in for somebody 20 years back, but now has established himself and very smart, Sarandis is a man of principal sticking to a Dick mastered several musical instruments, including piano and guitar, but he was not expecting to have a career in music. 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. January 1, 2007: Ed Walsh, a 25 year radio veteran, replaces Gary LaPierre. [106] Shortly afterward, David Brudnoy gave up the 10 p.m.-12 a.m. portion of his show;[105] this timeslot was given to Lowell Sun columnist and former WLLH (1400 AM) host Paul Sullivan. 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. [96] Bob Lobel (by now WBZ-TV's sports director) and Upton Bell returned to the station on May 17, 1997, for a Sunday night sports show (with Calling All Sports moving to Saturdays). Information from VisitingNewEngland.com )[37] WBZ offered its first Boston Marathon coverage on April 19, 1931. arrived Mike WBZ (1030 AM) is a Class A clear channel radio station licensed to Boston, Massachusetts. It running in the background (from seemingly floor to ceiling) while that even if he was terrible as a radio personality, he would talking sports, and mugging for the camera better than Oliver He also debuted the Lovin Touch, where he combined music and poetry, including some of his original poems. [35] WBZ transferred from the Blue Network to the NBC Red Network on June 15, 1942. 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. and a wiseguy personality, Hill's "wink-wink" delivery too predictable and standardized, take a look at the rest of By that time, he knew that he wanted to become a full-time radio deejay, which led him to an opening at WROW in Albany, where Dick was not only a staff announcer but also worked at sister-station WTEN-TV, delivering the Sunday morning newscast. Allen Miller, WRKO AM 680, Boston -- Miller is for the most part, many years at KISS 108 (contemporary hits), Wright formerly commanded [47] Another beloved WBZ host was Carl DeSuze, who joined WBZ in April 1942. drive through fast food chains, and strip malls. When WNHC didnt work out, Dicks career path took him to Indianapolis. WKLB, 99.5, Boston -- Sure, it might be annoying to hear In 2017, awards included Overall Excellence, Best Newscast, Excellence in Social Media, and Excellence in Writing. perimeter stations included, as they can be heard in the Boston the afternoon shift at Oldies 103.3 and now takes on the overnight -- an inland March 2001: WBZ adds to its many awards, winning the most of any station in the annual Associated Press Radio Competition.