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Ben Parker Leaving WPKZ For Station With Fewer Call Letters

L

Laurence Glavin

Guest
Another radio web site quoting a newspaper in the Fitchburg/Leominster area, reports that Ben Parker is leaving WPKZ-AM 1280
and an FM station to be named later (if at all) in a few days. In an apparent demotion, he's leaving an AM station with four
call letters, for one with only three: WBZ. COULD HE BE THE SUCCESSOR TO ED WALSH?
 
Didn't Ben work for Rod Fritz at RKO before they all got broomed?

Perhaps Fritz is getting the top job and Ben is getting Rod's old 'BZ gig.

Regards,
TSB
 
Ben was indeed at WRKO before coming back to his home turf to run WEIM / WPKZ. His Fitchburg morning show was very listenable, but he's too good for this little ol' mill town, so congrats, Ben.

According to the local fishwrapper, Ben will be commuting from Templeton (west of Gardner) to Boston, which proves that you don't have to be crazy to be in radio, but it helps.
 
Yup, used to listen to Ben on RKO. Always loved his voice and delivery-- I was listening to him (and I' m going to show my young age) in his last few years at RKO and often would try to emulate his delivery when doing news on my station.

"Next news update at 9:30, breaking news at once I'm Ben Parker on Boston's Talk Station WRKO, Boston. An Entercom Station"

.... or something like that.

Can't wait to hear the news, though you don't know me Ben, you had a large impression on me! (hope you see this)
 
raccoonradio said:
He'd be on Howie's show and or VB's "Pit". VB would refer to him by his last name
Click to expand...
Speaking of VB a guy who occasionally filled for him on the Pit- Rich Teter is set to take over for Ben at PKZ on January 10th. We last heard Teter on WCRN with Peter Blute and then on his Teter On The Edge show.
 
Whoops

My bad. Tom Teeter is a radio news guy from Florida. I was actually thinking of Paul Tuthill, who has been on Worcester and Boston stations.

I should never post before my second cup of coffee. Anyway, good luck, Rich. Or whatever your name is.
 
Re: Whoops

Schuyler said:
My bad. Tom Teeter is a radio news guy from Florida. I was actually thinking of Paul Tuthill, who has been on Worcester and Boston stations.

I should never post before my second cup of coffee. Anyway, good luck, Rich. Or whatever your name is.
Click to expand...
maybe they could get Roger Teeter from the Teeter hangups or Hannah Teter The Snowboarder. But Tuthill is doing NPR News I believe.
 
I agree with Schuyler on this one. Rich Teter will really need to tone down his shtick on WPKZ. Otherwise his tenure on that station will be even more short-lived than his "Teter on the Edge" show at WCRN.
 
DavidZ said:
I agree with Schuyler on this one. Rich Teter will really need to tone down his shtick on WPKZ. Otherwise his tenure on that station will be even more short-lived than his "Teter on the Edge" show at WCRN.
Click to expand...
His Funny entertaining talk will be a welcome break from the ray c snooze fest they have on now. Teter on The Edge was as advertised- on the Edge- we will see what he does with his new post While he did get crazy from time to time, let's not forget the guests he had on like Rudy Guilianni, John McCain, Jack Hannah, Mike O'Malley, Governor Patrick, Tim Cahill, John Kerry and on and on. I certainly will tune in to see what he does. But if anyone is setting an over under let me know.
 
You may think Ray C is a snooze fest but he has been associated with North County radio "forever". He was the morning host at WEIM for a very long time and in this business that's quite a feat!
 
Ray's show may have been too old school for some, but it was live and local and had a following. He's the Bob Steele (WTIC) of Fitchburg. And the daily obituaries were riveting! ;D

Ben brought the station kicking and screaming into the 21st century. His show was quicker paced and had more topical humor but it wasn't as radical a departure from Ray as Rich would be. And I'm not knocking Teter, but the phrase "too hip for the room" comes to mind.
 
[Ray's show may have been too old school for some, but it was live and local and had a following. He's the Bob Steele (WTIC) of Fitchburg. And the daily obituaries were riveting! ;D

Ben brought the station kicking and screaming into the 21st century. His show was quicker paced and had more topical humor but it wasn't as radical a departure from Ray as Rich would be. And I'm not knocking Teter, but the phrase "too hip for the room" comes to mind.

[/quote] I would guess that Ben had something to do with the choice of Teter, maybe it is the next step of as you said 'dragging the station kicking and screaming into the 21st Century', perhaps his 'too hip for the room' thing is the reason they got him.
 
I heard Ben on WBZ-AM today (Wednesday 12/28). Sounded as though he had been on the radio in Boston for years. Oh, wait...
 
Laurence Glavin said:
I heard Ben on WBZ-AM today (Wednesday 12/28). Sounded as though he had been on the radio in Boston for years. Oh, wait...
Click to expand...
yeah I heard Ben and Teter talking about working together at RKO last week on PKZ . Ben was part of Blute and Ozone with Teter-then" Dick Tetlow", Ben went back to news after 9-11. Parker has a newsman's voice and delivery to be sure.
 
All I can say is good luck to Ben. WPKZ-AM in Fitchburg was one of many that helped to promote a concert at Indian Ranch in Webster, MA. We didn't have much of a budget but he still wanted to work with us. We talked at length about the Boston radio(25-30 minutes). There were other stations but none more helpful than WPKZ-AM. In my opinion AM and FM radio are bad and getting worse. That's mhy two cents worth.
 
fredo said:
His Funny entertaining talk will be a welcome break from the ray c snooze fest they have on now. Teter on The Edge was as advertised- on the Edge- we will see what he does with his new post While he did get crazy from time to time, let's not forget the guests he had on like Rudy Guilianni, John McCain, Jack Hannah, Mike O'Malley, Governor Patrick, Tim Cahill, John Kerry and on and on. I certainly will tune in to see what he does. But if anyone is setting an over under let me know.
Click to expand...

Looks like Teter is gone from WPKZ and Ray C is back. I'm not suprised. I didn't think Teter would last. I guess Fitchburg radio listeners would rather hear the "Ray C snooze fest".

http://wpkz.net/pages/?page_id=42
 
I haven't tuned in early for a while -- I've been snoozing.

It's nice that Ray is part of a local morning gang (also including Scott May, whose work with Parker was first-rate). But I think the larger takeaway here is that they've stuck IMUS into the lineup.

Wait until former PD Jack Raymond hears about that. His tiny, misshapen head will explode! In the late '90s, Jack tried unsuccessfully (more than once) to convince the owner to jettison the local morning show and carry the I-man. Whether Jack thought it would be good for ratings or whether he just jealous of Ray, I don't know. Former news director Sarah Ryan referred to our PD as "a strange little man," a description which would be perfect if it weren't so understated.
 
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