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Garabedian introduces WJIB The Memories Channel

For me, it's truly REFRESHING to see a station actually PLAYING Anita Bryant and Arthur Godfrey!!!!
I live too far away to catch the OTA signals.....but I'll listen to the stream.....
Atta go, John!!!:) Sort of like the WCAS "Good Old Days Radio" back in the early 70s........
(Ummmmm......Did I happen to mention.....I'm an Oldies junkie???!!)
 
It’s absolutely nothing like it used to be. Today they played “Believe” by Cher and even a song by One Direction. Come on!! But anyway, Bob is gone and the station can’t keep going on forever. I guess all good things must come to an end. I noticed they still play God Bless America at 9am and probably the Star Spangled Banner at noon, but I’m sure the slow piano version they usually play will soon be gone, if it’s not already. I’m sure that’s one thing they’re guaranteed not to play anymore. Instrumentals. And songs from the 50s and before then.
 
ssetta said:
It’s absolutely nothing like it used to be. Today they played “Believe” by Cher and even a song by One Direction. Come on!! But anyway, Bob is gone and the station can’t keep going on forever. I guess all good things must come to an end. I noticed they still play God Bless America at 9am and probably the Star Spangled Banner at noon, but I’m sure the slow piano version they usually play will soon be gone, if it’s not already. I’m sure that’s one thing they’re guaranteed not to play anymore. Instrumentals. And songs from the 50s and before then.
Click to expand...

I actually just heard some instrumentals. Walk Among The Flowers, Orchestra Mastrangelo. Also What A Wonderful World, Max Gregor
 
Yes, also Ferrante and Teicher with Last
Farewell.
John G on air announcements about hopeful freq change (740>>720) & power boost (250w/5w to 1kw/13w) for the AM.
Waves, seagulls and ships bells at TOH.

8p 12 bells
1 bell at 8:30 and a bell added each half hour. 10 pm, 4 bells. 11 pm, 6 bells. After 8 bells reached at midnight it starts again. Bells only at top of hr.
Continues tradition of the former 96.9
 
Here's a post from the "Friends and Lovers of WJIB" Facebook group:

Change never changes.
Ever.
Who would have ever known WBZ would leave their 1170 Soldiers Field Rd home for Medford, or WKBG/WLVI Channel 56 would vanish in its original sourced form, or WABC would be sold off by itself, or WMTW Channel 8 would depart Mt. Washington's summit, or even the 50,000 watt 740 AM Toronto blowtorch behind WJIB nighttime flee signal would itself become "Zoomer Radio".
Even our favorite Cambridge AM 740 itself once had a good following of dedicated listeners when they were folk music WCAS, that change eventually led to Bob's WJIB, in part because the "FM 97, WJIB" station on "Boston's Commercial Wharf" changed to something else!!
This beautiful stream is still here:
https://bobsmemorystation.com/player.html...
Use Bluetooth to "cast" the above stream to a device you prefer, or microcast this stream to your own "Part 15" AM or FM transmitter to your house & yard.
By doing this, it really does skip past the change....
...for now at least, lol.
🙂


In other words, it's John Garabedian's station now, not Bob Bittner's. That stream that I just linked you to is meant to carry on the legacy of the original "Memories stations."
 
Various complaints and praise about the changes are on facebook. I'm reminded of the second episode of WKRP, in which the station's former listeners show up at the studios with signs reading "Play Something Slow".
When WTKK (then still WSJZ?) changed from the brief "Imus in the Morning, Smooth Jazz All Day" format to all talk, the first host,
Stacy Taylor said "I didn't make the decision, neither did Jay (Severin) who will be on later.. tell you what, why don't you folks show up at the studios with protest signs", he joked. That's right, get them on the news!
 
There will always be complaints when a radio station changes programming or personalities. Facebook negative comments are poison. Restating them here adds no value in my humble opinion. Listeners should be thankful that John is investing in the station, and is keeping it advertiser free.
If you don’t have anything positive to say, or have constructive suggestions to improve a station, I don’t find comments helpful. My $0.02.
 
Listened for the first time since John G took over this morning driving to work. Sounds great - not all that much different to my ears. Nice tribute to the founder with a Bob B. "commentary" just before 9am into TOH ID voiced by John G (mentioning both the AM and FM) and then into God Bless America. The only thing that stood out was playing "The Fray" but a song that blends well with the format. Probably first time hearing "The Fray" in AM Stereo.
 
Pointing out to the complainers on the Facebook groups that what's so special about both the Garabedian and Bittner estate operations is...no ads. Funded by listeners who pay for what they want to hear. Yeah, some music choices upset people but the vast majority of listeners will gladly pay to support the operations. The same principle is used for Non Commercial Educational Stations--public radio, and the K-Love folks. Donations...and NO commercials. So your favorite song won't be followed by Kars 4 Kids, so-and-so-for-political office, detergent ads, car companies, restaurants, and so on. Skilfully run and appealing to listeners. And modern technology allows you to hear the signal online. Your computer, phone, car stereo, anywhere. No static at all, Steely Dan, and no sunset-power-drops or interference.
 
raccoonradio said:
Pointing out to the complainers on the Facebook groups that what's so special about both the Garabedian and Bittner estate operations is...no ads. Funded by listeners who pay for what they want to hear. Yeah, some music choices upset people but the vast majority of listeners will gladly pay to support the operations. The same principle is used for Non Commercial Educational Stations--public radio, and the K-Love folks. Donations...and NO commercials. So your favorite song won't be followed by Kars 4 Kids, so-and-so-for-political office, detergent ads, car companies, restaurants, and so on. Skilfully run and appealing to listeners. And modern technology allows you to hear the signal online. Your computer, phone, car stereo, anywhere. No static at all, Steely Dan, and no sunset-power-drops or interference.
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Well, I don't know about you, but I would sure miss those clever and funny ads I hear on 'BZ for Right Window and Kuhlman Electric. The ad writers for these deserve awards. I'm not being sarcastic; I'm serious. Some commercials are entertaining in/of themselves. However, I'd give anything to never hear any more ads for (yet) another iHeart podcast, or the infamous iHeart music awards!
 
The "Dick and Bert" ads for Time Magazine and RealLemon lemonade were absolute classics!!
They were funny...you actually LISTENED to the ad...and it SOLD THE PRODUCT!!
Everybody won with this team!!!:)
(Cue: "Dear Mommy....I'm up in a big airplane......"!)
 
Bert & Larry Piel (Bob Elliott & Ray Goulding WHDH) - Piels Beer!
 
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Motown said:
There will always be complaints when a radio station changes programming or personalities. Facebook negative comments are poison. Restating them here adds no value in my humble opinion. Listeners should be thankful that John is investing in the station, and is keeping it advertiser free.
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A station's got to evolve. If you were in high school when the Donna Summer song I mentioned upthread was current, you'd be in your mid 60s now, and it would likely be music that was/is significant to you. Not to diss Bob's selection of music, but time marches on and the generation nostalgic for that kind of music is dying off, if not already gone. Does anyone else in the market play much of what John G's WJIB plays? Seems to me like it would fill a void.
 
Very few stations play anything but what some corporate "suit" deems profitable. Fine, I understand that, but it just seems to me that a Federally Licensed station should at least consider the fact that just maybe there is a WWII Veteran who would just love to hear the Andrew Sisters or Glen Miller one more time. After all, he or she did once put on a uniform so that we could be free. I know, tough sh*t. I am 83 and love "Oldies", but Oops! I forgot. "Oldies" is a dirty word. Shame on me.
Thank the power above for "Mom & Pop" stations.
Pardon my rant.
 
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TheOtherBigJohn said:
Very few stations play anything but what some corporate "suit" deems profitable.
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That is not how it works. Commercial stations program to audience segments that advertisers wish to reach. If they don't, there is little or no income and the station fails. That usually means appealing to some pron of the 18-54 year old range. Who decided on that? Advertisers, not stations.

And most stations directly ask listeners what they want to hear or share research on their target audience group; it is not some "suit" picking the songs.
TheOtherBigJohn said:
Fine, I understand that, but it just seems to me that a Federally Licensed station should at least consider the fact that just maybe there is a WWII Veteran who would just love to hear the Andrew Sisters or Glen Miller one more time. After all, he or she did once put on a uniform so that we could be free. I know, tough sh*t. I am 83 and love "Oldies", but Oops! I forgot. "Oldies" is a dirty word. Shame on me.
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"Oldies" in the industry means a format that plays mostly 60's hits. It also means a format that is very hard to make profitable because few advertisers seek the audience that such music appeals to.
TheOtherBigJohn said:
Thank the power above for "Mom & Pop" stations.
Click to expand...
And, with radio listening at an all time low level, many of those are disappearing.
 
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TheOtherBigJohn said:
Very few stations play anything but what some corporate "suit" deems profitable. Fine, I understand that, but it just seems to me that a Federally Licensed station should at least consider the fact that just maybe there is a WWII Veteran who would just love to hear the Andrew Sisters or Glen Miller one more time. After all, he or she did once put on a uniform so that we could be free. I know, tough sh*t. I am 83 and love "Oldies", but Oops! I forgot. "Oldies" is a dirty word. Shame on me.
Thank the power above for "Mom & Pop" stations.
Pardon my rant.
Click to expand...
Sirius XM is great for non commercially viable formats. There is a 40s, 50s and Sinatra channel for example. You can stream for $5 a month. Plus, no commercials!
 
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