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Gene Burns has died

raccoonradio

raccoonradio

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/breakingnews/os-gene-burns-dies-20130525,0,5936305.story

>>Gene Burns, a long-time political talk show host and food critic whose sharp wit and eloquent speech garnered the respect of listeners for decades, died Saturday in San Francisco. Burns, originally from upstate New York, had been ill for the past year and died after suffering a stroke last week, said friend and former chair of the Florida Democratic Party, Bob Poe. In the 70s and 80s, Burns, a staunch liberal, hosted the Gene Burns Program on WKIS-AM in Orlando and Poe worked as his producer for afternoon and evening broadcasts.

Was considered more libertarian in time.
"We have transited the meridian and entered the afternoon incarnation of the broadcast day".
Longtime host 10a-2p on WRKO just before Jerry Williams. Rest in peace

Picture http://www.ntsmediaonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/941352_10151598050574214_1835857381_n.jpg
 
a staunch liberal
Click to expand...
I didn't know they worked in Orlando?

Anybody ever try a "Gene Burns" Chocolate ? He did his own candy spots while at RKO. David, Gene, Jerry ...that was quite a lineup.
 
In my mind's eye.....I'm seeing the most wonderful panel discussion going on in Heaven....with Gene, David Brudnoy, Jerry Williams, Paul Benzaquin, and Larry Glick.

OH!.....the discussion that must be taking place! ;)
 
Got to give credit to the WRKO GM, I forget who, who had been PD at WEEI and brought Burns back to Boston when RKO dumped the psycho-babble line-up in favor of issue-oriented talk.

Incidentally, he did not do a "show." Acutely aware that you can't show what's on the radio, Gene did a "program."

I was planning on moping about the estate today, but it being a Sunday I shall go dining around in his honor. Properly dressed for dining in public, of course.
 
Mel Miller was the PD at WRKO during the Gene Burns era. He had been PD at WEEI. I believe the first WRKO as a talk staion GM's name was Bob Fish He had been a GM Providence and got Jerry Williams back from Florida. Williams was so desperate to get out of Florida he agreed to do a 6 day a week shift and was on Monday-Saturday from 2p-6p. Oh I miss the days before infomercials, Dan Griffin was later the GM I believe he came from WOR.
 
he's transited the meridian to... well, someplace. And, if IIRC, he was a libertarian, not a "staunch liberal." We can all agree that he was articulate and well-informed.

*[EDIT] I checked out his wiki page. He almost ran for president on the Libertarian party ticket in '84 but re-registered as a Democrat in 2008.
 
Months have passed since Gene's death and not one word nor any obituary in any Boston paper. No mention on TV news and only Howie Carr did a very nice tribute to Gene that I know of.
 
I turned on WRKO the morning after Burns' death broke. The excreable Avi Nelson hosted and babbled about an assortment of stupid topics. Finally a caller mentioned that Burns had died and Nelson went into a pathetic rap about how he "was going to bring this up next" and proceeded to read a canned obituary that I had read elsewhere. The caller then said "he helped build that station" and Nelson actually disagreed!! People who have been around will recall RKO dumping Syatt and the shrink for Burns and Williams (gradually) and how the station was No. 1 for a few books.

the whole exercise, from ignoring that Burns had died until a caller brought it up, to Nelson trying to discredit Burns stature and standing in the market was truly representative of the monumental morons who run WRKO.
 
Another brick has been pulled from the wall.

Even though "buried" in the 7-Mid time slot Gene Burns was the preeminent talent on KGO clear up to when Cumulus blew up the station in late 2011. And if I recall departing GM Mick Luckoff chose Gene's show to make his first post-firing statements back in 2010, despite the presence of guys like Ronn Owens and Ray Taliaferro still holding forth during the daytime.

Just as in Boston and Orlando, Gene Burns was by far and away the best talker in the market. And with all due-respect to my friend and former colleague Peter B. Collins, Gene Burns was the brightest liberal light in Bay Area radio.

And, could he ever write! And then deliver his thoughts; always with just the right inflection and intonation. I have had several conservative acquaintances tell me that they actually listened to Gene. But as to their identities? Well, I am sworn to secrecy.

He has to be a first ballot inductee into any and every Hall of Fame there is for radio personalities.
 
thirdendorsed said:
I turned on WRKO the morning after Burns' death broke. The excreable Avi Nelson hosted and babbled about an assortment of stupid topics. Finally a caller mentioned that Burns had died and Nelson went into a pathetic rap about how he "was going to bring this up next" and proceeded to read a canned obituary that I had read elsewhere. The caller then said "he helped build that station" and Nelson actually disagreed!! People who have been around will recall RKO dumping Syatt and the shrink for Burns and Williams (gradually) and how the station was No. 1 for a few books.

the whole exercise, from ignoring that Burns had died until a caller brought it up, to Nelson trying to discredit Burns stature and standing in the market was truly representative of the monumental morons who run WRKO.
Click to expand...

Entercom has never understood the history of 680.

WRKO TODAY is still built around the WHDH-850 of almost 20 years ago. (Rush and Howie)
 
By the way did Gene Burns host Ch 4's Community Auditions back in the 50s? I say this because I heard an edition of a podcast called Baby Boomer Favorites out of Chatsworth, CA and they were playing old garage rock tunes along with what was clearly Dave Maynard introducing :"Community Audition #4" and giving out a mailing address on Tremont St., I think.

They apparently didn't know who Dave was, etc. and on facebook I passed along info on Dave and the show. Apparently he began in the mid 60s and did about 21-25 yrs or so, but the page I got info from mentioned Gene Burns hosted it in the 50s. Same guy?
 
raccoonradio said:
By the way did Gene Burns host Ch 4's Community Auditions back in the 50s? I say this because I heard an edition of a podcast called Baby Boomer Favorites out of Chatsworth, CA and they were playing old garage rock tunes along with what was clearly Dave Maynard introducing :"Community Audition #4" and giving out a mailing address on Tremont St., I think.

They apparently didn't know who Dave was, etc. and on facebook I passed along info on Dave and the show. Apparently he began in the mid 60s and did about 21-25 yrs or so, but the page I got info from mentioned Gene Burns hosted it in the 50s. Same guy?
Click to expand...

The host's name was Gene Jones.

I'm sure that's what the page meant.
 
OK, thanks! I think I have heard that name before.

Here was the page, and the erroneous info:
http://www.communityauditions.com/past-present/

>>Community Auditions: Star of the Day is the nation’s longest running entertainment TV series in history. Starting in 1950, the show was first hosted by Gene Burns, followed by Dave Maynard, who remained the show’s iconic host for over 25 years.

But, Gene Jones!
 
WRKO has been in a self-destructive mode for years.
Does anyone actually listen to the right-wingnut mucus that oozes from its transmitter any longer?

And what is a Jeff Kuhner? He sounds like Jackie Mason's on meds and Howie Carr, now in his mid 60's, is clearly showing that Father Time has caught up with him. Funny, that is the same sling blade Carr used to cut up Jerry Williams as he attempted to kill the Dean. Proves true the old sage, ' be careful [ Howie] what you pray for; you might get it.'

Jerry, Bruds and now Gene must be looking down and wondering what happened to the once powerhouse of talk radio in Boston.

Where is "Grace Queen of the Kockomanies", Bob when you need her ??? ;)
 
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