The Greatest Radio Moment in Boston History Is...?

[Eli Polonsky]

What would be the thinking behind the Digital Millennium Copyright Act? If you hear a Rock Block of Wham! the terrorist win? ???

More likely, it is people downloading entire albums from a stream instead of buying them.

Yes, it was proposed by the music industry (The RIAA, BMI, ASCAP, etc...) because of the potential for people to download digital quality compilations of an artists work from radio station webstreams. They believe that limiting the amount of music that can be legally played by an artist within a certain time period will discourage the possibility of such activity, and it's being enforced by the FCC.

Many stations that stream on the web are complying, though some aren't, perhaps due to ignorace of the recent regulation. I know that a public radio station in NYC actually shuts off their webcast for their weekly album feature show to comply, but WHRB doesn't appear to be shutting off their webcast for the "Orgies".

 

[BoredModerator]

Who ending up being the person that "shocked JR" ?

 

[Time Traveler]

Midnight, October 12, 1966! FM Rock and Roll radio came to Boston in the form of WRKO-FM (98.5, now WBMX), with R-KO-matic ("The Shy But Friendly Robot"). "ARKO" was an all automated FM rock station playing a 50/50 mix of oldies and recurrents, and the Top 40 hits of the day in a no-clutter format which helped spur sales of FM radios to unheard of heights. It was very popular with the college crowd and the student nurses in Boston. It was the test to see if someone could make a dent against WMEX/1510 and WBZ/1030 (both somewhat Top 40 based formatted stations at the time). While "ARKO" was not earth-shattering in terms of ratings, it DID put a bug in the ears of WNAC (now WRKO) management. Some six months later, WRKO-FM's sister station WRKO/680 made the BIG step in dumping WNAC's long-time MOR format and went ba**s-to-the-walls Top-40 with plenty of oldies to match. It took the market by storm. 'ARKO-FM also was the harbinger of things to come on the FM side. Soon came WBCN (1968), WHDH-FM (1967) and more, making the turn to Rock and Roll on FM.
I was only 7 when WRKO-FM debuted on 10/12/1966 but I loved it from the get-go! (I was one of the few people in my block to own an FM radio!

"This is R-KO, your automated all music station in Boston!"l

Other great FM moments....WKOX-FM becoming the area's first full time live Top 40 FM, in January 1969, followed by their
transition to Top 40/Rock WVBF in July, 1971. Also the change from Classical to Top 40/Rock of WBZ-FM, in December, 1971 and the debut of "Modified Progressive Rock" on WCOZ, in August, 1975. One other great AM moment would be the debut of full time Progressive Rock, on WNTN, in early 1970....

 

[Eli Polonsky]

One other great AM moment would be the debut of full time Progressive Rock, on WNTN, in early 1970....

That was never really full-time, because the station always had to sign off at sunset.

 

[WLYNWAZNgm]

WNTN back in the day...

Yes, WNTN was daytime only. This was significant to me, at the time (1974), as I was commuting up and down Rte. 128
in a car that only had an AM radio (factory-installed FM radios in cars was still unusual...). To hear progressive rock on AM was a very big deal...

 

[Lucylu]

Greatest Moment in Boston Radio History? When Tommy Finneren (sp?), with Howie Lite (VB) at his side, steps up to the mike.... Well, maybe not.