What are Boston radio's biggest failures?

[uncamark]

I'd say that anything Clear Channel has done is the biggest failure, not only in Boston, but America as a whole.

What a terrible company. It has destroyed radio as we once knew it.


Talk to anybody who's worked in the radio biz, and they will say the same thing. Unless you are one of the poor unfortunate souls who happens to work for these scum bags.

And who owns Boston's number one station? Three of the five top-rated stations in New York? The top three stations in LA? The top two stations in Chicago? Need I go on?

You may not like what CC does and how they treat their employees. I don't particularly care for what they do. But the common denominator has always been that there are more Passives than Actives when it comes to music, and all the Passives want is to hear their favorite songs. Which is exactly what Clear Channel stations do with a vengeance and that's why they're so successful.

And since when was radio so uniformly wonderful? Most of the complaints about radio have been around long before deregulation and go back to the 70s when the "free form" formats that were turning off rock Passives were replaced by Allen Shaw and Lee Abrams and their imitators' AOR formats that appealed to rock Passives because it played their favorite songs while giving them enough new music close to what they already liked so they could tolerate it. The only difference now is that there are satellite and online alternatives. And note with satellite that the programming philosophy that appealed to Actives (Abrams with XM, in his attempt at penance for his 70s and 80s sins) was replaced at the merged satellite radio system with a philosophy that appealed to Passives (Karmazin and Sirius). And I suspect that the most streamed Internet stations are those stations that are the formats that are the most mainstream/Passive-friendly, with a core of favorite songs along with a few obscure cuts.

 

[carmen]

Most of the complaints about radio have been around long

can you imagine? last time i brought up the tremendous diversity and awesomeness of NYC's dial i was told it was "not wise" to bring it up - no joke. listening to the autoprogrammed highpowered Pru/Needham stations, it is clear no more than 1 or 2 people per country could be involved in programming them - and i already know who maintains them, because ive heard them talk about their jobs on 160 meter AM in the midwinter solar-minum beauty of that band

 

[NHRadio]

Talk to anybody who's worked in the radio biz, and they will say the same thing. Unless you are one of the poor unfortunate souls who happens to work for these scum bags.

I'm "anybody" and I disagree. Changed it? Yes. For the better? Yes and no. Destroyed it? No.
And I do not now nor have I ever worked for them.

 

[Fenway1912]

Ned Martin was doing play by play - I had a brain fart. Coleman had moved to Channel 4.

I remember that game well as I was driving back from NY and almost drove off the Wilbur-Cross in shock. WTIC went dead air for at least a minute as the board-op must have freaked.


quote author=Fenway1912 link=topic=216299.msg1949523#msg1949523 date=1343813914]

9. John MacLean doing Red Sox baseball and Curt Gowdy doing the Pats.

John MacLean was fired because he was drunk on the air for any night game and this is the game that got him canned.

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1972/B06290BOS1972.htm


Coleman was doing play by play in the top of the 9th and the Red Sox saw their 4-0 lead vanish - MacLean said 'What the **** is the matter with this ******* team'.

Dave Martin was hired the next day.


Gowdy was bad on WHDH but the worst ever was when WBUR hired Ken Coleman to do BU Football. Coleman kept saying over and over 'The Boston University Eagles'. He was fired mid-season and Bernie Corbett took over.
[/quote]

 

[thirdendorsed]

The timing on McLean and Dave Martin may be off. I seem to recall that McLean left for "medical reasons" and Ned did the games alone for a spell, sometimes with Yaz who was on the 21 day DL, doing color. and Yaz was on the DL in May to early June. Then Dave Martin was hired after a period of no second banana. I think Martin came back in 73 and then was let go in favor of Jim Woods who had been fired by Finley, for 74. I do know they re-cut the intro jingle when Coleman and Pesky went to Ch.4 the "here's Ken Coleman standing by, the voice of the Red Sox a real nice guy" (a re-sing of the same words that had been used for Curt Gowdy) was replaced by an instrumental bridge in mid-song.

 

[blackgold]

WSSH-AM's Spanish format was great, but they decided to change it in 1993 to a gospel franchise. I love gospel music, but it didn't do well. And I hated Mike 93.7! It sucked! And how could WMEX get rid of top 40 to MOR?! And WBOS switched form disco to AC in 1980.
And I think the greatest failure was WODS's switch from oldies to AMP Radio! There seems to be so many sad things about radio formats.
Sheesh! What's next? An all Halloween format? With WODS gone top 40, it looks like WROR will be alone in the Christmas music bonanza in Beantown this December. (I'll get my music on Spotify or Pandora, thanks.)

 

[Fenway1912]

The timing on McLean and Dave Martin may be off. I seem to recall that McLean left for "medical reasons" and Ned did the games alone for a spell, sometimes with Yaz who was on the 21 day DL, doing color. and Yaz was on the DL in May to early June. Then Dave Martin was hired after a period of no second banana. I think Martin came back in 73 and then was let go in favor of Jim Woods who had been fired by Finley, for 74. I do know they re-cut the intro jingle when Coleman and Pesky went to Ch.4 the "here's Ken Coleman standing by, the voice of the Red Sox a real nice guy" (a re-sing of the same words that had been used for Curt Gowdy) was replaced by an instrumental bridge in mid-song.

Well it has been 40 years - but the game I mentioned was the end for McLean.

That loss to the Tigers came back to haunt them as they lost the division to Detroit by 1/2 game.

 

[ctrabs8729]

When WCGY flipped to become The Eagle in the mid-1990s, that turned into a failure. They took a decent rock station and turned it into garbage.

Also didn't care for when ZOU flipped into Jam'n 94.5. I loved listening to Z-94 when I was in high school.

 

[vmorrison]

This was a very enjoyable thread to read.

As someone who was around for WBOS's attempt to compete with BCN and COZ in 1981 and 1982, I can say that "Boston Rocks 92.9" was a monumental failure. There were some very talented people at the station including a guy named Tyler Riensmith who was a Billboard Magazine DJ of the Year in the late 70's. Tyler was hired to do mornings at COZ but was fired two days later after he called in to say he would be late for his morning drive shift because he was stuck in traffic. This was pre cell phone and the PD had a good idea that Tyler was calling from his bedroom. Tyler was a personal mess but a great talent and was later hired to do evenings on 98.5 before leaving the market a short time later and never repaying the 300 bucks I lent him. and that was a lot of money to a 20 year old kid in 1981.

BOS was also the first gig in Boston for a young Dan Justin.

I could never figure out what Herbert Hoffman expected out of BOS. He always seemed more interested in WUNR and his station in Attica New York that was a favorite of the inmate population at the state prison.

 

[Uncle Kaimbridge]

Tyler Riensmith who was a Billboard Magazine DJ of the Year in the late 70's. Tyler was hired to do mornings at COZ but was fired two days later after he called in to say he would be late for his morning drive shift because he was stuck in traffic. This was pre cell phone and the PD had a good idea that Tyler was calling from his bedroom. Tyler was a personal mess but a great talent and was later hired to do evenings on 98.5 before leaving the market a short time later and never repaying the 300 bucks I lent him. and that was a lot of money to a 20 year old kid in 1981.

Is that THE “Tyler” (as a mononyn) who did a “caller graphiti” type segment (I called once! ;D) on his 98.5 evening gig (I believe Mike Waite was there at the time, too, post—JB-105), and also did weekends at Pro-FM (when Gary Berkowitz was PD at 'ROR and/or Pro-FM)?

 

[vmorrison]

Tyler Riensmith who was a Billboard Magazine DJ of the Year in the late 70's. Tyler was hired to do mornings at COZ but was fired two days later after he called in to say he would be late for his morning drive shift because he was stuck in traffic. This was pre cell phone and the PD had a good idea that Tyler was calling from his bedroom. Tyler was a personal mess but a great talent and was later hired to do evenings on 98.5 before leaving the market a short time later and never repaying the 300 bucks I lent him. and that was a lot of money to a 20 year old kid in 1981.

Is that THE “Tyler” (as a mononyn) who did a “caller graphiti” type segment (I called once! ;D) on his 98.5 evening gig (I believe Mike Waite was there at the time, too, post—JB-105), and also did weekends at Pro-FM (when Gary Berkowitz was PD at 'ROR and/or Pro-FM)?


Same guy. He was on 98.5 evenings for a while in the early 80's . Before BOS he was at PRO FM with Mike Dimambro who did afternoons at BOS when Tyler did evenings.

 

[Jimmy128]

Tyler Riensmith who was a Billboard Magazine DJ of the Year in the late 70's. Tyler was hired to do mornings at COZ but was fired two days later after he called in to say he would be late for his morning drive shift because he was stuck in traffic. This was pre cell phone and the PD had a good idea that Tyler was calling from his bedroom. Tyler was a personal mess but a great talent and was later hired to do evenings on 98.5 before leaving the market a short time later and never repaying the 300 bucks I lent him. and that was a lot of money to a 20 year old kid in 1981.

Is that THE “Tyler” (as a mononyn) who did a “caller graphiti” type segment (I called once! ;D) on his 98.5 evening gig (I believe Mike Waite was there at the time, too, post—JB-105), and also did weekends at Pro-FM (when Gary Berkowitz was PD at 'ROR and/or Pro-FM)?





Same guy. He was on 98.5 evenings for a while in the early 80's . Before BOS he was at PRO FM with Mike Dimambro who did afternoons at BOS when Tyler did evenings.

 

[Jimmy128]

That reminds me, what about Brother John who played jazz evenings on WROR 98.5 in 1987. Voice tracked too.

 

[FellOutBoy]

WKKT The Kat.... WHTT Power 103, Hot 97.7 FAIL FAIL FAIL :

 

[ChrisNH]

Mike Macklin. He, of "I Will Sue You Because You Unfairly Took My Job Away" fame, waddled from TV to radio and utterly FAILED. So many Big Deal TeeVee Nooze Hacks think they have an entitled 'right' to hop over to radio if their TeeVee gig goes away. Left standing at the altar are people who trained and became educated in radio, but can't get work because of sloths like Macklin.

He's probably selling cosmetics door to door now.

 

[TSBench]

Mike Macklin. He, of "I Will Sue You Because You Unfairly Took My Job Away"

He would have had to fire himself since Mike Macklin was/is a freelancer and freelancers are, by definition, self-employed.

They didn't take away his job, they just never offered him a staff gig.

Your posts give uninformed opionion a bad name.

Regards,
TSB

 

[DanStrassberg]

Mike Macklin. He, of "I Will Sue You Because You Unfairly Took My Job Away"
He would have had to fire himself since Mike Macklin was/is a freelancer and freelancers are, by definition, self-employed. They didn't take away his job, they just never offered him a staff gig.--TSB

If I'm not mistaken, Macklin now has a regular gig at WBZ (AM)--sometime in midday, I think. I also believe he has been in this slot for several months.

 

[vmorrison]

Mike Macklin. He, of "I Will Sue You Because You Unfairly Took My Job Away" fame, waddled from TV to radio and utterly FAILED. So many Big Deal TeeVee Nooze Hacks think they have an entitled 'right' to hop over to radio if their TeeVee gig goes away. Left standing at the altar are people who trained and became educated in radio, but can't get work because of sloths like Macklin.

He's probably selling cosmetics door to door now.

For the record, before starting his TV career at New Hampshire Public TV, Macklin worked in New Hampshire radio and doing news at WCCM and WCGY. The guy paid his dues. Macklin sounds kind of stiff on air and not very comfortable with the BZ format, but give the guy a break, he needed a gig and took a part time weekend slot on BZ Radio. I can assure you he isn't making big bucks doing Saturday afternoons. BTW, he is a very nice, soft spoken guy who has very little ego. Now back in the day, he didn't mind is a nice young lady recognized him at a Quincy Market Bar or at the Palace in Saugus, but every job comes with a few perks don't they.

 

[DanStrassberg]

I didn't notice this one on the list. Maybe somebody posted it and I missed it: The move of WAAF from Mt Asnebumskit in Paxton to the Channel 27 tower on Stiles Hill in W Boylston. Killed what had to be southern New England's greatest FM signal. Moreover, covering up this colossal error cost $30 million and only partially rectified the mess created by the poorly thought-out move. $30 million was the cost of what is now WKAF, which was necessary to fill in the huge hole to the southeast of Stiles Hill (including most of Boston proper) in the now highly directional 107.3 signal (protects 107.5 on Cape Cod). Heads should have rolled at Entercom for this one, but AFAIK, all of the culprits have survived.

 

[Jimmy128]

I didn't notice this one on the list. Maybe somebody posted it and I missed it: The move of WAAF from Mt Asnebumskit in Paxton to the Channel 27 tower on Stiles Hill in W Boylston. Killed what had to be southern New England's greatest FM signal. Moreover, covering up this colossal error cost $30 million and only partially rectified the mess created by the poorly thought-out move. $30 million was the cost of what is now WKAF, which was necessary to fill in the huge hole to the southeast of Stiles Hill (including most of Boston proper) in the now highly directional 107.3 signal (protects 107.5 on Cape Cod). Heads should have rolled at Entercom for this one, but AFAIK, all of the culprits have survived.

Yeah, that has to be the biggest bone headed move of all.