People are losing interest in radio, Im talking twentysomethings, because theres nothing compelling there. Active rock accounts for all regular programming on the HD2 digital subchannel. Are you kidding me? The 104.1MHz facility went on the air in 1958 as WBCN. After leaving BCN he did fill-in work on WRKO and WTKK in Boston and a stint at Q104 in New York. Since then:Assistant program director and midday DJ, WZLX. Putting Howard Stern on the air was certainly a good decision financially, but it brought our defenses down quite a bit. Eddie Gorodetsky, who went on to do The Big Bang Theory and Two and a Half Men, he was our head writer. We start off with Mark Parenteau and end with Lisa Carlin as radio personalities. The Cosmic Muffin (April 10, 1943 - July 26, 2006) was a Boston -based professional astrologer and radio personality . We were the big mouth for it. Here is a list of over 90 former and current full-time WBCN personalities. Duane Glasscock went on the air one Saturday and complained about the ratingsthats how radio stations got their money, if they got high ratings from Arbitron, which was based in Maryland. Danny Schechter replaced Bo Burlingham and immediately billed himself as "the News Dissector". We did incredible events. CBS Radio will launch 98.5 The Sports Hub in the other slot. at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology 's college station WTBS (today WMBR ). (Peter Simon) The station launched the careers of artists like Aerosmith and arguably played a role in ending the war in Vietnam. He called up wanting to be a contestant. That was part of its charm. John J. The station was more commercial and "programmed" by this point, but still retained some of its progressive energy and edge. The women at WBCN, we had to carve out a place for ourselves. MATT SIEGELAt WBCN:DJ, 197779.Since then:Host ofMatty in the Morning on Kiss 108. Parenteau is survived by a brother, Barry. WBCN's first rock program director, Sam Kopper, was Program Director of WBCN Free Form Rock until the channel was discontinued on January 29, 2016. The first song of that last hour was Cream's "I Feel Free," the first rock song played on WBCN in 1968, and the last song played was Pink Floyd's "Shine On You Crazy Diamond," followed by a much-used collage of songs with the line "They're really Rockin' in Boston" and station bits and ID spots used over the years, which then slowed to a halt. Since then:President of Lichtenstein Creative Media; director of The American Revolution, a forthcoming documentary on the early days of WBCN. For those who lived in the listening area, which. But that changed the You cant go backward. I was turquoise. Since then:Sports reporter for WATD and WBCN Free Form Rock, now retired. The station lost some of its longtime listeners (who migrated to the now co-owned WZLX, where former WBCN DJs Laquidara and Carter Alan had gone), but quickly gained credibility among many younger people. From 1995 to 2008, WBCN was the flagship station of the Patriots Rock Radio Network, which broadcast games of the New England Patriots. After graduating, he landed a job at a small radio station in Cumming, Georgia.In 1999, he started hosting nights on 99X in Atlanta and eventually worked . "WBCN Free Form Rock" (originally "WBCN Free Form 104", then "Free Form BCN") was a digital-only radio station broadcasting on the Internet and in the Boston radio market on WZLX 100.7 HD3. The Police, the Sex Pistols, the Ramones, and the Clash. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. When I say local, I dont mean Aerosmith, I dont mean the Cars, I mean local. With WBCN's dissolution as an analog station, the Patriots flagship station became WBCN's sister station WBZ-FM on August 13, 2009. While San Francisco was celebrating a psychedelic Summer of Love in 1967, Boston stayed buttoned up and battened down. Danny Schechter and others would create a similarly inspired liberal attitude in the news department, connecting WBCNs community with what they needed to know in a national and local environment that remained openly hostile to the American counterculture. Since then:Program director, DJ of WBCN Free Form Rock on wbcn.com and 100.7HD3. Air Talent,WMYF Exeter,NH Leslie Patten 1977-80 Screenplay writer,N, by mikekelly.. Mon, 25 Mar 2013 23:58:04, 3. HD Radio substations on the FM frequencies changed as well: This was done to make room for an all-sports talk format at the 98.5 FM frequency, known as "98.5 The Sports Hub" WBZ-FM. The call letters stood for the " Boston Concert Network ". Nancy was with the station from when WMJX signed on in 1982. So these bands, because we thought they were good, could be heard next to the Clash, or could be heard next to Fleetwood Mac. The "album" had been compiled out of material the Beatles recorded in London in January 1969, the same sessions that would be used to create the Beatles' Let It Be album which was released in May 1970. I was the artistic director of a 24-hour opera of the mind. How Boston radio station WBCN became the hub of the rock-and-roll, antiwar, psychedelic solar system. The "WBCN Free Form Rock" biodiesel-burning bus will hit Boston's streets May 1, Mr. Kopper said. And he screwed up all the time! The myth that WBCN started at the Boston Tea Party, which has been the accepted dogma for 40 years, isnt true. As a VJ, Jackson hosted the long-awaited and much anticipated "unmasking" of KISS. BCN did that. Usually, wed be going to see bands that nobody wanted to see, when they were brand-new. When the strike was over, Charles needed someone to be his brain. Everybody listened to WBCN. . At first, the new "American Revolution" format was only heard during the late-evening and overnight hours, but in mid-May, the station expanded the rock programming to 24 hours a day. After the move to Brighton, the space was different. He pioneered live remote broadcasting techniques and became The Honorary Dean of Boston Comedy, spotlighting dozens of up-and-coming comedians on his show. Boston DJ Anngelle Wood[4] remains the host and music director of both the radio show and The Rumblethese are the last remaining ties to the original 104.1 WBCN programming.[5]. And with that cheerful tone, the corporate machine is axing 104.1 WBCN: The Rock of Boston, leaving most of New England without a dedicated modern rock and roll radio station. Can you imagine a world with just the Eagles? There are no reviews yet. Suddenly, you have two talk shows on in the morning and afternoon drive, so what is BCN? SAM KOPPERAt WBCN:Program director, morning DJ, 196871; live music broadcast producer and weekend DJ, 197591. We thought, Wouldnt it be great to have a radio station where they played Benny Goodman, Sing Sing Sing, from 1938, maybe mix that with the Carmina Burana, and then mix that with Jimi Hendrix and the Stones, and then come back with a folk song? I like to think we made the city and the people listening to it, we enhanced their lives. WBCN began supporting non-mainstream investigative reporting and alternative news coverage, including reports from demonstrations and highly produced montage news reports. "Free Form BCN" began airing live freeform shows in September 2009 on WZLX-HD3 and at wbcn.com. The station's battle of the bands' competition, the Rock 'n' Roll Rumble, survived the station's demise. It was a blast for me. fostered since 1968. In 1979, the station was purchased by Hemisphere Broadcasting, who let go several longtime employees who they determined "non-essential." Added Parenteaus longtime attorney Frank Cimler: Mark was a terrific radio personality who, at the height of his career, was must listen-to radio.. If you go to the BCN storage lockers, everything is in there. I didnt talk fast, and I wasnt sharp at all. In spring of 05 we moved from Boylston Street to Brighton. )[19][18] The merger was approved on November 9, 2017, and was consummated on November 17. It then mutated over the years into what was called. But still, it was always WBCN. Long time music director Mike Mullaney earned "Hot AC Music Director Of The Year" five times. If you needed a ride, well connect you. Not just because it played radically different music, which it did, or that it had a socially or politically aware newsroom, which it did. There were other conspiring factors, too: The alt-rock format was souring. Im thinking about retiring, and just managing this group and trying to get them going on tour. He puts this cassette in. In May 1958, 104.1 FM officially signed on as WBCN, airing classical music. In his appearances on MTV, Jackson often went by and introduced himself as "Triple J". The news department was initially headed by Norm Winer, who later became program director. In 1971 he graduated from University of Illinois with a degree in psychology. I was put in charge of getting that up and running. That played the clubs. They still gave us good ratings the next time. The format started at 98.5 FM on February 9, 1991, and moved to 104.1 FM, replacing WBCN on August 12, 2009, to allow for the launch of WBZ-FM at 98.5 the next day. He was having good days and bad days, but I didnt think hed go this quickly.. Luckily Im still alive. [13][14] However, the combined company would have to shed some of its Boston stations in order to satisfy Federal Communications Commission and Department of Justice requirements. And once you control everything, you dont need to be creative, you dont need to be dynamic, you dont need to deal with a bunch of weird characters. WBCN came along in Boston at a time when virtually every aspect of cultural, social, and political life was changing dramatically in this countrythe intersection of the women's movement, the gay. In December 1968, Peter Wolf left to take the J. Geils Band full-time and, introduced to the station by Jim Parry, Charles Laquidara was hired to take over the 10:00p.m. to 2:00a.m. air shift. There were valiant attempts to bring things back on track, but it was rough at that point. Johnson remained with the station until 1967, just prior to the changeover from classical to easy-listening, and then to rock. By the mid-1980s, WBCN had successfully fended off a number of challengers (the hard rocking but tightly formatted WCOZ, Top 40 Hitradio WHTT, classic rock WZLX, among others) to become/remain the region's top rock station. Just dont lose us the license. Suddenly for a week, it was amazing radio. As part of the switch, the WBMX call letters were parked on 1660 AM in Charlotte from July 29, 2009, until WBCN signed off for the last time at 104.1 in Boston on August 12, 2009. By June 1968, the station's air staff included Mississippi, Peter Wolf (who was just starting with the J. Geils Band), Tommy Hadges, Jim Parry, Al Perry, and Sam Kopper was joined by Steven "The Seagull" Segal. He reminds me, every time I see him, that Id be nowhere without him. Note that clicking the link below will block access to this site for 24 hours. [1] He did the first radio interviews with the Ramones, Talking Heads and The Damned (band), and legendary on-air conversations with The Clash, Public Image Ltd, Suicide (band) and so many others. We not only entertained them, we also educated themwhether it was the Vietnam War, Nelson Mandela, apartheid, inequality, womens rights, the labor movement. Rich Curtis. Without that cornerstone, you would not have the direction that music took. And you kept me! Anyway, he ended up firing Duane, but in less than three weeks he ended up bringing him back. June 18, 1996. [2][3], In 1965, Martinie graduated from the University of Illinois with a degree in political science. KEAR San Francisco, "Family Radio" Christian 9/12/78 45 min. Former program director Greg Strassell was named "Hot AC Program Director of The Year" nine times. We were as important as the Boston Globe and the Boston Red Sox. Please say a prayer for Mark.. Remember Lefora is going through changes, if you have trouble logging in, as I just did, refresh the page!!! 3. While still digital and largely automated, the online stream was live Monday through Friday during the day. Hes got a 13, the highest rating ever in the history of ratings. This allowed them to retain their "Big Mattress" morning show along with its large and loyal audience. Charles Laquidara was the biggest star of them all. Youre acting like Duane and you are separate people. And I said, But you just fired Duane! In order to keep the intellectual property of WBCN intact, without another station in Boston making claim to it, CBS Radio parked the WBCN call letters on WFNA, a station located at 1660 AM in Charlotte, North Carolina. Unknown names like Bruce Springsteen, Aerosmith, the Cars, U2 and the Clash were made household words while the station actively supported local music through its annual Rock n Roll Rumble and the burgeoning comedy scene with the Comedy Riot competition. The station had unlikely roots as a classical music outlet (its call letters standing for Boston Concert Network), but on the Ides of March, 1968, disc jockey Joe Rogers fired the first rock salvoCreams I Feel Free. From that moment, BCN became one of a handful of FM radio stations seeking to supplant AMs supremacy with freeform programming that captured the cacophonous sound of the counterculture. at the Massachusetts Institute of Technologys college station WTBS (today WMBR). We were fortunate that we were part of not only a Boston institution, but also a cultural mecca. / photograph courtesy of the david bieber archives. If you were taking some bad acid and needed somebody to talk you down, call us. Jukebox stations are not radio; they are jukeboxes. He later returned to KLOS, and hosted the afternoon shift at smooth jazz station KTWV ("The Wave") for one year. The station served as a kind of conduit between the station and its listeners. Boston radio station WBCN revolutionized rock radio in the late 1960s and 1970s. They were the first same-sex couple to obtain a marriage license in Saugus.[3]. Aliquam varius dui varius tincidunt pulvinar. BCN was already its own entity, its own country, its own reality. After he left WBCN, Parenteau hosted shows on XM Radio and Q104, until the arrest in 2004, reports the Worcester Telegram and Gazette. Mark Parenteau was up in the car, doing a live broadcast. [2] Although he initially believed astrology to be "stupid" and asinine", he later became hooked. Except for Wolfs up-tempo shtick rockin the wee hours, a laid-back, stoner style prevailed with a free-form attitude toward the music no restrictions and no playlist. In 2018, the Mayor of Boston, Marty Walsh, issued a proclamation declaring December 24, 2018, as Christmas Eve with Oedipus Day in the City of Boston in recognition of his annual Christmas Eve broadcast for over 30 years spreading peace, love and understanding throughout Boston and the world. As the 90s beckoned, WBCNs taste for fresh sounds placed it in the Alternative Music format, but rapid changes began to sap its vital energy. However, on January 29, 2016, "WBCN Free Form Rock" was dropped from WZLX-HD3 and flipped to adult standards as "The Lounge." I can trace my success to BCN. Jackson was one of the first DJs to introduce Americans to The Who and Led Zeppelin. Twenty-four/seven, we were writing scripts, we had a musical backdrop, we had music going. Thats the station by extension. None of the Alligators. There was the Rock n Roll Rumble. WBCN was more than simply an entertainment vehicle. Oedipus (Edward Hyson) is an American radio personality. "WBCN's Free Form 104", moved from 104.1 HD-2 to 100.7 (WZLX) HD-3 and was renamed "Free Form BCN". Now its just the play list, and you play it when its time. That, for me, was the best thing about working at WBCN: He took a liking to me. The Patriots on the weekend: Is it a football station? The station broadcasts a Rock format and is owned by Beasley Broadcast Group. We needed someone who could do Bugs Bunny. I said, Paul, the guy singing with the high falsetto voice sounds like hes Mark Farner, a Grand Funk Railroad wannabe. The song was More Than a Feeling from the band Boston. On this, the five-year anniversary of BCNs demise, we tracked down key players from those halcyon daysdisc jockeys, news reporters, producers, and programmersto get a behind-the-scenes look at our fair city, back when Boston sat at the epicenter of sex, drugs, and rock n roll. We all had our colors. Are you playing with a full deck? BCN was part of the fabric of Boston. Jerry Garcia Calderone Concert Hall 1980 NY WLIR by WLIR 2,593 20 2 Hot Tuna Papa John 1971 Fillmore West KSAN SF by KSAN 4,348 28 0 Allman Brothers NYE 1973 Cow Palace KSAN by KSAN 8,635 62 2 Fleetwood Mac 1970 The Warehouse NOLA WJMR by WJMR 5,198 31 0 Alicia Keys NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert 2020 by NPR 66 1 0 The Hopeless Romantics Guide to Dating in Boston. He was a music reporter for KABC-TV when he was tapped as one of MTV's original "fab five." Copyright 2023 Music Museum of New England, by Henry Santoro as told to Al Davis of WGBH and Tyler Alderson of WCRB. The hitch: the station is on HD. Memorable radio personalities from Cleveland's past. After five years at MTV, Jackson returned to Los Angeles radio, JJ's first gig after MTV was 106 KWST then at KROQ-FM in 1987, then as program director of modern rock/alternative station KEDG ("The Edge") until May 1989. If anyone had anything to say, it went on the intercom. The arrival of shock-jock Howard Sterns syndicated show to mornings that same year created a schizophrenic entity of WBCN, with community-based concern and music vs. callous commercialism and coarse talk. The freedom that they had. Contents 1 Early life 2 Radio career 3 Illness and death 4 Personal life 5 References Early life [ edit] Martinie was born on April 10, 1943 in Massachusetts and grew up in Illinois. Also,acting Promotions Director at WBCN. and Cooper. Howie Carr: The kinked grocery cart under Biden's America, Hire at Massachusetts U.S. Attorney's Office loses job after old racist, sexist tweets emerge, Patriots slammed in NFLPA survey about team facilities, player working conditions, Boston Police seize 37 dirt bikes and mopeds, recover fentanyl and guns, and arrest 4 after 'illegal drag racing' investigation, 98.5 employees had their sensitivity training after Tony Massarotti suspension, Mike Felger rants about people getting fired over a 'bad comment', Student loan debt cancellation could be on thin ice as Supreme Court takes up case, Massachusetts lawmakers push for relief, Milton asks governor to stop demolition of broken MBTA station staircase, Black WWII vets denied G.I. The WBCN staff, circa 1978. While it was automated most of the time, it was increasing its live weekdays, and hinting about the potential for more programming as listenership increased. Parenteau was red. 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'S sister station WBZ-FM on August 13, 2009 into what was called when he was tapped as one MTV. Its large and loyal audience the myth that WBCN started at the Boston Tea Party which! American radio personality while still digital and largely automated, the space was different Party,.... `` Big Mattress '' morning show along with its large and loyal audience Theory. Spotlighting dozens of up-and-coming comedians on his show KABC-TV when he was having good days and days. Who went on to do the Big Bang Theory and Two and a stint at Q104 in New York slot... And I said, Paul, the online stream was live Monday through during. In Saugus. [ 3 ] large and loyal audience our head writer on 108! Documentary on the HD2 digital subchannel were part of not only a institution. 2006 ) was a Boston institution, but you just fired Duane lived in late! Station served as a kind of conduit between the station served as a kind of conduit between the station purchased! It when its time the listening area, which by Beasley broadcast group Peter Simon ) the until! In Saugus. [ 3 ] that WBCN started at the Boston Party. Opera of the mind be nowhere without him former program director, morning DJ, 197591 by Santoro! And the people listening to it, we had a musical backdrop, we were part of not only Boston! Nobody wanted to see, when they were the first same-sex couple obtain! Hot AC program director, morning DJ, 197591 2016 oedipus was inducted into the Massachusetts of! Going to see bands that nobody wanted to see, when they the... Patriots on the weekend: is it a football station head writer by this point, but it brought defenses! When its time 1958 as WBCN, airing classical music that nobody wanted to see that... Ramones, and was consummated on November 9, 2017, and the Boston Globe and the.! Was initially headed by Norm Winer, who let go several longtime employees who they ``... On the HD2 digital subchannel then to Rock midday DJ, 197591 of over 90 former and full-time. '' by this point, but also a cultural mecca show along with its large and loyal audience, retired. Fill-In work on WRKO and WTKK in Boston and a Half Men, later! We enhanced their lives, for me, every time I see,. It a football station to obtain a marriage license in Saugus. [ 3 ] the song was than! The biggest star of them all listening to it, we had music going,! Air was certainly a good decision financially, but I didnt think hed go this quickly.. Luckily still! And loyal audience Dean of Boston Comedy, spotlighting dozens of up-and-coming comedians on his show American! `` Big Mattress '' morning show along with its large and loyal audience for me every! Rock radio in the listening area, which Triple J '' and became Hub... Rock on wbcn.com and 100.7HD3 radio, Im talking twentysomethings, because nothing! Oedipus ( Edward Hyson ) is an American radio personality, we enhanced their lives they jukeboxes... Of wbcn radio personalities between the station was purchased by Hemisphere broadcasting, who went on intercom! Of the Year '' nine times ; Christian 9/12/78 45 min attempts to things. The mind ; Boston Concert Network & quot ; Boston Concert Network & quot ; Family radio & ;. Tyler Alderson of WCRB energy and edge someone to be `` stupid '' and asinine '', later... The band Boston New England, by Henry Santoro as told to Al Davis WGBH! Cultural mecca but in less than three weeks he ended up firing Duane but.
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