Dana Hersey and The Movie Loft on Channel 38, WSBK-TV Boston

Does anyone remember Dana Hersey and The Movie Loft on WSBK, Channel 38 in Boston? Hersey, with his deep, resonant theatrical voice, expertly hosted The Movie Loft in the late 70s and 80s,  making it a Boston area household name-caliber locally broadcast TV show.

Dana's encyclopedic knowledge of movies made the intros make one want to watch the films.  He looked and sounded like a movie star himself and it made you wonder if he could have gone national like fellow Boston media star Tom Bergeron.

The Movie Loft actually helped pioneer a new type of television broadcasting by introducing the hosted movie format to the Boston area, as well as airing only "unedited" movies.  That was quite an eye and ear opener for someone who was watching shows like Gilligan's Island, Leave it to Beaver and Gomer Pyle.

As far as Channel 38, it is still a great station (they still carry The Three Stooges reruns!), but I miss the days when Storer Broadcasting owned it. Watching The Movie Loft, The Three Stooges, Looney Tunes, The Andy Griffith Show, and, of course, the big, bad Boston Bruins made for some warm TV memories. Yes, TV 38 -- along with playing outside until it got dark -- might have delayed us from getting our homework done earlier than later, but we did all right in the long run!

Eddie Andelman and The Sports Huddle on WEEI and WHDH

Eddie Andleman

Let's face it, Sunday nights as a teenager in the Boston area weren't the best of times in the 1970s.  An increasing homework load had to be completed for Monday morning, the "Wonderful World of Disney" movies on NBC had become lame seemingly overnight, and the chance to sleep until 10 a.m. -- like on Saturdays and Sunday mornings -- was not possible again for several more days.

Thank goodness for the Sports Huddle, broadcasting every Sunday night from 7-11 p.m. -- most prominently remembered on then WEEI 590 and WHDH 850 AM in Boston. From the "big top" circus music leading into Eddie Andelman, Jim McCarthy and Mark Witkin announcing phony sports news with bad puns and jokes to the sign off with Gene Autry singing "Happy Trails," and Donald Duck giving the station identification, the Sports Huddle provided the most fun, entertaining radio show in that glorious era of Boston radio.

They made Sunday nights a lot better for us brothers, as well as mom and dad, too -- that's for sure. We would all sit around laughing at what Eddie and crew would come up with on a given night. No matter how limited the Zenith, Hitachi and Magnavox transistor radio were in consistently bringing in the signal, the Sports Huddle always came through the small speakers loud, clear and always with an incredible spirit and love for sports -- well, maybe, except for hockey from Eddie's perspective. More on that later. Eddie, Mark and Jim weren't supposed to be talk show hosts.  In a generation with big, booming top 40 voices, conversational middle of the road (MOR) radio personalities, and serious analytical talk show hosts, Eddie, Mark and Jim came from different backgrounds as a real estate broker, insurance salesman and lawyer, respectively.  They bridged professional broadcasters and amateurs masterfully without virtually a minute of downtime. The amateur part made perfect sense: a WUNR 1600 AM executive reportedly discovered the trio talking sports in a Boston bar.  Next thing they knew, a show was born on WUNR with an ensuing short stint on 50,000 watt powerhouse WBZ AM -- which Eddie later frequently referred to as the "Wyoming Blasting and Zoning Company."

Eddie, as you could see in that last quip, was the wisecracking, humorous leader with a Catskill sense of humor and a thick Boston accent.  Jim sounded like the opinionated Boston guy you would meet at a summer cookout. Mark came across as the true gentleman of the group and one with a thoughtful, balanced approached although he was fully capable of subtly throwing in a few zingers. Although one could say that the free-form Sports Huddle format was a precursor to today's loud, opinionated, "anything goes" sports shows of today, the reality is Eddie, Mark and Jim's show differed greatly. The key in the Sports Huddle success was to have fun and be original and creative in a G to PG-rated way, while many of today's "shock jock" sports shows rely more on mean-spirited cheap shots, too much emphasis on talking about about things other than sports, and an overall self-importance that, at times, is not very likable. With that said -- and for the record -- I do enjoy the modern day sports talk shows for different reasons, but just not as much as the Sports Huddle back in the day. Eddie, Mark and Jim were quite likable and full of memorable moments that I remember fondly, to this very day.

Not only did Eddie, Mark and Jim make the show special, but also superbly talented newscasters like Joe Klemente (hope the spelling is correct) and Vin Maloney added funny spoofs, as well as the callers contributing everything from incredible depth to priceless shallowness. Eddie seemed to love the Kowloon Chinese Restaurant in Saugus, Mass., and made frequent references to the gracious Wong family (the owners) pu-pu platters and all the other great food there. Eddie just talking about the Kowloon made my mouth water -- he really brought life to that place by enthusiastically talking about the food.  Eddie wasn't so kind, however, when describing the former Joe and Nemo's restaurant.

For some reason, Eddie seemed to insult the game of hockey frequently. He used names like Pierre LaPoop as a default hockey name. I suspect he was behind the Doka-Cola commercials with Witkin mimicking Boston Bruins defenseman Gary Doak (you know, the guy who blocked hockey pucks with his face) for the phony ad.  There was this running gag with callers always asking, "Hey, what did you think of the Vadnais trade?" Let me explain, or refresh you on that one: Carol Vadnais and Phil Esposito were traded in 1975 to the New York Rangers for Brad Park, Jean Ratelle and Joe Zanussi! Speaking of Esposito, Eddie continuously played a sound bite of him stammering repeatedly saying, "I don't know" and ending by saying "It's really stupid."  Eddie would start by saying "We asked Phil Esposito what he thought and here's what he had to say..."  Eddie also had sound bites of former boxer Leon Spinks and and Korean religious leader Sun Myung Moon that came in handy when pressing questions need to be answered. On one show, Eddie asked callers how they would improve hockey if in charge. One caller suggested putting a huge pit in the middle of the ice.  Another thought having a "jump puck" (like a jump ball in basketball) would liven things up.  Someone else said that turning the nets around to face the boards would create a better challenge and more entertainment. I called in and said that the game would be better if fans moved the hockey players around with levers just like in the toy hockey games.

In addition to the hockey schtick (no pun intended), here were some of my favorite moments...Eddie, Mark and Jim called a San Diego hotel in hopes of getting in touch with someone at the Major League winter baseball meetings. With the request once again rejected on the final call, Eddie heard someone in the background stating that someone was having a problem in one of the rooms -- to the best I recall, it was a lack of hot water running. Eddie heard the room number given, hung up and called back the hotel asking for that room number. The lady in the room answered the phone and Eddie took on the role of the hotel manager. You probably get the rest of the picture, but the lady seemed to assume the role of an outraged Margaret Dumont (a Marx Brothers foil) and Eddie as Groucho Marx for more than a few minutes. When she demanded to talk with Eddie's " hotel manager," he refused, and a verbal war broke out to the point of hilarity.Eddie didn't like former Red Sox manager Don Zimmer -- at least that's the way it came across on the radio. Whenever anyone mentioned his name on the show, Eddie would play this sound bite: "I'm sorry, You are not to refer to the Red Sox manager by name. His code name is: 'Chiang Kai-shek'."

The callers. Violet, a lovely-sounding older lady, would call in regularly and talk genuinely, sweetly and with common sense about the sports issues at hand. Eddie, Mark and Jim really seemed to enjoy her calls and treated her so well -- like a beloved aunt. Tony from Everett would phone in with his easily identifiable "hot ticket" personality. His calls were definitely "quality," but I think his determination and commitment to be a regular caller was more prominent.  "Paul the Poet" would call in this these incoherent, marble-mouthed poems. I, for one, thought they were brilliant and preferred the readings over Emily Dickinson. Eddie Costello phoned in with normal-sounding banter, at first, but then transitioned into a one-man musical band with his voice (drums were the dominant instrument, it seemed), toward the end of the phone calls.How about the time they called the commander of the Buckingham Palace Guards hoping for a "changing of the guards" -- that is, the English Queen trading her best for a pair of New England Patriots guards?

Sure, the Sports Huddle provided great, one-of-a-kind entertainment for many years, but it would all be to no avail if the trio didn't know their subject matter. I learned so much about sports from them. If not for their encyclopedic sports knowledge, the show would have worn out its welcome sooner. Funny is good and depth is the catalyst to keep the entertainment rolling. The Sports Huddle brilliantly connected the two and, ultimately, hit a home run for us on virtually every show. What a great show -- often imitated, but never duplicated!

Thinking Back to Clark Smidt and Captain Ken on the Older Version of WBZ FM

Anyone remember Clark Smidt and Captain Ken Shelton working all those hours to make WBZ-FM (106.7) one of the great Boston rock stations in the early to mid 70s?

 Other stations had fast talking DJs and catchy jingles, but Smidt and Shelton chose to wisely slow down and connect with the listener in a conversational way while always possessing encyclopedia-like knowledge of rock and roll.

It was almost like they were broadcasting from a living room, or talking with you like best friends over a pizza and soft drinks (well, my perspective, anyway, as a then under-18 radio listener). I loved the "The Boston Top-30" nightly, in particular!

Clark and Captain Ken eventually migrated from WBZ-FM to WCOZ 94.5 -- a very good rock station, indeed. I just preferred WBZ-FM as the format offered lots of commercial free music and Clark and Capt Ken showing their strong work ethic by seemingly running pretty much the whole show.

Hard to believe WBZ FM is now a sports station on 98.5, and 106.7 became a new radio legend, of sorts: Magic 106.7.

Great Meteorologists on Channel 7 WNAC and WNEV TV in the 1970s

As a family, we almost always watched WBZ-TV Channel 4 for weather forecasts back in the 1970s -- it was almost as automatic as going to the Howard Johnson's restaurant chain on long road trips and Child World in Medford for the best toys.

With meteorologists like the old-fashioned, cerebral Don Kent and the energetic, smiling Bruce Schwoegler getting us through the legendary Blizzard of 1978 while giving accurate every day forecasts, our parents felt no real need to tune in anywhere else. Yes, we would occasionally watch Bob Copeland and Bob Ryan on WHDH and starting in 1972, WCVB Channel 5 -- tremendous weathermen, also -- but Channel 4 won the Nielsen ratings in our home.

Thinking back on meteorologists way back when, however, WNAC Channel 7 (which became WNEV in the late 70s) wasn't too shabby, either, and  in fact, looks better now than it did then. Harvey Leonard, with a full head of hair, started his career on Channel 7 in 1977. He was every bit as thorough then as he is now as chief meteorologist on WCVB, Channel 5. From 1971 to 1979,  Fred Ward, a PhD and MIT grad, brought a more mature, formal and somewhat dry approach to weather forecasting on television, although he was capable of fun moments like posting the word "COLLLDD!" on the weather map to emphasis the low temperatures. The late Stuart Saroka might have come across as sort of a modified hippie and on-air goofball, but make no mistake about it: he knew how to get a forecast right.

Why do the former Channel 7 meteorologists look better now than they did back in the 1970s? Well, it really had nothing to do with the meteorologists. Channels 4 and 5 offered more established news anchor, sports and reporting staffs along with high ratings and little turnover, so the whole packages led to more trust in who we were watching for the news. Yes, Channel 7 had some incredibly talented journalists like Chuck Scarborough, who went onto fame as a New York City and national anchor and reporter but the station just couldn't get any momentum going -- at least until the late 1970s when anchors Tom Ellis and Robin Young brought a viable alternative to TV news watching in Boston. For the record, WNAC did have high rankings briefly in the mid-70s when the Candlepins for Cash bowling show led into the 6 p.m. news, but they just couldn't sustain that energy.

So, you see, the Channel 7 meteorologists were ultimately fine weathermen that did their jobs as well as any in the area, but were associated with a less popular television station. Looking back on it, though, I wish I had given those meteorologists more of a chance. One wishes the forecast for a consistent Channel 7 newscast in the 1970s was as rock solid as the forecasts given by its meteorologists!

Remembering Dale Dorman

Dale Dorman recently died, and suddenly all those WRKO AM 680 memories from the late 1960s and 1970s came rushing back from the transistor radio side of my brain.

Hearing that happy, sunny, one-of-a-kind rapid fire voice and the way he led into a top 40 song (like "Midnight Confessions" by The Grass Roots or "Rock the Boat" by the Hues Corporation) resulted in Dorman, almost immediately, becoming an instant radio legend. The way he could come up with an impromptu joke suggested a future in comedy. His friendly interaction with other on-air staff encouraged my own personal growth in conversation with family and friends. Sure, I sounded a little wacky at times but starting to communicate more was a good thing!

Known as Uncle Dale, his authentic love for rock and roll and working for a living as a disc jockey shone through while many others were getting by on just voice, or style. He made me want to become a disc jockey as I was so impressed that someone with an untypical announcer voice could find ways to connect with the audience and ultimately carve his own career path without following the norm. WRKO had a knack for this type of hire with Harry Nelson, Joel Cash, JJ Wright, Mike Addams and other hugely talented DJs gracing and amping the airwaves, simultaneously.

Few think of rock and roll disc jockeys as masters of the English language, but Mr. Dale Dorman proved otherwise. With an incredible verbal dexterity and the correct use of grammar to back it up, Dale approached Johnny Carson's innate talent for wonderfully employing the English language. What a joy to a little kid like me in the 60s and 70s, writing one short story after another and using the dictionary on a daily basis to explore the vast possibilities of the English language!

Dale in his later radio days

Dale was something of a visionary, too. Even though AM radio contributed to flourish, Dorman recommended to management to bring WRKO radio to FM, and start talk radio on the AM side.  “The music sounded great in stereo on FM,” said Dorman.  File that one under Boston's version of Nostradamus!

All this radio greatness and vision earned Dale a 2010 spot in the Massachusetts Broadcasters Radio Hall of Fame. To me, it was kind of like the radio version of Babe Ruth being inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y.! Although my fondest memories of Dale were on WRKO, his long-time presence on Kiss 108, and final radio days on Oldies 103.3 equally contributed to his Hall of Fame induction. He also had a tremendous run on Channel 56 as the affable voice over in between shows like the Creature Double Feature,  The Monkees, and Gilligan's Island.

I always made it a point to look at the WRKO radio antenna tower when driving up Route 3 north in Burlington, Mass., en route to a family beach day at Silver Lake State Park in Hollis, N.H. Thinking of that proverbial powerhouse 50,000 watt blowtorch and the great things that came out of it during top 40 radio's apex, my mind always came around to focusing on Dale Dorman. That one person with a love and talent for his work could use that metal blowtorch to reach out to hundreds of thousands of local kids -- and many adults, too (even though they didn't always admit it!) -- is true testimony to what makes radio great.

Unfortunately, today, it's more "what 'made' radio great as cookie cutter programming and favoring syndication over local talent impedes, and disrespects, the innate greatness of radio. Fortunately, memories of Uncle Dale can never be taken away. Our radio dreams, therefore, can live on, forever. Thank-you so much, Mr. Dorman, you were so much appreciated for your contributions to Boston radio, and forever shall be. In my radio "Midnight Confessions," you will always be number one!

Let's close this post with some of those fun Dale Dorman memories on WRKO...

What Happened to Major Tom Lewis on WVBF, 105.7?

Major Tom Lewis, on the old WVBF 105.7, Framingham-Boston (now WROR) was a terrific mid-morning radio DJ in, I believe, the early 1970s who knew how to keep the music moving while bringing a national quality voice and personality to our local airwaves.

With a dry personality, some hit-or-miss jokes and incredible intuition on when to talk over the music, Major Tom not only had a cool, relevant 1970s radio name but an ability to connect with listeners of different ages. While many parents in our neighborhood were turned off by some of the screaming DJs of the late 60s and early 70s, Major Tom sounded like a sincere best friend who also happened to possess superb articulation. He could have sounded great on a beautiful music station, a middle of the road format, or perhaps as a news anchor given he never really flubbed his lines, but his stint on this top 40 FM giant contributed greatly to Boston's amazing pool of radio talent during this period. I'd be interested to know where Major Tom Lewis went after WVBF and if he is still in the business today. Anyone know?

Gus Saunders Yankee Kitchen Food Show on the Old WCOP 1150 AM Radio Boston

Does anyone remember Gus Saunder's Yankee Kitchen food show on the old WCOP 1150 AM radio, Boston? I have special memories of this entertaining, low-key show and getting to visit Gus with family at the former Rib Room at the Hotel Sonesta in Cambridge -- that's where he broadcast from live. Gus treated everyone like a beloved family member and his gentle style and overall civility is something we often see missing in a much more fast-paced, me-first world.

By the way, I think this was the intro song to the show, Bert Kaempfert's "That Happy Feeling" -- just listening to this song brings a big smile:

94 WCGY, "The Rock Garden"

Does anyone remember WCGY-FM 93.7, of Lawrence, Mass., otherwise known as "The Rock Garden" and owned by the late baseball broadcasting legend Curt Gowdy? Always a second-tier Boston area rock station, WCGY, nevertheless, built up quite a following to those who wanted an alternative to other rock stations like WBCN, WBOS, WAAF and WZLX. With a strong signal, WCGY also became popular in other parts of New England, including southern New Hampshire and Maine, as well as the Worcester, Mass., area.

Playing predominantly familiar classic rock songs while on air from the 1970s into the mid-1990s, WCGY also featured a terrific lineup including Mike Morin (currently on WZID-FM Manchester, N.H.), Cheryl Ann Gowdy (daughter of Curt) and Jerry Goodwin. Dan Roche, now a well-known WBZ-TV sports reporter, was Morin's morning sidekick, delivering sports scores with a sense of humor. WCGY gave way to WEGQ in 1994, which eventually became WQSX (Star 93.7), a soul and dance music station. Recently, 93.7 in the Boston area belonged to WMKK, "Mike FM," a rock station with no air staff and a format that "plays everything." Now, it is WEEI FM, simulcasting the famous 850 AM sports radio format.

In a sense, WCGY was the precursor to Mike-FM, as Gowdy gave his staff carte blanche when on-air. Instead of the Mike-FM "We play everything" slogan, The Rock Garden personalities did anything that they felt would help the format (anything from not sticking with the "script" to some impromptu humor during the morning show). Morning man Morin perhaps took the greatest advantage of this window of opportunity having contests like who could drink the most water without going to the bathroom and featuring "Louie from East Boston," with his wise perspectives on life. It should be noted that while on another station, Morin announced that the Tall Ships were coming to Lowell, via the Merrimack River. People fell for the ruse, traveling to Lowell to await the ships, thinking these stately water vehicles could circumvent the shallow riverbed and all the bridges along the way!)

But I digress. WCGY-FM didn't always sound like a major market station, but somehow always ended up as a major part of our radio listening during the 70s, 80s and 90s. In this day of corporately-owned tight radio formats with little room to breathe and create, we look back at WCGY and hope someday that radio will lighten up and return to this type of airwave glory.

The Great Arnie "Woo Woo" Ginsburg

Arnie "Woo Woo" Ginsburg was born to be a top 40 radio DJ.

As the conductor of the legendary WMEX AM 1510's top 40 radio format, Ginsburg's "Night Train" radio show embodied the true spirit of top 40 radio. You'd be hard pressed to find a better Boston top 40 jock from any generation!

Full of energy, personality, sound effects and classic jingles, Ginsburg's show served as a prototype, of sorts, on how to do top 40 radio. He was best known on WMEX 1510 in the late 1950s and 1960s, a top 40 radio listener's dream-come-true radio station. He was indeed a radio God to the teenage audience that loved rock and roll music.

I remember Ginsburg best for his Saturday night oldies radio show on, I believe, WMEX in the mid 70s. He didn't have a classic golden throat -- the prime tenet of a 1960s top 40 DJ -- but his boundless enthusiasm, radio intuition (i.e., the ability to segue into a song) and durability (he was on the radio all the time), Ginsburg is one of those rare radio personalities to gain full respect from not only his listeners, but also his colleagues.

Here is some feedback I received a while back from Dennis Jackson, a very popular New England radio personality through the years and owner of WQQQ (Sharon, Conn.), WRIP (Windham, N.Y.), WZEN (Farmington, N.H.) and WCLX (Burlington, Vt.):


"Your list omits the greatest and perhaps most successful (in terms of audience share) talent ever to grace Boston airwaves.    Arnie "Woo Woo" Ginsburg was an MIT engineer who began by buying time at night on 1600/WBOS in Brookline in 1956, doing a show and selling ads to cover the cost (and then some.)     He soon migrated to 1510/WMEX, where his frenetic, high-energy style set the bar, not only in New England, but nationwide, for personality-drive Top 40 radio.  He owned the nighttime teenage audience wherever one could hear signal-challenged WMEX.  His exciting, tight, sound-effects laden presentation is captured in the "Cruisin'" CD series, which preserved the heyday of Top 40 personality radio for all time.

A man of many talents, Arnie went on to become a founder of Kiss 108 and TV Channel 66."

Alan Colmes on WEZE, WZLX

Many of us know of Alan Colmes as a liberal commentator, syndicated radio talk show host and Fox News Channel political contributor. How many of you know that Alan Colmes was a disc jockey in Boston on the old top 40/adult contemporary WEZE AM 1260 (now WMKI Radio Disney) in, I believe, the early 1970s  and WZLX (classic hits!) during the 1980s. He was quite good on both stations with a quick wit, unique voice and superb delivery for the rock formats. Based on his early career, never would I have imagined Colmes venturing into his current field. Although I don't agree with his politics, Colmes is terrific at his current job -- just like he was back in the day as an adept, intelligent and fluent rock jock.  What a talented individual!

Slim Pickens, the Whistling Weatherman on WJDA Quincy

Slim Pickens was one of my favorite Boston area radio personalities in the 1970s. I know he had a long radio career as either Slim Pickens or Jerry Howard (starting his radio career in the 1940s), but I remember him best at the weatherman on WJDA AM 1300 who would whistle any "s" sound coming out of his mouth during the forecasts.  He had what sounded like a folksy "Down East" Maine accent. Quite different from the "any town USA" radio personalities today, many of whom sound alike!

Slim Pickens was one of a kind and I could hardly wait to hear him on the radio.  If anyone has an air check of Slim Pickens, I would love to hear it!

Notable Boston Meteorologists From Back In the Day

Don Kent photo source: I Grew Up In Massachusetts Facebook page

Boston television has turned out some outstanding meteorologists through the years with one of the best periods taking place in the 1970s and 80s...

Don Kent, of WBZ-TV Channel 4, led the way with his commanding presence and amazing skill at getting the forecast right. Pleasant  but serious and slightly monotone with an Underdog/Wally Cox kind of voice, Kent was born to be a weatherman. He knew the terminology like the back of his hand and seemed like one who could have taught the art and science of this profession at a college. He didn't like it at all when the anchors teased him about being wrong (didn't happen that much, though!). Because of his expertise, Kent quickly became a household name. When the subject was weather, it's almost like everyone in the Boston area said collectively, "What did Don Kent forecast?"

Kent died on March 2, 2010. We miss his gentlemanly presence and legendary forecasts.

Other favorites:
Bruce Schwoegler, Channel 4. Slightly hyper and ultra confident, he had good hair and a sense of humor --and was very entertaining.  He also had one of the all-time great laughs! Met him once at the former Ararat restaurant in Watertown, Mass., and he seemed like the nicest person in the world. Funny and full of personality, sort of like your favorite uncle.

Bob Copeland, WCVB-TV, Channel 5. A real gentleman who was clearly into his craft and every bit as accurate as Don Kent. He had a cool 1970s look with curly hair and a mustache. Bob had an understated delivery, but his message always came across just fine to us viewers that wanted the truth and nothing but the truth when it came to local weather.

Bill Hovey, Channel 5. He had a bit of a nerd look with a huge forehead and big glasses, but, wow, what a fantastic weatherman. I'd rather have Hovey on than any of the present day Hollywood movie star-like, Ken and Barbie doll meteorologists! Seemed like an incredibly nice man, too.

Two weathermen from back in the day still grace the airwaves to this very day: Harvey Leonard on Channel 5 (used to be on Channel 7) and occasionally in guest apperances, retired meteorologist Barry Burbank, onChannel 4. Both are phenomenal meteorologists!

Who was your favorite Boston weatherman during the 1960s or 1970s?  Feel free to share your thoughts here!

WBZ AM 1030 Boston As An Adult Contemporary Music Station

WBZ AM radio 1030 in Boston, Mass., has a stellar reputation as a news and talk station today, but how many of you remember the legendary adult contemporary music format that livened the airwaves during the 1960s, 70s and 80s?

Yes, WBZ still had a good dose of news, weather and sports and nighttime talk shows, but the music format and its personalities were for the memories books, too.  What I remember: the day started out with Dave Maynard with his "Maynard in the Morning" show, followed by Carl DeSuze mid-mornings, and Larry Justice and the "Halls of Justice" in the afternoon. Each personality had a distinct delivery. Maynard was like your favorite uncle, able to connect with staff and audience. He wasn't loud like some of his contemporaries, and didn't need to be. He was clever without having to rely on a gimmick. It was almost like he was broadcasting from his living room. 

DeSuze had a flawless veteran radio presence that combined a measured formality with, more prominently, a warm, unique, comforting broadcasting style of his own.  Everyone around here knew the name DeSuze and seemed to love his classic one-for-the-ages radio voice.  Justice had a twinkle in his voice, a great sense of humor, an innate sense of when to talk over the music and a mid-tempo delivery that was good enough to liven up the afternoon drive-time.  I remember him introducing a Carpenters song, "Close to You," as memorable as the Burt Bacharach song itself! 

I seem to remember a block of news before Guy Manilla took over the 6 p.m. hour with his thoughtful, almost intellectual sports radio show. The quality of callers was just amazing, no doubt encouraged by Manilla's knowledge of sports and command of the English language.  The live wire, unforgettable Jerry Williams had a nighttime talk show that entertained, educated and sometimes inflamed local listeners with his controversial subject matters. He was no doubt a precursor to many of the opinionated talk show hosts of today.  

The humorous Larry Glick held the graveyard shift and became a legend with his easygoing style and "Glick University" personal encyclopedic knowledge. I loved it when a caller asked Larry "How are you doing?" and he then tapped on the table and said, "Wait a minute, let me check!"

I know WBZ featured some other great personalities through the years like Norm Nathan (a personal favorite, a dear person and one I recall best from WHDH and WEEI), Bruce Bradley (often regarded as one of the best local radio personalities of all-time), Dick Summers, Jefferson Kaye and Paul Perry, but this is the lineup I remember best.  How about you?

Boston's 'Wish', WSSH, for Beautiful Music!

If you liked Mantovani, Percy Faith, Perry Como and Doris Day, it didn't get any better than WSSH-FM 99.5 FM  in Lowell Mass.

While WJIB 96.9 (now 96.9 "Boston Talks") reigned as the king of "muzak," WSSH outlasted other beautiful music stations like WCOZ 94.5 (now Jamn' 94.5!), WBOS 92.9, and WWEL 107.9 (now Kiss 108 FM!). The automated beautiful music station probably benefited most from a better mix of elevator music, good sounding announcers and a strong signal. For some reason, everything has sounded good on the 99.5 signal.

Most of the instrumental music faded in the early 1980s, giving way to more of an adult contemporary format, featuring familiar artists like John Denver, Neil Diamond, Anne Murray and the Carpenters. Delilah Rene had a radio show on WSSH before going syndicated with her famous nightly song request and dedication show. The 50,000 watt blowtorch of soothing sounds really came into its own, however, in the late 80s when WSSH moved to Woburn and featured some fantastic live local talent, especially Jordan Rich. Today Rich is well known as a talk show host on WBZ AM Boston.

Ratings eventually tanked and smooth jazz, country music (WKLB) and eventually classic music WCRB took over the airwaves at 99.5.  Those ensuing formats have all sounded good (actually I couldn't stand the cloying smooth jazz station), but I miss most...

WISSHHHHHH...99.5!

Old-Time Boston Kids Television Shows

Once upon a time when we had only a few television stations to watch and an anemic antenna that sometimes brought us picture clarity, we enjoyed, immensely, some of the kids shows that graced the Boston television scene.

Willie Whistle hosted an afternoon kids television show on WSBK-TV Channel 38. Dressed as a clown, he had a high-pitched "whistle" voice that defied proper male voice development. Entertaining while also capable of being a major source of irritation, we couldn't get enough of Willie Whistle. He was one-of-a-kind:  how many clowns did you know that sounded like a whistle?  We always wondered who played Willie Whistle. Someone once told me it was former Ch. 38 Movie Loft Host Dana Hersey, but I don't believe that for a moment. Dana had one of the lowest voices of all-time and I personally don't think that he would have dressed up in a clown suit and show the octave range of Mariah Carey.

Rex Trailer hosted the wonderful Boomtown kids show on WBZ, Channel 4 Boston, that offered a western theme -- perfectly compatible with Boston, of course. Truth be told, Rex Trailer with that unforgettable smile, twinkle in his eye, the cowboy outfit and guitar-in-hand, created an absolutely fantastic kids show. Proof: if you were invited to be a guest on Boomtown, you were cool. Sgt. Billy came along later in the show to provide extra yuks. Always loved the opening when Rex would bellow, "Howdy Folks," and the kids would yell back, "Howdy Rex!"  The show's theme song was quite memorable, too:


Howdy there folks, we're glad to see you in
Boom, Boom, Boomtown!


There's a lot of folks who'd like to greet you in
Boom, Boom, Boomtown!


You can bet we'll have lots of western fun and excitement for you.
We'll ride and rope,do a square dance and shoot a gun
and we'll sing a song or two!


Come along folks 'cause we're about to start the fun in
Boom, Boom, Boomtown!


From six to sixty there's something for everyone in
Boom, Boom, Boomtown!


So dosy-do and swing around,
grab your gal and promenade down to
Boom,.........BOOM,...............BOOMTOWN!

YEEHAH!!!!!!  


Major Mudd dressed up as an astronaut on this Channel 7 Boston kids show, perhaps riding the wave of the incredible advances in the NASA program during that time. The Major was pretty laid-back. came up with fun games for the kids, and showed some really cool cartoons, none of which I can remember. I just know they were cool.

Bunker Hill was a craggy old train conductor that hosted a kids show on Channel 56. He came across as the ultimate character actor -- and he certainly had the right "local" name for a Boston television show. He had pretty good interaction with the kids, but I remember his replacement Bob Glover was even better (no disrespect to Bunker Hill).

Bozo the Clown had national origins, but Frank Avruch played the local role on WHDH-TV Channel 5 in Boston. Frank was a marvelously talented broadcaster  and the show became nationally syndicated in the late 1960s. Frank was best known as Channel 5's "Man About Town" representing the station at cultural and community events. As a nine-year-old I remember meeting him at a party hosted by Boston radio great Norm Nathan. After spotting him at the party, I looked at my dad and said "Look, there's Bozo the Clown." He was not pleased!

Old-Time Boston/New England Radio and Television Ad Jingles and Slogans

I love jingles. To be specific, I especially have an affinity for the old-time radio and television jingles that could be heard during the 1960s and 1970s.  The sometimes cheesy singers, the memorable hooks and a lack of the in-your-face, bombastic ad jingles of today made for some very effective advertising. I know most of these ads brought us to the given businesses, including restaurants, amusement parks, department and furniture stores and even car dealerships.  Here are some warm Boston memories of local television and radio ad jingles and slogans from yesteryear:

Do you remember...
Bradlee's department store with the ad singers stating that chipper, know-it-all inventory manager "Mrs. B is Buying?"

The 1960s-style "In Crowd" swing-like jingle of Dave Dinger Ford in Braintree, Mass., asking "How does Dinger do it?"

The Thompson's Clam Bar (Harwichport, Mass.) jingle, "We're going to Thompson's Clam Bar 'cause that's where the very best clams are!"

The faint and anemic-sounding,  semi-muted tropical-like jingle for the Island Queen (the ferry from Falmouth to Martha's Vineyard)?

Whalom Park (now-closed amusement park in Lunenberg, Mass.) for "A whale of a time?"

The Filene's department store jingle that spelled out "F-I-L-E-N-E-S?"

Barbo's Furniture (Burlington, Mass.), a classic car radio ad jingle, with the memorable easy-listening sung line, "Barbo's, Barbo's.. the furniture you can live with happily ever after?"

Christo's Greek-American restaurant in Brockton, Mass., with its "Home of the Greek salad king" slogan (still is, to this very day!)?

And, of course, the over-the-top "There's a Lot to Like About Lowell" jingle, extolling the incredible virtues of that Massachusetts city?

Please feel free to share your memories of Boston/New England ad jingles by posting a comment here!

Remembering Don Gillis, of WCVB Channel 5 Boston

Don Gillis had that sort of personal touch that made his Channel 5 Boston sports reports sound like he was having a conversation with you in your living room.  From 1962 to 1983 as sports reporter, anchor and director, Gillis came across as a kind person, a true broadcasting professional who read with the best of them, and one that loved sports of all kinds. Whether it was Boston Red Sox baseball or local high school football, you could tell Gillis enjoyed reporting the sports of the day. He also had wonderful interaction with all on-air staff and never had to resort to low-brow humor or excessive ego to make a name for himself. He died a few years ago, leaving behind some wonderful memories for those of us that had the honor of watching him on television.

Editor's note: Mike Lynch has been a terrific successor -- following the tenets of what made Gillis special -- and Channel 5 is to be commended for letting him grow into the position to become one of the best.

The Famous Jim Sands and His Saturday Night Oldies Show!

The "Famous Jim Sands" was born to be on radio. Best known for his time on WHDH 850 AM, Sands had one of those made-for-radio voices -- resonant and driving, but personable. Next to the legendary Arnie "Woo Woo" Ginsburg, Sands had the best terrific local oldies show I had ever heard (on Saturday night for several years in the 1970s and 1980s). Sands was also a fill-in weekday announcer who sounded better than many of the regular radio show hosts. Having met Sands once at an on-location Arlington, Mass., broadcast of his oldies show, I remember him being a humorous sort, but quite humble and with an innate ability to connect with his audience.  Does anyone else remember Sands that way?