Recording Date: 09.17.1978
Station: 680 WRKO (WNAC) Boston
Format: Top 40
Branded: 68 WRKO – Boston’s Concert Station; Boston’s Super Star Station
Featured Air Personality: Ron O’Brien (Real Name: Richard Walls; October 24, 1951 – April 27, 2008)
Contributor: Big Apple Airchecks
Total Time: 22:39
Aircheck #1,580
WRKO.. Yes, if I had to pick between loving and fist fights, I’d pick love every time!!…
Curator’s Notes:
There’s not much I can say to describe this aircheck. You really must listen for yourself.
This is probably the best that WRKO ever sounded as a Top 40 station. (All you current WRKO Talk listeners never heard what this station REALLY was like) WRKO simply COOKS! RKO General really knew how to program a tight radio station. And the jocks, all of them, were encouraged to be themselves and say what they wanted over record intros – listen to what Ron O’Brien does over the top of Steely Dan – “Jose”. What a treat! And Ron was only working the weekend shift – which meant more rock in rotation than during the week. Yes, Boston had WBCN and WCOZ… and suburban WAAF – and they really stole much of the station’s audience as FM rose to prominence in the period of 1978-1981 WRKO bailed out of it’s music format on 09.27.1981. A sad day for station loyalists.
Here are some other Big Ron O’Brien Airchecks that you may enjoy:
Big Ron O’Brien, 66 WNBC New York | February 2, 1982
Big Ron O’Brien on 102.7 KIIS-FM Los Angeles | March, 1983
Big Ron O’Brien, 1000 AM WCFL Chicago | October, 1973
Other WRKO Airchecks featured on this site:
J.J. Jeffrey/Chuck Knapp and the “Top 300 Best of All Time”, 68 WRKO Boston | October 20, 1967
Charlie Van Dyke, WRKO Boston | April 6, 1979
Johnny Dark, 68 WRKO Boston | 1975
Great aircheck. Great talent!
Great Airchecks! Just a mention the date is wrong. It is actually Sept. 17, 1978. I checked the Baseball Reference app to verify. Ron commented on the Red Sox collapse and their upcoming game that day at Yankee Stadium with Mike Torrez pitching. The Sox lost that game 3-2.
Thanks. I’ll make the change. I don’t know why these airchecks come in with incorrect dates written on them
Interesting to hear Ron talk about the Red Sox losing eight of their last ten. Good time piece about their collapse that year.