I just can’t imagine a Christmas season anywhere else but here
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Curator’s Notes:
Often, I don’t quite know where to begin, in describing a particular aircheck, this being one of them. This one has historical significance for several reasons. First, this is quite possibly the only aircheck of Robin Young’s early radio career, and certainly the only one that I am aware of from her time at WBZ Radio. Second, this is possibly one of the only airchecks of WBZ, captured playing music during overnight hours. For as far back as most anyone can remember, WBZ aired talk programming during evening and overnights, most notably, the Larry Glick show which began sometime in the mid-1970s and continued for the rest of the past century.
You’ll notice a wide variety of music (scoped, of course) played during this program. Everything from Seals and Crofts, the Moody Blues and The Supremes, to Swing music to Barbara Streisand show tunes.
This was aired in December, and Robin Young opens reading a letter from a dislocated Bostonian who moved to the deep south and misses the snow. There was no Christmas music played (but as I recall from listening to WBZ as a child, the station did air some holiday music in rotation with the hits during this VERY dayparted time in WBZ’s storied history. (And, yes, purists will chime in to note that WBZ always played 24 hours of Christmas music from 6pm Christmas Eve till 6pm Christmas day, right up through the early days of WBZ’s all-news format. But that’s not the focus of this aircheck).
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…she’s very personal, warm and real sounding.. nice intimate ‘one on one’ stuff….sounds like she’s just talking to just ‘you’ …..perfect for those listeners who are actually listening to the station, not just using it for background or fill in. you can be sure she had a serious hard core group of dedicated listeners, genuine fans…..but the overall presentation has a very narrow demographics appeal for advertisers. pity…it’s the one thing that’s lacking in programming today. Personal radio. (p.s. if she’s picking her own music….she’s got a great ear.)
I like her, very feminine sounding lady with a good contemporary MOR approach. As for narrow demographics-prove your point,
They billed a ton a money, WBZ was very profitable. Everything isn’t Top 40, this was full service radio,
Lou, I certainly never said anything about the demographics being narrow. If anything, I mentioned the WIDE variety. WBZ was the epitome of Full Service radio – it and KDKA Pittsburgh, IMHO, the shining examples of how well a generally 25-54 programmed radio station with a full plate of Music, News, Sports and Local Talk by personalities who were well paid for their incredible talents as master communicators. And you’re completely correct. WBZ billed a crap ton of money from the MOR era, through the 80’s daytime Hot AC (AM Stereo) era right into the News and Talk era. I don’t have sales numbers for the past few years (although Scott Fybush could likely tell me), but I would guess that WBZ is still one of THE cash cow AM stations – they’d have to be in order for their new masters at iHeartRadio to keep the format intact… but I digress…
Totally agree. To be perfectly honest, I haven’t tuned in to NPR in a while, although I have always enjoyed their programming. I really NEED to hear this beautiful and gentile voice doing her thing today. I most remember her doing Evening Magazine on WBZ-TV 4, before that show went national. Always thought she was a consummate professional in all her work.
I’m trying to figure out the date of this aircheck, but there are no obvious time/date reference except an obscure reference to “…a big match between Ithaca and Iowa.” Those school didn’t play each other in any sports that I know.
Actually, I believe Ron Kay is the one that surmised the lack of advertiser appeal for such a format, the opposite was true of course, but I think all of us are in agreement, this was a great era of full service radio, in a gentler time.
Absolutely, Lou. That aircheck reflects a time when listening to the radio wasn’t a BP-inflating chore.