The Greatest Air Show On Earth (credit:WBZ Archive Photo)
Bruce Bradley (credit:WBZ Archive Photo)
1960: Bruce Bradley joins WBZ, when the station is still playing middle of the roadpop music. Gradually, as the music becomes more top-40, “Juicie Brucie” Bradley’s night-time show becomes extremely popular.
1961: It’s Carl deSuze’s 20th year with ‘BZ! He is given a big party, and he does a re-creation of how his show from the 1940s used to sound.
April 1961: In its annual poll, Radio-TV Mirror Magazine names WBZ’s “The Newsmakers” as “Best News Program.”
June 17, 1962: Westinghouse attempts to buy KFWB but the deal falls through and Westinghouse instead purchases WINS in New York. (WINS will later become the nation’s first all-news radio station.)
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July 1962: Westinghouse announces it is ending its operation of Springfield’s WBZA.
September 30th, 1963: Bob Kennedy, who will do talk and public affairs, joins WBZ. His award-winning show called “Contact”, made it’s debut on September 30th, 1963 and featured a wide range of celebrities– from politicians to authors to the day’s biggest newsmakers– appear on it. The call-in number is Algonquin 4-5678. “Contact” remains on the air during most of the decade.
Jefferson Kaye (credit:WBZ Archive Photo)
1964: The WBZ airstaff is Carl deSuze in the morning, followed at 9:30 by Dave Maynard, then Jay Dunn at 12:30, Jefferson Kaye at 3:30, and after a news and information block at 6pm, Contact, and 8:05 Bruce Bradley. Overnight is Dick Summer. During the folk music craze, Jefferson Kaye does a popular Sunday night show called “Hootenanny.”
Gary Lapierre (credit:WBZ Archive Photo)
September 1964: Gary LaPierre joins the news staff, with his first assignment to spend 24 hours with The Beatles.
November 9, 1965: The Northeast Blackout plunges the region into darkness. Only people who have transistor radios are able to tune in to WBZ.
1966: Gil Santos begins doing play-by-play of the Patriots football games.
Summer 1966: Bruce Bradley is broadcasting live in the Sundeck Studio from Paragon Park, Nantasket Beach.
August 18, 1966: The Beatles perform live at Suffolk Downs. Bruce Bradley introduces the show, and in the audience is then-13 year old Joe Kennedy.
1968: Bruce Bradley leaves WBZ! (But he will be back…)
January 1969: WBZ does a series on racial problems in Boston. Newsweek Magazine does an article praising the series.
January 1969: WBZ gets the right to broadcast Boston Bruins hockey, which had been on another station. Veteran announcer Fred Cusick is chosen to do play-by-play.
July 1969: Guy Mainella’s sports-talk show “Calling All Sports” debuts.
1969: Larry Glick promotes Sunkist Lemonade as the “Commander” of the late night airwaves.
Larry Glick Promotes Sunkis (credit:WBZ Archive Photo)