The dawning of WRKO Boston... I was new to New England, having arrived in late summer of '66 to program WRKO-FM, the robotic, automated, top 40 rocker that played nothing but hits and new music 24 hours a day, no jocks and no spots. Now that format was moving to AM. Monday, March 13th, 1967 was the big day. We were one week away from spring and having spring-like weather, hitting the 50s on Sunday. On that Monday morning, none of us thought about the weather...
The original jock lineup on that Monday, March 13, 1967 was: 6-9 a.m. Al Gates (and alter-ego 'Feathers'), Palmer Payne (news) and Curt Gowdy (sports), 9-12 p.m. John Rode, 12-3 p.m. Joel Cash, 3-6 p.m. J.J. Jeffrey, 6-9 p.m. Arnie "Woo Woo" Ginsburg and 9-12 midnight Chuck Knapp. Dick Burch did the all-night show for a quick minute before Jon Powers joined us a couple of weeks later. Last year on our 40th anniversary, J.J. Jeffrey and I reminisced for close to an hour about the people we worked with, the great times we enjoyed but most of all - the great success we had. Claude Hall would mention in the August 19th (1967) edition of Billboard that WRKO had climbed to #1 with these comparative numbers: WRKO 13.9 WMEX 9.9 and WBZ 9.0. On Saturdays we had a phenomenal 20.1 share and we never looked back...
Two years ago, thanks to Donna Halper's research, I was able to put an accurate timeline together, in detail, on the birth of WRKO which is documented by both local and national publications, notes and memos and is included in this post...
I arrived at WRKO as WRKO-FM programmer and then WRKO-AM program director thanks to Bob Henabery, the first WRKO program director and VP/GM Perry S. Ury. Enjoy all the personal tributes that tell how vitally important a role WRKO played in each person's career and life. History is still being made at WRKO, but there is no station, no history without March 13, 1967...
The rise of WRKO from the beginning:
The new day dawned for Boston radio when WNAC the flagship station of the Yankee Network gave way to the most exciting contemporary radio station ever heard in New England and there are those that would argue, the entire United States: WRKO...
The genesis of WRKO began when General Manager Perry S. Ury dispatched Program Director Bob Henabery to research the feasibility of following in the footsteps of RKO's successful sister stations in Los Angeles (KHJ) and San Francisco (KFRC). The results of that research indicated that we would indeed be successful, there was room in Boston for such a station if it was positioned somewhere between WBZ's variety of contemporary music, heavy news and public affairs commitment and WMEX's more frenetic approach. We would be the exciting new, hip (remember, this was 1967 when hip was "hip") top 40 station that would turn Boston radio on its ear with exclusive releases, great jocks, exciting promotions and a terrific signal with which to reach a huge audience…
I was fortunate enough to play a part in the success of WRKO-FM, "ARKO, your friendly robot", the first Boston rocker in the fall of 1966 and another factor in deciding that we had to move this format over to AM. In late spring I was named Program Director of WRKO and with great support provided by Paul Power (production and music director), Harvey Mednick (promotion director), Roger Allan (news director), Chief engineer George Capalbo and the best GM in America, Perry S. Ury and a great staff of jocks, how could we lose ? We didn't !
The following timeline has been substantiated by copies obtained of both local and national print media articles, memos, accurate website information, the memory of those of us that were there and lots of hard work by those of us who cared enough to make sure that this information was accurate. In light of a few websites that continue to use the wrong dates, most notably for the format change, we hope this will enlighten them and that they will make the necessary corrections:
10 Timeline Memories from 1967:
January 25, 1967:
Paul Kelley Jr. sends an internal memo to the Blair Radio sales team mentioning a conversation he had with a salesman from WNAC indicating a format change to contemporary music taking place no later than April 1...
February 25, 1967 (Billboard Magazine):
In an interview, GM Perry S. Ury states that a format change to the "Hot 100" (Billboard terminology) will take place in mid-March and announces the new call letters as WRKO. Perry adds: "FM and AM will simulcast from 6am to 6pm with separate programming from 6pm to 6am". Ury also indicates that oldies will be played on FM...
Week of March 6, 1967:
All of Boston's newspapers use "WRKO" in their radio program listings...
March 10, 1967 (Boston Traveler):
Eleanor Roberts, music and radio/tv critic of the Boston Traveler (which will soon be absorbed into the Boston Herald) mentions that the Now Crowd will debut on March 13th. The new WRKO jock lineup is now listed in all newspapers...
March 10, 1967 (Billboard Magazine):
"Vox Jox" announces that Arnie Ginsburg has joined WRKO to do 6pm-9pm and that Al Gates is already at the station...
Monday, March 13, 1967: While the staff at WNAC started using pop music and new call letters prior to this date, this was the launch of the new format with the new jock lineup as seen above... A footnote on Arnie Ginsburg: Arnie was on the air briefly but would be enjoined by the Massachusetts Supreme Court for violating his WMEX contract prohibiting him from working within a 50 mile radius of Boston (from a May 13 Billboard article). Arnie would then join the sales staff...
April 25, 1967 (Variety Magazine): Variety announces that an IBEW strike started at WRKO with jocks refusing to cross picket lines. For 3 weeks I sat in for Al Gates from 6am to 9am and while we segued music the rest of the day, Perry Ury, Bob Henabery and other management people did the news...
May 28, 1967: There is a John Rode aircheck made on this date which indicates the strike had ended. There is also an aircheck of me doing the morning show made earlier in May which is floating around much to my dismay...
July 15, 1967 (Billboard Magazine): Billboard mentions that in addition to consulting KHJ and KFRC, Bill Drake will consult the rest of the RKO chain (including WRKO) starting immediately...
August 19, 1967 (Billboard Magazine): Claude Hall mentions that WRKO has climbed to #1 in the Hooper ratings (the first indication that we had taken over the market): WRKO 13.9, WMEX 9.9, WBZ 9.0. On Saturdays (10am-6pm) we had a phenomenal 20.1...
Music Memories:
All of these songs were Number One and played on WRKO in 1967: "I'm A Believer" - Monkees: http://youtube.com/watch?v=2VUqgZ-kl-Q ..."Kind of a Drag" - Buckinghams: http://youtube.com/watch?v=Hq1fpN1qWv8
..."Love is Here and Now You're Gone" - Supremes: http://youtube.com/watch?v=Lns5ICIPI6I "Penny Lane" - Beatles: http://youtube.com/watch?v=YHBKAyn17vw "Happy Together" - Turtles: http://youtube.com/watch?v=qjUx6vHPjSQ "Something Stupid" - Frank & Nancy Sinatra: http://youtube.com/watch?v=gNmLzfiP0qU "Groovin" - Young Rascals: http://youtube.com/watch?v=5KjkEQgslWA "Windy" - Association: http://youtube.com/watch?v=hU8vOQNvd3c "Respect" - Aretha Franklin: http://youtube.com/watch?v=YP4VDbmfi8k "Light My Fire (long version) - Doors: Commentary:
It was vitally important for me to set the record straight on the start-up date for WRKO. This station was too important to those of us who played a part in making it what many consider, the best sounding radio station in America. Almost everyone I talk to about their days at the legendary WRKO believes it was the best radio station that they ever worked at and that includes such stations as WABC, WFIL, WLS and KHJ among them. I never worked at any of those stations but did program stations in New York (WOR/WXLO-FM, WNBC) and Pittsburgh (KQV) and jocked at too many other markets to mention. I too put WRKO at the top of my list...
Now for your quotes (compiled over the last 2 years and updated):
From Perry S. Ury: "For me it was a day of pride and vindication for the decision to change the format and put the "Boston Rocker" on the air. My most vivid memory was an extremely nasty call from Mr. McCurdy, the head of the engineer's union. The threat to "ruin WRKO and General Tire" for making the format move was very real at the time. As you now, they tried and failed later in the spring. In retrospect - every one involved, especially Bob Henebery and you, did a herculean job, without Bill Drake's crews input. I would like to have been privy to their reaction. It was a day of true radio drama for all of us". Perry S. Ury...
(Perry was the 1st VP/GM of WRKO after serving in the same capacity at the former WNAC/WRKO-FM)...
George Capalbo, remembering the day WRKO was born - March 13, 1967: "Happy anniversary. I vividly recall filing the change of call letters with the FCC to make it legal. I was working long and exhausting hours to prepare for the big changeover. I have fond memories of the management and staff all pulling in the same direction and the elation we still experience at the success of the legendary WRKO"...
(George Capalbo was our chief engineer who put together state of the art studios at WRKO from scratch. George, like Perry Ury and Harvey Mednick would go on to work at the corporate level. I remember meeting George on a plane headed for Harris Corp. as we bought our automation system for WRKO-FM)...
From Roger Allan: "How can I ever forget the day we kicked Boston in the ass? The Now Generation hit Boston big. It's a 'happening'. There was the Globe, the Herald and the WRKO top 40 sheets. We had the newest of the new broadcast styles with 20/20 News which won innumerable news awards from UPI, AP & RTNDA thanks to people like John ("the barrrrrrometic pressure") Masters & Bob Stevens, Bill Rossi and Bob Cusack. The George Capalbo studios had the nation's best equipment. What a time for all of us."
(Roger Allan was News Director of WRKO starting at WNAC and The Yankee Network before the call letter change)...
Gordon Brown remembering the day that WRKO was born - March 13, 1967; "I was promoted from Production Supervisor to Engineer as management wanted younger guys spinning the rock for the new jocks. I was matched with Chuck "Chuckles" Knapp on the 9-midnight shift. He was the screaming DJ from Fargo (ND). My first assignment as a Prod. Sup. was to transfer "Here Comes My Baby" by the Tremeloes to cart. We first had to learn how to get 'em tight, but not so tight as to hear the song re-cue when the tape came back to its start and not recording over the splice so it would be clean on the air. I bet I had to hear that song a half dozen times until I got it right. I was tired of the song before it ever hit the air."
(Gordy Brown, class of '67-'76) (Gordy was one of the best of our 'younger' technicians both on air and in production. Chuck Knapp loved him)...
From Harvey Mednick: "For me the lasting friendships, you among them certainly, have been the best part of this adventure. In my mind's eye, I was the luckiest of the lot inasmuch as WRKO led to KHJ that led to KFRC and on to corporate. Without you, Perry and Bob, who knows where my career might have gone? Perry told me 'in two years I don't want you here. It's NY or LA' and he was true to his word. Best of course has to be the 'Casino Royale' promotion. The remake DVD is being released this spring - 50,000 people out in trenchcoats at 6 a.m. on a drizzly morning at the Sack Savoy theatre responding to a few promos from an upstart top 40 station barely a month old to see a crappy James Bond movie with Woody Allen as 007! Remarkable. I get goose bumps just writing this e-mail. Happy Birthday WRKO and God Bless all who sailed on her." Harvey Mednick (Harvey was our promotion director, one of the best, who would wind up as corporate VP of Promotion)...
From Paul Power: "Mel, as you know I have a million lasting memories but probably the greatest was while working at stodgy old WHDH and reading a story about Arnie the Woo signing with the new WRKO. I remember listening to the debut of WRKO but little did I know that about a month later I'd be working there after calling Perry Ury and sending a resume. I got a call back from you and we interviewed and a few weeks later I was hired and it was the greatest experience of my life." Paul Power (Paul was our Music Director, handled production and would later become assistant Program Director)...
Frank Kingston Smith a.k.a. Bobby Mitchell: "Not having been part of the original cast, I was doing afternoon drive at WICE Providence. WRKO had a lousy signal into and south of Providence but another radio guy called me to dial up 98.5. I didn't have FM in my car but when I got home and heard Arnie Ginsburg (what's he doing there?), I listened for the next 4 hours into Chuck Knapp and said, 'that's where I want to be!'. Less than 15 months later, I was!. What an experience!"
("Smitch" became our production voice and was voted by Bill Drake & consultants as voicing the best original version of the "History of Rock & Roll" of all the RKO stations, including KHJ Los Angeles. You may remember Frank Kingston Smith when he was on WABC)...
Shadoe Stevens: "Sorry Mel, I wasn't there yet. But there are a host of vivid memories for some other time. It was an exciting time. Congratulations on having lived through it. Good luck with the salute"...
(Shadoe worked from 6 to 9 p.m. for WRKO and had the greatest set of pipes I think I've ever heard. He would leave us for KHJ, hosted American Top 40, became one of the biggest voice-over announcers in the world and then Hollywood called and Shadoe has become an accomplished actor)...
Chuck "Chuckles" Knapp remembering WRKO on - March 13, 1967: "I remember when we gave away an original oil portrait of the Sgt. Pepper LP cover to that young man in a contest. I hope he still has it and now knows how valuable it must be. I loved the games at Fenway, meeting Bobby Orr, watching Bill Russell and when Curt Gowdy introduced me to Ted Williams at that charity softball game with the Boston Playboy bunnies - wow! I remember the metro bus driver shouting hello to Arnie (Ginsburg) as we walked in Kenmore Square when WMEX forced him off WRKO by producing an area radius clause signed by Max Richmond's brother that Arnie forgot he signed. Arnie used to intro me as "the kid from Fergus Falls, Minnesota" just before 9 o'clock. When he left I moved up into his slot and worked 7 days a week for 8 months without a day off and I loved it. Who could have known that a kid could jump from Fargo to Boston and 41 years later still be practicing the craft that I love. How great is that? Happy anniversary to all the listeners and all the people who loved radio and made WRKO shine. Proudly and thanking God for his blessings." (Chuck, now retired is living in Minneapolis. He reminded me that Shadow Stevens replaced him twice. Once when he left Fargo to come to WRKO and again at WRKO)...
Ed Walsh remembers WRKO: "I was a student at Holy Cross College in Worcester when WRKO debuted and had already been listening to WRKO-FM ("R-KO, your automated all-music station."). Unfortunately, I couldn't get the AM until my next weekend visit home to Wellesley. Little did I know I'd start at WRKO 9 years later and stay for a decade". (Ed is now the morning anchor on WBZ)...
John Gorman on being influenced by WRKO: "Let me add my "Happy Birthday" to WRKO. Your first week on the air convinced me to make radio my career. It was truly the first top 40 station in Boston that played rock and r&b hits without the peppering of middle-of-the-road. It was young, fresh, exciting and obviously Boston's biggest radio success story and my preference was the pre-Drake "6-8-0 WRKO". What other radio station, especially back then, could've distributed a button that just read "NOW" with nearly everyone between 12 and 20 knowing that by wearing it, you were one of WRKO's "Now Crowd"...
(John would go into Cleveland radio and have tremendous success programming the legendary WMMS. He now consults stations and has his own blog devoted to the medium)...
Sales executive Bill Wayland remembering the day that WRKO was born - March 13, 1967: "Perry (Ury) flattered me by asking my "youthful" view of flipping the format to "Rock". Can't recall my words but I was 'for it'. All of us were aware of what was happening at KHJ & KFRC. WMEX had a great signal in Nova Scotia, not so hot in Natick (west of Boston). WBZ was doing whatever it was doing 'professionally' but this 'youth' found it boring. Did I know any jocks who might fit in? Well there was this crazy kid in Pensacola (FL) named J.J. Jeffrey, and so it went. One summer day, before our 1st book, I walked the length of the Irish Riviera in Southie, Carson Beach to Castle Island and I could hear WRKO all the way and back. Wow! On March 13, 1967, thanks to a lot of hard work by other people (thanks Perry), the balloon began to rise and I happened to be holding on to the string."
(Bill, an ad executive was a carry-over from WNAC who would leave Boston after several years for corporate sales in New York)…
Record executive Bob Sherwood remembers WRKO in the late 70's. "I flew up to Boston for a non-music day, early morning meeting with MD Christy Wright, arranged by the late Ed Hynes, then the local Columbia promotion man in Boston. Ed and I showed up with bagels and every other form of early morning delight, enough for the entire staff of WRKO. In comes Lenny Collins, Epic's legendary promotion guy who clearly discovered our cunning plan. In his excitement at trying to trump us in our otherwise exceptional visit to Christy, Lenny had somehow misplaced his promo records thus becoming the 1st promotion man in history to lose his records inside the music room of a major market radio station. To this day I can't recall if we got our record on WRKO but I know Lenny didn't get his. At least that week."
(Bob was head of national promotion for Columbia Records at the time)...
The information contained was put together with much love and care as a document of events relating to the beginning of WRKO, Boston on March 13, 1967 and the success of the top 40 format and station’s number one ranking. The words used are yours and I’d like to thank all of you for your quotes. My hope is that you will save this as a keepsake and never forget the contributions each of you made in establishing WRKO as one of the great radio stations in contemporary radio history…Mel Phillips, March 13, 2008...
"Happy Birthday...happy birthday":
Johan Santana (29), WRKO (41), Dana Delany (52), William H. Macy (58), Neil Sedaka (69) and songwriter Mike Stoller (75)...
Timeline Countdown: 7 days until the first day of spring, 10 days until Easter Sunday, 12 days until opening day and 37 days until Passover...
