As you may have heard or read, we're front page news. WBCN is retiring - http://www.boston.com/. This is a very, very sad day for those of us who grew up with WBCN, 41 years of bringing the Rock to Boston. To my friends Adam 12, Hardy, Dan O'Brien, Bradley Jay, Amy Brooks, Juanita, Mark Hamilton, Andy Hicks, Shawn Clayton, and newest friend, Bob Hannah - I love you all. To all who've been involved, thank you. I have some good news in all this, Boston Emissions will carry on and move to WZLX in August. Thank you, Program Director Mike Thomas, I am immensly grateful. That is all for now.
Adios, WBCN
WBCN-FM, a/k/a the "Rock of Boston," has as storied a history as any Boston radio station. But come August, 'BCN will no longer be a part of Boston's radio landscape. As reported on Phoenix affiliate WFNX this morning. CBS, 'BCN's owner, is moving Mix 98.5 to 104.1, WBCN's frequency, and starting a new, all-sports station--apparently to be dubbed the Sports Hub, and to carry the call letters WBZ-FM--at Mix's spot on the dial. Word is that 'BCN's morning team of Toucher and Rich will do the Sports Hub's morning show when the change is implemented in mid-August, just in time for the Patriots' preseason. (WBCNwill, apparently, survive as an Internet station. Any 'BCN listeners excited about that?)
This is good news for WFNX, which competes with WBCN for listeners craving alt-rock fare. But it's bad news–or at least depressing news–for Boston radio as a whole. In its earlier years, 'BCN was known, among other things, for unusually varied programming; for championing talented acts that were still in their infancy, but went on to become superstars; and for showcasing major talents like Charles Laquidera and "News Dissector" Danny Schecter. Of course, the cerebral stylings of Laquidera, Schecter et al. have long since yielded to (among other things) Howard Stern, the execrable Opie & Anthony, and Patriots play-by-play.
So: one less option for rock fans, and one more entry in Boston's already crowded sports media marketplace. I'm told that WEEI.com's Michael Felger and Comcast SportsNet'sGary Tanguay will be doing afternoon shows on the Sports Hub when the station's up and running. Those are nice gets--and as the Sports Hub competes with powerhouse WEEI-AM, it'll need all the talent it can get.
Any thoughts, 'BCN listeners?
Published Jul 14 2009, 09:19 AM by Adam Reilly
16 comments:
I call BS on this one, but we shall see. Boston Emissions aside, where will I get my Sublime and Pearl Jam fix if BCN goes? Oh, that's right, every single other station. I wish some of these commercial stations would take some risk. I really think it would pay off, but it would take some time before it does, so they'd never go for it.
Looks like no BS (see the update I just posted). I agree, there's not much that makes me listen to mainstream music stations these days, but Boston Emissions is the exception so it remains to be seen what becomes of that show. And the Rumble! I guess Boston Band Crush will have to step in and help keep the Rumble alive next year. (Because we love putting on massive events.)
Why can't we have a KEXP? What I wouldn't give...
This is a major bummer! Let's definitely find a way for the Rumble to live on!!!
Ah, most of the reason I didn't believe it is that I thought there was no way there would be a sports station at 104.1 - but I guess moving Mix there "makes sense" or something. This is terrible, terrible, terrible.
Like Michael, I won't miss WBCN's standard programming, but losing the support for independent music via Boston Emissions and the Rumble just sucks. I agree that we'll have to work on a way to keep the Rumble happening, at least...
And with that, tonight's Social becomes a demonstration of how much we all love Anngelle. Am I wrong?
Finally, sports talk in Boston. Hopefully this will lead to more mediocre jocks chanting "yankees suck" at rock shows. Total agreement with Michael about their regular programming, but I try to listen to Boston Emissions as much as possible in support of new and favorite acts. What a bag of suck.
We'll figure out something. I don't plan on keeping this tiara forever.
man, it looks like the luxury was in the Rumble just in time!
although i am sad that this might mean the end of the Rumble, and the end of Boston Emissions (at least over the FM waves), I'm not the least bit sad about losing the rest of BCN - 2 hours of good programming a week doesn't make up for all the crap they play the rest of the time. Sorry, Anngelle, but you were pretty much the only listenable thing on that station. :(
Honestly, it would make more sense for FNX to start doing their own version of the Rumble - they play more local music during the week, and are probably the station most of us who are into local rock listen to anyway... but being reduced to one "alternative" station blows (even if BCN hasn't been alternative in years).
Work for relocation of the Rumble and "emissions" to another place/sponsor that would be happy to have them, but shed no tears for WBCN. I grew up in Boston and WBCN stopped being cool a really FFF long time ago. You guys are lucky to have such a vibrant college radio presence- turn the knob to the left, and don't forget to support them at fundraiser- they stay good because they're NOT commercial.
-Kristin, WCBN-Ann Arbor
WBCN already aired Patriots games, at least they'll be airing an actual sport now when they pick up Bruins broadcasts. I mean, when the station formerly known as MIX98.5 starts airing them under the call letters WBZ FM and the station formerly known as WBCN becomes the Boston Sports Hub. What does MIX 98.5 play now? Who knows? I certainly don't.
I would be interested to find out the details of WBCN's "afterlife" in the world of internet radio. And to hear what Charles Laquidara thinks about this whole thing.
Thanks to all, the show lives on on WZLX. The Rumble? Yes!
I'd like to officially invite BBC to join me as I debut "the New Boston Emissions" on 100.7 WZLX on Sun, Aug 16 at 10pm....
Hey Anngelle, there's no place we'd rather be!
We'd be honored!
WBCN had already deteriorated into an inconsequential music station some time ago -- except for The Rumble. The only time I ever have reason to go to BCN's web site was during the Rumble season, and every year it would be more and more dopey and frat-boyish.
As far as the Rumble goes, I had been thinking for a while that it could be freshened up a bit, maybe split the semis between Boston and NY, which I don't believe has any sort of legitimate rock band competition, and a make it sort of a "NxNE" festival and competition. So this could be an opportunity in disguise. I think Shred was still running the Rumble, so maybe someone could ask him about the status of things. -Bernie
Hi Bernie,
The Rumble was freshened up this past year under the leadership of Anngelle Wood. In fact, to those of us involved it really felt like we had a very vibrant scene (we've been working our butts off keeping that alive ever since!) to catch up on what happened Rumble '09 check out: http://www.bostonbandcrush.com/search/label/rumble%202009
But, I do agree, that with this switch of stations that Boston Emissions and the Rumble have an incredible opportunity to become bigger and better than ever!
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