more exciting Boston radio dates

[Donna Halper <dlh@donnahalper.com>]

Here's a few more from the late 1940s to 1950:

WBMS (1090 kHz) went on the air from studios on Court Street, opposite City
Hall Annex, on 24 November 1946.  It pledged to devote the majority of its
broadcast day to classical music. [By May of 1950, it was announced in the
Trades that WBMS was changing its format because, according to VP & GM
George Lasker, not enough people appreciated good music, and of those who
did listen, they resented the airing of commercials...]     

WLYN (1360 kHz)in Lynn went on the air at noon on 11 December 1947.  In an
effort to offend no-one, a rabbi, a priest, and a minister said blessings
and offered prayers (one assumes they prayed for either good ratings or a
better signal???).  The best known of the announcers hired was Ned French.

WVOM (1600 kHz-- later WBOS, where Arnie Ginsburg would play top-40 hits on
the "Night Train show" before going to WMEX...)-- WVOM went on the air 12
June 1948. Everybody who was anybody attended the opening, including
representatives from all of Boston's radio stations.

November 4, 1949, the initial approval came for Pilgrim Broadcasting Co. to
take over the license and facilities of the former WORL.  (Among those
competing for the license-- and losing-- was a company headed by George
Jaspert, a veteran broadcaster who had been WBZ's first GM back in 1921 and
later was GM at a number of New England stations, including WLAW..)  

June 12, 1950-- John Shepard 3rd (there is an article I wrote for the
Archives about his many achievements) died of heart disease; he had been a
heavy smoker for years, and in 1949, in poor health, he stepped down from
any further radio involvement in the Yankee Network or WNAC...

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