"The Live Five"-- what's in a name?

[Donna Halper <dlh@donnahalper.com>]

When I read Dean Johnson's interesting story in the Herald the other day
about where some of Boston's legendary announcers are now, he mentioned
Dave Maynard.  Maynard (who got his start on air at Emerson) joined WBZ in
1958, I believe-- having been a personality at several other stations
before that. When he joined the WBZ airstaff, the announcers were still
known as the Live Five". 

Several years ago, I was doing the research for WBZ's 75th anniversary, and
I saw promotional photos of the "Live Five" from 1957.  I always wondered
why that name had been chosen.  I know it happened as part of the change to
a more top-40 oriented format in late 1955/early 1956, when WBZ dropped
most of the network programming they had carried for years.  My guess was
that management wanted to let people know they no longer relied on
syndicated shows and instead offered live local announcers.  It was a good
guess, but it turns out there was another piece of information that may
have been a factor in the decision.

Evidently, it all started after Norm Prescott joined WBZ in September of
1955, which also marked the transition from network (which ran mostly soap
operas and variety shows)  to personality d.j.'s who played pop music.
Soon, WBZ hired other well-known local "platter spinners" and began running
print ads with the term "The Live Five".  But before that happened, a
competitor had beaten them to it.  WORL was already doing the same format
that WBZ wanted to do.  WORL had Alan Dary, Dave Maynard, Norm Tulin, and
Hank Elliott playing the hits--  and they were called "The Big Four".  When
WBZ decided to jump into the music & personality game, they obviously
wanted to go WORL one better-- if WORL had the "Big Four", WBZ would offer
"The Live Five."  And now you know... the rest... of the story. 

------------------------------