changes in 50s radio-- more answers

[Donna Halper <dlh@donnahalper.com>]

Dan wrote:

>For several years after I arrived in Boston (summer '56), WORL was an
>independent and the studios were in Kenmore Sq, in a building that was
>demolished to make way for the Mass Turnpike Extension. I can't recall
>whether the address was 719 Boylston St or 719 Beacon St, but the street
>number was definitely 719.

The Radio Annual in 1957 said 705 Beacon Street. (Perhaps it was a long
building that extended to 719-- I was a kid at that time, and truly don't
recall...) But it was definitely 705-- even the phone book listings say
that.   Back in 1951-2-3, by the way, WORL was located at 92 State Street.
In those Radio Annuals from the early 50s, Norm Prescott (who would go on
to WBZ in 1956) was the PD.

Dan wrote--
>When the building was demolished (as far as I
>know, the station was the only occupant), the station moved downtown to an
>office building at 330 Stuart St. Interestingly, addresses that begin with
>719 seem to have had a special attraction for Boston AM stations. WILD's
>studios were or are at a location that has the street number 719.

WORL did indeed move to 330 Stuart sometime in the early 60s...  As for
WILD, when it was known as WBMS in the early 50s, it was in the late
lamented Hotel Shelton.  When Bartell bought it and changed its calls in
1957, the station moved to Kenmore Square to the Hotel Somerset, and I do
recall the visiting those studios...  I think the address was 390
Commonwealth Ave, or something like that... (Dan, I am not trying to make
you wrong on any of this-- maybe they had other studios???)   After the
Hotel Somerset, I believe they moved to their current location on Warren
Street...   

Dan wrote about WORL--   
>9:00 to noon was handled by Stan Richards and noon to
>2:00 PM by Norm Tulin (later known as Norm Stevens at WHN New York--now
>WEVD). 2:00 to signoff or 6:00 PM (whichever was later) was handled at first
>by Dave Maynard, who was already doing Community Auditions on Channel 4 and
>not very long afterward left for WBZ Radio. I don't recall who took over the
>PM drive shift after Maynard left.

Not sure on that either-- But I AM sure about Community Auditions, since I
recently had to write a presentation about Dave Maynard for the Mass.
Association of Broadcasters... The show began on Channel 4 on Aug. 27, 1950
with Gene Jones as host.  Dave Maynard served as Jones' announcer, but
would not become the show's host till 17 years later.  And I don't think he
was announcing for Jones at first-- he graduated from Emerson College in
1951; his first professional job was at then-WHIL in Medford.  He went next
to WORL in 1955, and then he came to WBZ in late 1958-- he replaced Bill
Marlowe, one of the original "Live Five"-- the Live Five were Carl DeSuze,
Alan Dary, Bill Marlowe, Norm Prescott, and John Bassett.

Dan wrote-- 
>I am curious to know when this music-and-news format ended and what replaced
>it. I know that Stan Richards was on WILD (along with Bill Marlowe and Joe
>Smith--from WEZE) after someone named Nelson Noble purchased or leased the
>station from Bartell Media (of Milwaukee and San Diego), which bought the
>station and tried a top-40 format for a short while.

A Variety article in December of 1959 discussed this.  Stan, Bill and Joe,
who had been hired by WILD for what was in those days big bucks just one
year earlier, were told by owner Nelson Noble that their contracts would
not be renewed, since Noble had decided to abandon his short experiment
with rock and return to a "Musical Hall of Fame" format. (Marlowe
immediately got a job at WNAC; I recall Joe Smith when he was on several
other top 40 stations-- WVDA was one, yes?  And do you remember Ed Penney?
I remember him on WTAO... But I digress.   Joe Smith of course went on to
become a major executive at Elektra Records... WEZE had decided to ban rock
well over a year ago, and in late 1959 was playing show tunes and
standards.  WORL was still playing some rock in late 1959, but according to
GM Bill Givens, only in the hours after the kids get home from school.  

Btw, my parents, who hated rock, only listened to WHDH-- Bob Clayton's
Boston Ballroom was their favourite.
 
Dan wrote--
>I don't know whether Carter Broadcasting acquired WORL directly from Pilgrim
>Broadcasting, which was the owner in 1956. There may have been an owner in
>between. I believe, however, that the ownership had changed when the
>call-sign changed to WRYT. I think the mostly religious brokered-time
>programming began when the call-sign changed. I think that WRYT was meant to
>stand for "right", which seems appropriate for a station with a religious
>format. It wasn't _all_ religious, though. I believe that Gus Saunders'
>cooking show began while the calls were WRYT, as did the Irish music on
>weekend afternoons.

What I have on this is--  at the end of May 49, the station was forced off
the air after its renewal had been denied.  It remained dark till it was
relicensed under new ownership (Pilgrim Broadcasters) in February of 1951.
In August of 1966, the calls were changed to WRYT when Ralph Guild (who
owned a big radio rep. firm) bought the station, and yes Gus Saunders was
on it.  Carter didn't buy the station till late 1978, at which time the
calls were changed back to as close to WORL as they could get-- WROL.

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