WBOS / Arnie Ginsburg / 1957 (Was Re: 1957)

[mwaters@mail.wesleyan.edu (Martin J. Waters)]

>On 18 Jun 99,  Joseph Gallant wrote:
>> Besides all the other "changes" in local broadcasting that year, wasn't
>> 1957.....
>> (1)...the year WBOS-AM began "Music Theatre" in AM and PM drive (and, if
>> the FM was already on the air, on an around-the-clock basis)?

>And Joe Ross wrote:
>Probably.  But the FM didn't come on until about 1960, at which time Music
>Theatre went on all day on AM, left for ethnic programs from 6 or 7 until
>10, and then returned at 10 until around 1 AM sign off.  The FM continued
>Music Theatre during the times the AM broke away for the ethnic
>programming.
<snip>

        Is 1957 also the year that the Richmonds flipped WMEX to top 40 and
hired Arnie Ginsburg from WBOS? If not 1957, then '56 or '58? That
certainly was a milestone in Boston radio. This thread has reminded me that
I did not see anyone post about the interview a few weeks ago of Arnie
Ginsburg by the late-evening host on WRKO (sorry--bad on names). They were
on together 11-midnight. It may have been a Saturday night. Arnie was on
the phone.

        It was very interesting because the host was both a big fan who
remembered the radio old days and also a good interviewer who gradually
drew out Arnie about how he got started in radio, etc. I think Arnie's
story has been told many times, but it was interesting to hear. He joked
about being on WBOS from 9 or 10 p.m. until midnight or 1 a.m., coming on
after foreign language programming. He also gave a lot of credit for his
quick popularity on WBOS to the fact that he played more of Elvis Presley
very early in Presley's career compared to other stations in Boston. He
also got talking later about the other air talent at WMEX and how they had
about six different Dan Donovans, etc. They also did not get bleeped off
when they talked about the start of WRKO in 1967 as top 40 and the strike
and the Richmonds' lawsuit that kept Arnie off the air. He said that moved
him into radio sales and management and turned out very happily for him in
the end. The callers were almost all Ginsburg fans thanking him for being
Arnie, etc. The son of the guy who owned Adventure Car Hop called in.

        A funny part of the show was that Arnie was playing some of his old
jingles and airchecks over the phone from his home. WRKO had some of this
stuff at the studio, too, but mostly seemed unable to get it to play on the
air on cue, or put on the wrong cut. Arnie, however, was running a pretty
good board from his living room. Undoubtedly using better equipment than
WMEX ever had!

        Also, the host admonished Arnie near the start not to say the call
letters W-M-E-X again, or WRKO would fire him because it's not allowed to
say any other call letters. He didn't sound like he was joking. So, they
were to refer to Arnie's old station only as "Wimmex." Arnie slipped once
or twice later, although I believe he referred to WBOS only as "1600." So,
in case you were wondering how moronic radio management can get in 1999,
there's your answer. Actually, I can't decide if it's more stupid or more
pathetic. Shall we take a vote? Let's interview a famous DJ but he can't
say the call letters of a station that no longer exists. I guess WRKO is so
nervous they think they might lose their audience to a station that doesn't
exist. Come to think of it, there is that problem in radio these days . . .

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