Fw: Symphony Sid and Nat Hentoff

["Russ Butler" <oldradio@earthlink.net>]

This from Bill Buchanan, actively retired, veteran Boston columnist for
radio-tv and, sometime radio broadcaster, whose memory never fails on
details when it comes to remembering "back when" - because he was there,
"back when"   Mr. Buchanan replys thusly:
=========================================
"Russ:
Will you forward this to the man who posed the questions. Thanks.Yes, Nat
Hentoff, a 4.0 student dduring his years at Northeastern  Univ.,  was emcee
of a long-running jazz show (about 11 p.m., as I recall)  from George Wein's
Storyville. His engineer was Arnie Ginsburg.I can't exactly pinpoint the
years...late 40s, early 50s maybe..but soon after Storyville got underway at
the old Buckminster Hotel in Kenmore Sq.

Yes, Sid was on days at WBMS from the Shelton Hotel in the Back Bay and
nights from the Hi-Hat at Mass. and Columbus Aves., South End.Sometimes on
the late night broadcasts, after he'd had a couple of drinks, Sid would say
"You're tuned to either WBMS or WCOP."

At WCOP they had a strange setup for a while...they'd be on the air for 30
min. or so, then off the air and then back on. Sid would often forget if
they were on the air, or just talking to the folks at the Hi Hat, and as a
result he'd sometime say things that were OK for the club...but not the best
to go out on the air.

Later, into the he 1950s, John McLellan was the host from
 Storyville, but over WHDH. In 1951 there was a Friday 11:10-11:30 live show
on WHDH from the Music Box in the Copley Sq. Hotel. And Bill Buchanan was
often heard making some announcements. Al Burns was the staff announcer on
the air from the Music Box.  WHDH paid me nothing, but the owner of the
hotel gave me $10  after the broadcast!

It was a fun time to listen to the radio...so much more so then  than today
with all these whacko commentators from the left and the  right...and just
plain filth on so many "talk" stations.It's another time in America and
radio and TV are making the adage  "No one ever went broke underestimnating
the intelligence of the American
 people" a truism!
>
 Best....Bill Buchanan"