WCOZ/WCAS DJ and "FM underground" pioneer Larry Miller returns tothe air!

[Steve West]

I'm totally blown away at the depth of your knowledge of FM Progressive Rock 
radio.  You could teach us all a lot!

I think once I'm fully moved in up in Mass next month, we programmer types 
need to get together (Steve's thinking:  Wonder if Eli would like to do some 
history for airchexx.com?....)

>In 1966, legendary New York DJ's such as Scott Muni and Murray
>The K briefly experimented with a "deeper" approach to rock
>music programming on pioneering NYC FM rock station WOR-FM
>before WNEW-FM and WABC-FM/WPLJ became established as NYC's
>progressive album rockers, and in Boston, Dick Summer on WBZ
>evenings explored a "mellower" adult style of rock programming
>which was a precursor to what eventually became "soft rock".
>

I hate to move in a slightly different direction, but I don't remember WBZ 
when they did anything but talk.  Do remember when the news block ended at 
6pm, then 8pm.... seemed like whenever Don Batting decided to end it that 
season... anyway, what did Dick Summer do on WBZ and when did he do it?  I 
know in the mid-70s Summer was on WNBC New York, then on it's sister WYNY, 
but I'm kinda unfamiliar with his schtick on WBZ.

>
>When WCOZ switched to a brief flash-in-the-pan hard rock format
>in 1979 (it's now urban "Jammin' 94.5" WJMN), Larry moved to the
>wonderful but short lived folk/folk-rock station WCAS 740 AM in
>Cambridge. (WCAS went under in 1982 and became gospel station
>WLVG, and is now WJIB, a great independently owned station in
>it's own right).

I was just getting into FM 'progressive' stuff in the late 70s after hangin 
with AM top 40s like WLS and KB for years when I discovered the hard rock 
version of WCOZ.  I *thought* that that was the way FM rock stations were 
supposed to be.  It wasn't until I heard some WPLJ airchecks, that I 
realized AOR was such a  most diverse and rich format.    That said, has 
anyone heard some of the 'new' AOR stations out there?  Down here in 
Memphis, 98.1 WXMX 'The Maxx' is as close as I have heard in years to an old 
AOR format, where they play album cuts from past and present along with Rock 
hits.  It's not really taking off, but it's interesting.  AOR was dead as a 
proverbial doornail for 15 years, but it's possible radio has become so 
stale that now is a good time to revive a great format.