50th anniversary of talk radio in Boston

[Alan Tolz]

Dan, you are correct... we are taking liberties with the anniversay date as 
Jerry started two-way telephone talk on WMEX in the fall of 1957, but we 
were not ready with his biography until now.  Here are more specifics on the 
event... An event marking the 50th anniversary of talk radio in New England 
and the release of the new book about the legendary talk show Jerry Williams 
will be held in Boston at 8 p.m. on Tuesday, April 29, sponsored by Barnes 
and Noble and Boston University.  Howie Carr, WRKO radio talk show host, 
will be a guest speaker at the event,  along with the co-authors of the new 
book about Jerry Williams, which is entitled "Burning up the Air: Jerry 
Williams, Talk Radio and the Life In Between."  The authors will talk about 
the flamboyant Williams as well as his influence on talk radio, including 
his introduction of talk radio to New England.  Copies of the book will be 
on sale, and Elman and Tolz will be available to sign copies.  The event is 
free and open to the public, but tickets must be obtained in advance. 
Tickets may be obtained by contacting the Barnes and Noble in Kenmore Square 
at 617-267-8484. The book's co-authors, both former producers of talk shows 
hosted by Jerry Williams, are Steve Elman of Boston, former Assistant 
General Manager of WBUR-FM and a former jazz and classical DJ at the 
station, and Alan Tolz of Bedford, New Hampshire, Chief Operating Officer of 
Marlin Broadcasting. The location of the event is the Dance Theater at the 
new Agganis Arena at Boston University, 915 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston.

Alan Tolz
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Dan.Strassberg" <dan.strassberg@att.net>
To: "Boston Radio Interest" <boston-radio-interest@rolinin.bostonradio.org>
Sent: Tuesday, April 22, 2008 4:02 PM
Subject: 50th anniversary of talk radio in Boston


> There is a celebration at Barnes and Noble in Kenmore Sq on 4/29. But
> the question is whether it is being held in the wrong year. I think
> Jerry Williams started on WMEX in 1957--not 1958. Can anyone either
> confirm this or definitively shoot me down? Also, of course, what is
> being celebrated is NOT the beginning of talk radio in Boston but the
> beginning of two-way telephone talk radio in Boston. Years before
> Jerry arrived in town, Sherm Feller was doing talk radio in
> Boston--although the listeners could not hear the caller's side of the
> conversation; Sherm had to repeat what the caller had said. Others
> were doing similar programs elsewhere--Jerry Gray and Jack Eigen in
> New York--to name only a couple. And if you include talk shows in
> which the person conversing with the program host was in the studio
> rather than on the phone, I imagine you have to go all the way back to
> the twentires.
>
> Oh, well, if I'm right that Jerry started on WMEX in '57, this won't
> be the first or the last radio-related anniversary celebration to take
> place in the wrong year.
>
> -----
> Dan Strassberg (dan.strassberg@att.net)
> eFax 1-707-215-6367
>
>