50th anniversary of talk radio in Boston

[Donna Halper]

At 04:02 PM 4/22/2008, Dan.Strassberg wrote:
>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.

In Boston, yes, September 1957 as far as I know-- 
the Richmond Brothers hadn't even completed 
taking over WMEX from the Poté Brothers till 
August of 1957, if my memory serves me well.  No, 
Jerry wasn't the first talk jock, nor did he 
claim to be back then-- but yes he did put talk 
radio on the map in Boston.  Others tried to do 
it, but he got the big ratings and the media 
attention.  We truly may never know who was the 
first to ever do talk-- many people over the 
years from Jack Eigen to Barry Gray to Joe Pyne 
and many others would say they were the first...