The Mount Rushmore of Boston Radio
Doug Drown
ashboy1951@gmail.com
Mon Mar 30 17:03:45 EDT 2020
A coronavirus diversion with which to have a little reflective fun:
One of the regular respondents to the New York Radio Message Board
challenged his fellow respondents this past weekend to each come up with
four nominees for a Mount Rushmore of New York Radio Personalities. He
laid down two requirements: the nominees have to have been part of New
York radio between 1960 and the present; each of the four has to represent
a specific genre (DJ, newscaster, sportscaster, meteorologist, talk host,
et al.), with no overlapping --- one can't be nominated to represent two
categories.
His main criterion is that persons nominated be *influential --- *not
necessarily in terms of popularity or longevity of service (though those
can be factors), but overall excellence such that they were, or are,
"cutting edge" --- ground breakers whose presence on the air in some way
significantly influenced the broadcasting industry and/or the wider culture
of the city or region: people whose singular gifts will long be remembered.
Let's give this a try with Boston radio personalities. Participants
may name a nominee and a runner-up in each category.
I haven't lived in eastern Massachusetts in many years, but here's
my list:
DJ: Arnie Ginsburg, Jess Cain
News: Gary LaPierre
Sports: Bob Lobel, Gil Santos
Weather: Don Kent
Talk: Jerry Williams, David Brudnoy
Your turn.
Doug Drown
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