See The Great Picture of BCN’s Charles Laquidara taking A Wicked Piss on the Big Mattress Blog. I will be commenting on all this tomorrow at 10 AM on the new News Dissector radio show on ProgressiveRadioNetwork.com.

WBCN IN BOSTON DIED TODAY BUT IT HAD BEEN IN RIGOR MORTIS FOR YEARS

The dirty deeed made the Boston Globe:

“WBCN 104.1 FM, the long-celebrated Boston radio station credited with leading the progressive rock ‘n roll radio movement from the 1960s to the modern day, will no longer rock the airwaves.

Owner CBS Radio Boston said today that the legendary station is going off the air in a complicated shuffle intended to make room for a new sports/talk format.

As for WBCN, it will “say goodbye to Boston listeners after 41 years on the air with unique programming and stories celebrating the history and heritage of the station,” according to the release.

For decades, WBCN carried a reputation as perhaps the most progressive commercial rock station in the country, featuring such well-known air personalities as Charles Laquidara, with his “The Big Mattress” morning show, Danny Schechter the News Dissector, and J. Geils Band lead singer Peter Wolf, who worked as a DJ there. Musically adventurous and politically active, the station informed popular tastes both regionally and nationally, in its glory days helping to break such artists as Elvis Costello and The Cars.

That’s the news The real story was found in the outrage and anguish in scores of posted comments. Here’s one:

“The outlets for hip info were The Real Paper and WBCN. People who had FM radios in their cars were the height of cool… you were lucky when you got picked up hitching and the guy had BCN on the radio.

Au revoir.”

I LOVED THAT DIRTY WATER, BOSTON WAS MY HOME

WBCN was an important part of my own life and career prompting the discovery of how good media could be when creative people were allowed to make it and how sucky it could become in the era of media concentration. I was there a long time ago when the rock revolution meant something, something real.

It was the place where I first played News Dissector, a nom d’ media guerre that has stayed with me all these years in many different incarnations. Years later when I worked at CNN and ABC, reaching so many more people, many of the people I met remembered and wanted to talk about was how they were touched by WBCN. Even the late Roone Arledge called me the dissector although it sometime came out sounding like infector.

I am still touched by lessons learned and its spirit, still animated by what my years there working along side radio great taught me about the promise of free media (with all its many contradictions in our commercial culture..)

The Boston Phoenix called me for a comment. Here’s what I wrote:

Actually I have been invited by former BCN DJ Sam Kopper to contribute to a new digital Free form 104 BCN HD online substation which is not streaming yet, and, now, who knows now if it will. I have done some commentaries that have been mixed into the music format. Sounding good.

It is cheap programming which also has the distinction of being creative and cool which is probably why it has yet to be fully embraced. Maybe we will be surprised. Not that many HD receivers have been sold yet but it was like that when BCN erupted from the bowels of the old Concert network introducing an FM alternative to the all the hits all the time AM radio kultur. It took awhile but it caught on.

I was actually in the “new” station, wandering in the basement at the old TV channel 38 building a week or two ago. How low the mighty have fallen from the top of the Pru where I used to wander on the “Skywalk” and greet each new day with a panoramic high.

I now feel a bit like a ghost from another planet in the midst of my own personal transition from the 60s to 60.

From the early days of our brutal firings and then successful strike provoked by Hemisphere Broadcasting’s idiotic takeover, and then the CBS merger led by Mel Karmazin (Howard Stern’s patron saint who runs SIRIUS-XM radio today) , BCN has been characterized by he community that of listeners it built. In recent years it was known for macho pandering and testosterone driven programming riddled with sexism and contempt for listeners.

The station’s legacy and importance–the reason it built a national reputation and worldwide respect– was deliberately buried in the need to meet quarterly revenue projections and serve its corporate masters. Their goal was to compete with commercial drek by becoming commercial drek. And they did.

And where did it take them? To the radio graveyard. Shame.

The jockocracy took over long ago with all the grovelling Patriot worship (not the real patriots struggling for a just America, of course, but a football Team of millionaires struggling for Superbowl rings and big payouts.)

As salaries and bonuses at the station went up, quality went down The news was downgraded and just about disappeared, public service was derided. What was allowed to happen, actually made to happen to Boston Radio happened nationally.

Now what went around has come around. It’s karma, one more story of the decline and implosion of mass media in our time.

Did its trajectory make the network stronger or richer? No way. CBS lost BILLIONS and daily dishonors the memory of those that put it on the map, the people we still respect like Edward R Murrow and Walter Cronkite et. al. BCN’s legacy was buried too for feat that too many people remembered what it represented. We stood up against the war, against intolerance in Boston and against Nixon. We were right.

I hope the local management there–and there are some good executives who understand all this but are ‘just following orders’— will follow up and encourage the new HD free form concept. If they do, they will rebuild an audience and regenerate the excitement the station lost with decades of predictable formulas, stupid playlists, endless hypocrisy, and Rock of Boston mush.

The irony: it only costs about $200 a week to offer the new stream. Why not do it?’

ADAM REILLY WRITES IN THE BOSTON PHOENIX:

…IT’S bad news–or at least depressing news–for Boston radio as a whole. In its earlier years, ‘BCN was known, among other things, for unusually varied programming; for championing talented acts that were still in their infancy, but went on to become superstars; and for showcasing major talents like Charles Laquidara and “News Dissector” Danny Schechter. Of course, the cerebral stylings of Laquidera, Schechter et al. have long since yielded to (among other things) Howard Stern, the execrable Opie & Anthony, and Patriots play-by-play.

Hartley Pleshaw who grew up with BCN, as many of us did, writes:

“I must say I greet this news with mixed emotions. If truth be told, the last time I really listened to ‘BCN was when Charles Laquidara still held the fort, which was 1996–13 years ago. Long before that, I had ceased to care much about the music, and without Charles, the last link to the Golden Era, ‘BCN was just another radio station.

As the years passed, I always felt a combination of love and anger toward the station: love for what it once was, and the great role it once played in my life (thanks, of course, in large part to you), and anger for what it became. Of course, it wasn’t really the station that betrayed me (and so many others), it was the corporate greed that bought the legendary call letters, and sold out everything else.

Time won’t permit either one of us to stroll down memory lane just now; there will be plenty of time for that later. But here’s an idea: let’s see if we can put together something–I don’t quite know what, a corporation of some type–and buy the rights to the call letters “WBCN.” Then, let’s try to start a station (Internet? terrestrial?) based on the Golden Age from 1968 to Charles’s last show. (Let’s see if we can get some of the original talent as well!) You know for a fact that there are still millions of us out there who loved the original ‘BCN, and never wanted it to change. Maybe, with new technology, we can actually bring it (or, a reasonable facsimile thereof) back! (Or, perhaps, is this what Sam Kopper is involved in? I know I should contact him directly about this, and I will.)

That’s enough for now; I eagerly await your statement about this event. As for me, I won’t mourn what WBCN is, I mourn what it was. And, now as ever, I hope that, in some way, we will get the glorious spirit of that once great radio station back in our lives.

Yours in The American Revolution (yes, I remember when it was called that). (I will be on the air tomorrow morning on radio in Lowell remembering and ventilating.)

Joe Viglione wites:

Get ready for sports on the FM dial as “The Rock Of Boston”, the legendary WBCN, fizzles and fades. The once proud station was a pioneering, innovative rock radio oasis that became the cornerstone of a corporate behemoth. To see the devastation, the lack of name and/or talented on-air personalities finally sinking the old ship, is truly sad. The joke in town used to be “Name a band that played last year’s WBCN Rock & Roll Rumble?” with a follow-up - “Name any band that played the WBCN Rock & Roll Rumble??” More recently that joke (which, admittedly, this writer originated) got even more twisted…and telling…as someone asked me to “Name any jock currently on WBCN - 104.1 FM?”

The station that once had household names in Boston - Charles, Mark, Ken, Maxanne with friendly voices that played incredible music - the first demo from The Cars - “Just What I Needed”, the station that launched Aerosmith, Jonathan Richman & The Modern Lovers via the underground classic “Roadrunner”, the first station to play Marc Bolan of T Rex live and in-the-studio when he got off the plane to headline over The Doobie Brothers at the Orpheum - that innovative station turned into a cold, calculating monster that didn’t care about the on-air talent, the behind-the-scenes talent or the listeners.

Some history:

According to Wikipedia “The station slowly began to change to an ‘underground’ music format on the night of March 15, 1968. The first song played that evening to usher in the new format and slogan ‘American Revolution’ was “I Feel Free” by the rock group Cream.” Interesting that the day before July 15, 2009, 41 years and 4 months later, the venerable Rock doesn’t fade into the sunset with its head held high…it fizzles and fades away in a fashion that reflects how upper management treated the listeners and the on-air talent and other employees.

Goodbye WBCN, we can’t miss you because what we loved about WBCN we missed a long, long time ago.”

Franz Hartl Writes: “I head the news about WBCN closing, and thought of you. Sucks.”

Stephen Goldstein writes: I watched Emily Rooney’s show (On WGBH Channel 2) tonite and heard the jaw dropping news that BCN is gerstorbin (’dead’ in case you can’t understand my Yiddish transliteration.) Oedipus and Brent Milano were on talking about the demise and the music business, etc. I no longer even knew where the station was located. I think it was on Soldier’s Field Road from the photo on air. I can hardly believe it. BCN will become Mix 98 and that will become a sports station.

You, Charles, Oeddie, Matty were mentioned frequently as the successful personalties over the 41 years. They left out Norm Winer and countless others.

Sad news, but another product of very bad corporate media management and a recession.”

Sherman Whitman, a BCN Newsman of integrity writes: “Whoa. Just fucking WHOA”

Mark Stenzler: “NYTimes just announced the sale (demise) of WQXR… the only NYC-based radio station with a classical format. The NYTimes made the decision based on its need for cash.

NYC without WQXR is almost impossible to imagine.”

Some Other Comments Responding to my post on Twitter (Dissectorevents):

Don Goldberg: “I remember when it changed from the concert network to progressive rock. Norm Winer in a fit of insanity let me audition on air in PM drive. And of coursecthetevwas Danny /- the greatest. It was the voice of our generation.”

Pam writes: Here’s the end of an era… It was just announced on the local news here that WBCN is going off the air next month.

I am glad that I was one of BCN’s volunteers on the Listener Line and have many
fond memories that I will always hold dear.

John Hocheimer writes::

“A sad day in radio history. In its time, WBCN, Boston, was about the hippest rock station in the nation. We DJs, our listeners and, of course, the News Dissector, created a wonderful community of the air.

It’s gotten to the point where they’re no fun anymore… (apologies to Crosby, Stills and Nash).”

Keven Goldman:

“didn’t it stop being the WBCN we knew and loved a long time ago? This is like WNEW-FM going off the air. The station died a long time ago; it just took longer for the call letters to catch up.”

Brian Carr:

“I don’t listen to WBCN that much anymore, but this is still sad news. I guess I’m officially middle aged when the classic rock music I grew up with is not even worth one radio station in a market as big as Boston.”

Russell Levine commenented:

“omfg
unreal !!!
this is an outrage.”

CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT WEBSITE

Bruce Hartford Writes:

I’m writing to you now in my capacity of webspinner for the Civil Rights Movement Veterans website (http://www.crmvet.org). You mentioned in your article that you were active in the Movement. Our website is =created by and for SNCC, CORE, NAACP, and SCLC veterans who were active in the Southern Freedom Movement of the 1960s. The site is devoted to rebuilding our beloved community, telling it like it was, presenting our history in our own words as we lived and experienced it, and continuing the struggle.

ONE OF THE ARTISTS WE LOVED AND PLAYED ON BCN IN THE NEWS

Guardian: West Bank cancels Leonard Cohen concert in protest against Israel

Palestinian hosts call off Canadian singer’s gig amid claims it was a hollow attempt to ‘balance’ Tel Aviv performance

I STILL LOVE MASSACHUSETTS

Boston Globe: The state Division of Banks, which recently found hundreds of Massachusetts mortgage industry employees had criminal records or serious financial problems, said it has no plans to investigate whether loans handled by those workers involved fraud or took advantage of borrowers. with poor credit were not explicitly prohibited from working as loan officers for lenders or mortgage brokers. But a state law that took effect last summer requires anyone who initiates a residential loan to be licensed. In the first year of the new system, the state rejected nearly one-fourth of the 7,747 applicants. Many had bad credit or criminal records, including felony convictions for bank, insurance, or securities fraud

ALL IN THE FAMILY: My Aunt Dana Schechter Intervewed By Blogger C.O. Moed

AlJazeera English Signs Deal In USA: (From The Nation in Abu Dhabi by Jonathan Spollen.)

Al Jazeera English (AJE) signed its first major deal with a US cable television provider this month, paving the way for more deals to expand the network’s reach into North America and deliver its take on news in the Middle East and around the world.

The deal with MHZ, a Washington-based educational broadcaster, will beam AJE to 2.3 million North American viewers.

Since its launch in 2006, AJE has marketed itself as providing an alternative view of developments to that of the mainstream western news media, and telling a side of the story that western outlets are said to have either under-reported or ignored.

But critics accuse the channel, owned by the Qatari government, of being anti-US and anti-western, of primarily focusing on issues in which Arabs are seen as the “victims”, and of failing to criticise Qatar.

Indeed, according to Robert Menard, who recently resigned as head of the Doha Centre for Media Freedom, citing official restrictions on, and interference in, the centre’s operations, the channel faces a number of red lines, among them, “never criticise Qatar, don’t talk about the army, don’t talk about internal issues”.

“They [AJE] always have to show the bright side of Qatar and never bring up controversial issues about the country,” Mr Menard said.

However, Tony Burman, AJE’s managing director, said much of the criticism of AJE’s Qatar coverage was unjustified. He said the channel had run a number of reports on the conditions of foreign workers in Qatar in recent months.

“Qatar does not get a free ride on AJE,” Mr Burman said in an e-mail. “But it should be pointed out that Qatar itself is very small, and doesn’t justify excessive coverage on an international news channel.”

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: From Harper’s Org

Wookey Hole in Somerset, England, was looking to hire a full-time witch to live in its caves. A teenager in New York City fell down a manhole while writing a text message, and a man in Camden, New Jersey, died when he fell into a vat of chocolate. A London taxi driver tied one end of a rope around a postand the other around his neck and drove into a pillar, launching his head from the car. An eight-foot fiberglass Statue of Liberty stolen from a coffee shop in Brooklyn appeared in a YouTube video, where it was beheaded whilethe words “Death to America” were shown.

PANEL ON PRESS CREDENTIALS IN NY CITY

A public discussion for members of the media on City-issued press credentials is being
held on Tuesday July 21, 2009. In conjunction with the possible settlement of a lawsuit, the City is considering amending its press credential rules.

This discussion is being held to solicit input on possible proposals for amendments to the rules. Members of the media will have the opportunity to voice their concerns and suggestions. bThe discussion will be led by Attorneys Norman Siegel and Gabriel Taussig of the New York City Law Department.

57 Worth Street Room A900, Tuesday July 21, 2009 Noon to 2:00

Check out Rory O’Connor’s blog on this issue

Nothing lasts forever. Not WBCN or many of the TV programs I worked on. All is flux. This blog is at risk too because we rely on donations that are not coming in. If you want us to stick around, help us do that. CBS for damm sure won’t.

WBCN IS DEAD: LONG LIVE WBCN.

Your Comments welcome.

dissector@mediachannel.org