BIG news… LITERALLY. I’m getting back on the radio. I can’t quite believe it, because I honestly thought I was done with it, mostly because there seemed to be no good fit for me here in Boston, but out of the blue, an offer to do news for WBZ came through, and when one of the biggest terrestrial signals in existence comes a’callin’, who am I to say no?
I’ll be doing news for ‘BZ, starting around the last week of May or so, Tuesday through Friday nights from 8pm to Midnight, and Saturdays, either Noon-6 or 6-Midnight (sometimes one or the other). WBZ, at night, if you don’t know, reaches 38 states, two Canadian provinces and the Bahamas… This happens because back in the early 20th century when commercial radio was born, no-one foresaw how it would proliferate, so when the FCC was handing out slices of the audio band, it gave away AM1030 to WBZ with exclusivity, meaning that no-one else could broadcast on AM1030, thus making it “clear channel” thus, at night, when AM radio waves travel best and furthest, those 50,000 watts go booming across this great nation of ours stopping just beyond the Ohio valley!
Strangely, this position will allow me to grow morse code jewelry with some certainty, now, as the radio money can now be a reliable source of revenue for it, so I can hire some more help! AAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! I’ve been busier than a one armed paper hanger! And as my friend and customer Norm says, “morse code jewelry can be grown organically” as opposed to going out and borrowing capital, so whenever we can avoid owing anybody any money, that’s a good thing, huh!?
The irony in all of this is that my very first job in radio, straight out of college, was for ‘BZ! I used to answer phone and push buttons in Master Control for the likes of Dave Maynard, Norm Nathan, and David Brudnoy, may the last two gentle giants of the medium rest in peace, bless them.
So be listening! If you are anywhere east of the Rockies, try tuning in AM 1030 once it’s dark, and if it doesn’t work in your house, try your car radio, and maybe you’ll be able to hear me in Boston!
