Watching this promo set did nothing but remind of how sucky and formulaic radio has become. Even Oldies 103.3 isn't any fun to listen to anymore, well, except for Barry Scott, but I still can't stand it from mid-October to New Year's when they do 24-hr. Christmas crap. Gag me, please!
Just looked at an inventory of audio cassettes and I have a fair number of Bob Kennedy "Contact" shows back to 1964, all on "flying saucer" interviews he did with various personalities in that subject.
I've checked my book on these old tapes, and my listings show generally: WBZ - Bob Kennedy Contact -Mention of Hippies -Mention of Bloodlines/Heredity -Commercials -Streeter Stuart WBZ News -Politics '68 -Caller- Pueblo Incident -Commercials; Gene McCarthy for Pres. -GM -- Might consider this as a new vid.; might not..
I completely neglected the TV version of "Contact." I recall Kennedy as being short! I also recall a late 60s Jerry WIlliams morning TV show on WBZ where he had actor Khigh Dheigh (later Wo Fat on Hawaii 5-0) sit on the show almost a whole week without saying a word while Williams interviewed others, causing a lot of comment around Boston. On the fifth day he interviewed Dheigh, showing how one could make a celebrity out of someone by just having them appear on TV without saying anything.
The "best of all it's free" line is one that many radio stations are using now that terrestrial radio is in competition with iPods, Internet radio etc. Interesting how some ad concepts seem to be timeless.
And also, gotta love the finger snap or whatever that is in the jingles... sort of reminds me of Peggy Lee's "Fever."
"The Other" Bob Kennedy? Was that a reference to the then-Attorney General of the United States? (I was born in 1980 and have only known WBZ as an all-news station, plus I live in Michigan where it booms in at night.)
I don't think there was another Bob Kennedy other than the Attorney-General. I was a fan of Kennedy's show in the 60s and remember people wondering if he was a relative of THE Kennedy's. These tapes are really great! Thanks for them.
@Superbook4Eva Take it from an "old lady" who was a teen in '64 -- it was most definitely referrring to then Atty. Gen'l Robert Kennedy, who was still alive and well in 1964 (tragically assassinated four years later...)
Could pull in WBZ at night in the Rochester, NY area. I'll never forget Bruce's "World Domination Through Chicken Power" and also when he'd occasionally play Screamin' Jay Hawkins doing "I Put a Spell On You." Anyone know if he's still around?
@RolloSmokes According to my research, the other jingles weren't from PAMS. These gems were actually part of the "Bright Exciting Sound" package, produced in Dallas at Commercial Recording Corporation (CRC).
I think the last spot may have been from 1962 or early 1963 because the "WBZ" letters in that spot weren't in the "Group W Font", and Bob Kennedy's show was called "Program PM". I think the name of "Program PM" got changed to "Contact" when it was moved to a 6:30-8 P.M. slot (from 9:30-11:30 P.M.) in the Fall of 1963.
I would think that these spots were mainly broadcast on WBZ-TV, Channel 4. As a sister station, WBZ Radio probably didn't have to pay one cent to WBZ-TV broadcast these commercials.
This is the fourth time I've tried to add on to my comments, so let's hope this works.
The jingle in the first spot is indeed from PAMS, Series 28. There's a sample page from their website which features cuts from this package made for WABC, and match can be found on number 15.
As for the rest, they could be from PAMS, but someone out there with better knowledge may be able to answer that one.
I remember reading in old New York Times indices that it was around 1966 that stations began referring to AM frequencies as kHz (and FM and TV frequencies as MHz).
But this Group W typesetting (which later formed the basis for the Anklepants font) first came to the fore around 1963.
Interesting. My dad has a reel-to-reel tape of a few WBZ idents and bumper music shorts from around 1981 or so, I'll upload them.
HarvestmanMan 1 month ago
Unless there's been some deterioration in the film stock, it appears the first commercial was in color with lots of red and white.
altfactor 5 months ago
Streete Glick!...I'll BZing yoU!....
.........sure miss Larry Glick..listened to him for years, here in PhillY!
russphilly 2 years ago
Watching this promo set did nothing but remind of how sucky and formulaic radio has become. Even Oldies 103.3 isn't any fun to listen to anymore, well, except for Barry Scott, but I still can't stand it from mid-October to New Year's when they do 24-hr. Christmas crap. Gag me, please!
charlie8575 2 years ago
Dick Summer was a neighbor in Framingham except we never saw him cuz he was sleeping all day and doing all night radio on WBZ.
sdfeinstein 2 years ago
Just looked at an inventory of audio cassettes and I have a fair number of Bob Kennedy "Contact" shows back to 1964, all on "flying saucer" interviews he did with various personalities in that subject.
caseyg5 2 years ago
MSTS1 2 years ago
I completely neglected the TV version of "Contact." I recall Kennedy as being short! I also recall a late 60s Jerry WIlliams morning TV show on WBZ where he had actor Khigh Dheigh (later Wo Fat on Hawaii 5-0) sit on the show almost a whole week without saying a word while Williams interviewed others, causing a lot of comment around Boston. On the fifth day he interviewed Dheigh, showing how one could make a celebrity out of someone by just having them appear on TV without saying anything.
caseyg5 2 years ago
Other notes:
The "best of all it's free" line is one that many radio stations are using now that terrestrial radio is in competition with iPods, Internet radio etc. Interesting how some ad concepts seem to be timeless.
And also, gotta love the finger snap or whatever that is in the jingles... sort of reminds me of Peggy Lee's "Fever."
Superbook4Eva 2 years ago
The finger snap was "60s hip," kind of a left over of the 50s beatnik era. Pot smoking took over finger snapping!
caseyg5 2 years ago
"The Other" Bob Kennedy? Was that a reference to the then-Attorney General of the United States? (I was born in 1980 and have only known WBZ as an all-news station, plus I live in Michigan where it booms in at night.)
Superbook4Eva 2 years ago
I always figured that there was another Bob Kennedy on the air at the time, and that was the reference, but don't know that as a fact..
Still, that's a good question, 'Superbook4Eva'..
MSTS1 2 years ago
I don't think there was another Bob Kennedy other than the Attorney-General. I was a fan of Kennedy's show in the 60s and remember people wondering if he was a relative of THE Kennedy's. These tapes are really great! Thanks for them.
caseyg5 2 years ago
@Superbook4Eva Take it from an "old lady" who was a teen in '64 -- it was most definitely referrring to then Atty. Gen'l Robert Kennedy, who was still alive and well in 1964 (tragically assassinated four years later...)
wamy49 6 months ago
Bruce Bradley is my favorite DJ of all time.
I used to listen to him religiously in '65 and
'66, as did my best friends at the time.
Could pull in WBZ at night in the Rochester, NY area. I'll never forget Bruce's "World Domination Through Chicken Power" and also when he'd occasionally play Screamin' Jay Hawkins doing "I Put a Spell On You." Anyone know if he's still around?
finylvinyl66 3 years ago
dave may-nard? that's kinda weird the way he says it.
shoofirbin 3 years ago
I realized that problems happen when you type a URL in the message box. For some strange reason, YouTube won't allow this.
RolloSmokes 3 years ago
@RolloSmokes According to my research, the other jingles weren't from PAMS. These gems were actually part of the "Bright Exciting Sound" package, produced in Dallas at Commercial Recording Corporation (CRC).
kresblain 9 months ago 2
I think the last spot may have been from 1962 or early 1963 because the "WBZ" letters in that spot weren't in the "Group W Font", and Bob Kennedy's show was called "Program PM". I think the name of "Program PM" got changed to "Contact" when it was moved to a 6:30-8 P.M. slot (from 9:30-11:30 P.M.) in the Fall of 1963.
altfactor 3 years ago
I would think that these spots were mainly broadcast on WBZ-TV, Channel 4. As a sister station, WBZ Radio probably didn't have to pay one cent to WBZ-TV broadcast these commercials.
altfactor 3 years ago
The jingle in the first spot sounds very PAMS of Dallas-ish.
RolloSmokes 3 years ago
Yes, it does very much, and could be..
MSTS1 3 years ago
This is the fourth time I've tried to add on to my comments, so let's hope this works.
The jingle in the first spot is indeed from PAMS, Series 28. There's a sample page from their website which features cuts from this package made for WABC, and match can be found on number 15.
As for the rest, they could be from PAMS, but someone out there with better knowledge may be able to answer that one.
RolloSmokes 3 years ago
When did the FCC start to require that stations specify AM frequencies as KHz?
hkfreak 3 years ago
I remember reading in old New York Times indices that it was around 1966 that stations began referring to AM frequencies as kHz (and FM and TV frequencies as MHz).
But this Group W typesetting (which later formed the basis for the Anklepants font) first came to the fore around 1963.
wmbrown6 3 years ago