Adios, WBCN

It's official: Here's the CBS press release ending the 41-year run of WBCN

Can Ogletree rescue the Banner?

91 Comments

• Paul said:

  Happy that Toucher and Rich will be staying....but I know a lot of people who are going to be upset when they don't get their Pearl Jam fix every day

  July 14, 2009 10:24 AM

• not surprised said:

  and also not saddened.

  terrestrial rock radio is dead.

  July 14, 2009 10:26 AM

• Heidi said:

  Corey Feldman Is Hurting!

  July 14, 2009 10:31 AM

• Jim MacLeod said:

  It's disappointing that we'll lose a big rock station, but I'm happy to still have T&R.  Also, Tanguay and Felger will be a welcome alternative to those blowhards over at WEEI.

  July 14, 2009 10:33 AM

• mgrocki said:

  Delioriously excited for fnx. Better ad revenue, better pay for their faithful and deserving djs (don't lose them!) And just an overdue overhaul for a station that has been on the decline for a decade.

  July 14, 2009 10:34 AM

• Bill said:

  I have stopped listening to WBCN once O&A left this last time.  The music is the same stuff I have been hearing for years, and I was bored with it.  I now have XM to listen to Opie and Anthony, and I enjoy being able to listen to many different types of music.

  July 14, 2009 10:34 AM

• kyle said:

  where to T&R go now? one of the last great morning shows on regular radio...even though i have XM i would still listen to those guys in the morning

  July 14, 2009 10:38 AM

• Ed said:

  I prefer FNX anyway but this is a bad move.  I used to live in CT and watched Clear Channel change a rock station over to corporate hip-hop and it failed.

  Boston doesn't need more sports talk stations.

  July 14, 2009 10:40 AM

• Len said:

  While I stopped listening to it with any regularity long ago, WBCN was THEE radio station we listened to growing up. Kind of like SNL and the Voice, it had long been forgotten as the standard-bearer. Now it stands to be forgotten entirely. Very sad.

  July 14, 2009 10:42 AM

• William Saffire said:

  'BCN was removed as a preset long ago.   Wish that never had to be the case, but there was nothing compelling about this station once they went the Howard Stern route.     Makes me sad to see them go, but in my usual radio dial scans - I won't notice them missing.

  July 14, 2009 10:43 AM

• John A Keith said:

  Remember that time when WBCN's DJ played Stevie Wonder and then Blind Faith, in a row?

  July 14, 2009 10:52 AM

• frrrruuuunnnkkkkkissss said:

  wendy williams is a monster

  July 14, 2009 10:56 AM

• Val Capone said:

  could have been worse -- BCN could have been replaced with country or Christian music...:)

  July 14, 2009 10:58 AM

• Chuck Stevenson said:

  I stopped listening after O&A left - now I have XM radio.  Only way to listen to radio.

  July 14, 2009 11:01 AM

• BH said:

  I can barely get BCN now, I was sort of a MIX fan.  Now I'll lose that.  Sucks.  

  July 14, 2009 11:04 AM

• Jimmy said:

  Raaamon the only thing that smells funny is this piece of crap author's pink sox...

  July 14, 2009 11:06 AM

• Sandboxer said:

  WFNX will accommodate you. They love the listeners! Still sad though.

  July 14, 2009 11:07 AM

• b said:

  Awful news, but great news that T&R stay...  hopefully they won't have to change their show at all.......

  July 14, 2009 11:10 AM

• Jim said:

  The upside of this is that Toucher and Rich won't have to play all of that crappy music during their show.

  July 14, 2009 11:13 AM

• Brady said:

  O well bcn has sucked for the last couple yrs. But T&R are the sole reason I listen to the radio. Thank Jebus they are staying employed. Those guys Rule!

  July 14, 2009 11:16 AM

• will said:

  Frankly, I don't get it.  Entercom OWNS sports radio outright in Boston and have the Red Sox rights locked up until 2016. And why disrupt TWO stations when CBS can just flip WBCN to sports at 104.1 and be done with it?  Still, WBCN as a rock station that mattered is long gone.

  July 14, 2009 11:17 AM

• who cares? said:

  What is radio?

  July 14, 2009 11:20 AM

• Shay said:

  This sux wbcn was the station i listened to most. waaf is too political wfnx plays too much weird alternative, and the top 40 stations repeat too much. cbs is going to kick themselves later, because we NEED more sports talk. thankflly T&R will still be around

  July 14, 2009 11:25 AM

• yup said:

  toucher and rich are the only reason why i listen to the radio anymore i hope the show remains and doesn't change too much.

  as for their music everyone knew it always sucked i don't know why bcn didn't try to work on this years ago.

  July 14, 2009 11:25 AM

• Denis Leining said:

  Honestly, I think T&R will fit right in at a sports station.  A good portion of their show is already spent discussing sports.

  As for a new sports station, I welcome it.  I'm burned out on WEEI, except for Planet Mikey.  Tanguay and Felger have done a great job when they fill in for D&C, actually making the show a SPORTS show and not a conservative political show (because conservative talk is so original on AM stations.)

  Alas, BCN isn't anything close to what they used to be.  They were my step-fathers fav station when he lived here 25 years ago.  This is the slow death of terrestrial radio.

  July 14, 2009 11:25 AM

• Neal Roberts said:

  It has been leaked internally that FNX will be swapping to a Hot Country format next month (many staffers have allegedly been told to start sending tapes and resumes). This all means big changes for the middle of the dial.

  July 14, 2009 11:29 AM

• Diamond Dave said:

  Heidi gets it!!!  Sorry folks, sat. radio is the only way to go now.  BTW, Blanket is afraid of the light!!

  July 14, 2009 11:30 AM

• Hazel Mae said:

  WEEI needs competition.  This is a great move!

  July 14, 2009 11:32 AM

• Diamond Dave said:

  Heidi gets it!!!  Sorry folks, sat. radio is the only way to go now.  BTW, Blanket is afraid of the light!!

  July 14, 2009 11:33 AM

• Sushie said:

  Remember the Big Mattress with Charles and Tank? Those were good radio days...

  July 14, 2009 11:34 AM

• Doubting Thomas said:

  What proof is there to back this up? WFNX, a direct competitor of WBCN, "reports" this and everyone buys it? Has CBS confirmed?

  Can we cite some sources?

  July 14, 2009 11:34 AM

• Jojo Weiss said:

  WBCN's music playlist is terrible.  As long as T&R stay on in Boston, I'm happy.  

  July 14, 2009 11:40 AM

• Beantown said:

  I'd be surprised if it's really Felger and Tanguay, since they do an evening show each night on Comcast. Not sure they could still do that right after the radio show, even if the show was broadcast from the Comcast studio, which is what Felger was doing for a little bit at the end of his ESPN Radio show.

  July 14, 2009 11:43 AM

• Good All Around said:

  Can't think of anything better than an FM sports radio station that owns the rights to braodcast the patriots and will still have a T&R morning program. Finally!

  July 14, 2009 11:46 AM

• Dusty said:

  Thats pretty crappy news

  July 14, 2009 11:56 AM

• Tom said:

  This is awesome. Adam 12 is getting fired, and so is that Robby Roadsteamer creature. Good riddance.

  July 14, 2009 12:05 PM

• robchalfen said:

  Sat radio is great for gratifying your niche needs but does nothing to foster community; BCN used to be a great community station. Low Power FM is the future of land radio.

  support Local Community Radio Act : http://freepress.net/lpfm/

  July 14, 2009 12:08 PM

• nadia said:

  sports radio sucks. TnR better not blab on and on about sports. at least we wont have to hear any more foo fighters.

  July 14, 2009 12:10 PM

• mart said:

  this is awful. toucher and rich doing a sports talk AM show. that will be pathetic. toucher and rich should go and try another station. move over gregg faggot hill and put t and r on waaf

  July 14, 2009 12:18 PM

• Jim said:

  I stopped listening when O&A were let go. Felger is a huge DB. Looks like I still won't be listening.

  July 14, 2009 12:23 PM

• Aredubya said:

  Tepid as their formatting has been in recent years, 'BCN is rock radio, and if they're gone, then rock radio is dead. Bring on the craptacular country, pop and R&B junk. Up here in NH, I'll stay tuned to Rock 101, HEB 100.3, FNX and AAF.

  July 14, 2009 12:27 PM

• Frankfurter said:

  Better pay for the FNX DJ's? I have a bridge you may be interested in...

  July 14, 2009 12:42 PM

• Amy S. said:

  No wonder why I didn't understand Santoro's tweet this a.m.! I don't like WBCN's music. I'm an alternachick and prefer WFNX but surprise!, I love Toucher and Rich's morning show and will miss them and may have to listen to their sports show. I like sarcasm and wit in the morning instead of the young goofballs on FNX and I am a former FNX intern.

  July 14, 2009 12:42 PM

• greg said:

  Blanket fears the light

  F*** terrestrial radio is dead, it killed itself.

  frrrruuuunnnkkkkkissss

  July 14, 2009 12:42 PM

• andrea said:

  hasn't been the same since the big mattress.

  July 14, 2009 12:46 PM

• Not Oedipus said said:

  Good riddance

  July 14, 2009 12:55 PM

• oldschool said:

  I grew up listening to 'bcn (70's and 80's). When I was in the service I taped 'bsn shows on leave to take back with me. Unfortunately when the station was purchased in the early 90's I tuned in less. The format changed and the people changed. First I moved over to 'fnx and 'zlx. Then to sirius. Sad but true.

  July 14, 2009 12:56 PM

• corey said:

  way to go programmers!!  i'm sure this has nothing to do with playing green day twice an hour for the past 20 years...oedipus got too old, lost his vision...know when to say when!  

  July 14, 2009 1:00 PM

• lovie said:

  See Ya!  I only listened to BCN for Howard.  Once he was gone I switched to internet & satellite for my music fix.  FM radio is becoming the new AM radio, Sat & Internet radio is the new FM radio.  

  July 14, 2009 1:10 PM

• Poz said:

  I remember the promo that U2 did for BCN on their unpluged album. I think the quote was, "Without BCn we'd all be Fucked!"

  July 14, 2009 1:24 PM

• me said:

  WAAF WINNAH WINNAH WINNAH

  July 14, 2009 1:25 PM

• Rob said:

    Not surprised.  They play the same songs every day.  Adios STP-Sublime.

  July 14, 2009 1:53 PM

• peterchoyce said:

  I worked there when being a DJ meant knowing what to play.  Then a format, still with lots of flexibility, then CONSULTANTS, (who, btw now work at satellite,) more rules, then the computer lists.  It took a while but by the 90's you weren't able to cheat and play a non corporate song, even in the overnight because your show was all built into the software.  From the great 3 station CONCERT network in 1968, to Hemisphere, then being bought by the NY based $$INFINTY, onto CBS/Viacom - Rock music starts to smell real bad under the tyranny of conglomerates.  

  Rock stars and anyone who was anyone always stopped by BCN while in Boston. When the BIG MATTRESS went to satelitte with HOWARD it was very sad- studios that were lively with people were now dark.  WBCN was a beacon of light and connection for a lot of people for many good years.  Boston is a colder place without BCN.

  Good to drop the pretense and put it out of its misery, alas...

  July 14, 2009 1:57 PM

• Jack said:

  Heard anything that your own radio sister, WFNX, will go Spanish this Friday at 12 noon?

  That's the rumor. FNX becoming "Superestereo 101-7" with a contemporary Latin pop format to appeal to young Latinos under the age of 35 as Boston's first Spanish language FM station.

  July 14, 2009 2:17 PM

• Rob said:

  I gave up on 'BCN long, long ago. When they gave Laquidara the gate to make room for Stern, they lost most of my good will, and the wretched Opie & Anthony took the rest.  There was a time when BCN and its on-air personalities not only knew where they were going, but where they'd come from (do YOU know who Carl de Suze was? Laquidara did.)  No longer.  At least we can remember the days when the Big Mattress part of making radio history, rather than being consigned to it...

  July 14, 2009 2:31 PM

• Mel Phillips said:

  In the fall of 1966 I programmed WRKO-FM.  "Arko" was so successful that WNAC changed its call letters to WRKO.  WRKO-FM remained as a companion station with the same format.  WRKO-FM was the first Boston rocker on FM.  In March of 1968, WBCN was launched, in great part because of our success.  WBCN's demise is not only a shocker but a sad day for all Boston radio listeners...

  Mel Phillips (former Program Director/WRKO AM & FM)

  July 14, 2009 3:31 PM

• Nick said:

  Dammit CBS, this was the last bit of good entertainment. go to hell

  July 14, 2009 4:43 PM

• Ken said:

  This is sad news. I'm old enough to remember when BCN first became the rock of Boston in 68 and I had been listening to RKO AM before that, BCN was truly legendary. Corporate BS has killed radio in general with strictly enforced playlists and way to much screaming advertisement turning FM radio into the trash that they made AM radio into many years ago. As far as BCN is concerned the powers that be sold out long ago. what had made BCN legendary has been missing for most of a generation. Too Bad!!! BCN RIP.....as the song says "don't it always seem to go that you don't know what you've got till it's gone.

  July 14, 2009 7:10 PM

• Chris said:

  Love WBCN and WFNX. Listen to both and sad to see it go.

  WAAF should not even be mentioned in the same breath.

  July 14, 2009 9:07 PM

• lex said:

  If this can kill WEEI once and for all and Glenn Ordway never has a job in radio again, that would almost be worth it.

  July 14, 2009 9:57 PM

• revaaron said:

  25 years too late.

  July 14, 2009 10:36 PM

• rippie said:

  was with BCN in the "Home of the Hots" days... still have the teeshirt... and was with WLYN (remember your birth?) before the buyout by the nascent Phoenix Group.

  WFNX was da bomb for years, and then the advert bucks came in and the asskissing commenced. Tai, Julie and others talked with me about it (i'm the KK Donuts dude), and wtf, gotta pay da bills, right?

  but with the exit of BCN (as a Manhattanite transplanted here in the late 70s), i suddenly feel old. MIXradio is far from cool. BCN has been chasing FNX and AAF for years, but now... it chases its own tail.

  Long Live WBCN, the Home of the Hots... we hardly knew ye!

  Listen up, WFNX: you all are the last hope for commercial radio in Boston, which was a holdout against corporadio... and now sucks the big one...

  there are tons of college stations kicking your collective ass.

  get it?

  July 14, 2009 11:58 PM

• Dan Zee said:

  Let's face it, WBCN's time was in the 1970s and 1980s when the DJs could do free form radio and actually teach their audiences about music. Oedipus did a good job trying to balance his corporate masters' wishes with some music sense, and Howard Stern was responsible raising ratings when the station became more corporate and programmed -- and less interesting. But this move has been predicted for several years.

  The only real question is why is Mix changing broadcasting frequencies?  The Herald seems to suggest WBCN's signal penetrates office buildings better where Mix's audience listens. I guess sports fans listen at home and in their cars so they don't need a stronger signal?

  July 15, 2009 12:53 AM

• dave k said:

  jim rome 12 - 3

  July 15, 2009 1:09 AM

• Rachel said:

  I'm so sad to see BCN go. Not for what it is now, but for what it was. I've been listening since I was about 12. I had a Coffee with Ken on BCN t-shirt that I now wish I still had.

  I think I'll cry on Thanksgiving- missing their "food" songs and Alice's Restaurant. Those are the types of things that made it great.

  July 15, 2009 1:24 AM

• Andy said:

  I grew up with Charles and the Big Mattress and Tommy Hadges and Oedipus and everyone else back in the day...WBCN was a force to be reckoned with and you could always count on something decent being played there, When Charles got moved down the dial to 'ZLX to make way for Stern, they lost me. I think this is one of the dumbest moves by a big broadcasting company ever. Boston without

  'BCN? Sad but not surprising the way some of these corporations have messed with what worked well to begin with...some great stations I have in my tape archives will now only exist there.

  Shame on CBS, ClearChannel and all of them for ruining what the audience loved...

  July 15, 2009 5:27 AM

• christine said:

  R.I.P.  WBCN,  The great station that it once was has been gone for many many years !

  July 15, 2009 8:09 AM

• Paul said:

  This is the stupidest thing I have ever heard

  July 15, 2009 11:40 AM

• Joe said:

  WBCN was a bastion of rock and roll for a good, long time.  It taught me more than any radio station ever has about what a radio station should be.  It was all done in the mid-90's, though.  

  July 15, 2009 12:47 PM

• monica said:

  sad. i do love BCN. but as many have already said and done, i switched to satellite long ago.

  July 15, 2009 4:05 PM

• The Brow said:

  Doubting Thomas...

  Theres a link to the press release at the top of the page...

  July 16, 2009 9:45 AM

• RyanPlegics said:

  This radio station made me itchy anyway.

  July 17, 2009 10:10 AM

• Flash Gordon OHara said:

  And in the end... if they had stuck with the beginning idea-- dispensed with the corporate middle and kept the last 4 days.. the plug would still be plugged in, the audience would have stayed, the station would have been relevant for another 20 years... and the main idea of being part of the fabric of the community would have been maintained.

  R.I.P.

  7:00 PM August 11.. the last day.

  August 11, 2009 6:42 PM

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