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WBGB (FM)

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WODS
File:WODS1033.png
Broadcast areaGreater Boston
Frequency103.3 MHz(HD Radio)
Branding103.3 WODS
Programming
FormatClassic hits
HD2: Soft rock
HD3: Christian rock
Ownership
Owner
WBMX, WBZ, WBZ-FM, WBZ-TV, WSBK-TV, WZLX
History
First air date
July 1948 (1948-07)[1]
Former call signs
WEEI-FM (1948–1983)
WHTT (1983–1986)
WMRQ (1986–1987)
Call sign meaning
OlDieS (former branding)
Technical information
Facility ID9639
ClassB
ERP8,700 watts
HAAT351 meters
Transmitter coordinates
42°18′27.40″N 71°13′26.70″W / 42.3076111°N 71.2240833°W / 42.3076111; -71.2240833 (WODS)
Links
WebcastListen live
HD2: Listen live
Websitewww.wods.com
The Cove (HD2)
Mercy Rock (HD3)

WODS, known on-air as "103.3 WODS" is a radio station in Boston, Massachusetts. WODS has a pop leaning Classic Hits format with music mostly from 1970 to 1984, and is also involved in the organization of several concerts and events within the Boston area. WODS is a CBS Radio station.

CBS Boston studios, home of 103.3 WODS-FM as of 2011

History

WODS began as WEEI-FM in 1948. It ran CBS's "The Young Sound" format beginning in 1965 after Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regulations forced it to cease to be a 24-hour relay of the AM side (WEEI 590). "The Young Sound" was an easy listening format focusing on instrumental versions of recent pop tunes. By 1969, "The Young Sound" had evolved to a Top 40/AOR hybrid format, voice tracked on WEEI-FM by Dick Provost. In late 1972, WEEI-FM flipped to an adult contemporary format. The station evolved into its famous "Soft Rock" format in 1977, which remained in place until 1982 when it flipped to a Top 40 format. By 1981, all of the other owned-and-operated CBS FM radio stations employed the Hot Hits format except for WCBS-FM. Unlike their sister stations, though, WEEI-FM played hits from the past several years all along. The other Hot Hits stations evolved to what WEEI-FM was doing in 1983. By then, the Los Angeles station had dropped the format and reverted back to adult rock.

In 1983, WEEI-FM changed call letters to WHTT after WEEI (AM) was sold; WEEI-FM is now the call letters to Lawrence-licensed 93.7, which is the simulcast of the current WEEI (AM), now on 850. The station was for a time in the mid 1980s one of Boston's most popular stations, but its stay at the top of the Arbitron ratings was not to last. WHTT continued with a Top 40 format until July 1986. At that point ratings were decent but it was determined that it was tough competing directly with WXKS-FM "Kiss 108", as well as WZOU (now WJMN). Top 40 formats are generally hard to sell unless ratings are extremely high. It was also determined that Boston could not support three viable Top 40 stations. As a result, WHTT launched an adult rock format known as "Boston's Quality Rock" playing a blend of softer Album Rock cuts, pop rock cuts, some eclectic smooth jazz, and a few mainstream pop hits. The on-air staff stayed on from WHTT initially, though most gradually left over the next year. The station became then became WMRQ, "Q103". The ratings went downhill fast.

In October 1987, the station switched to an oldies format playing the Rock and Roll Hits from 1955 to 1969. The station had a very deep playlist playing a larger number of songs than most oldies stations. Call letters soon were changed to WODS and the station became known as "Oldies 103". WMRQ's airstaff stayed with the station despite the format change. Several of these people are still with the station today. By 1989, WODS was also playing a very limited amount of music from the early 1970s up to 1972 mixed with the 1950s and 1960s.

As time went on, Oldies 103 added more 1970s music but continued to focus on the 1960s and still played a considerable amount of pre-1964 oldies. In 2001, WODS began to move away from 50s music. The station added more late 1970s songs and a few 1980s hits.

At the end of 2001, Little Walter's Sunday Night Time Machine was replaced with the long-running Sunday night Boston tradition The Lost 45s with Barry Scott, which enabled the station to move forward in its music selection through the 1970s and some early 1980s. In 2002, most of the pre-1964 oldies were eliminated and are now rarely, if ever, heard. WODS got deeper into music of the 1970s. By 2005, WODS is just about half 1964-1969 and half 1970-1979. Occasionally, they played a song from the 1980s and a handfull of pre 1964 songs.

Prior to the 1990s, WODS only played moderate amounts of Christmas music during the holiday season and did not go wall to wall, even on Christmas. Beginning in the early 1990s, the station began wall to wall Christmas music on Christmas Eve and continued until Christmas evening. Beginning in 2003, WODS has played holiday music from a week before Thanksgiving until Christmas Day. However, in 2007, it started its Christmas music on Monday November 12; and in 2008, it commenced on Thursday, November 6 - the earliest it has ever been. The official website features a 24-hour holiday music channel all year long. This tradition has been continued in 2009 with Christmas music playing on Friday, November 13, and it started on Thursday, November 18 in 2010. In 2011, Christmas music began on Friday, November 11.

In 2007, WODS added Casey Kasem's American Top 40: The '70s Saturdays nights at 11 p.m. and The Wolfman Jack Show Sunday nights at 11 p.m. In October 2008 WODS switched nights for the two shows and added a second airing of AT40:70s Sunday mornings at 10 a.m. The 2-hour version (second and third hours) plays in the morning and the entire 3-hour version plays at night. In 2009 the morning broadcast was dropped and now AT40: 70s airs only Sundays at midnight.

In 2008, WODS added Tom Kent's syndicated show weeknights from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. As a result, the Top 20 Countdown—a Thursday night staple on WODS for many years—was moved to Saturday mornings from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. with Patrick Callahan as host as of October 4. The Top 20 Countdown was originally known as the Thursday Night Countdown, with hosts including Sandy Benson, Patrick Callahan and most recently, J.J. Wright; though Jay Gordon, Dan McCoy and Norm Thibeault took over hosting duties while Sandy was out on maternity leave. Tom Kent's generic syndicated show only lasted a few months and, in a rare move, was replaced with local programming again. On July 10, 2010, Barry Scott returned to Saturday Nights from 7PM until Midnight where he hosts the "Saturday Night 70's". On Sunday nights from 7 p.m. until midnight, WODS plays Barry Scott's The Lost 45s. On June 10, 2011, 103.3 WODS began airing "Back to the 80's Friday Nights" with Joe Cortese from 7PM-Midnight every Friday.

In October 2009, WODS changed their on-air name from "Oldies 103.3" to "103.3 WODS". At that point, WODS began focusing on Classic Hits from 1970 to 1984 with abouut half a dozen 60's songs per hour. The station also plays an occasional 90's song as well. However, this adjustment did more to hurt than help in the ratings, as it began to lose listeners to WROR.

On Wednesday, June 27, 2012, it was announced that the station will flip back to Top 40, branded as "103-3 AMP Radio". Within hours of the announcement of the switch, the WODS airstaffers were let go and the station began to run jockless. Already one of the now-unemployed DJs, Paula Street (who had been with WODS since the flip to Oldies in 1986), confirmed on the Radio-Info Boston message board that a good-bye to listeners will happen before the station flips to Top 40/CHR at Noon on June 28, 2012. When that happens, the classic hits format will move over to WODS' HD2 subchannel.[2]

On-air staff

Weekdays

  • 5:30 a.m. - 9 a.m. - Karen Blake
  • 9 a.m. - 2 p.m. - Paula Street (with WODS since a few weeks after the 1987 launch)
  • 2 p.m. - 7 p.m. - J.J. Wright
  • 7 p.m. - midnight - the jocks in this slot rotate. As of June 2012 they include:
    • Mighty Mike Osborne
    • Deirdre Dagata
    • Barry Scott
  • Fridays 7PM-12Midnight-Back to the 80's with Joe Cortese

Weekends

  • Barry Scott Saturday Night 70's 7PM-Midnight
  • Barry Scott [1] "The Lost 45s", Sundays from 7 p.m. to midnight Eastern)
  • Mike O'Reilly
  • Mighty Mike Osborne
  • Deirdre Dagata

Syndicated weekend shows

  • Saturday midnight - 5 a.m. The Wolfman Jack Show
  • Sunday 8 a.m. - 9 a.m. - Elvis Only with Jay Gordon
  • Sunday 9 a.m. - 10 a.m. - Beatle Brunch with Joe Johnston
  • Sunday midnight - 3 a.m. - American Top 40: The 70s with Casey Kasem

Former on-air staff

  • Mike Finegan (who was with the station prior to the WODS launch in 1987 until November 2008)
  • Austin Of Boston (Austin Davis)
  • Jason Wright
  • Brian Murphy
  • Dan McCoy
  • Rick Hunter (came to the station the day it became WMRQ in 1986 and the first post WHTT announcer)
  • Jay Gordon (still hosts Elvis Only)
  • Rick Shockley
  • Robby Bridges
  • Mike Addams
  • Sandy Benson (also arrived at the sign on of WMRQ in 1986)
  • Michele "With One L" Hughes
  • June Knight
  • Mauzy Stafford
  • John Potter
  • Paul Perry
  • Mark "The Captain's Cupcake" Mamone
  • Jimmy DelPonte
  • Tom St. John
  • Steve Kelly
  • Little Walter DeVenne
  • "The Famous"Jim Sands
  • Doug Taylor
  • Frank Kingston Smith
  • Joe McMillan
  • Bill Lawrence
  • Norm Thibeault
  • Pete Falconi
  • Steve York
  • Harry Nelson
  • Jeff Lawrence
  • Maurice Wilkey
  • Judy Pancoast
  • Neal White
  • Chris Zito
  • Brett Richards
  • Matthew Reid
  • Mike McGowan
  • Dave Faneuf (Hired in 1987 when the station was WMRQ and stayed with WODS until December 1998)

References

  1. ^ Broadcasting Yearbook 1949 (PDF). 1949. p. 306. Retrieved January 16, 2012.
  2. ^ "CBS blows up Boston's classic hits WODS, to create CHR '103.3 Amp'" from Radio-Info (June 27, 2012)
  • George, Peter (in part). "WODS(FM)". The Boston Radio Dial. The Archives at BostonRadio.org. Retrieved 2006-02-20. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |publishaccessyear= ignored (help)
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