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Happy Birthday, WBZ!
By Michael Page | June 9, 2008
WBZ-TV, New England’s first commercial TV station, took to the air on this date in 1948. WBZ has seen a lot happen in Boston during these past 60 years, for sure! As we wish WBZ a happy 60th birthday, feel free to share any memories you have of WBZ-TV.
Topics: WBZ (Channel 4) | 14 Comments »
June 9th, 2008 at 8:09 pm
Will they be having a broadcast special? You know something like memory lane.
Maybe we will see before plastic sugery & after lol
June 9th, 2008 at 8:11 pm
I have asked if anything is in the works, but I have not yet heard.
June 9th, 2008 at 8:27 pm
There was a site that BZ had launched around the beginning of the year showcasing some of the upcoming events of this year. Their 60th anniversary was one of them. I’ll see if I can dig up the link…I think there was some sort of mention of it there.
June 9th, 2008 at 8:28 pm
Funny you mention that, I was looking for it this afternoon. I couldn’t remember the URL, but if you find it, I would love to take another look. Thanks!
June 9th, 2008 at 9:03 pm
Michael – I found the link in my favorites…
http://www.viacomboston.com/inside2008/
However, it appears that they’ve taken down the site.
June 9th, 2008 at 9:08 pm
Too bad. I guess if they were going to do more with it we would have heard a lot more about it. Thanks for the link anyway.
June 9th, 2008 at 9:31 pm
The first time I remember watching WBZ was the first night they did “News 4 New England.” They have gone through so many branding and talent changes that News 4 New England seems so antiquated now.
June 10th, 2008 at 1:55 am
Maybe they decided not to do anything in light of all the recent job cuts the station has made. Employees might ask why are we celebrating when the station is making so many cutbacks?
June 10th, 2008 at 5:43 am
For their 25th, WBZ did an amazing anniversary special. Kinescope, videotape, still photos, old logos, the works.
Arch McDonald, Jack Chase, Don Kent, Rex Trailer, Bob Emery, etc. There was even a book to go along with the special that was sold in area stores. For the 50th, there was a brief mention. Last night for the 60th……………..
Guess we’ll all have to wait for 2023, when they turn 75!
June 10th, 2008 at 6:32 am
A ‘memory lane’ special might seem like the proverbial ‘Good Idea At The Time,’ but it can only serve to reinforce how WBZ has lost so much respect and relevancy over the decades. It’s one thing if such a special could leave the viewer with a feeling of ‘Wow…look at them NOW!!!’ But sadly, the past for WBZ was a whole lot brighter than its present; a special anniversary show would, I believe, leave a negative impression rather than a positive one. The technical advances are certainly there to see, but in terms of relevancy WBZ has gone the other way.
June 10th, 2008 at 11:18 am
WBZ turns 60 and doesn’t look a day over 35. Boston has grown up watching local ‘BZ celebrities from Rex Trailer to Barry Nolan to Boston Lobel; all who have left the competition asking themselves, “Why can’t we get talent like that?” Before he was hosting a dance competition featuring former 90210 “stars,” People Were Talking about Tom Bergeron on WBZ. Seriously, what do you get the tv station that has everything?
If you are expecting an off-the-hook, on-the-air celebration with over-the-top 3D graphics and hackneyed headlines full of alliteration, like “Big Birthday Bash for ‘BZ,” well, you’ve come to the wrong station. What we can promise you is a classy retrospective that showcases Jack Williams sporting that Ron Burgandy look.
June 11th, 2008 at 6:59 am
The last WBZ-TV anniversary celebration occurred on its 40th birthday. That was in 1988, two years before the station began to shut down its local programming.
Channel 4 has little to gain by pointing out that the station has become a shadow of its former self. Like most television stations today, WBZ is largely just a conduit for the network feed, syndicated shows and infomercials. A retrospective would be embarrassing for the station.
By contrast, KLAS-TV in Las Vegas seems to have much reverence for its history.
http://www2.lasvegasnow.com/celebrate
June 11th, 2008 at 10:01 am
Does anyone know of anyone who has a copy of that 25th WBZ anniversary special? 1973 was about eight years before I bought my first VCR.
June 20th, 2008 at 3:39 pm
The first WBZ-TV anniversary special of which I became aware was their 30th in 1978. Portions of that program were reused in Channel 4′s 35th and 40th anniversary specials.
I have no memory of a 25th anniversary special. Perhaps someone with access to 1973 Boston television listings could check whether such a program aired.