Remember the old WBCN--freeform radio? It's back!

[Kat45]

As you may recall, WBCN went dark last year as its current owner, CBS, decided to replace it with an FM sports talk station. Well, WBCN now has 2 stations on HD radio. HD2 has a station billed as WBCN, the Rock of Boston which is a continuation of the music of the modern-day 'BCN. (Of course in recent years, that station was only a shadow of its former self.) But HD3 has freeform WBCN, harking back to its early days. Sam Kopper, who was with the station way back, has been putting this together, pretty much out of his home. It's an eclectic mix of music--you never know what you're going to hear. Since 'BCN has such deep archives of material, much of the music is older stuff, but it is stuff you haven't heard in ages, if at all. But the station plays new music pretty frequently as well. Currently it is all music--no DJs, no talk--which is not a bad thing, but they are starting to broadcast live in small spurts (with DJs). Some of the old hands from the station, including Charles Laquidara, Ken Shelton, Lisa Traxler, and Danny Schechter the news dissector, have recorded promos and intros that are played on the station and they may be involved when the station does more live broadcasting.

The station also is streaming live on wbcn.com, which is a good thing since hardly anyone has an HD radio right now. I listen to it when I can. It's pretty cool and I recommend checking it out.

[janet118]

1. I started listening to BCN when it bought time after midnight . . .

from an FM classical music station. It was a musical sanctuary amid the top 40 AM stations. They would play anything, from classical to extra long album cuts to novelty songs. The djs had personalities and musical fingerprints - you could tell one from the other by the style of their banter and selections. It also served as an information clearing house for activist and artistic events. As it became more commercial, it became less political and innovative.

I'll definitely have to tune in to the webcast. Thanks for the heads up.

[janet118]

2. Trivia - BCN stands for Boston Concert Network

from the original classical station it began to air on.

[graywarrior]

3. I remember when it first went on there air

There were lots of dead spots as Charles and the other DJ's got stoned and were often so stoned they forgot they were broadcasting. That was ok, coz we were all stoned listening. Man, those were the days.

So where on the dial are they?

[Kat45]

4. It's at 100.7FM on the HD3 band.

You need an HD radio to hear it on the airwaves, but you can also listen to it streaming online at wbcn.com

[graywarrior]

5. Oouu, thankie!

[Kat45]

6. Ur welkee.

Let me know what you think after you listen to it. You don't always like everything you hear, but the next song will always be something completely different. It's so cool to hear songs I once loved that I hadn't heard in years, some that I'd forgotten about. As a matter of fact, I'm listening to it right now while I'm on DU. Just heard "So Long" by Fischer-Z, which I used to love and had forgotten about. Than came "Stand" by REM, then a song by The Shins, who I've heard of but never heard, now something by Grandmaster Flash and Melle Mel. An eclectic mix just like the old days when radio was good.

One night when I was listening, they played "Witchy Tai-Toe," which you may remember if you listened to 'BCN way way back. I always loved that song and it is a song I always think of when I think of the old 'BCN.

[Submariner]

7. Duane Glasscock his alter ego on the Big Matress show

was a riot at the time.

[avaistheone1]

8. Are they going to bring the Cosmic Muffin back?

:)

[Kat45]

9. Sadly, he died of cancer in 2006.

But they have brought back Danny Schecter, the News Dissector. He calls in every so often, always with something interesting to say, things the MSM never talks about.