Chuck Williams, WVBF-FM Boston MA. September 21, 1974 (scoped) (0:21:29)

Scoped
… Ladies and Gentlemen, the reason for the silence on this station is because they don’t have their technical act together. I’m awfully sorry …
[Description by Uncle Ricky] It’s been hard to find full-length, hi-fi airchecks of WVBF/Framingham/Boston, and this one from contributor David Balford is notable not only for that, but for the bizarre content, which all leads back to the apparently remarkable radio guy we have learned was Jim Welch, who died in 2008. On this aircheck, he first identifies himself as on Austin In Boston, then, he is Chuck Williams, and then we are with Austin again. “Chuck” seems to be having some technical problems. He even suggests the technical staff might be responsible. This remarkably anonymous radio star first gained notoriety here at REELRADIO in October of 1999, as Chuck Hot Ticket McKay for a one-time appearance at CKLW in 1975. So, this aircheck was made before that explosive performance. It does appear that Mr. Welch wanted to work at a lot of very good radio stations — and be as bad as he wanted to be. Was Austin In Boston someone else, or a “house name”? Nice Reverb throughout! Always loved the way WVBF sounded on the FM in Providence, R.I. Mark Davis offers a “news” segment about “doublespeak” before “Chuck” offers his first Ho-Hum. “Chuck” seems to have enlisted Bob Bruce as his partner in crime, teasing him about his pronounciation of Shreveport during Bob’s extensive sports report. The rest of the hour, at least, gives us wonderful exposure to the great jingles, sonovox layovers and general top 40 style of this exceptionally good 1974 FM Stereo station. MORE GOLDEN GIFTS Reel Top 40 Radio Repository ©1996-2015 REELRADIO INC.

Welcome to the new ReelRadio!

This site is now operated by the North Carolina Broadcast History Museum. 

We want to thank the board of ReelRadio, Inc. for their stewardship since the passing of the founder Richard Irwin in 2018.  It has not been easy and they have maintained the exhibits for future generations to enjoy.

I met Richard Irwin, aka Uncle Ricky, when we were freshmen at East Carolina University.  We both had worked at local stations in our hometowns.  No one was more passionate about radio, especially Top 40 radio, than my friend Richard. 

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Richard Irwin’s hope was that his site would live on long after his passing. He said, “I hope REELRADIO will survive as my contribution to the ‘radio business’. The business is allowed to forget me, but the business should never forget the great era of radio that we celebrate here”.

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Carl Davis
Trustee
North Carolina Broadcast History Museum