The new 98.5 FM - The Sports Hub

campybatman · Post #1 » by **campybatman** » Wed Jul 15, 2009 2:37 pm

This will be interesting... I'm thrilled to read that there will be an alternative to WEEI shows and the monotony that is Red Sox Nation 365 days of the year. As a Celtic fan, I want to listen about the Boston Celtics even if the off-season. And about the Patriots. Or even the Bruins, just to have something different to hear for a change. And when they say, sports talk, I hope that implies actually talking about sports and sports related news and not irrelevant babble and non sports topics.

I digress, I was once somewhat of an avid listener to WBCN during the mid nineties, occasionally alternating between WFNX and WAAF. But I eventually moved away from it toward listening to music via the computer. I miss those days... Nowadays I only listen to the radio for WEEI when I do listen to it. I rarely tune in to a FM station. So I can't say that I'll miss WBCN as a music station. But I can appreciate what it provided me in simple pleasure some years ago.

Adios, WBCN

UPDATE: It's official. CBS issued a press release this morning ending the 41-year run of WBCN. Click here to read the full release here.

WBCN-FM, a/k/a the "Rock of Boston," has as storied a history as any Boston radio station. But come August, 'BCN will no longer be a part of Boston's radio landscape. As reported on Phoenix affiliate WFNX this morning. CBS, 'BCN's owner, is moving Mix 98.5 to 104.1, WBCN's frequency, and starting a new, all-sports station--apparently to be dubbed the Sports Hub, and to carry the call letters WBZ-FM--at Mix's spot on the dial. Word is that 'BCN's morning team of Toucher and Rich will do the Sports Hub's morning show when the change is implemented in mid-August, just in time for the Patriots' preseason. (WBCN will, apparently, survive as an Internet station. Any 'BCN listeners excited about that?)

This is good news for WFNX, which competes with WBCN for listeners craving alt-rock fare. But it's bad news--or at least depressing news--for Boston radio as a whole. In its earlier years, 'BCN was known, among other things, for unusually varied programming; for championing talented acts that were still in their infancy, but went on to become superstars; and for showcasing major talents like Charles Laquidara and "News Dissector" Danny Schechter. Of course, the cerebral stylings of Laquidera, Schecter et al. have long since yielded to (among other things) Howard Stern, the execrable Opie & Anthony, and Patriots play-by-play.

So: one less option for rock fans, and one more entry in Boston's already crowded sports media marketplace. I'm told that WEEI.com's Michael Felger and Comcast SportsNet's Gary Tanguay will be doing afternoon shows on the Sports Hub when the station's up and running. Those are nice gets--and as the Sports Hub competes with powerhouse WEEI-AM, it'll need all the talent it can get.

http://thephoenix.com/BLOGS/dontquoteme ... -wbcn.aspx

Post #2 » by **sully00** » Wed Jul 15, 2009 4:43 pm

It is great to be optimistic but the idea of building an FM radio station around Patriots talk is going to be hard to swallow. If this is CBS's idea to relaunch their national radio affiliation that could be good. But the idea of basically relaunching 790theScore isn't really exciting. I guess because of the newspaper business collapsing they can attract some higher level of host. WEEI is pretty stale outside of the "Big Show" so hopefully this works but the local programming on on ESPN radio kind of sucks so I don't really know what to think. I guess handle Gresch and Zo again but no Gordischi please.

Post #3 » by **Celtics_Champs** » Wed Jul 15, 2009 5:03 pm

I am happy about this. Just another option in the morning when D&C talk nothing but politics.

greenbeans · Post #4 » by **greenbeans** » Wed Jul 15, 2009 5:13 pm

sully00 wrote:WEEI is pretty stale outside of the "Big Show"

Dale and Holley is the only show I'll actually make it the whole way through. Big O is decent, but his cohosts, especially Pete, Fred and Steve, make it unbearable.
I saw something yesterday saying the 2-6 slot on the new station will be Tanguay and Felger, which has potential. Especially for us C's fans.
Always sucks to lose a rock station, but it's the way the world's going now. We all need more mass-produced no-heart commercial pop music according to cbs, so a rock institution(however crappy the past 5-10 years) goes down the tubes.

Post #5 » by **canman1971** » Wed Jul 15, 2009 5:13 pm

Hopefully it'll be good. I like Toucher and Rich in the AM. They are pretty funny at times, but I hope they can carry it over to sports. They are much better than D&C.

greenbeans · Post #6 » by **greenbeans** » Wed Jul 15, 2009 5:30 pm

canman1971 wrote:Hopefully it'll be good. I like Toucher and Rich in the AM. They are pretty funny at times, but I hope they can carry it over to sports. They are much better than D&C.

So true. Though that isn't too hard a feat to accomplish, atleast with me. D&C has to be one of the worst shows out there, I really don't get how they get those raings. Is there really that much insecure white guys in their 40's?

greenbeans · Post #7 » by **greenbeans** » Wed Jul 15, 2009 5:33 pm

http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/group ... 1075143047

Post #8 » by **sully00** » Wed Jul 15, 2009 5:50 pm

greenbeans wrote:
sully00 wrote:WEEI is pretty stale outside of the "Big Show"

Dale and Holley is the only show I'll actually make it the whole way through. Big O is decent, but his cohosts, especially Pete, Fred and Steve, make it unbearable.
I saw something yesterday saying the 2-6 slot on the new station will be Tanguay and Felger, which has potential. Especially for us C's fans.
Always sucks to lose a rock station, but it's the way the world's going now. We all need more mass-produced no-heart commercial pop music according to cbs, so a rock institution(however crappy the past 5-10 years) goes down the tubes.

No see that sucks. These guys who can't carry a radio show on WEEI, Felger is awful. What is good about the Big Show is they actually bring in former players and reporters who know the game. Felger is worse than most of us and Tanguay is worse than that, Felger already killed a show on ESPN radio. I was hoping for a National talent that had ties to NE not just some repackage of the crap we already have.

Banks2Pierce · Post #9 » by **Banks2Pierce** » Wed Jul 15, 2009 6:01 pm

Toucher and Rich are awesome. I listen to them in the mornings, so I am glad to hear that they will be on the air still. At least Tanguay is a legitimate Celtics fan so we have that going for us. Felger, I could do without, but anything is better than the Big Show.

Bcustom28k · Post #10 » by **Bcustom28k** » Wed Jul 15, 2009 6:05 pm

Id just like to point out to everyone that the OP refers that WBCN , 104.1 fm will become a sports talk station--- when in the article it states that 98.5 will be the sports talk station..

Anyway, I see this failing.-- Im glad WBCN the rock station isnt going anywhere! 8-)

Title should be changed

Banks2Pierce · Post #11 » by **Banks2Pierce** » Wed Jul 15, 2009 6:07 pm

BCN the rock station is going to the internet only. 104.1 will become Mix 104.1 and play beauts such as the Jonas Brothers and Pink.

Bcustom28k · Post #12 » by **Bcustom28k** » Wed Jul 15, 2009 6:50 pm

man- why cant FNX go online , nobody listens to them anymore

greenbeans · Post #13 » by **greenbeans** » Wed Jul 15, 2009 6:51 pm

Great read on the death of bcn

"Five years it took them. Five years, almost to the date. Boom. Goodbye. My baby, into the ground."

-- Oedipus, on the fate of WBCN after he left

http://thephoenix.com/BLOGS/onthedownlo ... shole.aspx

campybatman · Post #14 » by **campybatman** » Wed Jul 15, 2009 7:57 pm

Bcustom28k wrote:Id just like to point out to everyone that the OP refers that WBCN , 104.1 fm will become a sports talk station--- when in the article it states that 98.5 will be the sports talk station..

Basically, Mix 98.5 will be taking over the WBCN dial 104.1 and changing their call letters appropriately. Technically, WBCN will still exist but online only. In the context of radio, "WBCN" is becoming a sports talk station, "The Sports Hub." Therefore, I'm not incorrect, technically speaking.

Their home on the radio is now the home to WBZ-FM (formerly Mix 98.5).

So there was no need for you to nitpick. That was a press release, I've edited the link. Sometimes the initial report isn't complete with the full information. Because the press release didn't state that Mix 98.5 is indeed moving to the 104.1 frequency. One could easily misread and think that the new format will remain on their own frequency.

Mix 98.5 is moving to 104.1 on the FM dial and WBCN is going to live on only as an Internet station.

So who's taking over 98.5 on the dial?

CBS Radio announced Tuesday that it's launching Boston's "newest and only FM sports station" on Thursday, August 16.

The station will be called "The Sports Hub" and will feature "a wide assortment of sports talk and play-by-play programming," according to CBS.

The station will be the home of the New England Patriots and the Boston Bruins. It will also keep WBCN's popular "Toucher and Rich" in the morning drive slot.

http://wbztv.com/local/wbz.fm.radio.2.1084946.html

Dirty Water · Post #15 » by **Dirty Water** » Wed Jul 15, 2009 8:11 pm

Bcustom28k wrote:man- why cant FNX go online , nobody listens to them anymore

I agree. I used to occasioanlly listen to radio (back like 5 years ago when I was still in high school) and WFNX would be an alternative to WBCN or WAAF. They sometimes played ok stuff, tried to be a little cutting edge and play new stuff. But they kept trying to do that more and more, and the stuff they play now its just straight up garbage. I'm lucky I live out in Concord now, used to not be able to get the WAAF signal when I lived closer to Boston.

I agree with some of the posters on here though about WEEI. Dennis and Callahan is crap, and so is the Big Show for the most part. They just yell over each other and don't have proper ettiquette on how to carry on a civilized conversation most of the times. Dale and Holley are my favorite but it's hard to catch them because I'm not listening in the middle of the day. They are the most calm and insightful and they talked a good amount of Celtics and Bruins to give them credit, even occasioanlyl dwelving into soccer.

Hopefully the new station will be good, but it's sad to see a rock station go, even if it wasn't the greatest.

cloverleaf · Post #16 » by **cloverleaf** » Wed Jul 15, 2009 8:17 pm

I don't know the morning guys, but I think the Big O can handle Felger and Tanguay.

Tenbomber · Post #17 » by **Tenbomber** » Wed Jul 15, 2009 9:31 pm

I was one of those pot smoking "freaks" back in the day... who listened to "BCN".... when it was the premire underground rock station in the entire country!...

I bought my Woodstock tickets through them back in 1969....and I got the lowdown nightly on who was playing at the old Boston Tea Party both when it was in the old church on Mass. Ave.... and later when the Tea Party was moved to the garage down on Lansdown street behind the Green Monster where most of Jim Rice's and Freddie Lynn's long home runs landed back in the day....

From my viewpoint, its just a shame that the station was taken over by "the suits"

These tape delayed stations of today really suck....the one possible good thing about all this is that at least real people will be talking and not a tape that will be played over and over and over again.....with comercial segments inbetween....

Anyway....That old station should have remained a landmark...just like Fenway Park....and just like Woodstock...

Talk radio.. hugh?

Old Charles Lockradera, certainly would turn over in his grave!....(I'm assuming he's dead by now?) or starting up a Casino in Cambodia with Coach Mang?

wigglestrue · Post #18 » by **wigglestrue** » Wed Jul 15, 2009 9:58 pm

BCN was great in the 90's when it mixed classic and new rock. Hendrix, then Pumpkins, then Zeppelin, then Soundgarden...always fun to listen to. Then they dumped the classic stuff, and then rock music turned to **** after "grunge" died out.

No1CeltsFan · Post #19 » by **No1CeltsFan** » Wed Jul 15, 2009 10:16 pm

If you're rigth about the 2-6 slot being Tanguay and Felger, I will be thrilled. Only thing better for C's fans would be Tanguay and Dickerson.

I freakin hate D & C.

I dont want to hear their opinions on democrats and how repubilcans are so much better. When I get in the car on Friday mornings, I want to cry, because I know it's D & C's infamous "free forum Friday" aka "talk about anything but actually sports"

Anything to have another option to them 2 and I am happy!!!

Post #20 » by **sully00** » Thu Jul 16, 2009 1:26 am

As a pretty big music fan I can't say I have given a rats ass about BCN or any other Rock station for about 100 years. Frankly public radio has been a disgrace for a long time.

That said I would not miss the in between the lines on this situation. BCN isn't just going on line it is also going to get the HD version of 98.5 or whatever it is. That is the future of music radio maybe they can start to redefine what was once great and now sucks balls, some sort of youtube of rock radio perhaps.