WODS

WODS

City of license	Boston, Massachusetts
Broadcast area	Greater Boston
Branding	103.3 WODS
Slogan	"Boston's #1 For The Greatest Hits!"
Frequency	103.3 MHz (also on HD Radio) 103.3 HD-2 Soft Rock 103.3 HD-3 Christian Rock
First air date	1948 (as WEEI-FM)
Format	Classic Hits/Oldies
ERP	8,700 watts
HAAT	351 meters
Class	B
Facility ID	9639
Callsign meaning	OlDieS
Former callsigns	WEEI-FM (1948-1983) WHTT (1983-1986) WMRQ (1986-1988)
Owner	CBS Radio
Sister stations	WBZ, WBZ-FM, WBMX, WZLX part of CBS Corp. cluster w/ TV stations WBZ-TV & WSBK-TV
Webcast	Listen Live
Website	wods.com

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 WMRQ. 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. Today, WODS is just about half 1964-1969 and half 1970-1979. Occasionally, they play a song from the 1980s.

Prior to the mid 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 late 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 11th.

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".

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 January 2010 they include:

• Mighty Mike Osborne
• Mike McGowan
• 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
• Mike McGowan

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[2]
• Brian Murphy
• Dan McCoy
• Rick Hunter
• Jay Gordon (still hosts Elvis Only)
• Rick Shockley
• Robby Bridges
• Mike Addams
• Sandy Benson
• 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
• Joel 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

References

• George, Peter (in part). "WODS(FM)". The Boston Radio Dial. The Archives at BostonRadio.org. http://www.bostonradio.org/stations/9639.html. Retrieved 2006-02-20. 

External links

• 103.3 WODS
• Jason Wright
• The Lost 45s with Barry Scott
• Query the FCC's FM station database for WODS
• Radio-Locator information on WODS
• Query Arbitron's FM station database for WODS
• Karen Blake DJ