WODS

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WODS

Broadcast area	Boston, MA
Branding	Oldies 103.3
Slogan	"The Greatest Hits of the 60s and 70s"
First air date	1948
Frequency	103.3 (MHz)
Format	Oldies
ERP	16,000 watts
Class	B
Callsign meaning	WODS OlDieS
Owner	CBS Radio
Website	www.oldies1033.com

WODS, known on-air as "Oldies 103.3," is a radio station in Boston, Massachusetts. The station plays music mostly from 1964 to 1979 (with an occasional early 80's or pre-1964 song), and is also involved in the organization of several concerts and events within the Boston area. WODS is a CBS Radio station.

Contents 1 History 2 Airstaff 2.1 Weekdays 2.2 Weekends 3 Past Air Personalities 4 Reference 5 External link

[edit] History

WODS began as WEEI-FM in 1948. It ran CBS's "The Young Sound" format beginning in 1965 after 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 on recent pop tunes. In 1969, the other CBS owned FM stations would switch to an Album Rock format while WEEI FM remained an easy listening station. By the 1970's, WEEI FM evolved into an adult contemporary format. The station evolved into a Top 40 format by the late 1970's and in 1980 became a Hot Hits station playing mostly current product. By 1981 all of the Owned and Operated CBS FM radio stations employed the Hot Hits format except for WCBS-FM. Unlike 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 changed call letters to WHTT after WEEI (AM) was sold, WEEI-FM is now the call for the Westerly/Providence, Rhode Island relay of the current WEEI (AM), now on 850). The station was for a time in the mid 1980's 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 of 1986. At that point ratings were decent but it was determined that it was tough competing directly with WXKS 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, aome eclectic smooth jazz, and a few mainstream pop hits. The airstaff stayed on from WHTT initially, though most would gradually leave over the next year. The station became WMRQ. The ratings went downhill fast. While selling CHR was tough, this quality rock format was even a tougher sell.

In October of 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 70's up to 1972 mixed with the 50's and 60's. The station has had excellent ratings since its 1987 launch. Over the years WODS stayed consistent with little changes in the music. The airstaff gradually evolved but the turnover at the station is lower than the norm.

As time went on, WODS Oldies 103 added more 70's music but continued to focus on the 1960's and still played a decent amount of pre-1964 oldies. In 2001 though WODS began to move away from 50's music. The station added more late 1970's songs as well as a few 1980's hits.

At the end of 2001, Little Walter's Sunday Night Time Machine was replaced with a 70's Lost Hits show known as "The Lost 45's". In 2002 most of the pre-1964 oldies were eliminated. WODS got deeper into music of the 1970's. Today WODS is just about half 1964-1969 and half 1970-1979. Occasionally they play a song from the 1980's or from the pre 1964 era but they are few and far between. Every Christmas Season since 2003 WODS plays all Holidays Songs from a week before Thanksgiving until Christmas day.

[edit] Airstaff

[edit] Weekdays

5:30-9 a.m. Dale Dorman - June Knight - Mauzy Stafford - Jimmy Del Ponte

9 a.m.-2 p.m. Paula Street

2 p.m.-6 PM Karen Blake

6 p.m.-9 PM Patrick Callahan

9 p.m.-1 a.m. Mike Finegan

1 a.m.-5:30 J.J. Wright

[edit] Weekends

Barry Scott

Jay Gordon - Elvis Only

Scott Roberts

Mauzy Stafford

Norm Thibeault

Pete Falconi

Maurice Wilkey

[edit] Past Air Personalities

Austin Of Boston (Austin Davis)

Dan McCoy

Rick Hunter

Mike Addams

Sandy Benson

John Potter

Paul Perry

Tom St John

Steve Kelly

Little Walter DeVenne

Jason Wright

Doug Taylor

Frank Kingston Smith

Joel McMillan

Bill Lawrence

[edit] Reference

• George, Peter (in part). WODS(FM). The Boston Radio Dial. The Archives at BostonRadio.org. Retrieved on 2006-02-20.

[edit] External link

• Oldies 103.3 FM - WODS