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Boston Radio 1920-2010
Images of America series
Donna L. Halper

Arcadia Publishing
February 2011/ ISBN 978-0-7385-7410-3
History
Amazon

Reviewed by Laura Hinds

Donna Halper has presented a very thorough and entertaining history of radio in the great radio city of Boston in Boston Radio 1920-2010, part of the Images of America series from Arcadia Publishing.

While fairly short in length at 127 pages, the beauty of this book is found not only in the richly detailed biographical information of on-air personalities, but in the fascinating collection of photographs, many of which are from her personal collection. Arnie “Woo-Woo” Ginsburg graces the cover, and the picture is amusing and intriguing enough to capture the eye of anyone who happens upon a copy of this book.

I’ve lived in the Boston area my whole life, and have been a lifelong fan of radio, including Top 40 hits in my youth and a variety of talk show formats as an adult. For me this book is a pure delight, and I’ve enjoyed putting some long-forgotten faces and names together and remembering listening to these talkers and rockers over the years. The sepia tone of the cover is charming, and the fact that the photographs are all black and white seems most appropriate for this historical collection.

The book contains five chapters. The first is “The Formative Years” and covers the 1920’s. The chapter contains memorabilia such as copies of “applause cards” that fans mailed in when they enjoyed a particular performer or program. It was a kind of early ratings system. There are also many pictures of the radio pioneers of the decade. The second chapter is “Radio’s Golden Age” and covers the 1930’s in great depth. Chapter three, “A Time of Transition,” spans the 1940’s and 1950’s and explains to the reader the many changes brought about by World War II, including changes of ownership and new radio stations.

The fourth chapter -“New Formats, New Stations” - brings us into the years of college radio stations, rock and roll, and the Top 40 formats that became so popular with youth all over the country. A special treat in this chapter is a photo of Donna Halper herself as the first female disc jockey at Northeastern University’s WNEU in 1968! The final chapter is “The Internet Age” and explains how the new media is keeping radio going strong despite its predicted downfall as the world changes. I was particularly pleased that the more recent photos were still published in black and white in keeping with the theme of the rest of the chapters. While it might have been tempting to show these newer pictures in color, author Halper and her publisher were smart, and the entire book is cohesively presented.

I recommend this book to all radio fans, history buffs and people who have grown up or lived in an area where you could pick up Boston radio signals. The research is impeccable, the history lively and detailed, and the photographs show the art of radio in rare visual form.

Reviewer's Note:

 

Reviewed 2011
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