Boston's WBZ-FM Relaunches As Sports Station, Takes Jabs At WEEI

Felger Takes Shot At WEEI-AM In Debut

Boston's WBZ-FM made its debut as an all-sports station Thursday, and host Michael Felger during his opening comments "threw a few ... jabs" at competing sports station WEEI-AM, according to Chad Finn of the BOSTON GLOBE. Felger said, "Success has changed (the media). There are fewer media people who will go after teams. ... If there's one thing about this show that I would say ... it's that we won't have those relationships that pretty much anywhere else you're going to hear around this town." Meanwhile, Finn writes it was a "bit of a head-scratcher" for the new station to "go against a live Red Sox game on WEEI on Day 1." Live streaming on the Web site was "spotty for the first half-hour of the show," and the station's jingle is "relentless and annoying." However, WBZ's "classic Boston sports highlights during commercial breaks on the live stream are a brilliant idea," and Felger "landed a couple of A-list guests," including Bruins Owner Jeremy Jacobs. Red Sox GM Theo Epstein also "called in for a brief interview, which was more informal but less informative than his chat on WEEI's 'Dale and Holley Show' earlier in the day" (BOSTON GLOBE, 8/14).

IN THE BEGINNING: In Boston, Johnny Diaz notes WBZ when it officially switched to sports at 3:00am ET Thursday aired 10 consecutive hours of the Patriots' three Super Bowl victories "instead of the live deejay banter the station had originally planned." WBZ has indicated that it would launch at 6:00am with hosts Fred Toucher and Rich Shertenlieb, but instead elected to air the Patriots games before going live with Felger and Boston Globe sports columnist Tony Massarotti at 1:00pm. CBS Radio Boston Senior VP & Market Manager Mark Hannon said, "We thought that listeners would get a kick out of the nostalgia over the victories." WBZ is the flagship station for the Patriots and Bruins (BOSTON GLOBE, 8/14). Also in Boston, Christine McConville notes based on "interviews with station officials, it was unclear if the maiden broadcast was an abrupt scheduling adjustment or a surprise marketing stunt" (BOSTON HERALD, 8/14).