Atlantic Records and WAAB by Chet Williamson Today the station is WEEI, sports radio, AM 1440. At one point in its illustrious history, it was called WAAB and owned by brothers Ahmet and Neshui Ertegun, along with Jerry Wexler – towering giants of American jazz and blues history. See: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WVEI_(AM) See: bostonradio.org/stations/74467 The trio purchased the Worcester station in 1968. These music mavens developed their reputation having owned Atlantic Records, early of home of such seminal figures as Ray Charles, LaVern Baker, Clyde McPhatter, the Coasters, the Drifters and Big Joe Turner, and later, Rufus and Carla Thomas, Solomon Burke, Otis Redding and Aretha Franklin. The news of these high powered hot shots coming to town to set up shop sent shock waves throughout local stations -- so much so that WORC took them to court. The suit argued that it was a conflict of interest for record company to own a radio station. The thought was that they would be acting in their own self-interest by advancing their own music. Under the headline of “FCC stands Pat on ’68 Worcester sale,” an unidentified writer at Broadcasting magazine stated: “A charge by WORC Worcester, Mass., that owners of WAAB-AM-FM there concealed or misrepresented facts about their ownership in a recording company was denied by the FCC last week as it affirmed its assignment of licenses of the stations from Waterman Broadcasting Corp. (Bernard Waterman, from 1961) to WAAB. In the Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, WORC had argued that the principals of WAAB Inc., had “failed to disclose to the commission their interest in Atlantic Recording Corp., which had been sold to subsidiary of Warner Bros.-Seven Arts Ltd. Broadcasting magazine reported that a December 1967 amendment to the sale application stated that the principals of WAAB Inc., no longer had interests in the Atlantic. It was determined that the Erteguns and Wexler were now only minority owners of the record company. Atlantic. In March of 1968, the FCC granted the approved of the sale of the station from Waterman Broadcast Corp. to WAAB Inc., the Eteguns and Wexler. The cost: $675,000. Unfortunately, the trio never really took hold in the Worcester market, eventually selling the station to other interests. During their tenure as owners they continued to be entangled in legal battles. In 1969, it was discovered that shortly after the sale, the new buyers had obtained a number of shares in Warner-Seven Arts, parent company to Warner Brothers Records, which owned Atlantic Records. However, according to Billboard, the FCC only scolded the WAAB owners for what was seen as a “minor dereliction” and found them innocent of any “willful concealment.” Still, the die was cast and by the year’s end, the Erteguns and Wexler were out of the radio business. Incidentally, in 1969, WAAB-FM also premiered WAAF and became rock radio titans under new owner Southern Massachusetts Broadcasters. End
Posted on: Mon, 14 Jul 2014 12:28:55 +0000
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