Steve LeVeille WBZ-AM 1030 laid off
* Important Update!
It seems all the thousands of protests have helped. Steve is back!
WBZ Radio brings back the laid-off late-night host after thousands air their grief:
Read more: "This time, the listeners were heard. Boston Herald
Or watch the video here at WBZ Newsradio: http://wbz.com/pages/3175088.php. Wade through the videos until you find "Steve Leveille Returns to WBZ!!!".
Or Read more: Steve-LeVeille and Lovell Dyett to return to WBZ. WBZ Newsradio 1030
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The new year has begun with some unexpected news. The latest layoffs hit WBZ-AM (1030) this week, including Steve LeVeille.
Rumors of deep cuts at WBZ 1030 AM have been running rampant in local media circles for some time. WBZ-AM, Boston’s 50,000-watt news/talk station, has just laid off three of its talk show hosts and a sportscaster. The rumor first appeared on the SaveWRKO.com Web site, and was then confirmed in Boston Herald. The demise of the "Steve LeVeille Broadcast" leaves the midnight to five o’clock hours at WBZ-AM unfilled; the departure of Lovell Dyett and Pat Desmarais mean that the evening weekend hours have new gaps in them.
It’s a sad day for WBZ. With a mammoth overnight signal reaching many states and provinces, it’s hard to believe the station would resort to syndication or infomercials in those hours. It’s more evidence of the extreme nature of the media’s meltdown.
Steve LeVeille has worked in radio for 25 years and has been with WBZ since 1991. Since June of 1999 he has hosted "The Steve LeVeille Broadcast" on WBZ from midnight to 5 a.m. weekdays. The call-in program features discussions of current news events, politics and consumer issues with a mix of light topics.
LeVeille, a Boston-area native, began his career at all-news WEEI in 1977 as a news writer and producer. He worked for ABC News in New York as an assignment editor and writer from 1980 to 1986. From 1991 to 1997 LeVeille worked for Monitor Radio as a program host and news anchor on nationally and internationally broadcast programs. He was also heard frequently as a news anchor on WBUR in the 1990s.
Of the awards he has won for excellence in broadcasting Steve’s favorite is the 1988 Associated Press Massachusetts Broadcasters award for Best Sports Commentary for pieces he did for WAAF.
LeVeille is a graduate of Emerson College and lives in the Boston area with his wife, Diane.
Sources:
Boston Herald, Naughtiest newsmakers of ’08
BREAKING: Major Layoffs At WBZ Radio?
Google Cache of WBZ Newsradio 1030 staff
Homepage of Steve LeVeille: http://www.geocities.com/~radiosteve/
January 7th, 2009 at 12:30 pm
My family and I were crushed and deeply hurt to learn that the Steve LeVeille Broadcast was abruptly replaced by “Canned Compost”. I listened to the monkey business and clicked it off. I made another attempt to listen Tuesday, but it was like probing an open wound.
Steve is the best combination of those personalities that aired during the past forty years, e.g. Larry, Norm, Tom and Bob. Keep in mind, that is who we allow into our homes – personalities, not call letters.
In this post 9-11 period he certainly represents an immediate “local voice” with local information and local banter (about same) as we awake from a period of rest.
Please, bring back The Steve LeVeille Broadcast – sooner, rather than later.
January 7th, 2009 at 7:56 pm
Bring back Steve. Sign petition at http://www.bringbacksteve.com
January 8th, 2009 at 12:56 pm
I agree and have signed the petition. I have stopped listening to wbz after 30 yrs.
January 8th, 2009 at 1:10 pm
I signed the petition also.
January 9th, 2009 at 6:42 am
This sucks. I work third shift and of the 5 stations the radio actually picks up, WBZ was the only one that had something good to offer (STEVE) in those overnight hours. This new crap they have on is just unbearable, I can’t even listen. So long WBZ, you’ve lost another listener. Hopefully Steve will find another show somewhere, because I’d love to hear him online again. I’ll miss hearing Generosa from Peabody! And I’ll miss Mel Simons and his loveable snorts. It was always a great night when Steve and Mel were on, they’re hilarious together.
Steve, I hope you are reading all this stuff. I feel like I lost a family, with all the regulars that called in. I wonder how Max is doing and what his next antic will be. This just kind of sucks to have no closure!
January 9th, 2009 at 11:49 am
Once again New York is taking a little part of Boston off the map. Way to go CBS!
Jerks