Ken Shelton

The Colgate Country Music Showdown with host Kenny Shelton will be from 10am - 1pm.

Ken Shelton, a very familiar voice on Boston FM radio for the past 30 years, has been silenced.The midday disc jockey was released from his job at WROR 100.5FM, after his air shift last Friday(4/4).

Shelton has been at the classic hits station since last September(BRW 9/18) when WROR relaunched its programming image with a weekend on-air reunion of former Boston rock radio DJ's.Shelton was one of many personalities featured on WROR during the 3-day special marathon.He returned to WROR after a five year absence from Boston radio when he was at morning host at WBOS 92.9FM from 1995 to 1997.Shelton broke into Boston radio 30 years ago with stints at now-defunct WBZ-106.7FM, WCOZ-94.5FM, and WEEI-103.3FM, before joining WBCN 104.1FM in 1980.He spent 13 years at 'BCN as the midday jock, between Charles Laquidara and Mark Parenteau.

When Infinity Broadcasting('BCN's owner) bought then-crosstown rival WZLX in 1993, he was moved over there to do mornings, but only for two years.Shelton was let go from WZLX in 1995, ironically, by the same program director who dismissed him from WROR last week -- Buzz Knight.

The reason for Shelton's exit is very likely due to the fact is WROR has recently adopted new music-driven approach(outside of Loren&Wally's morning show).With WROR heading in all-about-the-music direction (after 10am), it clearly meant a clash with Shelton's familiar style of presenting music.He would take time to dig deep into music's historical background.In other words, he preferred to talk more, instead of keeping low-profile and just naming the songs and artist, keeping things moving.

Shelton gets replaced by night-time veteran Julie Devereuax who moved into midday slot on Monday.

Large-group ownership took its toll in other ways as well -- increased simulcasting (WVAY in Wilmington VT, WPJB [now WAKX] in Narragansett Pier RI, WNHQ in Milford NH, and WMNM in Port Henry NY were among the stations that entered 1997 with their own programming and left it as simulcasts), dismissals of veteran (but high-paid) talent (Boston was hardest hit, with WBCN's Mark Parenteau, WBOS's Ken Shelton, and WRKO's Marjorie Clapprood losing their jobs), and the continuing disappearance of news jobs (WHYN in Springfield and WELI in New Haven farmed their newsrooms out to Metro Networks, while WGR and WBEN in Buffalo made the first inroads towards combining their news operations).
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Ken Shelton loses his morning gig at WBOS (92.9 Brookline-Boston).And WRND (91.7 Manchester NH) disappears from the air for good.

And with morning jocks Ken Shelton of WBOS and Jack Brady of WOAZ stranded at home, overnighters Julie Devereaux and Hillary Stevens got to stay on for the morning gigs at Greater Media's newest stations.

Parenteau, midday jock Ken Shelton, and morning guy Charles Laquidara were the cornerstones of the WBCN lineup through much of the seventies and eighties.
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Laquidara was moved to classic rocker WZLX (100.7) two years ago, while Shelton also spent two years at WZLX before being let go from the then-Infinity group in 1995.

Ken Shelton's contract with Greater Media's WBOS (92.9 Brookline) expires at the end of this month and will not be renewed.

Shelton has been at WBOS since 1995, when he was let go from Infinity classic rocker WZLX (100.7), where he had been for two years after a lengthy stint at WBCN (104.1).Shelton's brand of personality-driven morning radio was at odds with the "morning music station" image WBOS PD Jim Herron has been crafting at the station.

There's no word yet on a successor for Shelton; WBOS is planning to use celebrities to fill in for several weeks.There's also no word on Shelton's future plans following his last show Friday morning.

Other news from MASSACHUSETTS: The unlicensed broadcaster known as "Rebel Music Radio" has landed on yet another frequency.