The Wed. re-ping. Today’s Howie column below.
Hub Politician Dials it Up A Notch—Or Six
by Howie Carr/Boston Herald 10/3/07
They’re burying Jack E. Molesworth this morning, and with him, a small but colorful bit of Boston radio history.
Molesworth was probably the first and definitely the last guy to attack a Boston radio talk-show host during a broadcast, and to engage in a knock-down, drag-out brawl with the host while the air went dead for five or 10 minutes, depending on which paper you read. The host was Jerry Williams. The radio station was WMEX. The year was 1962.
It didn’t rate a mention on either paper’s obituary page yesterday, but the brawl was front-page news on May 23, 1962.
The Herald: “Molesworth, Radio MC in Studio Brawl”.
The Traveler: “Fight Show Enlivens Hub Radio”.
Molesworth, who died Sunday at age 81, was at the time a Republican state committeeman from the Back Bay. Jerry Williams hosted the top-rated night show in Boston, on AM radio believe it or not, routinely getting 40 shares (now you can win with a 6 or 7). His WMEX lead-in was Arnie “Woo Woo” Ginsburg’s Night Train.
Molesworth was not a “first-time caller.” He had been feuding with Williams for months. On this night, Jerry’s first guest was a Democratic rep from Dorchester, Bill Keenan, who was apparently putting the knock on GOP Gov. John Volpe over some long-forgotten legislation.
Molesworth ran downstairs from his 166 Beacon St. apartment and drove the few blocks to the MEX studio on Brookline Avenue to demand “equal time.” In those days, Jerry had a studio audience for his live show, and Molesworth muscled into the studio around 12:10 a.m. By that time Williams was interviewing a new guest, the legendary Rep. Julius Ansel, also of Dorchester, whose heart always belonged to Ward 13.
Molesworth rushed up to the microphone and began yelling at Jerry. Williams informed his audience that he was being heckled by a member of the John Birch Society. “Typical Molesworth tactic,” Jerry sneered.
Let’s pick up the Herald account: “A heated argument then began. Listeners heard a loud crash, then a pause. The pause lasted more than five minutes.”
Molesworth was outnumbered, and as the Traveler put it, “the professional stamp collector took a licking.”
Molesworth got the bum’s rush out of the studio. But despite reporting a “possible broken shoulder, a fractured left elbow and numerous bruises,” he claimed victory over Williams, a radio technician, and a supporter of Ansel’s from Topliff Street.
“They took me unawares,” Molesworth said, “and then we sort of wrestled out the door. Then we were on the floor and I think Williams was on the bottom.”
As the battered Molesworth drove directly to MGH for treatment, Williams breathlessly returned to the microphone: “I’ve never experienced anything like this in 16 years of radio work.”
More than 30 years later, aging listeners would come up to Williams wherever he appeared and tell him that they were there in the ‘MEX studio the night he duked it out with Jack Molesworth. You’d think Jerry was broadcasting from the Garden that night, rather than from Whim-X’s cramped quarters.
The story petered out after a few days, and life went on. Rep. Ansel was elected to the state Senate in 1964 and on election night told his devoted supporters, “Now that I’m in the Senate, let me say this: The price is going up!” He died the next year.
Jerry Williams remained Jerry Williams. He passed on in 2003. And Jack Molesworth? He ran for Congress in 1964 against House Speaker John McCormack, didn’t get very far and eventually moved out of the city to Winchester, where he’ll be buried today at Wildwood Cemetery.
Goodbye Jack, and wherever you are, give my regards to Jerry and Julius.
Re: the Limbaugh controversy:
According to Tom Taylor’s column today (Radio-Info.com), reflecting the TALKERS numbers (a magazine about
talk radio):
>>Rush is still #1 at about 13.25 million in minimum weekly 12+ cume (all numbers rounded off to the nearest quarter million).
No wonder the libs hate him.
Other leading talkers include Sean “You’re A Great American”, Michael “The Liberal VERMIN!!”,
Glenn “Conservative But Not Necessarily Republican” and
Laura “Shut Up And Buy My New Book”.
Mark “get off the phone you big dope” is up there too, and:
>>Then Mike Gallagher and Michael Medved at about 3.75 million each.
So why the low numbers for WTTT in Boston which carries
them?
And yeah, there’s a lib or two in there, like Sgt Schultz who is tied with Bill Talking Points.
We need Mark Levin in Boston. One of two soundboards
where you can click on a sound bite from his show.
http://marklevinfan.com/MarkLevinBoard.htm