WJIB Radio 740

I gave up listening to FM Radio back in 2014 after 103.3 switched to Top-​40 and ‘ROR became too repetitive. It was then that I found WJIB and I haven’t looked back since.
This station has a great variety of music. ‘JIB has, as station owner Bob Bittner claims, «a playlist of over 5,000 songs», mostly from the early 40’s to the 80’s (although one may hear the occasional Michael Buble hit once in a blue moon). Because of that, you may hear the same song just once in any given week, as opposed to once a day with other stations on the other dial.
Although this station has a small signal (250 Watts day and only 5 Watts night to prevent interference from clear-​channel CFZM in Toronto), the amount & variety of music they play is huge.
If you are a fan of Big Bands, Crooners, classic Country, or oldies in general, give WJIB a listen!

Best Radio Station EVER! Thank you Mr. Bob Bitner for the amazing Radio Station WJIB!!!

Just discovered WJIB 740 while taking a much needed break from the FM world. OH how I love thee. I wish you came in more clearly. I often lose you when traveling away from the Boston area — booooo! Can’t get enough of your music :)

I just spent a few days in Boston, and the woman who owned the place I was staying had this station tuned on the radio in the apartment I was in when I arrived — my sister and I never changed the station — just a super cool mix of random old tunes, and somehow it just works. Give it a try — I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised how you get sucked in and find yourself wondering why there’s not a station like this in every city.

I’ve started listening only to JIB, except otherwise to classical music, when I drive. I can’t take not only Boston FM stations’ annoyingly repetitive bad song playlists, but the moronic endless commercial breaks, anymore. WJIB has a little bit of everything, and I love I can hear old ‘50s hits that used to be on stations like WODS-​FM or, on Saturday nights with Jim «Does It By Request!» Sands, on WHDH-​AM.
I do notice they seem to have a real liking towards lots of Sinatra songs — I think I’m one of the few Baby Boomers who never really liked his stuff — and I wish I’d hear me some Barbra and Judy a little bit more frequently. But overall and hands-​down, this has become just about one of the few music radio stations around the Beantown area that are still listenable! :)

I really enjoy driving around like a maniac in my old shitty jetta while listening to this radio station. This radio station is hands down the best thing in cambridge.

If you’re an old Italian guy (like my barber when I was a kid) or an old Italian lady (like my girlfriend’s mom) this is the only station you’ll allow on your radio. For non-​geriatric non-​Mediterraneans it’s as good a station as any to provide your own OLD TYME WIRELESS commentary.
Bone up on your Victrola jokes people.

I got my time machine, I flick the switch to AM and adjust the dial to 740… and voila, I’m cast back in time along with Peabody and Sherman to a different time, where big bands and crooners dominated the pop charts… this the perfect music for hanging out in the kitchen during an autumn day and making apple crisp after you’ve spent Saturday at the orchard picking those apples… Sunday is baking day and listening to WJIB… the perfect soundtrack… you never know what they’ll throw at you, but it won’t be anything you’re likely to hear on other oldies stations, this station really dredges up the gold… songs by artists like the Singing Nun!!! Yes, you thought she flew, but, no the 60s had another famous nun and she had a one hit wonder with Dominique… truely a lost oddity… and wonderful to hear coming out of a transistor radio tuned into AM 740.
But wait there’s more!!! And in the spirit of Cambridge radio, the public service announcements are priceless! Bob Bittner, owner of this station, programmer, DJ delivers some common sense platitudes that have to be heard to be believed, you will be astounded by his wisdom and his concise verbiage… my jaw dropped when he said one day, «Credit cards are evil, cut them up» or something like that… it was great!
Well, tune in, and get your browser ready, as you’ll hear a track, and want to know who it is, just grab some of the lyrics and start googling away!!! Your music collection will grow as you discover so many lost gems…

REAL radio! It brings back memories just hearing the call letters and the bell buoy ringing. Ever since someone STUPIDLY decided to eliminate AM1430 WXKS a few years back, only WJIB has delivered consistently eclectic and fascinating music. Corporate, cookie cutter garbage radio is becoming more and more painful and embarassing to listen to, this station is cool!

Hands down my favorite music radio station in Boston area.
They play everything, ranging from Mozart to Frank Sinatra to Benny Goodman to Irving Berlin to the Beatles to Blondie, etc, etc.
The range of musical genres covered is massive– Classical, jazz, blues, ragtime, big band, crooners, doo wop, bluegrass, folk, instrumentals, muzak, showtunes, classic country, rock oldies, soft rock, modern ballads, early new wave, etc.
I’ve even heard some Spanish, French and Italian songs.
I sure hope this station stays on the air, as their music can’t be matched. Every noon they play a gorgous version of the Star Spangled Banner’ as performed on piano. The station is commercial free, and the last couple years has been supported by donations from listeners– I sent in my donation, as my radio is tuned to nothing else.
Most of the popular FM music stations have the boring repetative song play lists, but WJIB has such a massive selection of tracks, they don’t just play top 40 hits. FM stations could learn a thing or two from this AM gem.

If you really want to know me. And I mean REALLY know me. And come on, REALLY, who doesn’t? You need to know a little old factoid and something I’ve kept secret. The only people who know this are my sister, Melanie, and my Papa. I live with them. They have to deal with me listening to AM 740 (wjib) when I «cook» dinner. The music is so funny and old and cheesy and fun. And, it’s a non-​profit so it is run by one guy who seems really nice and has a nice voice for radio.
Now, I’m no cook, or a chef, I merely boil things like vegetables, and make pasta and I can microwave fairly well. I can pre-​heat the oven like nobody’s business. I feel that AM 740 puts me in the «domestic mood.» But, when I’m in the mood to bake, watch out. I really crank it up and sing along. I’m learning how to make brownies. If you have eaten them, I thank you. They play things like «Saturdays in the Park… I think it was the Fourth of Ju-​ly-​yyy.» And my all time favorite of AM 740 «Brandy, You’re a Fine Girl.» I love that song. The DJ motivates me to stay in the kitchen and listen to the little clock radio from the early 1990s that sits atop the kitchen table that is from the 1950s. I even will wash the dishes (a chore I’m not friendly with) but if AM 740 is keeping me company, I’ll wash those dishes so well, you’ll think Alice from the Brady Bunch is your maid (oh, how I wish). When you feel like something different to listen to and find yourself in the cooking mode, turn on AM 740. It takes me back, baby, it takes me back. (even if I was born 30 years AFTER some of these songs debuted).

«Is this AM Radio?» asked my brother as he walked into the room.
Yes. Yes, it is.
We spent a few days painting some rooms in the house he just bought in a little town on the north shore. The little battery operated radio was there to keep us company, but turned out to be the BEST SOUNDS EVER.
I gave up on radio years ago. I have an ipod, and never looked back. WJIB made me realize how wrong I was. Very, very wrong.
The two solid days of broadcast were the best two days of music I’ve heard since my record collection went into storage. The mix of 30’s, 40’s, 50’s, and 60’s had every great song that clear channel (read: evil) leaves out. No commercials. Just those great old tunes. One after another. Heaven.
Perfect to paint a house to. Perfect to make me actually want to own a radio again.
Why, oh why, don’t you podcast this joy? NYC is so far away… sniffles. I miss you WJIB, my summer crush.

This is just plain fun to listen to, although the gamut of music runs wildly from the 1940’s («It’s Been A Long, Long Time» by Harry James & his orch. with Helen Forrest) 1950’s («Oh, My Papa!» by Eddie Fisher) 1960’s «Lemon Tree» by Peter, Paul & Mary and «I’ve Got You, Babe» by Sonny & Cher, «Count Me In» by Gary Lewis & the Playboys –and –get this… «The Lonely Goatherd» from The Sound of Music — it works in its own quirky way. It’s really fun to hear tunes you haven’t heard in decades & find that the «good music» holds up very well. This is a sweet spot on the AM dial.
No venom, just music. Fantastic…

WJIB is fantastic! Corporate commercial radio sucks and this is a refreshing breeze (ding ding, cue seagulls). It’s got a dentist office vibe to it. but is thorougly relaxing. Plus, its AM radio that isn’t talk… super cool. Owner Bob Bittner has maintained the original WJIB format which for years lived at 96.9 on the FM dial.

Growing up with my grandparents, I couldn’t help but be infatuated with the music from the past. Wjib 740 offers the BEST songs that even a 22 year old such as myself appreciates to the fullest. From Tommy Dorsey, Rosemary Clooney, Peggy Lee, Perry Como, Connie Francis and Irving Berlin… these classics are truly honored by this station. On Sundays, they offer Crooners and Big Band, with a splendid selection of music that can never be replicated. Listening to this station puts me in another time, a different era. where beautiful voices and music were overabundant, not like the so-​called artists of our current times. If you like classy, beautiful music from the past without the obnoxious and noise-​filled commercials, this is your station. Cannot express enough in words how fabulous Wjib is! Give it a listen, it sure is swell!
:)

I love WJIB AM, Cambridge. It comes on at 9:00AM sharp, starting with the National Anthem. They play a variety of fun old time music from the 60’s-80’s. Songs ranging from Barbara Strisand, The Sound of Music Soundtrack, Barry Mantalow, Neil Dimond to name a few. I work with the elderly and the disabled and we have JIB on all day to get through the day.

When I was a kid, the only music stations my mother would listen to were of the easy listening variety. I hated it, but it became burned into my psyche. Thanks to Bob Bittner, owner and sole operator of WJIB, Memories 740 («Easy as the Breeze»), I can return to those days anytime by tuning in and summoning up the easy listening playlists of circa 1982, providing a rush of nostalgia for a style of radio I apparently grew some kind of appreciation for in the intervening years.
Sample selections/​artists you may hear:
— Harry Chapin’s «Cats in the Cradle»
— Perry Como
— String arrangements of the Doobie Brothers
— Linda Ronstadt
— The themes from «Hill Street Blues,» «St. Elsewhere,» and «Chariots of Fire» (all, believe it or not, radio hits in their day).
All interspersed periodically with Bittner’s soothing baritone urging you on with positive messages, and cooing seagull sounds in the background. Ideal for washing dishes, staying calm in traffic, or just relaxing with beloved family and friends.