Meeting the original Rocky, 1964

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Rocky was a bit shorter, was dressed conservatively in slacks and a sports jacket that showed that he was in very good shape. I figured he must have been Fernandes’ bodyguard. I had no idea what Frankie did for Fernandes.

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We Were the TV Generation

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I got pulled to work on a kids’ TV show called ZOOM and was on the pilot and the first season. The show was a big hit… I quickly aged out of that as if I was in Menudo.

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Jim Lewis Remembers: Julia Child’s Car Talk

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In 1985 Julia Child received an honorary doctorate from her alma mater, Smith College. One of WGBY’s supporters arranged for her old classmate to stay on the day after the ceremony to do a reception for our donors.

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A Boy from Milwaukee

Fred & Barb

From Fred Barzyk: My Mom had this vision for me. She thought it would be wonderful if I could be in show business… I announced that I would become a piano player! Only problem was we didn’t have a piano.

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A stranger in a strange land

Fred Barzyk (2007)

From Fred Barzyk: Bill insisted I try to get into the scholarship program. You studied for your graduate degree at Boston University and worked three days a week at the Educational Television station. Free tuition and you got $600 to live a year in Boston!

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Jean Shepherd tells his first WGBH story

Jean Shepherd

From Fred Barzyk: I first heard Jean on the radio in Boston. It was 1961. I was babysitting my young son and, while idly scanning radio stations, I heard this person, this intense personal voice, talking to me.

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Remembering “The Club”

The Club

From Bruce Bordett “The Club” began on channel 44 as “Club 44.” I think it was around 1977-80. Studio A was converted into a bar/club where each Friday night we would tape four, half-hour, back to back, “live” 30 minute segments. These featured local bands and musical acts, cooking segments, political editorials from Barney Frank,…

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Bruce Bordett: The Place I Wanted To Be

Julia Child and Bruce Bordett

From Bruce Bordett Sometime my senior year in college I decided that WGBH was the place I wanted to be. I started in the mailroom in 1971 and made it onto the crew about a year later. This I learned later was the time-honored path for many who had gone before me to find job…

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Still connected over the years

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From Steve Rabin — 10/18/2008 I am not really a WGBH alum, although I spent many days during four years at the station working as Director of Programming at EEN with a number of the producer/directors on programming for the EEN member stations. Beyond that, as Media Program Director for NEH from 1974-1982 I was…

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Video Tour of 125 Western Avenue (2006)

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Six WGBH Alumni — Fred Barzyk, Michael Ambrosino, Olivia Tappan, Bruce Bordett, and David Atwood — tour the studios and offices at 125 Western Avenue, WGBH’s primary home from 1964 to 2007

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