John Garabedian
Encyclopedia
John H. Garabedian is an American
radio personality and disc jockey, known as the host of Open House Party
. He has been involved in Massachusetts
radio and television stations for around fifty years. John lives in Southborough, Massachusetts
.
At the age of 17, John joined Worcester
station WORC as a disc jockey. Several years after joining, he became a co-host of the original Open House Party radio program, which was a weekday show at that time. By 1971, John was a program director at WMEX/1510 (now WWZN
), and worked with well-known Boston-area disc jockey Arnie "Woo-Woo" Ginsburg
.
In 1969, John and partners founded WGTR/1060 (now WQOM) as a top-40 station serving MetroWest
from Natick
. About a decade later, he and his partners would add a second station, broadcasting from Nantucket, WGTF-FM (which eventually became the current WEII).
In the period around 1975, John Garabedian was an afternoon DJ on the legendary WBCN in Boston.
Four years after MTV
's 1981 debut, John and his aforementioned fellow WMEX alumnus Arnie Ginsburg started a Boston-area 24-hour music video station, WVJV-TV (now WUTF-TV
). Their station, known by its nickname, "V-66", mirrored MTV's early all-video format and lasted until 1986, when WVJV phased out videos and was sold to the Home Shopping Network
.
About twenty years after the start of his V-66 channel, in 2003, John would found his second music and youth-oriented cable television station, XY.tv
. The show found distributors, but ceased operations in 2006.
Following the end of his first television venture, John returned to radio. In 1987, John revived the Open House Party
show as a Saturday and Sunday evening, all-request program on Boston station WXKS-FM
. Over the next twenty years, the program grew into a nationally syndicated show, broadcast on over 150 stations in the United States.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
radio personality and disc jockey, known as the host of Open House Party
Open House Party
Open House Party is an American radio show hosted on Saturday nights by John Garabedian that promotes itself as "the biggest party on the planet". It focuses on playing contemporary hit radio music, also known as Top 40. The show differentiates itself from most Top 40 stations because it plays a...
. He has been involved in Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
radio and television stations for around fifty years. John lives in Southborough, Massachusetts
Southborough, Massachusetts
Southborough is an affluent town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. It incorporates the smaller villages of Cordaville, Fayville, and Southville. Its name is often informally shortened to Southboro, a usage seen on many area signs and maps. Its population was 9,767 at the 2010...
.
At the age of 17, John joined Worcester
Worcester, Massachusetts
Worcester is a city and the county seat of Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. Named after Worcester, England, as of the 2010 Census the city's population is 181,045, making it the second largest city in New England after Boston....
station WORC as a disc jockey. Several years after joining, he became a co-host of the original Open House Party radio program, which was a weekday show at that time. By 1971, John was a program director at WMEX/1510 (now WWZN
WWZN
WWZN is an AM radio station licensed to serve the Boston media market. Its programming is a time-brokered mix between progressive talk radio during the daytime , sports talk and religious programming in the overnight hours...
), and worked with well-known Boston-area disc jockey Arnie "Woo-Woo" Ginsburg
Arnie Ginsburg
Arnie Ginsburg was a well-known American disc jockey in the Boston radio market from the mid-1950s to the 1970s. Following this period, he became involved in the business side of radio as a business manager, president and owner of WVJV-TV , and later as an executive with Pyramid Broadcasting and...
.
In 1969, John and partners founded WGTR/1060 (now WQOM) as a top-40 station serving MetroWest
MetroWest
MetroWest is a cluster of cities and towns lying west of Boston and east of Worcester, in the US state of Massachusetts. The name was coined in the 1980s by a local newspaper....
from Natick
Natick, Massachusetts
Natick is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. Natick is located near the center of the MetroWest region of Massachusetts, with a population of 33,006 at the 2010 census. Only west from Boston, Natick is considered part of the Greater Boston area...
. About a decade later, he and his partners would add a second station, broadcasting from Nantucket, WGTF-FM (which eventually became the current WEII).
In the period around 1975, John Garabedian was an afternoon DJ on the legendary WBCN in Boston.
Four years after MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
's 1981 debut, John and his aforementioned fellow WMEX alumnus Arnie Ginsburg started a Boston-area 24-hour music video station, WVJV-TV (now WUTF-TV
WUTF-TV
WUTF-DT is a television station in the Boston market. Owned by the Univision Broadcast Group and managed locally by Entravision, the station is an affiliate of the Telefutura network...
). Their station, known by its nickname, "V-66", mirrored MTV's early all-video format and lasted until 1986, when WVJV phased out videos and was sold to the Home Shopping Network
Home Shopping Network
Home Shopping Network or HSN began in 1977 as a 24-hour/7 day a week home shopping television network televised via cable, satellite, and some terrestrial channels in the Philippines. HSN can also be shopped online at hsn.com...
.
About twenty years after the start of his V-66 channel, in 2003, John would found his second music and youth-oriented cable television station, XY.tv
XY TV
XY TV was a lifestyle channel targeted towards generation 'x' and generation 'y', basically the 12-34 yr old demographic. Programming deals with a whole range of issues such as sex, dating, relationships, jobs, nightlife and more...
. The show found distributors, but ceased operations in 2006.
Following the end of his first television venture, John returned to radio. In 1987, John revived the Open House Party
Open House Party
Open House Party is an American radio show hosted on Saturday nights by John Garabedian that promotes itself as "the biggest party on the planet". It focuses on playing contemporary hit radio music, also known as Top 40. The show differentiates itself from most Top 40 stations because it plays a...
show as a Saturday and Sunday evening, all-request program on Boston station WXKS-FM
WXKS-FM
WXKS-FM, better known as Kiss 108, is a radio station in Boston, Massachusetts, licensed to nearby Medford broadcasting a Top 40 format...
. Over the next twenty years, the program grew into a nationally syndicated show, broadcast on over 150 stations in the United States.