The Boston Globe from Boston, Massachusetts • 56

TUNED IN 3 By Jeff McLaughlin ale Dorman, for nearly 10 years the zany morning announcer on WRKO-AM, had just returned from a two- week vacation in Hawaii last I -J It man played Bob Dylan's rasping "Stay, Lady, Stay," followed by the current smash, "The Closer I Get To You," by silky-voiced Roberta Flack and Donnie Hathaway, and then the romping "Philadelphia Freedom" by Elton John. Paul McCartney's simple ditty, "With A Little Luck," was back-to-back with Bonnie Tyler's impersonation of Melanie singing David Clayton-Thomas' "It's A Heartache." "I've been into quote programing unquote for a long time," said the 34-year-old Andover resident in an interview, "and I had been programed myself into thinking a certain way about Top 40 radio. But VBF has the extreme intelligence in music selection to be naive the people at the station think like listeners, not like program directors. Sure, we play the current hits, but not according to clockwork every 15 minutes." Dorman said he has no hobbies besides music. He has a record collection that runs from Beethoven to Muddy Waters, he had a studio built in the house where he and second wife Dyan live, and said of rock 'n' roll: "I live with it, by it and for it." With his waist-length brown hair, intense blue eyes, quick-witted sarcasm was born a and basically outspoken nature, Dorman nevertheless had never been fired from a job before getting the ax at WRKO.

"It's an egotistical business, you know, and it's very degrading to be told you're unwanted. But I just picked up my sweaty earphones and went home. Now, I'm happier than I have been in a long while." March when his boss called him in and told him he was fired. The celebrated Dorman wit was pushed to the straining point, although he did manage to respond: "Well now, that isn't too encouraging, is it?" Dorman was a casualty of slipping ratings although he said the problem was stationwide and not confined to his show. But now, he said, he thinks getting fired was "the best thing that ever happened to me." Dorman now has a regular but part-time gig on WRKO's biggest competitor for Top 40 listeners, WVBF-FM.

He's on Saturday and Sunday 2-6 p.m., and fills in for vacationing regulars. This week for example, is his second week filling in on the air noon-3 p.m. weekdays. Dorman is also the jokester, punster and all-around nut who introduces "Mighty Mouse," "Casper the Ghost" and Nancy" cartoons on WLVI-TV (Ch. 5fi) i days a week.

His breaks are "recorded live," which is to say he tries hard to get "mentally involved in what the kids are seeing, going to see and could respond to." although he's not really sitting in the television studio at the crack of dawn. 1 I Music is Dale Dorman's true love, and radio his favorite medium. He makes no secret of his hope of getting a permanent full-time job at WVBF where 'everybody is a music nut like But music is Dorman's true love, and radio his favorite medium. He makes no secret of his hope of getting a permanent full-time job at WVBF, which he said "is a terrific place to work everybody there is a music nut like me." WVBF is a somewhat unusual station in the Boston marketplace. It falls into the general category of Top 4(1 rock 'n' roll radio, but the play lists include album cuts, oldies (and not just "golden and an occasional surprise.

One day last week, for example, Dor Jell McLaughlin is member of The Globe staff. Why does a 2-story-high dinosaur have front legs only three reet long ML Free New sletter about our ever-changing exhibits and events. Free 2-for-1 pass. Bring one guest free when you buy a $3.00 adult ticket. Send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to Dept.

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