the founder of the Reel Top 40 Radio Repository) I was born as Richard Warren Irwin in Flushing, N.Y. in 1951, and my family moved to Concord, North Carolina when I was 5. I showed an early interest in radio, and got my first radio job when I was 14. Before I finished high school, I had already worked at four radio stations and one TV station: WPEG-FM and WEGO in Concord, WCTU-TV (Channel 36) in Charlotte, WMAP and WIXE in Monroe, where I first learned about the magic of Top 40 from "Brother" Dave Hedrick. I liked radio much better than TV. At that time, the size of TV broadcast gear required a "crew" to do much of anything, but a creative radio guy could do everything by himself.
On Halloween, 1978, I was hired as PD and morning guy for KROI-FM in Sacramento (96.9), sister station of the legendary 1240 KROY. Interestingly, the people that hired me all disappeared shortly after I started work; KROY and KROI-FM had just been purchased by Jonsson Communications Corporation. They presented long-term plans for a giant media group, including a station in San Francisco.
Of all the "related" things I did in radio, I loved the July 4th Shows the best! Between 1982 and 1992, I wrote and directed a July 4th Pyromusical Spectacular, mostly in Sacramento, (for KROY, KENZ, KSAC, KSFM, KHYL) but once in Anaheim, for KEZY-FM (1991). In all, I probably did as much engineering in my "career" as I did programming. I never enjoyed going to the transmitter on weekends, but I never much cared for finding a replacement for the sick overnight guy, either. What I always did enjoy was planning and building. It didn't matter if it was a new production room or a new format. "30 years in radio, and all I got was a website..." When Jonsson's last Sacramento station (1240 AM) was sold to former RKO President Dwight Case in October of 1994, I was excited about the chance to ask this industry icon for his recommendations for my radio career. He advised me to seek a job in Cable TV. I was disappointed beyond words; I had hoped a man with his history would have more hope for radio. I received about 25% of my annual salary in severance, and wandered out into the real world, unknown to a entire generation of broadcasters who changed jobs every 2 years. (Everyone was terminated; we were told the station would be "Spanish". Case sold it a year later to another group of South of the Border broadcasters.) Maybe if I had moved around a lot more, instead of staying with one company for 16 years, I'd have a better shot at making a decent living in radio. I worked with some brilliant consultants and wonderful talent. I really do love radio — that's why this site is here.
I hope REELRADIO will survive as my contribution to the "radio business". The business is allowed to forget me, but the business should never forget the great era of radio that we celebrate here. Note: Richard passed away on June 6, 2018, leaving behind this radio treasure. He was not married and had no children. | ||||||||||
|
. . .Boy that stuff is really here! Opening narration on this aircheck from Programmer's Digest (Vol 2 Issue 10), is by Wayne Hiller, listed at the time as Program Director for KQWB in Fargo, North Dakota. The description provided by PD reads: "Alan Freed: This show from WJW in Cleveland was before Alan's New York City days, arrest for anarchism, payola, integrated shows, etc. To the best of our knowledge, Freed conducted the first integrated rock show netting him no small amount of grief from the establishment. Anyway, appreciate your heritage and enjoy this touch of history."I remember reading once that Freed would play along with the records, pounding a telephone book to accentuate the beat of his "blues and rhythm" records. Devastated by the dire consequences of the "Payola Scandal", Freed passed away at the age of 43, in 1965. He was inducted into the Emerson Radio Hall of Fame in 1968. Although the quality of this 'check is marginal (it was 1954, after all), "The Moondog" is the very beginning of what became Top 40 radio. |
|
Cuban Embargo Pending! This is (I think) a fairly rare clip. I first heard this in 1968. The clip begins with the ending of "Bonanza" by Al Caiola (got to #19 on Billboards HOT 100 in 1961). The newscaster is "Britt Huey". Britt bumps the mic stand at least once during this unbelievably noisy newscast. No wonder - he did it with McKenzie Repeater tape loop machines - there were no carts. One deck of the Repeater needed a second start - you'll hear the authentic dead air where a tympani should be within the first 15 seconds of the newscast. But it wasn't too bad - with two underscores (teletype and strings) and that "shimmering" reverb, there was no such thing as "dead air." The echo and filter effects were applied LIVE by the newscaster. PARIS! France set off its fourth Nuclear Explosion! HAVANA! Russian Goods on the Way! All the elements of todays tabloid-style TV newscasts are here: The recorded "features" (WFUN REFLECTS THE PUBLIC OPINION! WFUN PREDICTS!) intermixed with hard news, noise and dramatic musical bridges. Note the "Weatherscope" and "COUNT! DOWN!" at the end of the newscast, climaxing with the big TWELVE O'CLOCK NOON annoucement, followed by THE major hit of the year - "Runaway", by Del Shannon! Whew! Whadda rush! This tape originally came into my possession in 1968 at WIXE in Monroe, N.C., where I first worked for Dave Hedrick. (Hello, "Brother Dave", you finally got on the web!) This is a marvelous, silly and stylish treasure, but a genuine example of Reel Top-40 news - when form was more important than content! |
|
Atlanta's "Million Dollar Sound" was a real contender in the Atlanta market in those days - days when a "Class IV" (1340 khz: 1KW day, 250 watts at night) could own a market by playing the favorites of kids and young adults. You'll hear Mr. Drake read the beginning of a newscast on this 'check, though the rest of it was cut. Consider that there's less than four years between Bill Drake on WAKE in Atlanta, and Bill Drake at KHJ, Los Angeles. |
|
. . . I have seventy four - seven four - street level degrees on the Buddy Carr Car Pool Party Program . . . Another treasure of my adolescence, this off-air gem includes genuine atmospheric noise and B. Bruce Jenkins with: KAAY COMEX NEWS - FIRST AT 45! Although a bit lighter on bells & whistles than the 1961 WFUN Fundamental News, this was what Bill Clinton could have heard as a kid in Arkansas. The pioneers of the "big production" Top-40 newscasts felt a real need to make a big deal about finishing the news and getting back to music. As with the WFUN Funcast, getting there is the best part. KAAY Communications Exchange (COMEX) News begins to end about 5:06 into this aircheck, and actually finishes about a minute later. I'm still in awe of the passion of the "superhero" voiceover in these production elements. When he says, "In the meantime - Com-EXtras at anytime.. And NOW..." it's like you know something wonderful is going to happen. And our reward, short as it is, is one set from Buddy Carr and the Car Pool Party Program. Whoopee! It's a hot tune from the "Kay Silver Dollar Sound Survey - here in Kay country." |
|
You look wonderful.. you look wonderful.. magnificent thought-provoking boss reading of 86 degrees... We all had to start somewhere. In April of 1965, I was 14 and living in North Carolina. I was studying to take the test for my Third Class Radiotelephone License. I was oblivious to the revolution taking place in Los Angeles, California at that very moment. This clip includes Robert W. Morgan and the Real Don Steele, and was recorded during the very first week of "Boss Radio". Note the promo that encourages listeners to tune to KFWB and KRLA for "examples of pre-boss radio". This clip spotlights the "93KHJ Boss Radio Sneak Preview". Morgan seems somewhat distracted - at one point, he quips he "almost blew our boss" during a botched live spot. Note that even then, the Real Don Steele is as real as ever. This had to be a wonderful and memorable time for these guys - I wonder if they had any idea that what they were doing would change the sound of "Top 40" forever? My copy of this treasure might have survived better on a 78 RPM acetate. It is "authentic analog", it's a classic, and it belongs here, complete with the high frequency splatter inherent with decade old transfers on misaligned tape machines with less-than-optimal bias settings. Enjoy. |
|
"I hate guys with low voices.." Dale Dorman did 6-9 PM on KFRC in 1967? I remember him as the morning guy on WRKO (Boston) in 1973. Dorman's wacky, high-energy enthusiasm is all over this aircheck. So is his imitation of a Remington "Selectro" Shaver. This exhibit went online on February 25, 1996 (in Real Audio 2.0!) It was remastered in 10Khz G2 on May 27, 2001. (Special thanks to Famous Amos.) Though the fidelity of the original, very old cassette was disappointing (someone topped out the bottom end, years ago), I was impressed by the exceptionally tight formatics - and the music levels. Pretty hip considering it was 1967. Timing? Wow - check out Dorman's walk-up on "Treat Her Right"! Dale Dorman passed away on October 25, 2014 following a long illness. He was 71. |
 
Jack Gale, WAYS, Charlotte, N.C. 4-1-70 (14:16)
. . . And there's a blue one! That must be lemon . . .
This recording was made on a Lafayette 1/4" reel to reel recorder, with a vintage 1940's-model Hallicrafters Communications receiver set to "wide band", at 7.5 ips on April 1, 1970. There was some lightning in the air that morning, and you can hear it in this recording. The high frequency distortion is part of the original recording, and come to think of it, part of the original broadcast! The station had a 5KW signal that covered "35 North and South Carolina counties", and was expertly engineered, but it was equalized for narrow-band receivers. Yep, the reverb is real. That's how much they ran, on everything and everybody for at least 5 years of dominance in the Charlotte market. Gale's bits were as regular as clockwork: Every day was his birthday, Lowell Pressure always did the weather at 8:30, and Plummerville was always the warm spot. Gale had dozens of other bits he repeated over the years. Most of his voice characterizations were done live. April 1, 1970 was just prior to BWB #5 (Big WAYS Birthday #5). WAYS enjoyed an incredible run in Charlotte, but one year after this aircheck, 50KW WBT was well into the ultimately successful campaign that re-claimed the Queen City's AM radio crown. |
The Last Contest - And in Conclusion, 1972 (5:18)
..My sister just had her baby on the living room carpet.. This appeared on the second issue of Programmer's Digest (August 14, 1972). Narrated by John Young (at that time, at WMAK in Nashville), it includes an interview with Jack McCoy who explains what happened when the "secret phone number" was finally announced, and the changes that KCBQ initiated to avoid destroying the San Diego telephone system. |
|
Robert W. Morgan, KHJ, 1972 (7:31)
..Actually, (Walt Baby Love) used to be one of the Supremes.. Robert W. Morgan demonstrates his cutting-edge wit as he promotes unisex after-shave, does a phoner with a moaner, and wakes Walt Baby Love in this boss blast from Spring, 1972. |
"I'm So Tired of Being Alone - I mean - after you've seen Miss January once, you've seen her..."
|
 TOP STREAM 32Kbps (10Khz)
WFIL, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Summer 1972
(14:38)
. . . and a $350,000 promotion budget that doesn't quit when the Arbitron or Pulse is over . . .
As I have noted before, reverb seemed to be primarily an east coast phenomenon in the format, and WFIL does not disappoint in this regard. Any classic station of the great top-40 era is OK with me, but the ones that combine music, personality, promotion, and on-air production into a "powerhouse" image are my favorites. Those great jingles, promos, sounders and big booming voiceovers created a "larger than life" personna for stations like WFIL. In 1972, WFIL was still making great Top-40 radio. I hope to learn (and hear) more of this legendary station. |
|
ORIGINALLY POSTED MARCH 29, 1997 - RE-ENCODED MAY 29, 2011
PD Profile: WKBW Buffalo NY, 1972 (10:01)
 Jeff Kaye This composite was featured on Programmer's Digest, Vol 1, Issue 1, 7/10/72. Tom Kennedy of WRKO, Boston provides a short introduction, and Program Director Jefferson Kaye takes it from there. Kaye passed away after battling cancer the week of November 11, 2012. He was 75. The composite features Dan Neverath, Jack Sheridan, Don Berns, Sandy Beach, and Jack Armstrong, among others. |
|
Jay Thomas and Composite, WAYS Charlotte N.C. 1972
(08:51)
. . .
Are you a hippie?
From Programmer's Digest (Vol. 1, Issue 8, 11/20/72), this 1972 composite of WAYS, Charlotte, demonstrates the influence of actor Jay Thomas on the properties owned by Sis and Stan Kaplan in 1972. Not only did Thomas have a solid success at WAPE, but he resurrected WAYS from near death after a severe thrashing by Tom McMurray's WBT.
In addition to Thomas, this composite features |
|
The Tom Shovan Story (12:36) . . . Shovan's got a third paycheck from management to replace the other two - what a competitor! . . .
Shovan's career, much of which is highlighted in this feature narrated by Dave Hellerman, included stops at WMEX in Boston in 1958 as Melvin X. Melvin, WPOP in Hartford, WPTR in Albany (1966), WKIP (Poughkeepsie, N.Y.) and WHVW (Hyde Park, NY). In later years, Shovan was VP/Program development of Radio Today Entertainment, NYC; VP operations for Rick Dees Entertainment and a columnist for Hitmakers Magazine. | |
|
|
|
KROQ Los Angeles, Composite, 1972 (10:37) . . . Don't forget to smell the flowers, 'cause we're only here for a short visit . . . From Programmer's Digest (Vol. 1, Issue 9, 12/72), this 1972 composite of KROQ - A Profile of the Roq was interesting to me at the time, but being 3000 miles away from Los Angeles, I didn't really know if the station was a contender or not. So now, despite the high frequency distortion, it has tweaked my curiosity again. What was this station doing with so many great voices and legendary (even then) talents? Did KROQ ever seriously threaten KHJ? Featured on this composite, in order of appearance: Charlie Tuna, Sam Riddle, Jay Stevens, Steve Lundy, (passed away in Houston in April 1999) Jim Wood, Jimmie Rabbit, Steve Sands, J. Paul Huddleston and Paul Oscar Anderson.An impressive staff and the strangest jingles I never heard again are only part of the story of KROQ. According to comments lost in cyberspace, the station's abysmal signal and rubber paychecks made for a short-lived experience. |
|
John R Richbourg - A Legend Hangs It Up, 1973 (5:36)
"... Hey, John R - whatcha gonna do ..."
Released on Volume 2, Issue 3 of Programmer's Digest in August of 1973, this feature is narrated by John Young, (at the time, KILT, Houston) and honors the legendary John "R" Richbourg, who was heard on 50 kilowatt WLAC, Nashville, Tennessee for 32 years. It includes his July 28, 1973 farewell on WLAC, and an interview in which he talks about his life. In the book The Hits Just Keep On Coming - The History of Top 40 Radio, Ben Fong Torres writes: John Richbourg had a direct impact on a teenaged Robert Smith, listening in Brooklyn ... Smith, the future Wolfman Jack, wrote a memoir, Have Mercy! in which he recalled John R.'s theme.... "Hey John R., whatcha gonna do? C'mon, John R., man, and play me some rhythm and blues", to which Richbourg would roar out his response, "Whoa! Have mercy, honey, have mercy, have mercy." |
|
TOP STREAM 32Kbps (10Khz)
KFRC San Francisco Mick Jagger Weekend (1973) (7:42)
"..Be First, and KFRC will get you off, in Mick Jagger's Morgan Plus Eight Roadster..." This composite of the KFRC Mick Jagger Weekend was featured on Programmer's Digest, Vol 2, Issue 8, 10/22/73. Rodney Allen Rippey and Cheech & Chong introduce Kevin McCarthy, JJ Johnson, Beau Weaver, Bobby Ocean, Jack Friday and Eric Chase. This composite was prepared and submitted by engineer Jeff Kauffer, who created a great piece of audio. Thank you, Jeff, wherever you are.. This aircheck is style and class from top to bottom. I found myself misting up about 3:04 - What Drake Series is that? Bobby Ocean's promo, tagged with that jingle into "Everybody Plays the Fool" with JJ Johnson. It gets to me - it's classic, very polished, GREAT Top-40 radio. I never heard KFRC "live" in 1973, but man, what a radio station! I understand better why my native Northern Californian radio friends speak with reverence about this station...
Real-Time Update! (April 2, 1996) Jack Friday writes: Yes, that was a classic, even though we thought (in those days) it was just SOP for contests. In retrospect those were very creative days in radio as compared to what goes on now. My stay at KFRC was from 1971 to 1974, what I think was the "best" of KFRC, and the high ground of Top 40 radio. The only other station I think was better, (my all time favorite) is WFIL in Philadelphia circa 1965 to 1968. |
|
The Power of Production - In the Beginning (4:47)
"... but the ears only laughed to hear such a silly voice for God ..."
It's hard to believe that any free-thinking human would be offended by this, but be warned: The words "God" and "Jesus Christ" are used for entertainment purposes. This was (and still is) a brilliant piece of audio production, just as enjoyable now as it was in 1973. And what about Dan Siemasko? Your curator turns to our honored guests for an update (COMMENT, below) on his whereabouts. Such talent, one would think, should be rewarded - if there's a God, that is. |
I took a 9 month unscheduled "vacation" from JCC in 1983 and became an
"Associate" with (old friend) Gary Burns & Associates. My music systems and technical recommendations became part of WPXY in Rochester and WNYS-FM in Buffalo, NY, KXZL-FM in San Antonio and KRIX-FM in McAllen-Brownsville, TX. The stations did well, Gary went on to other things and I went back to JCC in a role where my programming skills were only solicited at the very end, when only a single 1KW AM was left.
For six years after I left radio, I designed web sites for dozens of commercial and government clients. I left web design behind and from January 2, 2001 through March 22, 2004, I was a Software Engineer with Captus Networks, a tech start-up in Woodland, CA.
TOP STREAM 20.7Kbps (10Khz)
