1960S DAYTON RADIO WING TOP FORTY !

[Nick Czar]

WING Dayton Ohio 1960s sound & pictorial aircheck featuring the City's number on talent for over a decade.

The Lou Swanson show!

Click on link below.....

http://video.google.com/videoplay?d...l=3&start=0&num=10&so=0&type=search&plindex=0

Nick

 

[FRR]

Great clip. I have every WING Top Forty list from December, 1960 to Kuly13, 1963. When I moved out of my house in 1984, these were the very items I took with me, even before my shaving kit!

 

[kirkiefan]

Cool! Post the surveys online if you could!


The jingles bring back memories..especially the one sounding like the Woody Woodpecker theme....I thought Lou Swanson did mid-days in the early 1960s...my how some of the memories fade after all of fourty four some odd years!

 

[Neil E.]

Anybody remember an incident on WING in the early '60s involving a DJ named Happy Hopkins? At the time I was in HS and working in a bicycle shop where WING was the constant companion in the mechanics' area. One morning Hap played the same song for three hours. The other DJs nicked it "Haps Rock".

The best I could piece this together is that this was meant to be a contract buster.

Anyway, thanks to all here for the links....brought back memories of the good old days.

Neil

 

[tcsnrayp]

One morning Hap played the same song for three hours. The other DJs nicked it "Haps Rock".
The best I could piece this together is that this was meant to be a contract buster.

Sorry to burst the bubble... the "dj locks himself in the control room and refuses to come out while playing the same song over and over" stunt has played as many times as "Hap" played that song. It gets publicity and creates a memory.

 

[KFodor]

Let me comment on a couple of things here. (And, just for the record, not only have I been on the air in Dayton for about half of my 34 years in the business...I also grew up here.)

For those who asked: Lou Swanson did do mornings on WING (around 1963 or so.) His "Camp 1410" was a hit for quite a while. And, his legacy with the station is good...and unquestionable. I don't remember exactly when Lou moved to mid-days, (Kirkie Fan: your memory is not faulty there.) but I also remember Jerry Kaye doing mornings before Steve Kirk arrived in 1967, also a guy named Michael O'Farrell. (I think I have his name right.) If you're interested, California Aircheck has an aircheck of Lou on mornings in 1963 available in their classic edition.

Yes, there was a Happy Hopkins back in the early days of WING, if my 50 year old memory serves me right. And, yes, the "lock yourself in the studio and play the same song over and over" is a bit that's been done millions of times on millions of stations. Usually...(though not always) it is a planned stunt. (I say "usually" because there is a story or two over the years of a few DJ's who truly "lost it" and did it. If the DJ left the station's employ shortly after the stunt, you may assume it was real. Otherwise...it was planned.)

The pictoral of Lou Swanson was very good. Kudos to whoever did it...and congrats to Lou on being inducted in the Ohio Broadcasters Hall Of Fame.

WING surveys: I only have one in my possession at present...but we will be scanning it and putting it on our soon-to-be-debuted media page on the Dayton Broadcasters Hall Of Fame website. (Sorry, I lost my big box of surveys a long time ago!) I'm getting a bunch of pictures together now...plus some audio of some "gems"...even a few things you radio sales types will appreciate. I hope to have it up and running in the next couple of weeks. And, thanks to everyone who is contributing. I am grateful that so many in the Dayton broadcast community are coming up with stuff for this. And, we'll be adding more as we go.

 

[Neil E.]

Thanks for the comments about Hap Hopkins. You folks are probably right about it being a stunt, but I recall tuning over to WONE after about an hour of repetition. How does a stunt such as this promote listenership? Regular listeners are already listening and may tune out, and scanning listeners probably won't realize what is happening. The tune he played certainly wouldn't keep me tuned in if I were just scanning.

Anyway, I also grew up in the Dayton area and have many memories from WING, including the First Street traffic jam from their "Itsy bitsy teeny weenie yellow polkadot bikini" stunt.

While in HS, a friend and I toured their downtown studios. It was pretty neat that they allowed two kids in. If I recall correctly, Rod Williams was doing the news during our visit.

Looking forward to keeping up with the Hall of Fame site. Nothing I can add, but I will be an appreciative visitor.

 

[KFodor]

Thanks for the comments about Hap Hopkins. You folks are probably right about it being a stunt, but I recall tuning over to WONE after about an hour of repetition. How does a stunt such as this promote listenership? Regular listeners are already listening and may tune out, and scanning listeners probably won't realize what is happening. The tune he played certainly wouldn't keep me tuned in if I were just scanning.

Anyway, I also grew up in the Dayton area and have many memories from WING, including the First Street traffic jam from their "Itsy bitsy teeny weenie yellow polkadot bikini" stunt.

While in HS, a friend and I toured their downtown studios. It was pretty neat that they allowed two kids in. If I recall correctly, Rod Williams was doing the news during our visit.

Looking forward to keeping up with the Hall of Fame site. Nothing I can add, but I will be an appreciative visitor.

A stunt, such as playing the same song over and over doesn't do anything for listenership. But, what it creates is
"buzz". The next day, to whatever degree, people around the water cooler are talking about "did you hear that DJ on (station) was playing the same song over and over for 3 hours???? He must have flipped out! The bosses were banging on the studio door trying to break in!" And, so people will tune to the station to see what happens next.

Just like some of the "fake fights" you hear on some other stations (call letters excluded...but, you know who I'm talking about...they've only been doing stunts like that for about 25 years). Or, jocks being "fired" or "suspended" for some alleged egregeous on-air activity. Same thing. And, more often than naught, it's a stunt.

I, too, have a fond memory of my first visit to a radio station. Jim Bennett took me and my parents through WING's downtown studios on a Saturday morning in early 1967. Jim Quinn was on the air that morning, and I found out he and I have the same birthday. When he visited with Kirkie at WING around 1989, he came in the studio, I re-introduced myself, and told him, "You see what you did? I became a disc-jockey and it's your fault!!!" He got a kick out of that.

I'm just waiting on a couple of more photos and pdf files to get done and I'll have the new media page up and running.
I'll let you know when we activate it on the website. Many thanks to the folks at WING. I'm supposed to get together with them soon to go through their photo collection. Hopefully we'll find some good stuff to put up on the Hall Of Website.

 

[tcsnrayp]

How does a stunt such as this promote listenership?

[/quote]
what it creates is
"buzz". The next day, to whatever degree, people around the water cooler are talking about "did you hear that DJ on (station) was playing the same song over and over for 3 hours???? He must have flipped out! The bosses were banging on the studio door trying to break in!" And, so people will tune to the station to see what happens next.
[/quote]

...AND there are people who will remember it, remember who did it on what station, and continue to tell the story for many years! It works.

 

[Neil E.]

author=Neil E.
How does a stunt such as this promote listenership?

what it creates is
"buzz". The next day, to whatever degree, people around the water cooler are talking about "did you hear that DJ on (station) was playing the same song over and over for 3 hours???? He must have flipped out! The bosses were banging on the studio door trying to break in!" And, so people will tune to the station to see what happens next.

...AND there are people who will remember it, remember who did it on what station, and continue to tell the story for many years! It works.

Thanks, guys, for the explanation. Makes sense. Here we are about 47 years later still talking about it.

Neil

 

[Time Traveler]

Just curious...How long was WONE-Channel 98 a Top 40 station? I lived in Cincinnati through the end of 1965,
and recall listening to WONE during 1964 and 1965, more than WING actually, since the 980 signal was alot better.

 

[KFodor]

Just curious...How long was WONE-Channel 98 a Top 40 station? I lived in Cincinnati through the end of 1965,
and recall listening to WONE during 1964 and 1965, more than WING actually, since the 980 signal was alot better.

WOW! Good question. I remember talking on the phone, as a kid, to Tom Campbell, who was a jock on WONE around 1966-1967 or so. (The thing I remember most about him is that he had a mobile phone in his car, quite unusual for the day, and somehow I got a hold of his number, called, and he answered, and talked with me on several occasions. I believe he landed in L.A. after WONE changed format.)

The station was sold to Group One Broadcasting of Akron on or around 1965. Perhaps it happened around that time, or a bit earlier. (Maybe 62-63, perhaps?) However, I admit, I don't know the exact answer to that one. Are there any former Group One employees watching this thread who would know? I'd be interested to know, so I could better update WONE on the Dayton Broadcaster's Hall Of Fame site.

If my memory serves me right, after Top 40, they tried an "adult" format aimed at WHIO, but it crumpled pretty quickly. That led to the switch to country around 1968-1969. Which, of course, put them on the ratings map for many years. That move put WAVI out of the country business. WAVI quickly switched to a format called "charisma radio", during which time you could occasionally hear Gene "By Golly" Barry (who I think was also on WDAO-FM back then), and a radio person since turned consultant now known as Jaye Albright. Unfortunately, "Charisma" never caught on...it was kind-of-a Adult Top 40 format, without the rock stuff. (You'd hear Bobby Sherman and Gary Puckett, but no Rolling Stones.) Mid-days then included a telephone talk show hosted by a guy named Tom Mann. Mann had better numbers, I guess than the rest of the station, which eventually led to WAVI going News-talk, as "People Power/WAVI".

So, can anyone add to the history of WONE here?

 

[Cincinnati Kid]

For a time in the mid-1960's, WONE simulacasted its AM programming on an FM frequency (WONE-FM-?). That helped distant listeners at night when the AM station cut its power and went (I think) directional. Back in 1964, the station broadcasted the state basketball tournament games of Dayton Belmont High School as Don May, Bill Hosket and company won the Class AA Title.

 

[nedsmith2007]

That led to the switch to country around 1968-1969. Which, of course, put them on the ratings map for many years.

It's a shame that WONE country isn't more fondly remembered.

 

[KFodor]

That led to the switch to country around 1968-1969. Which, of course, put them on the ratings map for many years.

It's a shame that WONE country isn't more fondly remembered.

Ned:

People on these boards notwithstanding (since many who are in radio come from Top 40 radio backgrounds, others are too young to remember or care, some others not in radio are "oldies fanatics" and yearn for the good old days of AM rock) allow me to throw you some memories of WONE country.

You see, I worked in the News Department there, under Kent Scott (News Director) for about 3 years in the 1970's. So, too did my buddy, Jim Barrett now at WHIO.

There can be no doubt that going to the country format was the best thing WONE had done in quite a while when it came on the air. Under the guidance of PD Terry Wood, the station adopted a formula that was similar in nature to what stations such as WMAQ in Chicago had done. You see, many country stations prior to that time operated (to say the least) very loosely. Many played 50 record (or more) current lists. Others had no playlist at all...if a record package came in with a Nashville postmark, it got on the air.

Stations like WMAQ (and WONE), made sense of all the records. WONE had a 40 record current list (perhaps there were some "extras", but it was all well structured) and they eventually limited the number of "oldies" that they played. Then, they added good jingle packages and packaged their jocks as "The Country Gentlemen" (country's version of the "good guys", "lively guys", etc.). It was top 40 marketing, done country. And it worked.

David G. McFarland was their morning host for years. Terry Dorsey followed. Lee Riley, Dean Taylor, Bobby Kraig,
Dylan West, Bill Kirby, Butch Brown and a host of others graced their microphones (I know there were more jocks, but these are the names that came to me off the top of my head), and simply...it worked. WONE was at or near the top of the Dayton ratings for years.

About the only thing that led to their downfall...was FM. And, not even at first. WBZI-FM made a good run at them, but their owner and managers never had, or never spent enough money to make their limited signal strike much paydirt (though they did get into the 2 1/2 share range 12 plus). WJAI-FM was their first serious competitor...but, at the time, the station was still on a short tower in Eaton and their signal limitations also hampered their ability to gain big traction. Great Trails Broadcasting (owner of WJAI), unhappy with the fact (so the legend goes) that the station couldn't get the "big ticket, classy" auto dealers, etc...flipped the format right before the station had its' best book ever (I believe it was a 4 share 12 plus). Had GTB waited until they moved that tower to Bellbrook, they might have had a country powerhouse...but it's another example of how GTB as a company was beginning to falter.

It took K-99.1 and Cox Radio's money to undo WONE. But, to have had a successful run from, roughly 1969 to the early 1990's makes that station as legendary, and I believe, more legendary than the Top 40 version of WONE, which apparently only existed for 5 to 7 years (unless someone would care to correct me here). It's unclear, by station histories online I've read so far when WONE went Top 40.

I have fond memories of the station and salute the people who made it big. I'm proud of my very small contribution to its' success during the short couple of years I worked there.

 

[nedsmith2007]

I have fond memories of the station and salute the people who made it big. I'm proud of my very small contribution to its' success during the short couple of years I worked there.

That pride shows by what you wrote.

 

[KFodor]

A correction for accuracy sake:

The WJAI tower was moved to Brookville, not Bellbrook, Ohio as mentioned in my previous post.
I was thinking one thing, while typing another...

 

[miked002]

[QUOTE="Neil E., post: 4551867, member: 79163"]

Anybody remember an incident on WING in the early '60s involving a DJ named Happy Hopkins? At the time I was in HS and working in a bicycle shop where WING was the constant companion in the mechanics' area. One morning Hap played the same song for three hours. The other DJs nicked it "Haps Rock".

The best I could piece this together is that this was meant to be a contract buster.

Anyway, thanks to all here for the links....brought back memories of the good old days.

Neil

The song that Happy Hopkins played was:
The Battle of New Orleans... Over and over for hours. I was listening.

 

[miked002]

I remember when W.I.N.G. DJ. Happy Hopkins played the song: "The Battle of New Orleans." Over and over and over. For hours. That was cool but the song choice was not. After that I got to hate that song. But it did get the station a lot of publicity, every one was talking about it around the Miami Valley. ;-)

 

[Yabadabado1]

Sounds like a ratings ploy. I remember same thing happening at an AM station in my area in the early 70s where the DJ "locked" himself in the booth and played "Tiptoe Through The Tulips" over and over for three or more hours till management met his demands and the explanation by management was that they couldn't break through the door to stop him. The local paper had a story about it the next day and I think even one of the TV stations had a news story about it. Even though I was younger then and was just starting to think about going into radio the story sounded fishy to me. I remember thinking: "They can't call the fire department to break down the door? They can't cut power to the studio? They have to have alternate studios that they have to broadcast from, the newsroom, etc. don't they?" Found out a number of years later after I got into radio and talking to a some ex-DJs that had worked there that it was all a stunt.....they were hoping people would be talking about it and tell their friends who would then tune into the station to hear what all the hullabaloo was about and then stick around to listen after it was all over.

{"Tiptoe Through The Tulips" was a favorite song of mine at the time......I can only explain that away by saying I must have had some traumatic brain injury that had happened sometime around that time}