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WOGL vs WPGR in the early '90s
- Thread starter JH_Radio
- Start date
In the 1990”s WOGL played hits from the 50’s 60”$ & 70s but phased out most 50’s songs by 2000 and dropped the “oldies” label except some speciality shows. WPGR increasingly focused on pre-Beatles era r&b & doo-wop with Jerry Blavat playing his collection all afternoon.
When I was working in Philly radio around then, WPGR was playing enough good stuff to keep me entertained on actual drives to work. And sometimes from work, lol. I hadn't been old enough to remember some of those songs back when they were current. But 'PGR played them.
They once played a half-hour straight of songs by the Intruders one afternoon. The jock had some Irish on-air name, like Kelleher or Gallagher, McGinnity, whatever. He may even have been the PD at the time.
WPGR was a really terrific commute listen that helped pep me up for playing the same 270 songs on the soft A/C stations.
They once played a half-hour straight of songs by the Intruders one afternoon. The jock had some Irish on-air name, like Kelleher or Gallagher, McGinnity, whatever. He may even have been the PD at the time.
WPGR was a really terrific commute listen that helped pep me up for playing the same 270 songs on the soft A/C stations.
In 1995, WPGR was sold to a multicultural group and became WNWR(for New World Radio, it's moniker). It is now a Spanish radio station.
He has been doing that since day one. It's part of his act. If you're used to it, it is really good and makes the shows fun especially on those live Memories in Margate shows. Certain times he will indeed load up a cd, but it's always been records for the most part.
I actually don't like it much. Some of those songs I do not know. I'm down with talking up breaks but yeah.
He pays to be on all of the stations h'es on too, right? like WVLT etc?
Lol, JH Radio, Youngest DXer, et al !
One evening on the internet station Top Shelf Oldies, the guy who runs the place took off. Heavy date, no doubt.
Instead of his own show, or an archived rerun of it, he featured an untelescoped air check of Blavat. Holy Smoke, was the reaction in the chat room outraged. One of the kindest chat observations was from some gal, who typed 'Why the (heck) does he keep talking over all the records so much??!?!?'
Nonetheless, I find Jerry Blavat to be a treasure. One of a kind.
One evening on the internet station Top Shelf Oldies, the guy who runs the place took off. Heavy date, no doubt.
Instead of his own show, or an archived rerun of it, he featured an untelescoped air check of Blavat. Holy Smoke, was the reaction in the chat room outraged. One of the kindest chat observations was from some gal, who typed 'Why the (heck) does he keep talking over all the records so much??!?!?'
Nonetheless, I find Jerry Blavat to be a treasure. One of a kind.
A treasure indeed, Steve! And he was in the Class of Greats, with Hy Lit, Harvey Holiday, Joe Niagara, Tommy McCarthy, to name a few, and they all held on until the eighties (except for the knocked out Niagara nifties)!
Going back to the original question regarding whether or not WPGR played older music in the early 90’s the answer is yes and no. WOGL didn’t play anything prior to 1955 back then, (Think Rock Around The Clock). WPGR would play a handful of cuts from the early 50’s, ie. Rocket 88 by Jackie Brenston from 1951 or Gee by The Crows from 1953.
That said, most of the differences between the two stations wasn’t in the age of the music but in the style or genre of the music. WOGL was very Beatles, Motown and Beach Boys heavy back then. WPGR didn’t go anywhere near The Beatles, but rather focused more on R&B, Doo Wop, Philly Soul, and esoteric Line Dance records. WOGL played some of that stuff, but WPGR went much deeper into it.
For example, as WOGL was playing “My Girl” by the Temptations, WPGR might be playing “You’re Not An Ordinary Girl” by the same group or “Third Finger Left Hand” by The Vandellas, both well known Motown B-Sides amongst listeners of that music.
Someone else brought up The Intruders. WOGL may have played “I’ll Always Love My Mama” but WPGR would have played “Love Is Like A Baseball Game,” a Philly classic soul record that WOGL wouldn’t touch with a ten foot poll.
With all this said, the style and presentation though between the two stations were very similar in regards to Jingles, ‘hitting the post’ and very tight board work. Hope this helps to answer your question,
That said, most of the differences between the two stations wasn’t in the age of the music but in the style or genre of the music. WOGL was very Beatles, Motown and Beach Boys heavy back then. WPGR didn’t go anywhere near The Beatles, but rather focused more on R&B, Doo Wop, Philly Soul, and esoteric Line Dance records. WOGL played some of that stuff, but WPGR went much deeper into it.
For example, as WOGL was playing “My Girl” by the Temptations, WPGR might be playing “You’re Not An Ordinary Girl” by the same group or “Third Finger Left Hand” by The Vandellas, both well known Motown B-Sides amongst listeners of that music.
Someone else brought up The Intruders. WOGL may have played “I’ll Always Love My Mama” but WPGR would have played “Love Is Like A Baseball Game,” a Philly classic soul record that WOGL wouldn’t touch with a ten foot poll.
With all this said, the style and presentation though between the two stations were very similar in regards to Jingles, ‘hitting the post’ and very tight board work. Hope this helps to answer your question,
In the early ‘90s most of the familiar 80s WPGR personalities were on WOGL 1210 during the day with a slightly older playlist than the FM, heavy on mid 60s. WPGR had Jerry Blavat & Bob Charger with some lesser-known people like Armand & Andy Volvo. When Blavat was on afternoons he played whatever he wanted as he always did - maybe all disco, all doo wop, you never knew, but there was no format during his hours. Just before the station ended Georgie Woods did mornings. If you want to hear the WPGR music go to Philly Gold Radio on the internet during the live shows, Andy Volvo mornings & Jimmy Parsons afternoons followed by Jerry Blavat shows in a 1 week delay. All from WPGR in the 90s.
I listen to Famous56WFIL on line, fantastic broad range of oldies from the 50's, 60's and early 70's, many tunes were not even played when they were on the air, plus great stereo. The only time I enjoy PhillyGoldRadio is mornings with Andy, he plays everything, not only the Geators worn out stiffs, but I haven' heard him on the air in months. I still cannot understand why anyone would subscribe to satellite radio when there is a much better selection on the net, like thousands and thousands of free choices.
The difference is that WOGL was playing yesterday's songs that listeners want to hear today on the radio. GR was playing yesterday's songs that nobody today really wants to hear more than once... if that.
If my memory serves me right...1210 WPGR simulcasted Don Cannon on 98.1, then split with Hy Lit doing middays followed by Bob Pantano or the other way around. Nights were filled with sports or music, but I believe they went back to simulcasting 98.1 ovenights and through Don Cannon's show. And yes, live WPGR trended more 50s and 60s gold.
Different stations.
The last poster is correct. 1210 was never WPGR. WPGR was on 1540. 1210 was WOGL-AM during the short time in which it played oldies. However you are correct that they did simulcast Don Cannons morning show before they separated their daytime programming after 10 AM. Tommy McCarthy did mid days on 1210 followed by Harvey Holiday in afternoon drive. I’m sure there were other DJ’s who played music on 1210 back then but I don’t remember. One thing I do remember is the great Dominic Quinn describing the new programming as “vaporized rock and roll” after his unexpected firing from hosting his morning talk show when they blew up WCAU for WOGL.
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When 1210 switched to oldies Hy Lit was the first dj on the day they suddenly switched from talk and did middays after that with Harvey Holiday afternoons. I believe Bob Pantano was first on evenings, then Tommy McCarthy did a ‘trial’ show on air & was given evenings when Phillies baseball wasn’t on. Frank X. Feller was also on sometimes. The weekend was a simulcast of the FM.
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