M
MsMusicRadio
Guest
BEFORE AC THERE WAS MOR> What do you think were the best MOR stations of all time and why?
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"610...WIP...Metro Radio...Philadelphia..."
The best personalities: Ken Garland, Bill "Wee Willie" Webber, Tom Moran, Joe McCauley, Tom Lamaine, Bill Neal, Nat Wright, Dick Clayton
The best contest: Cash Call
News, always right at the top of the hour and John Paul Weber
The Philadelphia Eagles with Merrill Reese and Jim Barniak; The Flyers with Don Earle, Gene Hart and Bobby Taylor
This was your father's station, and growing up, more than likely heard on the way to Grandma's house in your father's Oldsmobile. Steve & Eydie, Frank, Dean, Tony, Andy Williams, et al.
One of the greatest MOR stations ever...
The best personalities: Ken Garland, Bill "Wee Willie" Webber, Tom Moran, Joe McCauley, Tom Lamaine, Bill Neal, Nat Wright, Dick Clayton
The best contest: Cash Call
News, always right at the top of the hour and John Paul Weber
The Philadelphia Eagles with Merrill Reese and Jim Barniak; The Flyers with Don Earle, Gene Hart and Bobby Taylor
This was your father's station, and growing up, more than likely heard on the way to Grandma's house in your father's Oldsmobile. Steve & Eydie, Frank, Dean, Tony, Andy Williams, et al.
One of the greatest MOR stations ever...
560, (originally a Gary, IN station that MOVED) WIND owned by Ralph Atlass, who sold to Group W in 1960, Chicago, 5kw in a town with 6-50 kw blowtorches.
Morphed to mor from being "top 40" of the early 50's - Eddie Fisher and Jo Stafford... prior to wjjd's top 40 era.
Howard Miller in the morning, with over a 30% share of morning drive audience, Lee Rogers, Dick Williamson, THEY brought Joel Sebastian
to town from Detroit, prior to his run on WCFL, and Bernie Allen, prior to his run on WLS. Overnights, "The Night Watch w/Bruce Lee, later w/Larry the Legend, later w/Eddie Schwartz were all innovative in theier own way.
Later, home to many jocks fired from wls and wcfl; Clark Weber, Dick Sainte, Ron Riley, Ron Brittain, Jerry G Bishop. Where Steve King MET Johnnie Putman.
News at the top and bottom of the hour (with a great sounder) from Bernard Shaw (later of cnn), Dick Elliott, Dick Brasie, Walt Hamlton, Jim Boutett.
Modern enough to have a button on a teens car radio, yet adult enough for mom and dad. Morphed into adult contemp then morphed again into (great) oldies.
It seemed to me that "moms" listened more to wind, (they especially loved Howard Miller) and "dads" to wgn (with the Cubs, helecopter traffic reports, longer news, etc. WIND had a ssense of humor, where wgn was more serious.
They played the 5th Dimension, Robert Goulet, John Denver, Sinatra,
but few Beatles or Elvis.
Home of the annual "Kite Fly."
Morphed to mor from being "top 40" of the early 50's - Eddie Fisher and Jo Stafford... prior to wjjd's top 40 era.
Howard Miller in the morning, with over a 30% share of morning drive audience, Lee Rogers, Dick Williamson, THEY brought Joel Sebastian
to town from Detroit, prior to his run on WCFL, and Bernie Allen, prior to his run on WLS. Overnights, "The Night Watch w/Bruce Lee, later w/Larry the Legend, later w/Eddie Schwartz were all innovative in theier own way.
Later, home to many jocks fired from wls and wcfl; Clark Weber, Dick Sainte, Ron Riley, Ron Brittain, Jerry G Bishop. Where Steve King MET Johnnie Putman.
News at the top and bottom of the hour (with a great sounder) from Bernard Shaw (later of cnn), Dick Elliott, Dick Brasie, Walt Hamlton, Jim Boutett.
Modern enough to have a button on a teens car radio, yet adult enough for mom and dad. Morphed into adult contemp then morphed again into (great) oldies.
It seemed to me that "moms" listened more to wind, (they especially loved Howard Miller) and "dads" to wgn (with the Cubs, helecopter traffic reports, longer news, etc. WIND had a ssense of humor, where wgn was more serious.
They played the 5th Dimension, Robert Goulet, John Denver, Sinatra,
but few Beatles or Elvis.
Home of the annual "Kite Fly."
M
MsMusicRadio
Guest
WNEW 1130 in NYC. Although I could only hear it at night, the music was fantastic for the format. "The Milkman's Matinee" was the perfect title. It made me think of a big boulevard in Manhattan around 4AM. All the traffic lights blinking yellow and only taxis moving ( and the milkman). Really created a mood.
KMPC in LA. Again, I didn't hear it that much, but any station that had Gary Owens on the staff and was in LA was real "showbiz" to my imagination.
KMPC in LA. Again, I didn't hear it that much, but any station that had Gary Owens on the staff and was in LA was real "showbiz" to my imagination.
Prais said:
Prais, you beat me to WIND I was going to mention them.
One thing you mentioned that I don't remember was Joel Sebatian being at WIND before his WCFL days.
I definitely remember Joel at WMAQ & WIND after his WCFL/WLS years, but I never knew he was at WIND before CFL.
I remember Williamson, Lee Rogers & Perry Marshall.
radioman148 said:
WIND's towers were (are???) located on I-80/I-94 at about Burr St. in Gary.
Ah, the kite flys. They were fun!
As a youngster, I grew up listening to Howard Miller, the 'original' Rush Limbaugh. Dad was a big fan of Howard Miller. It was his firing from WIND in 1968 that opened the door to Wally Phillips becoming the top morning drive show in Chicago.
Is Lee Rogers still on the air in SF? When I was younger, I got autographed pix of him, Bill Berg (remember him), and Jim(?) Holt.
KlunkLetter said:
Lee Rodgers is still on in San Francisco on KSFO. Where is Bill Berg these days?
I am going to suggest WFAA Musicradio 57, Dallas, programmed by Joe Sasso nee Ken Summers back in the mid-70s based around WABC 77 Musicradio formatics...at their best when they dropped music for news/talk earlier than most AM major market stations. Chuck Dunaway was there as well. IMHO, this was one of the most fun sounding up tempo AC formats of all time in the South!
M
MsMusicRadio
Guest
Prais said:
You could compare Howard to Rush only from about the last few weeks of his WIND run, forward. Howard was never that controversial prior to that. He mostly talked about "new" music and weather.
I think that when Dr. King died and the controversy about police/firemen began, he found a new "spark."
After that, at WMAQ, WGN, WCFL and WAIT, (not sure of the order except WAIT was last) he was always "stirring the pot,"
Then He did things to generate calls, like being in favor of legalizng marijuana and prostitution, which was an outrageous stand for that time.
I think that when Dr. King died and the controversy about police/firemen began, he found a new "spark."
After that, at WMAQ, WGN, WCFL and WAIT, (not sure of the order except WAIT was last) he was always "stirring the pot,"
Then He did things to generate calls, like being in favor of legalizng marijuana and prostitution, which was an outrageous stand for that time.
Prais said:
When Howard was on WCFL then WGN his motto was "America, love it or leave it".
Prais said:
What year was he at WAIT?
Prais said:
OK, I didn't remember him being here that late. I do remember him being back at WIND in the later 70s.
KMPC in Los Angeles had to rank as one of the best MORs ever. The "Station of the Stars" boasted line-ups that featured such personalities as Gary Owens, Dick Whittinghill, Pete Smith, Robert W. Morgan, Jim Lange, Sie Holliday, Sonny Melendrez, Wink Martindale, Larry McKay, Kathy Gori, and Don McCullough, among many others.
I understand that a book about the history of the station will soon be published. I'm looking forward to the read.
I'm a little bit biased as I worked there for four years in the late 80s and early 90s. It was an unforgettable experience. I was very lucky to have that opportunity.
Two places I worked at before KMPC also deserve at least honorable mention: KWRM, Corona, which ran early to mid-50s pop (Perry Como, Patti Paige, etc.), and KPRO, Riverside, which at the time was owned partially by Dick Clark, and ran a good MOR format, sort of like a suburban version of KMPC.
I understand that a book about the history of the station will soon be published. I'm looking forward to the read.
I'm a little bit biased as I worked there for four years in the late 80s and early 90s. It was an unforgettable experience. I was very lucky to have that opportunity.
Two places I worked at before KMPC also deserve at least honorable mention: KWRM, Corona, which ran early to mid-50s pop (Perry Como, Patti Paige, etc.), and KPRO, Riverside, which at the time was owned partially by Dick Clark, and ran a good MOR format, sort of like a suburban version of KMPC.
A lot of the answers depends on where you lived because that defined MOR radio for you. In my case that would mean WGR and WBEN in Buffalo, WIOD Miami and WFTL in Fort Lauderdale. I was lucky enough to work at WFTL with an incredibly talented, diverse and friendly group of professionals.
Some of the classic MOR stations everyone knows KMPC, WNEW, WNBC, KNBR, KDKA, and WMAL.
Some of the classic MOR stations everyone knows KMPC, WNEW, WNBC, KNBR, KDKA, and WMAL.
MsMusicRadio said:
Absolutely WNEW (AM). I was just a young'un, my brother (10 years my senior) was a regular listener. Yes, Ted Brown, the legendary William B Williams, later on Jonathan Schwartz [after his gig at 'NEW-FM]. I well remember the intro "music/chime" before the news on the hour. Where I lived in New Brunswick NJ (central Jersey) the non-directional 50kw day signal was very good but deteriorated after sunset when the pattern changed to the directional night signal. During the winter WCAR from Detroit interfered, sometimes heavily until they changed pattern/power (?) usually a half hour after the WNEW change. On or around the 4th of July, Ted Brown, while on the air would have a "5th on the 4th" to demonstrate the perils of intoxication. And the usual suspects, Frank, Dean, Sammy, Tony Bennett, et al. Yeh for a kid growing up, it sure enhanced my music appreciation.
Another '560' AM station, KSFO in San Francisco, was among the best-known stations of its era. Its 'Full service/MOR/Personality radio' format evolved during the '50s, and by the middle of that decade, owned by Gene Autry as part of 'Golden West Broadcasting', it had its two most memorable trits in place: studios located in the basement of the Fairmont Hotel; and the legendary Don Sherwood. The station became a who's-who of radio, and sometimes TV, legends, who came from, or later went to, other markets; Dan Sorkin, Jim Lange, Al "Jazzbeaux" Collins, Jack Carney and, later, Carter B. Smith, Gene Nelson, Russ 'The Moose' Syracuse, Terry McGovern, and Rick Cimino.
Along with a first-class news department, spearheaded by Aaron Edwards and Chet Castleman, and sports commitments to the NFL 49ers, baseball Giants (and, much later, the A's), Stanford football, and, at various times, University of California and University of San Francisco basketball, the station retained its distinctive musical sound-pop standards, and only slight traces of Top 40 or, even more rarely, 'progressive' rock(usually overnights)-well into the 1980s.
Along with a first-class news department, spearheaded by Aaron Edwards and Chet Castleman, and sports commitments to the NFL 49ers, baseball Giants (and, much later, the A's), Stanford football, and, at various times, University of California and University of San Francisco basketball, the station retained its distinctive musical sound-pop standards, and only slight traces of Top 40 or, even more rarely, 'progressive' rock(usually overnights)-well into the 1980s.
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