From WBUX Jock to NPR CEO!

[John1]

The Radio Discussions Public Radio board reports that the board of directors of NPR has selected Jarl Mohn to become its next president and chief executive officer. The name wasn't familiar until I read it was Lee Masters, remembered in radio for being a WNBC radio personality in the Hot AC era of WNBC around 1977 when Don Imus was 'exiled' to WHK Cleveland. After that he was involved in cable tv management, E!, MTV, etc. But I may be one of the few people who remember listening to him at the start of his career in his hometown, Doylestown - in 1967, still in high school, he started working on the air at daytimer WBUX 1570, then a country music and block-programmed format, as Jerry Masters. Later, while still working weekdays at WBUX, he also began working weekends at WRCP 1540 'Real Country Power' in Philadelphia, as Lee Masters. He showed signs at that age of becoming a talented jock and I think left WBUX/WRCP to go to a station in Louisville, Ky. I was surprised a few years later to hear him in NYC at WNBC, and I saw his name in career moves through the years, but he is one of several people in broadcasting who worked early in their careers at WBUX and had big careers, another bring Bob Hamilton who became a big name in radio in LA & Miami. Too bad stations like WBUX are now just relays for national programming.

 

[TheBigA]

Wonder at what point he moved to LA. I know for me, I never let geography stand in the way of what I wanted to do. So I've worked in a lot of places, and now have a lot of places I call home. I guess he's the same way.

 

[John1]

I believe Jarl Mohn (Lee Masters) moved to LA from NYC once involved with cable tv management. It is interesting to follow how people move around in radio, especially if you followed their whole career. I remember as a kid watching Bob Hamilton do a live remote in my neighborhood from the Abington Hospital June Fete on WBUX, mid-1960's, all dressed up in a flashy madras jacket, with a portable turntable in a tent playing 45 rpm records. A few years later he was on WIBG (Jack Roberts), WFIL (Bobby Mitchell), WIFI then moved to LA and KRTH & KHJ, then KFRC San Francisco, and many years at Magic in Miami. He's now top management for the company that syndicates another former WIBG jock of a later era, Truckin' Tom Cookin' Kent.