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If you could bring back a Central PA station, what station, format and era?

If you could bring back a Central Pa radio station, what station format and era would it be? My list:

WKBO, the top 40 Music-radio era, 1975-1978, before John St. John left
WQXA, Q106 the top 40 "New Super Q" era, 1974-75 before they went automated.
WSFM top 40 Rock 99, TM Stereo Rock era, 1977-80
 
Agreed! Nobody can beat St. John era KBO! In today's economy, the "SUPER Q" version of Q-106 and the TM Stereo Rock format on WSFM, ROCK 99 would be more cost effective. In their day these two stations generated decent ratings on a shoestring budget. With todays computerized automation, they could run in a nearly flawless fashion. I would like to add Z-107 to the list prior to the Citadel/Cat era. When Eastern was running the show, this station was hard to beat, with personalities like Tod and Fearless, Dandelion, and Fuzzy Sommers. Add today's technology to eliminate weak part-time slots......and you've got a winner.
 
Kool 94.9 1988-94 ......a top-shelf oldies station when they were on the big stick
Mix 99.3 1989...... the original version was a solid bright/hot AC that came out of the ashes of 99 Hit FM. Consulted by Alan Burns.
FM 97/WLAN late 1983 -86.....Dave Marino took a very schizophrenic station and made it a hit machine with lots of jingles.
 
How about:
WAHT 1510 early 70s.....a very cool sounding top 40 station with big audio and lots of reverb. A lot of Central PA pros went through there.(now WWSM)
1580 WHEX 1975-76.....a daytime oldies station that sounded much bigger than its 500watts until a sheriff's sale shuttered the frequency until 1981. (now WVZN)
The New Sound of FM 97 1993-94----Scott Shannon cleaned up the mess left behind by Pete Michaels and Hank Bastian by installing an early version of 70s 80s 90s Hot AC, the perfect fix for a bad time in CHR history.
 
Pastywhitethighs said:
I always loved the late 80's - Early 90's WTPA. It was a great time to be there. Great people.

I would have to agree with this without a doubt. We lived the format....the teamwork was incredible....an exciting time to be in radio!
 
98 YCR during the Peter West(Willie B.) era.....1988-89. Well programmed...a bit edgy...had jocks like THE UGLY DJ on the air. Willie used to get a some of his Baltimore friends to work weekends like Kris Earl Phillips. Voice guy Pat Garratt did some weekend work as well. Big Don O'Brian did mornings there briefly. Their warfare with Q106 was legendary.
 
I agree with you 100 percent, Bossjock. For most of its 30 year history as a top 40 (1974-2004, minus the "Y98" debacle), WYCR ranged from being a mediocre station to at times really bad, although I will give the station credit for being the first live, personality driven FM in Central PA. John Baer, the owner, never invested in the station. But in my opinion, what YCR really lacked was discipline....discipline in music. The played a lot of stiffs, both current and gold. They lacked discipline in formatics and air talent. What they needed was a PD with vision, discipline, experience and passion. They finally found such a guy in Peter West, who had been recently been exiled from B104 in Baltimore (Willie B). Peter. took YCR to heights it had never seen, both ratings-wise and professionally. It definitely was the peak (pardon the pun!) of 98YCR.
 
Gotta go with WSBA 910, just before the turn of the 21st century.

The blue-hairs got up to eat a little Breakfast With Ralphie, then were immediately left out in the cold by Dr. Joy Browne, whose frequent references to "the G spot" and "masturbation" left the blue-hairs either baffled or fuming with righteous indignation about such crass filth being vomited out over the airwaves.

And who could forget WSBA SportsTalk?? Curt Hart and Gary Sutton playing host to a fiercely loyal stable of about a half-dozen callers (The Preacher, Hammer, Orange, just to name a few regulars), all possessing the same opinions as the hosts. Every time. Without fail. Regardless of topic. No kidding.

What followed was Orioles baseball in that golden post-1997 era. By that point, the only thing whiter than WSBA's audience was Cal Ripken's hair. If there was no ballgame, we enjoyed eight consecutive hours of One-On-One Sports! Papa Joe Chevalier, Arnie Spanier. Huge presence, no ratings.

The news department, however, was a really talented bunch. Cathy Clark, Steve Fermier, Dennis Edwards, Mark McKenzie, Mary Lawler...every one of them a top-flight news pro. Each one could write, interview, gather, cut tape, and anchor. Honest to God, not a weak link in that chain.
 
HardCore said:
Gotta go with WSBA 910, just before the turn of the 21st century.

What followed was Orioles baseball in that golden post-1997 era. By that point, the only thing whiter than WSBA's audience was Cal Ripken's hair. If there was no ballgame, we enjoyed eight consecutive hours of One-On-One Sports! Papa Joe Chevalier, Arnie Spanier. Huge presence, no ratings.

Lol, I do miss One-On-One Sports from back in the day! Papa Joe, Arnie, Bob Kemp, Kevin Wall's Sports Graffitti, etc.
 
WKBO Headline News - late 80s - first US radio station to carry HN. Actually a dependable source of news then.

Have often thought that a daytimer like WWII would do OK with a niche format like HN (supplemented by
Radio PA).
 
I liked WKBO's HLN format also.. WWII tried the financial news angle, when they changed formats in '88 or sometime around then. I don't know if they'd toy with that idea again. They have a nice niche cut out for themselves right now. I tuned in a couple months ago, and heard JoAnn Deardorf's Polka show. She's been doing that since I was there...Loooooooong ago. I equate that station to licorice.. Not everybody likes it..But the people who do... LOVE it.. I had some good times there in the 80's..Playing Perry Como's "Hot Diggity" into Grateful Dead's "Touch of grey".
 
Hard to believe, When Dame bought WHP-AM and FM in 1992, the rules in place at that time allowed only 1 AM and FM per market and that required them to turn off one of their AMs. The choice was most logically WKBO. A short time later, the rules changed and then KBO went back on and simulcasted the River for awhile.
 
After the rules changed.....everybody started buying like there was no tomorrow. Companies like Dame grew fast. The smart ones...like Dame....sold to people like Clear Channel. These properties are not near what they were worth during the "boom".
 
I recently read an interesting idea concerning consolidation.

The idea presented was:

Let owners have stations in as many markets as they want BUT
only be allowed two FMs and an AM in any given market.

This would have ensured more owners in each market which in turn would mean more jobs.

In Harrisburg, Clear Channel could own an AM WHP and presumably they would keep the River and Bob as their FMs.
99.3 Kiss FM would belong to someone else.

Cumulus would presumable keep WNNK and WTPA plus that AM 1400.

That would allow another owner to pick up 92.1 and 99.3.

Presumable more jobs for on air folks.
 
MAYBE jobs for others. It would only provide more employment opportunities for any of the departments IF the stations can fully support themselves 100%. How many of those second tier stations, if you will, (spinoffs to other owners,) are only viable because office, sales, traffic expenses are all shared with the first tier stations? You could end up with more satellite and more automation type programming. More blah radio.
 
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