If you had one wish....

[8638]

...and could bring back ONE Philadelphia radio station from the past and staff it as you see fit, what station would it be and who would be on your music and news staffs?

It's SO hard to pick just one! Here are my candidates:

WIBG, in three of its incarnations: "The Big 99" era, just before the "music explosion" on WFIL, the "Where Your Friends Are" era, circa 1971-72 (my favorite Wibbage presentation), and the finale, "A thing of the past," two glorious weeks in September 1977, which, if maintained, probably would have given some ratings success for a year or two.

WFIL, 66-73. Tight, fun, great jocks/music/news. Drake without Drake!

WIOQ, as "progressive" Q-102, News Blimp and all! Before the flip to Solid Gold 102 in '87, this was my favorite Sunday morning/afternoon radio station. Started the day with Helen Leicht and Breakfast with the Beatles, and stayed there all day.

WCAU-FM, 70-74. Quite possibly the greatest oldies station ever in Philly.

WFLN, under Franklin Broadcasting. Commercial Classical, done right. I still greatly miss this station.

Honorable Mention:

WPEN, as "95PEN," 1975-78. Filled a big gap for Oldies fans. Captured the energy of 'FIL in its early days, and was fun to listen to.

WIP. The archetype for MOR radio.


Regrettably, we'll never see the likes of any of these again. And that's a real shame.

 

[DonTheTrucker]

Can't believe no one mentioned WWDB-FM.

 

[wcradio2]

Definitely progressive Q102!
But I'd take Ed Sciaky doing the Sunday night alternative anywhere.
and Doctor Don Rose from WFIL would really take me back to my childhood...

 

[d21ofnj]

I wish for Q102 as a rhythmic dance station again like back in the day. Well, at least there's alternatives in the Philly area.

 

[MikefromDelaware]

My picks for Philly radio would be going with 610 WIP in the Garland-Webber-Moran era (Cash Call, Chickenman, etc).

WCAU radio 121 with Jack McKinney's Night Talk, Domenic Quinn, etc, minus "Arthur Godfrey Time" WCAU had to carry from CBS radio. I like the idea of a network radio musical /talk show, but Arthur Godrey's show sounded old to my young ears. However, I'd keep the CBS Radio Mystery Theatre with host E. G. Marshall. That was great.

I don't know if WPEN , I believe, the NBC radio affiliate for Philly back in the 60's and early 70's carried "NBC's Monitor", but Wilmington's WDEL did and that was a great weekend show with good music, great hosts, interesting features.

 

[imhomerjay]

"He's everywhere, he's everywhere!" Good stuff.

In thinking about WIP, I'd also enjoy the Garland-Webber-Stevens & Seneca era, too...it may have been getting to those final days, but that was a pretty decent show they had.

 

[MikefromDelaware]

I'd agree. WIP was a class act. That had to be the best MOR station in the nation. They had a tight format, great jocks that didn't just play records they were entertainers - yet their entertaining style didn't get in the way or detract from the great music, great jingles, just enough news that fit the station's style. They sounded like they were having so much fun that the listeners also had fun. Metromedia had really put together a great sounding station for the Philly Metro audience. For my ear, WIP back then set the standard.

 

[John1]

On the country side: WRCP in the late '60's - early '70's when Don Paul was PD-middays, good fun jocks like Shelly Davis, Bob Lockwood, & Jerry Kline, good mix of currents & classics, great jingles & AC style format. (Without Garner Ted Armstrong weekdays at noon on the AM!).

Pop: Wibbage in the early Buckley era 1969-early '70's with Joey Reynolds, Ed Richards, John Landecker, Joe & Hy, top 40 with a progressive lean & lots of real humor thrown in. A good alternative to the rapid pace of WFIL. Also good into the 'Where Your Friends Are' era with Don & Long John Wade, Bill Gardner, etc.

Others: 1960's WIP will always set the standard for MOR, WFLN in the Franklin Broadcasting era, I loved 95PEN circa 1975 too, WCAU when news/talk was more than pompous hosts & sheep callers, WFIL pre-1966 as full-service MOR with Jim Gearhart, Al Meltzer & Phil Sheridan & the Phillies, and when all the little daytime AM suburban stations like WNAR, WBUX & WNPV ran all live & local varied music block programming in the 1960's.

 

[deepstblu]

My picks for Philly radio would be going with 610 WIP in the Garland-Webber-Moran era (Cash Call, Chickenman, etc).

I don't know if WPEN , I believe, the NBC radio affiliate for Philly back in the 60's and early 70's carried "NBC's Monitor", but Wilmington's WDEL did and that was a great weekend show with good music, great hosts, interesting features.

There's a recording out there of a Monitor segment with longtime WPEN news director Jules Rind interviewing Wilt Chamberlain, so they probably did carry the show. But WPEN was only with NBC for a couple years around 1967-69. Before that Monitor was on NBC-owned WRCV through 1965, then briefly on KYW before the all-news changeover, then for a couple years on WCAM in Camden.

 

[deepstblu]

If you see early Marantz receivers of the period (2230/2270) you'll see an output in the rear for 'Quadradial'. That's where the decoder plugged in. The major problem was 1. multipath noise 2. a HUGE percentage was still listening in monaural. When the Quad when on, the mono volume went down.

WYSP tried quad as well...I remember hearing them play Black Water by the Doobie Brothers on a mono radio. Don't know how that was mixed, but "I wanna hear some funky Dixieland" came in fine while "pretty mama come and take me by the hand" was almost inaudible.

 

[MikefromDelaware]

I'd also agree with whoever said earlier, that WFLN full time classical music and WRTI full time jazz would also be great, and yes bring back WWDB, my guess is it would give WPHT a run for their money as WWDB's talk shows had a variety of talk (Dominc Quinn, The Saucy Aussy- Susan Brey, and of course Irv Homer, etc, all who were very different from each other and all had interesting shows- unlike the endless drone of Beck/Rush/Hannity where you get 9 hours of three different people all saying the same thing day in and day out.

 

[rich610]

WIP circa 1962 to 1982 was indeed the "gold standard" of Philadelphia radio. They had the classiest format, the finest DJ's, and a top-flight news department. Metromedia really knew how to do radio at that time. I really loved their music format. Nice balance of easy listening and current hits. Just about everyone listened to WIP. I believe in 1966 WIP caught WIBG during the day, and was a close second at night. The Fall Arbitrons in 1976 showed that WIP had an 11.0 share Ken Garland alone was getting 15's in the morning. Kudos to Dick Carr, Harvey Glascock, Dave Croninger, Alan Hotlen, and Dean Tyler for giving us 20 years of fantastic radio. A format like WIP would not work today only because it would be cost prohibitive. The talent alone would cost a fortune, and you can't find DJ's like that anymore.

If I could bring back one more station, it would be WMMR from 1976-88. I miss Ed Sciaky, Joe Bonadonna, Michael Tearson, Mark Goodman, Michael Picozzi, Anita, Earle Bailey, and "The Morning Zoo."

A lot of terrific radio came out of the Wellington Building on the corner of 19th and Walnut Sts.

 

[njdave9]

I would pick Wibg 69 to 72 when Joey Reynolds, John 'Records' Landecker and Ed Richards were working there. One could only think what kind of numbers they would have got if there had been a Wibg fm.

 

[Irishfl]

Hmmm I would have to go with either mix 95.7 (2001 to 2005) Or 96.5 The Point (2000 to 2003).


Seriously, i'm pretty young, and eagle 106 was the first standout station for me as a kid. When they flipped, I use to put them on and remember the great songs they use to play. So I guess that who I will go with.

 

[DonTheTrucker]

Nooooo! Not The Point!

That format flip killed a legendary talk station. I liked the 80's format, but couldn't they have flipped something else? WWDB deserved better.

 

[EZway2go]

WIP circa 1962 to 1982 was indeed the "gold standard" of Philadelphia radio. They had the classiest format, the finest DJ's, and a top-flight news department. Metromedia really knew how to do radio at that time. I really loved their music format. Nice balance of easy listening and current hits. Just about everyone listened to WIP.

If I could bring back one more station, it would be WMMR from 1976-88. I miss Ed Sciaky, Joe Bonadonna, Michael Tearson, Mark Goodman, Michael Picozzi, Anita, Earle Bailey, and "The Morning Zoo."

rich610, I completely agree about WIP. I remember it mostly from the late '60s period with Joe McCauley the Morning Mayor, Chuck Dougherty, Ken Garland in the afternoons, and it was either Jim Tate or Nat Wright overnight (can't remember now). One of them (Jim Tate, I think) had a neat instrumental sign-off theme. Wasn't John Carlton on there, too (either news or those traffic reports with the helicopter sound in the background)? And, as already mentioned, can't forget Chickenman. I think I've heard his voice used in some employment service and car dealer commercials in various cities in recent years.

Regarding your WMMR comment, was that the same Mark Goodman of MTV fame? Also, Michael Tearson, I believe, had a very brief Sunday evening show on the old WRDR Unforgettable 105 out of Egg Harbor.

A format I would like to see again is WUSL in its "U.S. 1" years (with Jim Gearhart; Juan Varleta) or WIOQ in its Harvey/Helen Leight period of the late '70s.

 

[fennessy]

WIP, undoubtedely, had a world class air line-up from the sixties into the 80s, but I wanted to salute one of the greater Philadelphia line-ups NEVER heard...the line-up at The New 95 WPEN, in its valiant but ill-fated coup against WIP from 1969 to 1971. Chuck Daugherty in mornings...Jay Dunne from Cincinnati in middays, Tom T-Bird Brown in afternoons, Bob Fitzsimmons, Bobby Corse on nights, and The Lettermen on one of the most expensive radio station ID packages ever created for a Philadelphia radio station. You missed it...Philadelphia missed it, but with the Wibbage-WFIL war raging, there was another battle over Rittenhouse Square, and it made radio in our city interesting and exciting. They were great too...but the better station won.

 

[John1]

A format like WIP would not work today only because it would be cost prohibitive. The talent alone would cost a fortune, and you can't find DJ's like that anymore.

I give WHAT credit for trying to keep the MOR format alive in Philadelphia in 2010. The live morning team of WPEN/Magic's Mike Bowe & Elaine Soncini try to be entertaining & informative on local events in between the music & having WIP's Bill Webber late mornings is a link to the glory days of WIP. Most intercity 1,000 watt AM stations are ethnic or brokered these days, they are spending money to put good people on a small station few people hear, which is amazing these days.

 

[ixnay]

WIP circa 1962 to 1982 was indeed the "gold standard" of Philadelphia radio. They had the classiest format, the finest DJ's, and a top-flight news department. Metromedia really knew how to do radio at that time. I really loved their music format. Nice balance of easy listening and current hits. Just about everyone listened to WIP.

If I could bring back one more station, it would be WMMR from 1976-88. I miss Ed Sciaky, Joe Bonadonna, Michael Tearson, Mark Goodman, Michael Picozzi, Anita, Earle Bailey, and "The Morning Zoo."

rich610, I completely agree about WIP. I remember it mostly from the late '60s period with Joe McCauley the Morning Mayor, Chuck Dougherty, Ken Garland in the afternoons, and it was either Jim Tate or Nat Wright overnight (can't remember now). One of them (Jim Tate, I think) had a neat instrumental sign-off theme. Wasn't John Carlton on there, too (either news or those traffic reports with the helicopter sound in the background)? And, as already mentioned, can't forget Chickenman. I think I've heard his voice used in some employment service and car dealer commercials in various cities in recent years.

“John Carlton reporting! For the Arco Go Patrol!”

Who remembers the billboard on 26th St. by the then-Arco refinery pitching the Arco Go Patrol? Complete with s-l-o-w-l-y rotating helicopter rotor.

ixnay

 

[MikefromDelaware]

Going back even further, I remember when it was the Atlantic Go Patrol. Don't remember the name of the reporter.