Mike Ross

[John-Summers]

This isn’t a TV board but we can’t have the passing of former Channel 27 newsman Mike Ross go without mention. He worked at the original WTPA Channel 71, which became Channel 27, which later became WHTM, from 1956 through 2002. ABC27 has a nice tribute on their web site that centers on his years as a news reporter, but that’s not all he did at 27 back in the early days. He was a booth announcer (the guy who did the station IDs and read commercials) as well as an on-camera spokesman. You had to be a jack of all trades back then. Later he went into news full time, and was at various times a street reporter, anchor and News Director. He spent years as 27’s Capitol Hill reporter until his retirement at the age of 80.

Can you imagine the versatility of Mike Ross? He started when TV was barely a flickering image on a 13 inch screen and stayed through countless developments and changes, always keeping up. That’s a real broadcaster! Even the physical plant changed from a small one floor building to its present two floors plus additions. Imagine going to the same address for work every day for 46 years! In the Broadcasting field, that’s unheard of. I heard he started his career at WKBO. Who didn’t? Seems like a lot of Harrisburg’s prominent broadcasters of those days spent some time at 31 North Second.

On a personal note, I grew up a couple of blocks from where he lived and used to see him all the time. Everyone in Paxtang knew Mike Ross, he was a local celebrity, though he never acted like it and was friendly and involved in his community. My parents knew him and I recall meeting him when I was about 7 years old. He was helping out at the elementary school May Fair, running a booth, playing records and joking with people on a PA system. (His stepdaughter was a year older than me.) I had seen him on TV and could barely talk when I met him, I was so impressed. Just like Mike, he was friendly and gracious to a starstruck young fan.

You were one of Harrisburg’s great broadcasters, Mike. We’ll miss you.

 

[BulkEraser]

Excellent tribute, John.

I had the pleasure of working with Mike at a couple of charity events through the years. Professional, humble, quite a gentleman.

Mike Ross, you inspired many young broadcasters in your years, and you still do. Thanks for sharing your many talents with us; most of all, thanks for sharing yourself with us.

Our hearts and prayers are with Mike's family.

RIP

 

[Pastywhitethighs]

A classy guy, and an enviable career.

 

[jayedwards]

Mike was a fine Tv newscaster. Major market quality. I never knew he was on WKBO before going to Tv. were any Tv anchors at TV21 or TV8 for many years? certainly none could match the career of Mike Ross. Is Olin Harris still in The Burg? I liked Olin on TV21 and on Radio 580.

 

[harrisburgpatv]

I can't think of any longtime anchors at WHP-TV but as far as WGAL goes, Dick Hoxworth and Kim Lemon have been there since at least the late '70s, IMHO...

 

[jayedwards]

growing up in central Pa. I recall the place for news was TV-8 with Jim Cox, John McAlarney. (Mary Jane Landis and the puppets provided laughs!) Good radio news was provided by WHP, WSBA, WLAN, WGAL, WLBR, WEEU as I recall. I'm referring to the 50's and 60's. YES--I'm old!

 

[bobmathers]

Nice comments by John Summers on a truly legendary and versatile talent. Speaking of tributes...can anyone tell me what happened to the great Paxton Quigley who did afternoon drive at Country 107.7 WGTY in Gettysburg-York in the early 90's? I believe he inherited the helm from one 'Shotgun' Mike Kurtis...who is another tremendous personality in his own right.

 

[John-Summers]

Nice comments by John Summers on a truly legendary and versatile talent. Speaking of tributes...can anyone tell me what happened to the great Paxton Quigley who did afternoon drive at Country 107.7 WGTY in Gettysburg-York in the early 90's? I believe he inherited the helm from one 'Shotgun' Mike Kurtis...who is another tremendous personality in his own right.

Hey Bob! Good to hear from you. Paxton Quigley????? Disappeared around 1996, I think. I still have his cowboy hat in my hall closet, though. It's a bit worn after all these years, but still wearable, just in case I land a gig at a Country station again.

Just as a background for anyone else reading this: Bob and I worked on opposite sides of the studio glass in the old WGET/WGTY building, both on PM drive, for three or four years I'd guess. Bob worked in Baltimore for many years before that, at WPOC and WQSR, and is one of Charm City's best-known air personalities. He now runs a great web site called "Ultimate Oldies Radio." If you like those old tunes played in imaginative ways, check it out at ultimateoldies.com.

You're back out in Seattle these days, am I right, Bob? I'll e-mail you from your web site. I'm interested in how you got the site together. 10,000 songs...wow!

 

[Alan Criswell]

Bob and I worked on opposite sides of the studio glass in the old WGET/WGTY building,

Have the studios moved from the transmitter site, next to the shopping centre?

 

[John-Summers]

Bob and I worked on opposite sides of the studio glass in the old WGET/WGTY building,

Have the studios moved from the transmitter site, next to the shopping centre?

Yes, they're now west of town on the Fairfield Road, along with the Gettysburg Times newspaper. I don't know exactly when they moved from the old building as it was long after my tenure. WGET's transmitter and towers are still there on the Harrisburg Pike. The move may have been prompted by the basement of the building suffering flood damage in an unusually heavy rainstorm one day. There was a creek on the perimeter of the AM tower field and one day it came up and flooded the entire field, the radio building and the shopping center, causing extensive damage. WGET's transmitter was in the basement along with various offices. Glad I wasn't there that day! I used to see that field start flooding during heavy rain but I never thought it could reach that far. Then there was the day I had just gotten out of my car and saw a small plane come THIS CLOSE to clipping one of the AM towers! Darn sightseers!

 

[Alan Criswell]

Bob and I worked on opposite sides of the studio glass in the old WGET/WGTY building,

Have the studios moved from the transmitter site, next to the shopping centre?

Yes, they're now west of town on the Fairfield Road, along with the Gettysburg Times newspaper. I don't know exactly when they moved from the old building as it was long after my tenure. WGET's transmitter and towers are still there on the Harrisburg Pike. The move may have been prompted by the basement of the building suffering flood damage in an unusually heavy rainstorm one day. There was a creek on the perimeter of the AM tower field and one day it came up and flooded the entire field, the radio building and the shopping center, causing extensive damage. WGET's transmitter was in the basement along with various offices. Glad I wasn't there that day! I used to see that field start flooding during heavy rain but I never thought it could reach that far. Then there was the day I had just gotten out of my car and saw a small plane come THIS CLOSE to clipping one of the AM towers! Darn sightseers!

Wild stuff. How long has WGTY been spinnin' Country, 20 years?

 

[John-Summers]

Wild stuff. How long has WGTY been spinnin' Country, 20 years?


Close to it. I'd guess 18 or 19 at this point. Only WIOV has been Country longer. They've been Country since 1970 I think. That's gotta be some sort of record. WIOV's probably the station in the Lancaster-York-Harrisburg area that has held the same basic format the longest.

 

[karlyle]

WGTY started playing Country on November 11, 1984. I was the station PD at that time and we decided that Veteren's Day was an appropriate time to start playing Country in Adams County We knew it would become something big, just didn't get to hang around long enough to see it. Dave Cannon, current midday guy there, has been at WGTY since the beginning of its Country days....I hired him at a salary more than what I was making because I knew he'd fit perfectly with what we were doing & that he would be solid. Guess it was a right call

I started out as a janitor at the WGET/WGTY studios on Harrisburg Road when I was in high school. Two weeks later, the station manager, Dick Selby, asked me if I would be interested in going on the air as his afternoon guy was retiring. So for that summer, I emptied trash cans & swept floors in the morning and was on the air in the afternoon....all for the amazingly low price of $2.90/hour.

The station's move to the new digs were prompted by the Times' recotgnition of the fact that the station was getting larger and needed bigger facilities. While the flooding issue was certainly taken into consideration, it was more of a business move than anything. I miss the old place....perhaps we should start a WGET/WGTY thread...lots of good stories about the people & that place

 

[Alan Criswell]

Wild stuff. How long has WGTY been spinnin' Country, 20 years?
Close to it. I'd guess 18 or 19 at this point.

Danny says 1984, so it must be almost 22 years.

Only WIOV has been Country longer. They've been Country since 1970 I think. That's gotta be some sort of record.

They "were Country... when Country wasn't cool."

WIOV's probably the station in the Lancaster-York-Harrisburg area that has held the same basic format the longest.

WARM, WNNK and WTPA might fit into that category. Down in Baltimore, WIYY.