While removing 1250 from all of my radio presets tonight, (I will not be listening to The Mouse), a certain sadness hit me. Like the loss of a good friend. 1250, (along with 970, 1320 and 1410 among others) were often overpowered on the AM side by KDKA, the 50,000 watt blow hard, "er" blow torch. 1250, though not as powerful was always interesting. The talent who worked on 1250 reads like a who's who of Pittsburgh broadcasting. ( O'Brien and Garry, Quinn, Myron, Stan, etc). What are your favorite 1250 memories? Both good and bad. As for me the highs were many. Listening to personal radio heroes such as Doug Hoerth, Guy Junker and back in the day listening every evening for the tremendous, unmatched one two punch of Myron followed by Stan. On the down side, this station did air loudmouth Lynn Cullen, talentless Chris Mack and the always forgettable "The Drivel" "er" "The Drive". So, former 1250 listeners, have at it. What are your best and worst memories of a truly legendary local station. Thanks for the memories 1250. I will never forget you.
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R.I.P. 1250
- Thread starter pghfmradiosucks
- Start date
The same thoughts ran through my head late last night as I returned from our family New Years Eve party. During the music days back in the 70's and 80's 1250 sounded great! I did mornings at WLIT & WEIR in Steubenveille-Weirton . I always kept them on the cue speaker listening to O&G. On sales calls during the day after my shift that was the station I'd listen to while on the road driving my '72 Plymouth Gold Duster.(Great AM radios were in those cars) Cool memory, the way the Beep hit the top of the hour...the air staff were good backtimmers...they never used instramentals to hit the ID
The memories of WTAE would fill a book- but for me it was pinch hitting as a sports talk show host on the station in 1998.
To be at the station of all the legends you name and so many more was acheiving a great career goal.
Perhaps that is the highest honor I can give the station. To me, being on WTAE was the pinnacle.
I hope it serves the youth of Pittsburgh well.
To be at the station of all the legends you name and so many more was acheiving a great career goal.
Perhaps that is the highest honor I can give the station. To me, being on WTAE was the pinnacle.
I hope it serves the youth of Pittsburgh well.
M
MsMusicRadio
Guest
The early years as AC with Tom Lyons overnights
I did some free-lance stuff for WTAE many years ago and dealt with a gentleman named Ron Rininger, God rest his soul.
WTAE as an MOR outlet was an inspiration to programmers on stations out in the hinterland of Western Pennsylvania.
As ESPN 1250 it started out as a very good local sports-talk station. It ended up being as chintzy as some of those aforementioned stations have become (and I'm talking about what WEAE was BEFORE it pulled the plug on local shows and just piped in the drivel from Bristol for its last comatose months).
Oddly enough, it may have more interest in the community as a literal Mickey Mouse outlet, as Radio Disney does show up in some of the most unusual places for promotions.
Sadly, it has become the full-power home for a 24-hour infomercial for all things Disney that actually is entertaining for a few minutes until my blood sugar starts to spike.
AM 1250's heritage will be missed.
WTAE as an MOR outlet was an inspiration to programmers on stations out in the hinterland of Western Pennsylvania.
As ESPN 1250 it started out as a very good local sports-talk station. It ended up being as chintzy as some of those aforementioned stations have become (and I'm talking about what WEAE was BEFORE it pulled the plug on local shows and just piped in the drivel from Bristol for its last comatose months).
Oddly enough, it may have more interest in the community as a literal Mickey Mouse outlet, as Radio Disney does show up in some of the most unusual places for promotions.
Sadly, it has become the full-power home for a 24-hour infomercial for all things Disney that actually is entertaining for a few minutes until my blood sugar starts to spike.
AM 1250's heritage will be missed.
Thinking back to the New Year's Eve Top 100 song count downs of the late 70's and early 80's. It was a good MOR station that my dad had on in the grocery store during the day...I know BMI alert.Jim Trefney said:
from January to April 1992 I was unemployed and spent my days listening to 1250 from 9am to about 6pm. it was total professional radio at it's best....lynn,Doug, Phill along with that very good news team. does anyone remember the "Gabathons" when all three hosts did 9am to 6pm together. also Doug Hoerths "infamiss saturday shows" were classics.
F
FreddyE1977
Guest
Jim Trefney said:
Actually I don't think they started the "beep" at the top of the hour until '79 or '80.
They had been doing their newsbreaks at 20 past the hour for most of the 70's.
Only when they moved to top of the hour did they add the beep. Regardless though,
whether top of the hour or 20 past, their jocks were generally spot-on.
F
FreddyE1977
Guest
So far as I can recall, all these years later.
At the same time KDKA was using instrumentals to slouch into every break.
At the same time KDKA was using instrumentals to slouch into every break.
great history at 1250....from a great ( although second sometimes third to KDKA) it really vaulted under capt showbiz.....but in the end....5,000 watts 1250 and kinda being kicked around to fdifferent owners did it in.......
a shame but it happens in every market
a shame but it happens in every market
Also unwashed, and I'm guessing that instrumentals are "easier" (hence the "slouch" reference) as you don't have to time not talking over the lines of a song.
I wash every once in awhile.
It means the DJ hits the top of the hour when the song actually ends as opposed to fading out the middle of an instrumental.
It means the DJ hits the top of the hour when the song actually ends as opposed to fading out the middle of an instrumental.
Contrary to what's been written (and acknowledging that it really doesn't matter), WTAE as a music station mostly did not have a "hard" tone on the hour, so there was a cushion to get to the top of the hour. You could be 20 seconds early or 20 seconds late and it didn't matter. You could also start the fade on the ending early if things were tight. And, as noted earlier, they did 20/20 news in the first few years. Not really a big deal.
F
FreddyE1977
Guest
is Bob Smizik done dancing on the grave yet?
I recall that in 1985, when digital watches that beeped on the hour were a hot commodity, many of us where I worked became very competitive about having our watches go off at exactly the hour. One of the time hacks we would synchronize to was their 96.1 or 1250, since both had top of hour beeps. Once synchronized to either station's beeps, our watches would all go off in sync with 96.1's beep. The company piped 96.1 over the office PA system, so no matter where we were in the building, we'd hear their beep, and our watches remained in sync all day long.
Looking back, it's amazing how annoying the beeps on both radio stations and wrist watches were. Worse was being in a movie theater when from three minutes or so to the hour to three minutes or so after the hour there were digital watches beeping all over the place.
Looking back, it's amazing how annoying the beeps on both radio stations and wrist watches were. Worse was being in a movie theater when from three minutes or so to the hour to three minutes or so after the hour there were digital watches beeping all over the place.
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