Trying to remember a name

[NigelWick]

The only reason I listen to that poor excuse for a morning show is it's the only place to get a little "news" in the morning. Unfortunately, that news is ripped off from TV and the newspapers.

 

[masterg]

Yeah, tell me what you remember. I was only in the 7th grade then but remember it being covered by all the TV stations.

Yonkstur

Here goes: the year would've been '65/66. WICK then was on Wyoming Avenue, a few doors down from The Globe Store, right on the corner of an alley called, I believe, Center Street. It was an old and creaky building of perhaps 5-6 stories, WICK was on the top floor. Early one evening, a roaring fire swept the basement of the building, and by the time units from Scranton FD arrived, the fire was making its way up through the entire building. On the air at the time was Barry Connor. Barry had for years worked at WEJL, where his Dad, Hugh Connor, was once GM. How Barry wound up working for Joe Dobbs, I have no idea. Anyway, the story held that Connor was clueless that the building was about to be consumed UNTIL the fire department staring laying lines and dragging hoses into the building. He walked(ran?)down the stairs and out to safety. The building was destroyed, burned right to the ground.

I can only assume that's when WICK moved to Adams Ave., where most people remember it being. This is an odd and personal twist here, one that is likely how I recall the fire - a friend and I were on our way to the Scranton CYC to see some concert or another when we spotted the smoke billowing into the sky from 8-10 blocks away. The concert was one of those review type deals with maybe 5 acts, and the only act I remember was The Vogues, who that night introduced their brand new single, Five O'Clock World. And that's my story. If anyone has any corrections, have at 'em, it's been a longggg time.

 

[Nokmo True]

The only reason I listen to that poor excuse for a morning show is it's the only place to get a little "news" in the morning. Unfortunately, that news is ripped off from TV and the newspapers.

Every station in the market that does news gets it from TV and newspapers, save for the occasional WILK thing like Joe Thomas covering the Yankees/Red Barons announcement. Joe, by the way, excellent radio guy. Knows sports, can handle news, smart.

Far as that morning show goes. Kevin Lynn is a bitter, angry, "wish hippies were still happening" left-winger who is taken to wearing flipped up collars on Izod shirts, a style that came and went in the 80's and again three years ago and in both cases only looked acceptable on guys 1/3 his age. He's the most irritating thing on that station. Nancy Kman, if she were half as smart as she thinks she is, would have a better show. She's so far in over her head on so many topics I get embarrassed listening to her but she subscribes to the notion that if words continue to tumble out of her mouth eventually something worthwhile will get said.

 

[Sgt Friday]

Paul always claimed Dick Grimes was a cousin.
Paul worked for many years at the old WPTS radio doing the afternoon drive show until signoff. His handle was "The FatCat of Record Land" and he always signed off with the Angels "Thank You and Good Night".
I'm not sure there was a fire involving Paul's association with the Berwick station, (there was the famous Joe Dobbs fire in 1967 at the WICK studios on Adams Avenue in Scranton). Paul worked or co-owned WBRX, 1280 in Berwick which went dark until Kevin Fennessey brought it back to life.
And not to start another Fennessey-Bobby Hatfield war here again, the past few weeks I've had to be at Geisinger in Danville for a medical condition. I tuned into News Radio 930AM which was playing oldies. But the News Radio monnicker seems to be working even though they play music. We passed an accident on the way out of town (Danville) and a few minutes after we passed it, 930 AM was doing a report on the incident, complete with a live report from the scene. Also drove by the studios too.
Anyway, Dick Grimes was at WIBG doing news in the 60s and 70s. Didn't hear he died.
Tommy Grimes on Magic 93 is I believe related to Paul and Dick too. But not 100% sure of that.

Yonkstur


Yonkstur:

I worked with Tommy and you are right they are related. Tommy is Paul's nephew (Paul's brothers oldest son)

 

[masterg]

I worked with Tommy and you are right they are related. Tommy is Paul's nephew (Paul's brothers oldest son)

How many guys named Paul Grimes have worked in this market? I somehow "think" there may have been two, is that possible?

 

[Sgt Friday]

How many guys named Paul Grimes have worked in this market? I somehow "think" there may have been two, is that possible?
[/quote]


History tells me only 2 from the Grimes family: Tommy & one Paul.

 

[yonkstur]

History tells me only 2 from the Grimes family: Tommy & one Paul.

You are correct Sarge.

Yonkstur

 

[masterg]

Every station in the market that does news gets it from TV and newspapers,

Once upon a time, every television station and newspaper had a radio in their newsroom, and every one of them was permanently tuned to WARM. How about a dirty little secret? Okay, now that WARM has all but become a footnote to this market's radio history, it's probably not too nasty to talk about WARM's very early morning news casts. The 6:00 AM, and often the 6:30 AM, were ripped right from the first and third pages of the old Scranton Tribune and Times-Leader, and as time wore on, from the CV as well. The articles were actually clipped from the paper, then stapled to a sheet of paper for ease in reading them VERBATIM on the air.

 

[warmland]

(quote)Okay, now that WARM has all but become a footnote to this market's radio history, it's probably not too nasty to talk about WARM's very early morning news casts. The 6:00 AM, and often the 6:30 AM, were ripped right from the first and third pages of the old Scranton Tribune and Times-Leader, and as time wore on, from the CV as well. The articles were actually clipped from the paper, then stapled to a sheet of paper for ease in reading them VERBATIM on the air.
[/quote]

That is not true. Jerry Heller, Ray McGuire and Kitch Loftis worked in the newsroom from about 5:30 am on. Susquehanna in those days was not going to let anyone at any of their stations read news clipped right out of the paper. While almost everyone else stole from WARM, they never did anything but their own stuff in those days.

I remember heaving Sam Luguri readingv erbatim the WARM 5:30am newscast on WARD at 6:30 am word for word. WARD would tape the news and then type it out for there own use.

 

[masterg]

That is not true. Jerry Heller, Ray McGuire and Kitch Loftis worked in the newsroom from about 5:30 am on. Susquehanna in those days was not going to let anyone at any of their stations read news clipped right out of the paper. While almost everyone else stole from WARM, they never did anything but their own stuff in those days.

Rubbish, absolutley rubbish. Ray and Kitch weren't in at 5:30. Heller was in about 5:45, which is why the 6:00 came right out of the paper, augmented perhaps, by some carbons of the last night's late casts along with a few ripped wire stories. I was there. I'll suggest you were not there, you don't know how to spell Ray's last name. And you got Kitch's last name wrong, too.

 

[masterg]

Sorry if I came across as a bit harsh on the above post. That aside, my facts are correct.

 

[warmland]

I was there. I'll suggest you were not there, you don't know how to spell Ray's last name. And you got Kitch's last name wrong, too.
[/quote]

What years(s) wre you there?

 

[Sgt Friday]

You now have me thinking about my WARM days. Can you tell me what they are doing now?

Double G
Michael Neff
Jon David Wells
Jim Emmel (what a set of pipes)
Ron Allen
Kelly Reed
Ellen O'Brien
Joey Shaver
Tim Karlson
Bob Woody

 

[masterg]

Double G - Retired and looking great.

Michael Neff - Working for The United Way. Should be on-the-air, got rotten deal from Shamrock.

Jon David Wells - Don't know, but he did post on this forum recently.

Jim Emmel (what a set of pipes) - Sadly, deceased.

Ron Allen - Retired.

Kelly Reed - Unknown, but last worked at WFAN. Where is she?

Ellen O'Brien - Still local, I think. Talented lady, should be working.

Joey Shaver - Retired, but not of his own choice. Active with projects at WVIA.

Tim Karlson - On staff at WNEP, often heard but seldom seen.

Bob Woody - According to posts here, he's in Florida. Googling shows no trace of the man.

 

[crmc]

Interestingly, when you posted about " carbon's of the previous night newscasts"..that jogged my memory. I recall when the carbon's were no longer available from the office supplier and they had to use photocopies to archive the newscasts. The news department was very upset! ;D
BTW-
Jon David Wells- is working as a Creative Services Director in Las Vegas for a cluster of stations, I believe.
And Jim Emmel- a true unsung hero of the business.No one enjoyed being on the air more than Jim, and he was the epitome of Light, bright and tight.No matter what issues may have been weighing him down,..at the station, health or at home, he was a real pro on the air who took the time to offer help to every young student broadcaster that asked him for a hand.

 

[masterg]

I'd never heard the term "carbons" before coming to WARM. At first, I was too embarrassed to ask what they were, so just sat tight until it became apparent what they were. Photocopies were standard other places I'd worked, but WARM was slow to let go of the carbon-paper practice, despite there being a copy machine right there in the news room.

Never heard a bad word about Jim Emmel, not one. Just a great guy.

Other unknowns to add to the list...

Elizabeth Field

Norm Marriot

Norm Hill

Jim Gannon

Michael Quinn

 

[ericakane]

Norm Hill now that's a blast from the past. What ever became of him.

 

[Sgt Friday]

As I was traveling down memory lane today..........Can anyone remember the picture that Double G had on the wall in his office? (the Avoca building) I think it was Kramer but not sure.

 

[gwjr67]

I worked VERY briefly with Michael Quinn in 1985. He had been out of radio for a while and got his foot back into the the door with part-time duty at WSAN AM 1470 in Allentown (Whitehall). WSAN was a full service AC at the time. Michael's buddy Paul Ciliberto ( a great guy), got Chuck Taylor to hire him. WSAN had a wealth of talent at the time, (excluding myself as I was a very green rookie). Michael had worked Saturdays for about a few months. It was around March 1985 and then WXKW 104.1 FM (now B-104) had just flipped from Country to "Light 104" to challenge WLEV. That was a Thursday. On Friday afternoon, P.D. Chuck Taylor returned from Speedy's record shop in Allentown with every country 45 he could find. We spent the entire weekend dubbing all the 45's to cart and assumed the country format that Monday morning. We called ourselves the "New WXKW" except for a very quiet legal ID while we waited for the FCC approval of the call letter change. 60+ years of WSAN came to a screeching halt, and what was the full time lineup disappeared in about a week and a half. Michael Quinn was on "dub duty" for about 14 hours that weekend, and I believe he did one airshift before calling it quits. I don't know what happened to him after that.

 

[scmidlapp]

Earlier you mentioned Ellen O'Brien---she is still here, lives in Kingston with her husband and son.
Like many of us she is out of radio with no desire to get back in. In fact, I ran into Keith Edwards last summer...he gave me the whole story and mentioned that he & Ellen had both been working on movies in Philadelphia. They were going to some film festival in Boston where they had a film showing.