Here is the history of AM 1540 WRCP, WSNI-AM, and WPGR.
Spring 1981- AM 1540 WRCP Philadelphia Country experiments on Sunday afternoon with Rock and Roll Oldies from the 50's and 60's instead of it CW format. It is entitled Sunday Gold. The first song I heard on the station was Jay Wiggin’s - Sad Girl.
September 1981- After WSUL and WFiL both switch to Country formats. AM 1540 switched to oldies from the 50's and 60's, it becomes AM 1540 WRCP Philadelphia Gold Radio. The original line includes: Ron Cade, Jay Patrick, and Tom McDonnel. Afew months in to the format, Mike St.John joins the station for Mornings and becomes the PD.
Fall 1982-Hy Lit joins WRCP. Line-up Mike St.John, Hy Lit, Jay Patrick.
Early 1983- WRCP becomes AM 1540 WSNI. Oldies are dropped for in the mornings and weekends. It becomes a simulcast of WSNI 104.5 FM, this included Don Cannon's Morning Show. Weekdays the mid-day and in the afternoon oldies are still played with Hy Lit and Jay Patrick.
Summer 1983- WSNI AM 1540 drops Oldies altogether and the Hy Lit and Jay Patrick are now playing the same Adult Contemporary Music as the FM.
September 1983- The middays + afternoons WSNI AM- Is now known as Phiily 15- All Beatles and all Motown. This format is automated and the mornings and weekends continue to be simulcast of the FM.
Feb 1984- WPGR Philly Gold Radio is born.
The first day of the format the DJ is Andre Gardner but is using a different name (cannot remember the name). Originally the format is automated, in a few months WPGR goes live.
Original line-up: Chris Cannon mornings, Hy Lit mid-days, and Tom McCarthy afternoons. Also Rod Cade's Elvis show is added Sunday Mornings.
Weekends during this time vary. It included Bill Smith, Charlie Magill, and Jim Poppa.
Feb. 1984- WPGR Philly Gold Radio is born. The first day of the format the DJ is Andre Gardner but is using a different name (cannot remember the name. Originally the format is automated, in a few months WPGR goes live.
Original line-up: Chris Cannon mornings, Hy Lit mid-days, and Tom McCarthy afternoons. Also Rod Cade's Elvis show is added Sunday Mornings.
Weekends during this time vary. It included Bill Smith, Charlie Magill, and Jim Poppa.
This line up will remain with PGR for over two years.
Side Note: In the summer of 1984 - WPGR is the flag station of the Philadelphia Stars - USFL Football Team.
August 1986-Harvey Holiday (after being fired from FiL), joins the station for the morning shift.
May 1987- Jerry Blavat joins PGR (after FiL went to a satellite oldies format), for early evenings.
The lineup is Harvey Holiday, Hy Lit, Tommy McCarthy, and Jerry Blavat.
November 1987- Harvey Holiday and Tommy McCarthy exit for Solid Gold 102. Bill Smith becomes morning man, Hy Lit remains at mid-days, and Blavat moves to afternoons.
1988- Tommy McCarthys rejoins WPGR for mornings. The lineup includes: Tommy McCarthy, Hy Lit, Jerry Blavat, and CC Rider (Chris Cannon) early evenings. On Thursday evenings Don Cannon broadcasts a live oldies dance.
Weekends - Bill Smith and Jim Poppa, exit the station. Charlie Magill exits the station for Solid Gold 102 FM. Armand Calliani - simply known as Armond and Andy Volvo join the station for weekends.
December 1988 - Ron Cade moves his long time Sunday Morning Elvis Show from PGR to WOGL-Oldies 98.
1989- After his Saturday Night Oldies is cancelled on WSNI 104.5 FM, Hy Lit leaves WPGR for WOGL. Armond moves from weekends and now becomes the mornings man, he now goes by "Armond in the Morning". Tommy McCarthy moves to mid-days and Blavat afternoons. Charlie Magill returns to PGR for weekends.
Side note: Around this time frame Blavat has more of an impact on the station.
Summer 1989 - Jimmy Dee joins the station for Saturday Afternoon.
Early 1990 - Tom McCarthy is left go from WPGR. Armond is now on from sign on till noon and Blavat from noon to sign off. Blavat soon realized this was too many hours for him with his schedule. Jimmy Dee is added for just one hour from Noon to 1- for a show he called “The Lunch Box Special.”
Summer 1990 - Along with Charlie Magill, Kevin Quig, and a female DJ known as just Cindy join the station for weekends. Both of them only last until the summer.
Fall 1990 - On Sunday afternoon Charlie Magill is replaced with Jimmy Parsons “The Cannonball"
Side Note: Jere Sullivan program director for both Starr 104.5 FM and WPGR was fired. Blavat becames PD.
Spring 1991: Bob Charger joins the station for early evenings.
Summer 1991: Johnny Midnights joins the station briefly for a special one hour Sunday oldies show.
1992- WPGR is sold. Blavat becomes operations manager. WPGR now becomes Geator Gold Radio.
The lineups is Armond-mornings, Bob Charger mid-days, Blavat afternoons, Jimmy Dee
George Benson joins the station for fill-ins. Michelle Polino (if I spelled her name right) did some fill-ins, she did not last long.
Fall 1992- Jayson Lee "The Jayson Music Mason" and Kevin Fennessy join the station on weekends.
George Benson takes over the Early Evening Shift.
1993-Jimmy Dee, Jimmy Parsons, Kevin Fennessy, George Benson, and Bob Charger all exit the station.
Andy Volvo and Jason Lee are now on the station seven days a week.
Sharon Powell (if I remember her name right) known as "Lady Love" joins the station for early evenings.
Sally Starr longtime channel 6 children’s TV personality starts a country and western show on Sunday Mornings.
Mitchell G. hosts an all 50's Sunday afternoon show. He does not last long and is replaced by Andy Koch. He also does not last long.
Fall 1993- Jason Lee takes over the Sunday afternoon 50's show and Lady Love host a late Sunday afternoon Blues show.
The big news was long time WDAS and WHAT personality Georgie Woods "The Guy with the Goods" joins the station and becomes morning man. He was not the same announcer he once was and the show was not as good as must people hoped it would be. He even had a side kick by the name of John Friar.
Armond moves to mid-mornings.
remember the whole story but when WPGR increased their time problems occurred at the homes locate near the towers. Throughout all homes near the towers all radio's, TV's and even toasters (yes toasters) would give only WPGR's reception.
Fall 1994- Jay Lee exits the station. Bob Charger rejoins the station. Armond moves back to mornings, while Georgie Woods moves to early evenings.
The lineup included: Armond, Andy Volvo, Bob Charger, Jerry Blavat, Georgie Woods, and Lady Love.
Joey Dee (formerly of Eagle 106) joins the station on weekends and fill-ins.
Dick Clark's Rock, Roll, and Remember is added to the schedule. The show airs Sunday afternoons from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
1995- Lady Love (Sharon Powell) files a lawsuit against Blavat. She accuses him of sexual harassment.
March 1995: It is announced that WPGR is sold to a group (if I am correct Washington D.C.). The will change the format to ethnic programming and will use new call letters WNWR- it stands for New World Radio. The sale is pending for months because of the Powell/ Blavat lawsuit. I cannot remember the whole but it think it resulted in Powell’s accusations against Blavat were false.
June 30, 1995 – Blavat, Armond, Andy Volvo, Bob Charger, Joey Dee, and Georgie Woods say good-bye to their audience, and WPRG AM 1540 no longer exists.
Georgie Woods remains at WNWR for a brief time. Blavat and Bob Charger move the oldies to afternoon on WSSJ AM 1310 Camden, NJ.
Hope this history of WPGR helped l out, is mostly from memory.
My personal involvement with WPGR was in the early 90’s. In 1990-91 I helped add songs to their music library with records from my own record collection. I would go up to the station during Jimmy Dee’s Saturday afternoon show and he would tape my records to four tracks. I would also pick up records for him at Val Shively’s in Upper Darby, when I go record shopping. I still keep in touch with him through his morning radio show on Cruisin 92.1 WVLT. In 1991-92 when Bob Charger needed a ride to the station on weekends (if I was available); I would give him a ride to the station. Today, he probably does not remember who I am.
Take care
jimmyt –n-philly
(spelling?). Swan had done evenings at country WRCP around 1974-75 & put together a whole lot of great comedy bits with Bob Rose & Mike Vinditti such as an ad for the then-new Betsy Ross Bridge 'the Bridge to Nowhere' and had 4th of July 'radio fireworks' in the 'WRCP Trash-Can Lined Alley' 'shot off the WPEN towers' - creative stuff for evenings on WRCP. The management soon squashed the creativity & made him just talk up the music. He then was part of the Wizzard 100 disco format as Bob Swann, then returned to 1540 as it became WPGR. He wasn't there too long as I remember, the I never heard of him again. (Kevin Fennesey once posted here years ago that he knew more about what happened to Swann but would only talk off-board about it & I decided it was better just to drop the story as it sounded more personal than I needed to know.)