• Get involved.
    We want your input!
    Apply for Membership and join the conversations about everything related to broadcasting.

    After we receive your registration, a moderator will review it. After your registration is approved, you will be permitted to post.
    If you use a disposable or false email address, your registration will be rejected.

    After your membership is approved, please take a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself.
    https://www.radiodiscussions.com/forums/introduce-yourself.1088/

    Thanks in advance and have fun!
    RadioDiscussions Administrators

WCAU-FM Question 1969, 1970

T

thebeach33445

Hey Guys:

I found this on Wikepedia and I would like to know if this was true:

In 1969 WCAU FM, along with other CBS owned FM stations began a progressive rock format that was short lived.

WCAU FM decided to drop it in the autumn of 1970. A new format "uniquely designed for Philadelphia" was unveiled with rhythmic, black-oriented music. The result was not successful.

Around 1972, like WCBS-FM in New York City, WCAU-FM debuted an oldies format called "Stereo Solid Gold".

I found a billboard article (Oct 10, 1970) that says WCAU-FM went oldies on Sept 28, 1970 all automated. I just a little confused.

Thanks for your help on this one.
T.J.
 
Thought during that time WCAU FM was running the voice tracks of Jim Nettleton, don't ever recall them being 'progressive'. The only one I remember before the oldies was "The Young Sound".
 
1. don't believe everything you read on wikipedia. it's all contributed, and a lot of it's fuzzy crap.

2. i searched my emails from jim, as we spoke of writing a book at one point, and had many stories written in short form, stored as emails to retrieve and weave together. i know we spoke many times of the origin of wcau-fm, and i cannot pinpoint (yet) the week, but the fall of '70 seems correct for the beginning of "Golden 98". he had left wfil in '69 to begin the project, and work weekends at 77 wabc. when abc enforced a clause in his contract that he could not work in two markets that overlapped signals, (wabc covers philly, and wcau-fm covers central nj) he was forced to surrender the wabc gig and went to wpix-fm. he never forgave aftra for not sticking up for him.

3. wcau-fm (as the Golden 98) was a pilot station for the columbia/sony sq matrix audio system broadcasts...for you youngin's, it was the early 1970's version of broadcast surround sound. it worked, but it failed because it wasn't fully monaural compatable, dragging down mono, and even stereo volume listening levels by as much as 50%, making the station sound weak. and at that time, probably 60% of fm listening was still in monaural. they played specially recorded 4-channel live concerts sunday nights following the geator.

the closest thing in style to jim nettleton's version of wcau-fm is www.hylitradio.com
 
I don't recall a progressive format on WCAU-FM, but then I wasn't a steady listener. I recall the oldies format with Jim Nettleton and I recall the '60s format of "The Young Sound". As an aside, I've placed the theme from The Young Sound that was played hourly leading up to news, on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVcicZ1_DYY
 
WCAU-FM was a great station and it was always fun during thunderstorms when the automation would mess up...You'd hear an Elvis song, then Nettelton's voice would come on and say "The Supremes on 98 with Where Did Our Love Go." Nonetheless a great station, especially when Long John Wade, Joe Niagara, and the midday guy who's first name was Chris, but who's last name escapes me..
 
I remember the "young Sound" because CBS "donated the program and it was on american forces radio foe a one hour version in 1970. I was out of the country in 1970 but returned in June 1971, at that time Jim Nettleton/automated version of "Golden 98" was the format, I still have an hour of it on cassette. At one point they started adding new songs and called it "future gold". When Long John Wade, Joe Niagra, and I think Cris Chandler came along the automation was turned off. Later in the 70's was Fasinating Disco Rythems, and then back to oldies as WOGL not WCAU. I do not know what went on Late 1969 and all of 1970.
I was in Germany early 1971 and remember selling Quad equipment but that didn't last long. Hope this helps.
 
I don't recall a progressive format on WCAU-FM, but then I wasn't a steady listener. I recall the oldies format with Jim Nettleton and I recall the '60s format of "The Young Sound". As an aside, I've placed the theme from The Young Sound that was played hourly leading up to news, on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVcicZ1_DYY
Click to expand...

That's a perfect example of terrible instrumental schlock. No wonder "The Young Sound" laid an egg!
 
radioskeptic said:
I don't recall a progressive format on WCAU-FM, but then I wasn't a steady listener. I recall the oldies format with Jim Nettleton and I recall the '60s format of "The Young Sound". As an aside, I've placed the theme from The Young Sound that was played hourly leading up to news, on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVcicZ1_DYY
Click to expand...

That's a perfect example of terrible instrumental schlock. No wonder "The Young Sound" laid an egg!
Click to expand...

To each his own. One man's 'terrible instrumental schlock' is another man's audio gem. Tony Hatch was longtime producer/composer/conductor for many of Petula Clark's biggest hits. I find his theme called "Music" a fabulous instrumental and is essentially the only thing I remember from The Young Sound, a fairly unmemorable format.
 
Thanks for that link to that Oct. 10, 1970 Billboard article, t.j. But I think Billboard got a couple of things wrong:

(1) Records from the 1950's were much more than 15 percent of the playlist!

(2) At least three of the records that were in the earliest tapes -- "Gee" by the Crows (1953), "Sh-Boom" by the Chords (1954) and "Sincerely" by the Moonglows (also 1954) -- were recorded before 1955, though the bulk of the playlist consisted of records recorded between 1955 and 1969. (As a rule, records had to be off the charts for a year or so in the early days. But that was before they introduced the "Future Gold" sobriquet for currents and re-currents.)
 
"The Young Sound" was also heard on practically all CBS/FM stations including WCBS/FM New York, WCAU/FM Philadelphia, KNX/FM Los Angeles, WBBM/FM Chicago, WEEI/FM Boston and KCBS/FM San Francisco. It was also heard on American Forces Radio and on WTOP/FM Washington (until that station was given as a gift to Howard University in the late '60's).
 
I remember WCAU FM playing the whole Jesus Christ Superstar album around 2 am Sunday morning in the early 70s during their automated oldies days. I think they called it experimental music. If I recall it was Jim N. voice saying....You are listening to the explosion of rock, a journey into experimental music. I may not have remembered it exactly right since it was years ago and in the middle of the night. Thanks for explaining what happened to 4 channel radio! I have lots of old radio shack/lafayette catalogs with receivers and adapters but wondered why it fizzled. Does anyone remember monday nights around 10pm Joe Niagra did the Rock Line show where callers could ask him questions? I remember people calling asking why WCBS FM sounded the same as WCAU FM. Joe said it was just a co-incidence and there was no partnership.
 
Status
This thread has been closed due to inactivity. You can create a new thread to discuss this topic.


Back
Top Bottom