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WEDO

M

MsMusicRadio

Guest
Wikipedia states WEDO was Top 40 in the 60's and 70's with studios in a mall in downtown McKeesport and had showcase studios like KQV. This is news to me. I have no recall of WEDO being Top 40 ever. Anybody remember this? I remember Jim Pagliaroni on a remote from the National Record Mart at Eastland Mall, but I forget the station. Help!
 
I don't remember either. WMCK tried their hand at top 40 around 1960. They brought in a high-powered consultant but they could not compete with KQV. They used to drive their news station wagon around PGH. and sometimes parked on 7th Ave. in front of our studios.
 
I remember WMCK as '' MIGHTY 1360'' with Lou Janis, Herb Allen, Bill Lynch, and the All Night Music Machine. I can't remember who did AM drive. They weren't that bad and might have been competitive with a better signal. They played music when KQV still had the Breakfast Club at 10 AM and ABC News from 6;30 to 7;15 PM. During that time with KQV carrying ABC blocks, WEEP only a daytimer, and KDKA going to talk at 8PM, they were the only 24 hour music only Top 40 in Pittsburgh. if they had 5,000 day and night, they might have been the Top 40 winner.
 
That's right, they were called Mighty 1360 and had that printed backwards on the front of their station wagon. Both Lou Janis and Bill Lynch worked part-time at KQV later on. I understand that Bill died not long after his WPSL days. Where is Lou?
 
I remember Bill had a heart attack. I haven't heard of Lou Janis since. I remember their line-up was

6-------?
10------Herb Allen
1-------?
4-------Lou Janis
8-------Bill Lynch
12------The Robo Jock now at Q92.9----or some robo. Bill lynch called it "The Music Machine".

I thought they really had it together and then they added Terry Lee Music for Lovers on Sundays. Actually I preferred them over KQV or WEEP. Too bad Jeff Roteman never added them to his tribute page.
 
WEDO moved into the Mid Town Plaza Mall as their new studio in 1977, this due to the fire that destroyed a large part of Mckeesport in the spring of 76. Around 1975 -1977 WEDO was playing a top 40 MOR music mix, from the Doors, Led Zeppelin, Blood Sweat and Tears To Carol King ,mostly the typical MOR full service format of the time, with NBC network news chiming in at the top of each hour. Tom Edwards ( Tom Evans), Dennis Reed, Joe Palka and Hank Dale as the on air staff spinning the tunes . In 1977 Tom Lyons left WTAE and was picked up as PD at WEDO and flipped the format to automated oldies as the “Memory Machine” which lasted till late 1978. When the ratings bottomed out to a .8 . WEDO started TBA selling off the air time and made the slow and progressive change to Ethnic and Religious programming, and eventually adding a mix of Contemporary Christian Music. For short time In 1982 they flipped the afternoons to sign off to an automated style of a Music Of Your Life format called " Radio 81" WEDO. As a hobby I recorded many air checks of WEDO as well a many other station on reel tapes from the 70s & 80s, The air checks of WEDO still sound great to this day.
 
retrodc said:
WEDO moved into the Mid Town Plaza Mall as their new studio in 1977, this due to the fire that destroyed a large part of Mckeesport in the spring of 76. Around 1975 -1977 WEDO was playing a top 40 MOR music mix, from the Doors, Led Zeppelin, Blood Sweat and Tears To Carol King ,mostly the typical MOR full service format of the time, with NBC network news chiming in at the top of each hour. Tom Edwards ( Tom Evans), Dennis Reed, Joe Palka and Hank Dale as the on air staff spinning the tunes . In 1977 Tom Lyons left WTAE and was picked up as PD at WEDO and flipped the format to automated oldies as the “Memory Machine” which lasted till late 1978. When the ratings bottomed out to a .8 . WEDO started TBA selling off the air time and made the slow and progressive change to Ethnic and Religious programming, and eventually adding a mix of Contemporary Christian Music. For short time In 1982 they flipped the afternoons to sign off to an automated style of a Music Of Your Life format called " Radio 81" WEDO. As a hobby I recorded many air checks of WEDO as well a many other station on reel tapes from the 70s & 80s, The air checks of WEDO still sound great to this day.
Click to expand...


Much of the information in Retro DC's post is inaccurate, or just plain wrong. WEDO moved into the new Midtown Plaza Mall in September of 1976, with a big grand opening that featured an appearance by Lawrence Welk. The move had absolutely nothing to do with the fire in McKeesport in May of that year, (and a large part of McKeesport was not destroyed by the fire - mainly buildings near 5th and Market). WEDO signed on with an automated "Entertainers" format from the Mall, using their new automation system - there were no live DJ's. Tom Lyons came in 1978 - he had no say in the eventually flip to religious music - the owner made that choice. He did do a morning show for a short time before the flip to religious. Brokered programming was ushered in, and music was ushered out through the early 80's, (except for ethnic music) when John James took over as GM in 1982. He is still there. How do I know all this - I worked there at that time.
 
so does anybody remember the rest of the jocks on "Mighty 1360" ?
 
I believe Dennis Reed was later part of the ill-fated startup on 1510 in Monroeville (WRUA I think?). I worked with him in the late 80's at WLTJ.
 
1510, as some of you know, was WPSL for many years before Dr. Barua bought it and it became WRUA. It has gone
from being a 250-watt station to having a pretty good daytime signal at 5,000 watts, although it is currently off the
air waiting for St. Joseph Missions to commence operations with Catholic programming.

C.
 
FWIW, Tom Lyons left WTAE because his overnight shift was eliminated and replaced by automation. He left WEDO when WPNT signed on and hired him as part of their debut staff.
 
But----- Nobody remembers who was on AM drive and mid-afternoons on "Mighty 1360" ?
 
If you're talking pre-WIXZ, no.

The only names I remember from 1360 are Wild Child, Sean Grabowski, Chuck Dunaway (who repalced Wild Child in PM drive) and of course Terry Lee.
 
MsMusicRadio said:
But----- Nobody remembers who was on AM drive and mid-afternoons on "Mighty 1360" ?
Click to expand...

Have you posted at the Pittsburgh Radio Nostalgia Board? Your questions about things from 40 years ago would probably get a better response there. I'm not trying to chase you away, just honestly offering a suggestion.
 
Thanks------I like to know this stuff. I file it with my Medigap policy.
 
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