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WEJL/WEZX
- Thread starter MCNDRWS
- Start date
Never worked there, came close twice, both times something better actually came along.
First encounter was back in the Joe Silva era. He had me in for an interview and we got down to salary. I was working in a much smaller market at the time. When I told Silva what I was currently making, he nearly fell on the floor. When I asked him what he was offering, I didn't nearly fall on the floor, but it was difficult not laughing in his face. The money was pathetic. I stood, shook his hand, and left, never looking back.
FF ten or so years to the Tim Durkin as GM era. He recruited, wined, and dined me. We met clandestinely a number of times about me leaving Susquehanna and coming to WEJL to do mornings. It never happened. I don't think it would have been a success, really. WEJL was then about finished as a player in the market, as were most all other AMs.
First encounter was back in the Joe Silva era. He had me in for an interview and we got down to salary. I was working in a much smaller market at the time. When I told Silva what I was currently making, he nearly fell on the floor. When I asked him what he was offering, I didn't nearly fall on the floor, but it was difficult not laughing in his face. The money was pathetic. I stood, shook his hand, and left, never looking back.
FF ten or so years to the Tim Durkin as GM era. He recruited, wined, and dined me. We met clandestinely a number of times about me leaving Susquehanna and coming to WEJL to do mornings. It never happened. I don't think it would have been a success, really. WEJL was then about finished as a player in the market, as were most all other AMs.
My Uncle Was A Scranton Police And Fire Dispatcher, So He Knew All The Radio People From Their
Making Police Calls. He Knew I Was Interested In Radio And At Age 13 (1968) Set Me Up In A Meeting
With WEJL Program Director Bill Longworth. Mr. Longworth Offered Me The Chance To Come Into The Times
Building On Weekends and A Couple Of Afterschool Afternoons To Watch 'N' Learn. While I Was In His
Office I Remember Another Kid Coming In , His Son Billy, Dressed Is His Boy Scout Uniform ... Does It
Surprise Anybody That Knows Him That Bill Longworth Junior Was A Boy Scout? ... He's One Of The Nicest
Guys I Have Ever Met ... I Haven't Seen Him In Years.
Anyway ... Longworth Teamed Me Up With The Man Who Became My Mentor And One Of My Favorite
People, Paul Francis McNamara. Mac Taught Me Everything There Was To Know About Radio, Never Talked
Down To Me, And Got Me Drunk For The First Time in My Life In The Lobby Of The Strand Theatre On
Parade Day In Downtown Scranton. For Those Who Might Not Remember, Paul And Hugh Connor, Who Was
WEJL AM/FM General Manager, Would Do A Live Remote From The Parade Route Then Retire to The Lobby
Of The Strand Theatre On Spruce Street, Where Paul Played His Hammond Organ And Hughey Sang Old
Irish Standards. People Stopped By All Day Long Dropping Off Bottles Filled With Irish Spirit ... And Mac Let
Me Take A Nip Or Two Out Of A Couple Two Three Bottles.
RADIO PEOPLE ARE ALWAYS VERY RESPONSIBLE
At That Time I Think It Was Jack Griswold Mornings, Followed by Longworth In Mid-Day, Mac Taking
Afternoons And Joe Silva Did The Five To Sign-off And Took Care Of The FM.
When Thom Welby, Who Was Doing Afternoons About 8 Years Later, told Me That WEZX Was Going To Be
Needing People Due To A Format Change ... I Applied And PD Joe Silva Hired Me To Do News On The
Overnight On What Was To Become FM-107 (Your 24 Hour A Day Rock Concert). A Little Later Mike Miller
And I Were The First Live Voices On The New Format When We Did The Rock-107 Nightly Album Feature
Which Was Re-named "Night Grooves" After A Postcard Contest. I Was Doing The 5 To Signoff And
News On WEJL.
I Worked With A Lot Of Great People At WEJL/WEZX Including Pat Finn And Chris Norton And
With Frank "Whatever My Name Might Be" Cali. And WEJL Is Where I Met Bobby Gunther Walsh ...
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!! We Worked At 3 Stations Together.
It's OK ... Bobby Knows That I Don't Like Him.
"Memories .. May Be Beautiful And Yet ....."
Making Police Calls. He Knew I Was Interested In Radio And At Age 13 (1968) Set Me Up In A Meeting
With WEJL Program Director Bill Longworth. Mr. Longworth Offered Me The Chance To Come Into The Times
Building On Weekends and A Couple Of Afterschool Afternoons To Watch 'N' Learn. While I Was In His
Office I Remember Another Kid Coming In , His Son Billy, Dressed Is His Boy Scout Uniform ... Does It
Surprise Anybody That Knows Him That Bill Longworth Junior Was A Boy Scout? ... He's One Of The Nicest
Guys I Have Ever Met ... I Haven't Seen Him In Years.
Anyway ... Longworth Teamed Me Up With The Man Who Became My Mentor And One Of My Favorite
People, Paul Francis McNamara. Mac Taught Me Everything There Was To Know About Radio, Never Talked
Down To Me, And Got Me Drunk For The First Time in My Life In The Lobby Of The Strand Theatre On
Parade Day In Downtown Scranton. For Those Who Might Not Remember, Paul And Hugh Connor, Who Was
WEJL AM/FM General Manager, Would Do A Live Remote From The Parade Route Then Retire to The Lobby
Of The Strand Theatre On Spruce Street, Where Paul Played His Hammond Organ And Hughey Sang Old
Irish Standards. People Stopped By All Day Long Dropping Off Bottles Filled With Irish Spirit ... And Mac Let
Me Take A Nip Or Two Out Of A Couple Two Three Bottles.
RADIO PEOPLE ARE ALWAYS VERY RESPONSIBLE
At That Time I Think It Was Jack Griswold Mornings, Followed by Longworth In Mid-Day, Mac Taking
Afternoons And Joe Silva Did The Five To Sign-off And Took Care Of The FM.
When Thom Welby, Who Was Doing Afternoons About 8 Years Later, told Me That WEZX Was Going To Be
Needing People Due To A Format Change ... I Applied And PD Joe Silva Hired Me To Do News On The
Overnight On What Was To Become FM-107 (Your 24 Hour A Day Rock Concert). A Little Later Mike Miller
And I Were The First Live Voices On The New Format When We Did The Rock-107 Nightly Album Feature
Which Was Re-named "Night Grooves" After A Postcard Contest. I Was Doing The 5 To Signoff And
News On WEJL.
I Worked With A Lot Of Great People At WEJL/WEZX Including Pat Finn And Chris Norton And
With Frank "Whatever My Name Might Be" Cali. And WEJL Is Where I Met Bobby Gunther Walsh ...
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!! We Worked At 3 Stations Together.
It's OK ... Bobby Knows That I Don't Like Him.
"Memories .. May Be Beautiful And Yet ....."
That Paul and Hugh parade broadcast went all the way back to the 50s, I believe, as did the follow-up at The Strand. I have never met anyone who has a bad thing to say about Paul. The mention of his name usually brings a broad smile whenever it's mentioned. His drinking was legendary. That's not a slam or a judgment, it's the truth. He never made any attempt to hide what most of us of Celtic ancestry generally refer to as "the thirst."
One of the funniest stories I ever heard about Paul came from a guy who'd worked with him at WEJL in the early 70s. That guy was Ric Herrold. Paul took Ric under his wing, if you will, and thought it was a good idea if they went out one night to all of Paul's favorite saloons. That way, Ric would get a proper introduction. They got tuned up pretty good.
Paul didn't drive, a blessing actually, so Ric took the two of them all over town, then he gave Paul a ride home to West Scranton around 2-3:00 AM. Ric drove up W. Lackawanna, stopping for the red light at its intersection with N. Main, where the two of them fell sound asleep! Ric swore they were out cold for at least 10-15 minutes, before someone came up behind them and laid on the horn.
Hugh Connor had a son Barry, who also worked at WEJL. Whatever happened to him? Bill Longworth Jr. works for the state in Harrisburg. You're right, yet another great guy. I haven't heard Mike Miller's name in ages, where's he at?
One of the funniest stories I ever heard about Paul came from a guy who'd worked with him at WEJL in the early 70s. That guy was Ric Herrold. Paul took Ric under his wing, if you will, and thought it was a good idea if they went out one night to all of Paul's favorite saloons. That way, Ric would get a proper introduction. They got tuned up pretty good.
Paul didn't drive, a blessing actually, so Ric took the two of them all over town, then he gave Paul a ride home to West Scranton around 2-3:00 AM. Ric drove up W. Lackawanna, stopping for the red light at its intersection with N. Main, where the two of them fell sound asleep! Ric swore they were out cold for at least 10-15 minutes, before someone came up behind them and laid on the horn.
Hugh Connor had a son Barry, who also worked at WEJL. Whatever happened to him? Bill Longworth Jr. works for the state in Harrisburg. You're right, yet another great guy. I haven't heard Mike Miller's name in ages, where's he at?
masterg said:
Mike Miller Had A Great Voice ... But I Swear The Blackest Cloud Over His Head. Always Something
Terrible Was Happening To Him. He Went From WEJL To WILK Then To Binghamton's WAAL Where He Mostly
Did News As Far As I Know. I Read A Posting A Few Years Ago On The Binghamton Board From The Former
WAAL PD Who Said He Had Given Him Too Many Second Chances And That He Was Let Go.
Somebody Told Me Once They Had Heard He Was Driving A BigTruck Over The Road.
I Have No Clue.
S
SteveEdwards
Guest
Well, I worked their in 1985 I believe it was. Was hired by the "evil Doer" Dave London (Fueher). Hired to clean up afternoon drive 3 to 7pm. Worked on the top floor of the times building in the studio with no windows. Rode the odd elevator to the top floor. Past the "haunted" auditorium. Worked with hmmm let me see Jack Meyers, Tim something or other, Dave London, Ed Pulkoski or something like that. And yeah their still their Daniels and Webster.
My air name was Steve Edwards afternoon drive. Doubt any of you would ever remember any of us other than Daniels and Webster. You all seem much younger than I. But do recall one heck of a salesman by the name of Jim Fitzgerald. He use to call himself the "archbishop of Philadelphia. If anyone remembers that era would love to hear from them, Im sure I forgot some really good names and times.
Steve Edwards
My air name was Steve Edwards afternoon drive. Doubt any of you would ever remember any of us other than Daniels and Webster. You all seem much younger than I. But do recall one heck of a salesman by the name of Jim Fitzgerald. He use to call himself the "archbishop of Philadelphia. If anyone remembers that era would love to hear from them, Im sure I forgot some really good names and times.
Steve Edwards
Fuhr(correct spelling)began radio life as David Fuhr, his given name. But he'd wanted forever to be known as Jefferson Kyle. I poop you not, this is one true story.
So, Dave's PD in his first job, a guy named Adrian Harrington, consents to let him make the change. Oh, hold it right there, not so fast! Harrington insists that David Fuhr makes a slow transition into Jefferson Kyle. What happens is this...
Week 1 and 2...Fuhr has to call himself David Jefferson Kyle Fuhr. I swear this is true.
Week 2 and 3...He is now allowed to drop one name, he then becomes David Jefferson Kyle.
Week 4...He can now drop yet another name. Tahhh-dahhh. Like magic, David Fuhr is now Jefferson Kyle.
And so he was Jefferson Kyle...for maybe a year or so. Guess he liked Dave London better. Anyone have a clue where he is?
Y
yonkstur
Guest
But do recall one heck of a salesman by the name of Jim Fitzgerald. He use to call himself the "archbishop of Philadelphia. If anyone remembers that era would love to hear from them, Im sure I forgot some really good names and times.
Fitzie is now working at WVIA TV/FM as the token conservative. Heck of a salesmen. Good friend. In my book "A Radio Story", there's a character based on him but he got angry because I turned the guy into an Italian. But he sold at least 100 books for me just by word of mouth. Enthusiasm. He has it. And his mind is like a lawyer's. Biting and cutting when he's focused. Operative word there: when.
Yonkstur
Fitzie is now working at WVIA TV/FM as the token conservative. Heck of a salesmen. Good friend. In my book "A Radio Story", there's a character based on him but he got angry because I turned the guy into an Italian. But he sold at least 100 books for me just by word of mouth. Enthusiasm. He has it. And his mind is like a lawyer's. Biting and cutting when he's focused. Operative word there: when.
Yonkstur
S
SteveEdwards
Guest
My hand to God on this one, last I heard Dave Fuer was selling helium balloons outside the Metrodome in Minneapolis! Recall many stories myself about Dave. Some of his best stories were how he was personal friends with Ringo Starr. Recall one where him and Ringo use to go camping from time to time in Wayne county. Dave couldnt tell anyone about it or his friendship would be in peril with Ringo. Asked how he met Ringo and became friends with him, answer was when he worked at WPLJ in NYC. Anyone remember more?
Steve
Steve
A
Aramondo
Guest
Ray did not know Ringo. He used to pal around with Pete Best.
B
berniek
Guest
I was there in at WEJL from 1984 to 1987, worked with both Ray and Guy Randell..we used to joke that is was the Warm Gang moving up north. Jim Davey joined the stations after he was let go by WARM. Last time I heard from Ray he was doing commerical food sales...great set of pipes...perhaps the best voice this market ever heard...
I'd go so far as to say that Ray had the best set of pipes this market has ever heard. That smooth baritone of his was pure major market just waiting to happen. Ray could have gone to the bigs with ease, but chose to stay here. On top of that, Ray's a great guy.
Anyone here remember the David Jefferson Kyle Fuhr London story of being a place kicker for the Buffalo Bills?
Anyone here remember the David Jefferson Kyle Fuhr London story of being a place kicker for the Buffalo Bills?
masterg said:
Never head that one, but the one of why KRZ gave him the boot was a good one. I can't tell in the info on the board here, but he told his wife that he was fired for calling Tommy Van Scoy a four letter word on the air which was not true. The real reason has to do with him and a (lady) in the KRZ basement in the old building on Franklin St.
He also used to tell his Mother all of this tall tales. Don't know if she fell for them or not.
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