WEST staff - Whatever became of...

[Korky]

Now that former WEST AM listeners are living la vida loca, whatever became of the people who worked on the air or managed the place? Anyone know? People like Terry Rich, Dave Hinson and Ted Weider. Are they working or did they receive a nice plump package for their years of loyalty and service to Maranatha Broadcasting and enjoying retirement?

 

[Interstate 78]

you're probably right about rich, hinson, and weider, although i'm not sure. the only ex WEST'er that we know where they went is bobby koch who has gone full circle and is now back at WGPA doing mornings monday thru wednesday. he sounds good. i still miss terry rich doing the weather on beautiful music WFMZ followed by a segue into a violin version of barbara streisand.

 

[TODDMAYOR]

when i worked at tv and fm it was bonneville reels we used. do you remember b-ez wqqq or was that wqq.q b4 it was a/c then hits????

 

[Bills]

1

 

[Interstate 78]

todd, you worked at wfmz in the beautiful music days? i was always fascinated by that station. not my favorite format but the canned muzak flavor was quite appealing to listen to at times ... driving in the middle of the night ... in the doctors office. kathy craine doing weather at night. those infamous canned voicers (early voicetracks i guess you could call them) from ken lamb, jim lewis, dick cruiser, etc. classic stuff. i miss the old wfmz.

 

[TODDMAYOR]

i worked there in 1984-1985 after wxtu in philly while going to kutztown u. i worked both tv and fm and did the canned wx and newscasts nights and weekends and fill for kathy crain and dave hinson. great people to work with it is a killer stick too. i was picking 100.7 in downtown phila. 2 weeks ago on a sunday.

 

[drpickle]

Oh, boy!. If you went to KU during this period then you must know Richard Tyson. I am good friends with him and we talk at least once a week.

 

[TODDMAYOR]

pickle...i don't know the name...sorry...i knew alot of people there at that time i would say student enrollment was about 3500+ not including commuters like me at then time.

 

[Interstate 78]

i probably heard you in '84 and '85 because I was about 9 years old then and my parents had all the radios in the house glued to 100.7. i remember it all. religious music early in the morning before dawn. elevator music all day. canned voicetracks from names like dick cruiser. those infamous long gaps between songs. elevator stations always had that formula where songs didn't segue together. there was about 3 seconds of dead air between songs. kathy craine's weather forecasts at night. i also remember around 1990 them having this syndicated inspirational show from 11:30 p.m. to midnight called nightsounds with a deep voiced guy named bill pearce. sort of like radio psychotherapy. he told you everything was going to be ok and Jesus loves you. i did a google on it and it still exists on many low power religious stations. good old WFMZ. not my favorite format but i still miss them. there should still be stations like that around.

 

[TODDMAYOR]

i'll try and find some old tape and email if i can find. just a thought for the reading folks... is the old wraw tower still on top of the old department store in reading?

 

[DPGumby]

I worked at WEST/WLEV for a year or so circa 1982-ish, as a part timer. It's all a blur to me nowadays! I remember Joe McClain was working there at the time, as was Ted Weider, and others whose names have faded from my brain!

At the time, WLEV was still all pre-programmed on reel to reel tapes, with a few live DJ inserts. I worked a lot of weekend shifts, and i'd be live on WEST (also on reel to reel tapes), and do recorded weather and PSA inserts on WLEV at the same time.

Ahhh, the good old days!

Gene O'Brien

 

[Daveradio]

Hi Gene,

Actually, in 1982, Joe McLain was working with us at WSAN when it was country. When I got there in 1980, Joe was already there. He did afternoons, Ed Baumer worked middays until Jim Cameron came on as PD, I worked evenings then overnights, Bob Grayson had been doing his "Nightline" talk show evenings, Arnie Kriner did overnights (brought on by Cameron from Williamsport), Chuck Henry mornings.

Dave Silverstein

I worked at WEST/WLEV for a year or so circa 1982-ish, as a part timer. It's all a blur to me nowadays! I remember Joe McClain was working there at the time, as was Ted Weider, and others whose names have faded from my brain!

 

[TheMinimumDose]

Wieder's voice can still be heard in voiceovers for Channel 69's "AccuWeather Channel" (digital 69.2/46.2). They might know if he's still among the walking.
TMD

 

[Rockin Rob]

those infamous long gaps between songs. elevator stations always had that formula where songs didn't segue together. there was about 3 seconds of dead air between songs.

Ahhhh, funny you should mention that. Those "gaps" were pre-built into the format. I read an interview with Nels Hobdell, who was a jock and then PD of WWSH "Wish 106"/Philly. Those gaps were called "savor time", it was designed to let the listener "savor" the particular cut before playing the next piece, like a good cut of filet mignon.

He also mentioned the reels came from Schulke (another distributor of B/EZ music) and the SRP format was very dayparted and researched (i.e. no horns before 6PM, 1 vocal per hour, etc.). I wonder if the WFMZ/Bonneville format was programmed in the same manner?