WGBI

[R_R]

The recent posts about WSCR/WBQW and Bob Woody got me thinking. What about the other local institutions from the past? WGBI certainly qualifies. There's gotta be stories up the wazoo from that place!

 

[yonkstur]

> The recent posts about WSCR/WBQW and Bob Woody got me
> thinking. What about the other local institutions from the
> past? WGBI certainly qualifies. There's gotta be stories up
> the wazoo from that place!
>
The call letters stood for God Bless the Irish. A story
I heard once rumored that they had an opportunity to be a
50,000 watt clear channel in the 1940s but stuck to the
wattage they had for fear the utility bill would be too
high.
In the 60s the station was a Country & Western format. They
used to run "Country Caravans" and big stars used to show
up in Scranton to play.
The station was staffed by the TV guys from WDAU TV. They
shared offices in the basement of the Scranton Prep Building.
Plus, there's a WGBI tribute page on the web.

Yonkstur

 

[RoyD]

I thought it was Good, Bad Indifferent.
Does anyone know the where-abouts of Hoyt Keiser?
I always liked him.

Amel RoyD

 

[yonkstur]

> .
> Does anyone know the where-abouts of Hoyt Keiser?
> I always liked him.

Hoyt left WEJL/WBAX AM with a bang in 1996 playing
Metalica on his way out the door. (I hope that's
right, it was a hard rock band on that easy listening
station.) He left to get, in his words, "a real job"
at the Proctor & Gamble plant in Mehoopany. Has been
there ever since according to my sources.
Yonkstur
>

>

 

[dcday]

> > .
> > Does anyone know the where-abouts of Hoyt Keiser?
> > I always liked him.
>
> Hoyt left WEJL/WBAX AM with a bang in 1996 playing
> Metalica on his way out the door. (I hope that's
> right, it was a hard rock band on that easy listening
> station.) He left to get, in his words, "a real job"
> at the Proctor & Gamble plant in Mehoopany. Has been
> there ever since according to my sources.
> Yonkstur
> >
>
> >Yonk - I think I sense a wee bit of your flair for the dramatic.
In the category of Smetimes They Come Back...For More!! Hoyt recently dropped off a reume at Shamrock in response to an ad for a part-time position. >

 

[yonkstur]

> > > .
> > > Does anyone know the where-abouts of Hoyt Keiser?
> > > I always liked him.
> >
> > Hoyt left WEJL/WBAX AM with a bang in 1996 playing
> > Metalica on his way out the door. (I hope that's
> > right, it was a hard rock band on that easy listening
> > station.) He left to get, in his words, "a real job"
> > at the Proctor & Gamble plant in Mehoopany. Has been
> > there ever since according to my sources.
> > Yonkstur
> > >
> >
> > >Yonk - I think I sense a wee bit of your flair for the
> dramatic.
> In the category of Smetimes They Come Back...For More!!
> Hoyt recently dropped off a reume at Shamrock in response to
> an ad for a part-time position. >
>
Get outta here!!!!! Wow, when he left, he was real bitter
about broadcasting. But once it's in the blood, you can't
get it out!!!! To paraphrase a book title,
I wish him well in his future endeavor.
Yonkstur

 

[dcday]

Just to let you know...he didn't sign off with Metallica. The last song he played was "Yellow Ledbetter" by Pearl Jam

 

[yonkstur]

> Just to let you know...he didn't sign off with Metallica.
> The last song he played was "Yellow Ledbetter" by Pearl Jam
>
The last 90s era song I can remember is Fine Young
Cannibals "She Drives Me Crazy". Metallica,
Pearl Jam, they are all lumped into one big bag of musical
ignorance on my part circa 1990 thru 2006.
I stand corrected but if you held a gun to my head I
couldn't tell you the difference between the two.
Thanks for the accuracy. It is appreciated.
Yonkstur

 

[masterg]

The story I heard for years was that a 50k designation was available, but wound up going to WOWO in Fort Wayne, Indiana, after WGBI turned it down. True? I honestly don't know. God Bless the Irish? HAHAHAHAHAHAH - probably true. A friend of mine always referred to WDAU as News For The Irish. The odd thing was, while it was just that, they for years had an Italian guy as their #1 anchor, John Perry. WGBI called itself Home of The Country Gentleman for years, which was long before C&W was mainstream. Not to offend, but C&W then, say in the 60s, was largely considered hillbilly music. But those Country Caravans were HUGE, they played The Masonic Temple to sell-out crowds several times a year. Two of my friends from back in the 70s made it to the interview level at WDAU(meaning a sit-down with Tom Powell, usually at Preno's), and both could attest to the fact that working TV for the Megargees back then did indeed involve an airshift on WGBI. FWIW, both of those friends were offered jobs, both turned them down.

 

[RIM]

> >
> The call letters stood for God Bless the Irish.
> Yonkstur

David:
Madge Holcomb has denied this emphatically. She said it was a random call letter assignment.
Argue the point with her, not me.

Rich