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WGN Expert wanted - Morning man question

H

hammondo

Guest
WGN Morning people;

Prior to Spike was Uncle Bobby
Prior to Uncle Bobby was Wally
Prior to Wally was Eddie Hubbard

My question;
Prior to Eddie Hubbard was WHOM???

When and how long was Two Ton Baker mornings?
Anyone have an idea of WGN 's schedule from the late 40's til Eddie?
Thanks
 
I don't think there was a "morning" program in the 1940s in the same way there were morning programs and personalities in the 1950s and forward
 
You may be right, but what was on the air 6-9am. I don't think the all night show started til the 50's (but I'm really not sure).
 
The more I think about it, the more I think that the morning format may not have been much different in the 1940s, with a mix of music, news, weather, particularly since the top news story between 1941 and 1945 would have been World War II. Of course, just about everything was live. Chuck Schaden's There Were The Day's program (WDCB, 90.9 FM) is the place to go for real information about the era. He knows everything and his e-mail address is [email protected]
 
I found some info on early WGN programs, I've reproduced it here, it's from the Tribune Archives. I remember listening in the late 40's and early 50's and WGN had a lot of local produced radio. Note the arrival of FM in 1941. Note below that over 7000 people attend WGN programs each week. In addition WGN was the Mutual Network station in Chicago. WGN being clear channel did a lot of farm reporting in the morning as well.

Here's the stuff from the Trib:

Chicago Daily Tribune (1940 - 1950) - Chicago, Ill. Date: Oct 21, 1945 Start Page: s8 Section: S Document Types: article Text Word Count: 196

A new half hour transcribed radio program, "Youth Looks Up," will make its debut on W-G-N. The program will be heard at 8 a. m.

Citizens of Tomorrow radio show dedicated to the high school set, will return to W-G-N tomorrow at 9:30 a.m.

So you want to see a radio show broadcast. Well, you may have to wait a few days, but chances are you'll get the tickets. There are many possibilities in Chicago. An average of about 7,000 persons see W-G-N broadcasts every week.

9/21/41 A new thrill awaits numerous Chicagoland listeners today with the normal opening by W-G-N of a sister station, W59C. This new frequency modulation [FM]
Preparing for the post-war expansion in the field of high fidelity, static free frequency modulation radio WGNB, sister station of W-G-N, today will introduce a new program policy with emphasis on the best in music and "live" broadcasts, under the direction of Marion...Authority to construct a frequency modulation [F-M] radio station immediately was granted to W-G-N, Inc., yesterday by the Federal Communications commission in Washington, D. C. The FCC order authorized W-G-N, Inc., to construct station W59C, to operate.
 
Can't help with the morning man question, but I still have fond memories of listening to legends like Wally Phillips and John Doremus back in the 1970's when I lived in Dallas-Fort Worth.

Interesting article and I'm sure they weren't kidding when they said, "...over 7000 people attend WGN programs each week." It reminds me of one of the greatest station ID's ever: "This is WGN Chicago, radio home of millions throughout Mid-America." And they weren't kidding about that, either.
 
JD, Thanks for the memory kick.

I DO remember John Doremus on WGN. Used to love him on WAIT, and earlier in his career on WIND, as well.

I like wgn radio's history site, but find it quite incomplete. I'm quite amazed at the slow response to the morning man question, below. I did e-mail the gents that were suggested, and will post when I get a response.
 
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