WIBG Radio 99 - 40th Anniversary Lineup

[cambridge]

I found this great artifact - a classic WIBG album "WIBBAGE AU GO GO", their 40th anniversary album, from around 1964, I think. It has some great bios on the back. Before I threw it on Ebay, I thought you might be interested in seeing this, from Radio 99

-Jerry Stevens - 6-10am, M-F
-Bill Wright, Sr. - 10am-2pm - M-F, 10am-3pm Sat
-Joe Niagara - 2pm-6pm M-F, 3pm-8pm Sat
-Hy Lit - 6pm-10pm - M-F, 7pm-12am Sunday
-Frank X Feller - 10pm-2am T-F, 8pm-1am Sat, 2pm-7pm Sun
-Dean Tyler - Production Director, swing shifts
-Ray Gilmore - Saturday 6-10am, swing
-Allan Dean - 2am-6am

 

[csp-1]

this is the exact kind of posting that makes radio-info sooooooooooo kewl !!!!! thanks sooooo much !!!! (-:

 

[apco25]

I found this great artifact - a classic WIBG album "WIBBAGE AU GO GO", their 40th anniversary album, from around 1964, I think. It has some great bios on the back. Before I threw it on Ebay, I thought you might be interested in seeing this, from Radio 99

-Jerry Stevens - 6-10am, M-F
-Bill Wright, Sr. - 10am-2pm - M-F, 10am-3pm Sat
-Joe Niagara - 2pm-6pm M-F, 3pm-8pm Sat
-Hy Lit - 6pm-10pm - M-F, 7pm-12am Sunday
-Frank X Feller - 10pm-2am T-F, 8pm-1am Sat, 2pm-7pm Sun
-Dean Tyler - Production Director, swing shifts
-Ray Gilmore - Saturday 6-10am, swing
-Allan Dean - 2am-6am

I had a WIBBAGE album that showed the list Joe Niagra as mornings and Jerry Stevens as afternoons. Did Niagra, Wright, and Stevens played musical chairs with their shifts back in the mid 60's?

 

[kfsr]

I've always wondered that myself; somebody should ask Hyski or Dean Tyler. I always guessed that it had to do with these things: a) one of these guys didn't like getting up in the morning and preferred PM drive, and b) the morning ratings were softer when they had him on afternoons, so they kept flip-flopping Niagara and Stevens.

 

[qtpieislit]

Originally, Bill Wright Sr. did mornings in the late 50’s. When Joe Niagara came on board, he took over mornings and Bill Wright took on mid days’. In 1960-61, the broadcast companies, in particular Storer broadcasting, reacted dramatically to the payola investigation under way, releasing Hy & Joe. Hy went to WCAM while Joe left the market. In just one rating book the ratings began to swing wildly, quite measurable in favor of Hy, at the little 1310. (With WCAM’s self supporter tower on Camden’s water front, the 250 night time watts radiated up and down the Delaware River, clearly serving south, center, north and northeast Philly with a clean grade signal). After the release of the second book, Storer had approached and rehired Hy, and subsequently thereafter, Joe. With Jerry Stevens already in mornings, Joe went to afternoons, and that would remain the anchor lineup through most of the decade.

 

[fred flintstone]

Two Bill Wrights?

I listened to Wibbage in the late 50s - early 60s. Then I was away from Philly for a few years and then came back. It seemed that Bill Wright the second time around did not sound the same as I remembered. The voice seemed different. And the first time around he seemed to have more of a Southern accent and did not use the "Senior" with his name.
Were there two Bill Wrights? I know some broadcasters (including Storer) used to "own" air names and different jocks would use the same air name on a station over time (like "Jack the Bellboy" - Ed McKenzie, Tom Clay et al - on WJBK, Detroit).
The Bill Wright, Sr. doing the anti-abortion spots in Chester County sounds like the late 60s - early 70s Bill Wright.

Joe Niagra went to KBIG in LA during the payola scandal aftermath.

 

[qtpieislit]

Yes, it is the same Bill Wright. He came up from the ‘Storer Station, WBRC/Birmingham Alabama’ along with the program director, which probably accounts for the southern accent. At first, while doing mornings, he was known as the ‘Wrebble Wright’, then mid days’ a more subdued, or adult female oriented Bill Wright Sr. I have an air check around here somewhere, un-scoped, with him in mornings. Incidentally, he actually called yesterday from Malvern to talk to Hy. I understand he’s planning on moving to Maryland Soon. He sounded pretty good. I think Hy may have had a discussion with Bill about getting involved with HyLitRadio. I’ll have to wait and see what they decide.
 

 

[fred flintstone]

Thanks. Yes, it was when he did mornings that I first heard him. I did listed to an aircheck of his morning show from that period on ReelRadio a while back.

One thing that was interesting to me about Wibbage is how the sound of the station and the playlist varied throughout the day. Baby boomer (like me) mostly listened at that time to your dad in the evening ("How can you study with that radio on!") and to the Rockin' Bird after school. But in other dayparts, Wibbage was more of an adult station. The jocks didn't do the classic rock jock style of delivery and the playlist included a fair amount of MOR (and seemed to downplay hard rock). And the spots in the morning and during the day were clearly targeting adults.

 

[SuperRadioFan]

Sam, that would be cool if Bill Wright Sr joined HyLitRadio. I remember Bill's trademark sign-off "Remember, prayer doesn't change things, prayer changes people and people change things".

I know you were a young tyke in 1962 when I discovered your dad, HySki. I remember he'd open his show at 6 pm "It's nighttime in the Delaware Valley" etc etc. I also remember that Niagra was on mornings until sometime either in late 1964 or 1965. Too bad you can't ask Joe to verify (RIP) but connect with Jerry Stevens or ask Hy if I am right.

BTW I remember you and Hy hosting shifts at WKXW when I lived in NJ (born in New Brunswick). Moved to SoCal in '85 but I still remember those days at WIBBAGE 99!

To Fred: Yes they sure dayparted the playlist... HySki would rarely play a song by a MOR artist (Dean Martin, Sinatra, Al Martino who was real big in Philadelphia) EVEN if it was #1 on the Top 99! But Hy sure played a lot of smaller hits like "Down By the Ocean" and "Mixed Up Shook Up Girl".

 

[qtpieislit]

It is Hy’s recollection that once Joe Niagara settled in to afternoon’s and Jerry Stevens settled in to mornings, they pretty much stayed there. And that would have occurred prior to 1964. Incidentally, when Hy left Wibbage to launch WDAS-FM, in late 1968, Jerry Stevens also left to launch WMMR, both as ‘Progressive underground’ stations. Hy’s initial WDAS-FM staff was Ed Schiakey, Michael Tearson, Larry Magid, T. Morgan, Gene Shay, Wayne Joel and Rod Carson, (who was also an anchor newsman at WIBG). Many of which through attrition gravitated to WMMR, and beyond. Ironically, Hy was already heard on FM through the 50’s & 60’s on Wibbage simulcast, 94.1 WIBG-FM, and even earlier on 105.3 WHAT-FM (1340/WHAT simulcast), which ultimately in a frequency swap became WDAS-FM.

 

[qtpieislit]

I was privileged to get a detailed history lesson today, from Jonathan P. Casey, from WSNJ/1240 Bridgeton & WMVB/1440 Millville. And he details the following:

Hi Sam, It was great spending some time with you and your dad at the WOODBINE on Tuesday, I actually delayed my flight to L.A. until Wednesday to be there. I'm now in L.A. and will be flying back late Monday and be back on WSNJ/WMVB on Tuesday and working until about 5:30pm and will try to get up to the WOODBINE for the live broadcast by 6:00pm. My wheels are already turning on ways to do a 'historical radio retrospective segment' for HYLITRADIO.COM. I'll discuss it with you when I get back.
By the way, I have been reading some of the posts on Radio-info.com about WIBG's history and your Dad and Joe Niagara returned to WIBG on the same day in 1961 with Joe on from 6-10am and your Dad on from 6-10pm to put WIBG on the path to a very strong Line-up.
The line-up right before your Dad and Joe Returned was the following:
6-10am    BILL JONES
10-3PM    GEORGE GILBERT
3-8PM     JERRY STEVENS
8-1AM     JACK STARR
1-6AM     DON L. BRINK
After Your dad and Joe Returned the line-up became this:
6-10am    JOE NIAGARA
10-2PM    GEORGE GILBERT
2-6PM      JERRY STEVENS
6-10PM     HY LIT
10-2AM    JACK STARR
2-6AM     DON L BRINK

In 1962 a WIBG strike went into effect and everyone walked out. The only ones to return to the air after a one day walkout where Joe Niagara and your Dad. That's all STORER BROADCASTING needed at the time to keep the station operating strong, as your Dad and Joe were the Franchise. For a period of time management from other Storer Stations filled the other slots (one was BILL WRIGHT SR. who was working as management at WHN/1050 In NYC at the time). He covered 10am-2pm during the strike, in early 1963 FRANK X FELLER took over the 10pm-2am time slot following your Dad. JERRY STEVENS eventually returned to his 2-6pm slot in the spring of 1963, as did GEORGE GILBERT, who returned to his 10am-2pm slot. In August of 1963 Storer decided to put BILL WRIGHT SR. back on the 10am-2pm slot because of the great job he did during the strike. GEORGE GILBERT was moved to the 2am-6am slot and subsequently left shortly thereafter for his home town, to operate WARM/590 Scranton, which he was still doing in the 90's when I spoke with him. After GEORGE GILBERT left WIBG in 1963 DEAN TYLER returned as music director and covered the 2am-6am slot for awhile. JACK STARR never returned to WIBG and was never heard from again.
DON L. BRINK never returned to WIBG either, but while serving in VIET NAM ON ARMED FORCES RADIO changed his name to SCOTTY BRINK and after getting out of the service, he went on to have a career on many big stations in the United States as SCOTTY BRINK. Hope this history lesson was helpful to you and feel free to use this Info as your's and pass it along as you so desire.
                           Talk to you soon, JONATHAN P. CASEY, WSNJ/1240 Bridgeton, WMVB/1440 Millville




Now this is a man who leaves no chance to detail.

 

[odomski]

Conversation like this is what makes this board great. I have enjoyed reading about the history of a legendary station like WIBG. I hope this is the beginning of more professional, mature, flame-free radio discussion for the future...without annoying, usueless drivel and complaints that consist of links to newspaper articles, questions like "what does you think?", and so forth.

 

[apco25]

I was privileged to get a detailed history lesson today, from Jonathan P. Casey, from WSNJ/1240 Bridgeton & WMVB/1440 Millville. And he details the following:

Hi Sam, It was great spending some time with you and your dad at the WOODBINE on Tuesday, I actually delayed my flight to L.A. until Wednesday to be there. I'm now in L.A. and will be flying back late Monday and be back on WSNJ/WMVB on Tuesday and working until about 5:30pm and will try to get up to the WOODBINE for the live broadcast by 6:00pm. My wheels are already turning on ways to do a 'historical radio retrospective segment' for HYLITRADIO.COM. I'll discuss it with you when I get back.
By the way, I have been reading some of the posts on Radio-info.com about WIBG's history and your Dad and Joe Niagara returned to WIBG on the same day in 1961 with Joe on from 6-10am and your Dad on from 6-10pm to put WIBG on the path to a very strong Line-up.
The line-up right before your Dad and Joe Returned was the following:
6-10am BILL JONES
10-3PM GEORGE GILBERT
3-8PM JERRY STEVENS
8-1AM JACK STARR
1-6AM DON L. BRINK
After Your dad and Joe Returned the line-up became this:
6-10am JOE NIAGARA
10-2PM GEORGE GILBERT
2-6PM JERRY STEVENS
6-10PM HY LIT
10-2AM JACK STARR
2-6AM DON L BRINK

In 1962 a WIBG strike went into effect and everyone walked out. The only ones to return to the air after a one day walkout where Joe Niagara and your Dad. That's all STORER BROADCASTING needed at the time to keep the station operating strong, as your Dad and Joe were the Franchise. For a period of time management from other Storer Stations filled the other slots (one was BILL WRIGHT SR. who was working as management at WHN/1050 In NYC at the time). He covered 10am-2pm during the strike, in early 1963 FRANK X FELLER took over the 10pm-2am time slot following your Dad. JERRY STEVENS eventually returned to his 2-6pm slot in the spring of 1963, as did GEORGE GILBERT, who returned to his 10am-2pm slot. In August of 1963 Storer decided to put BILL WRIGHT SR. back on the 10am-2pm slot because of the great job he did during the strike. GEORGE GILBERT was moved to the 2am-6am slot and subsequently left shortly thereafter for his home town, to operate WARM/590 Scranton, which he was still doing in the 90's when I spoke with him. After GEORGE GILBERT left WIBG in 1963 DEAN TYLER returned as music director and covered the 2am-6am slot for awhile. JACK STARR never returned to WIBG and was never heard from again.
DON L. BRINK never returned to WIBG either, but while serving in VIET NAM ON ARMED FORCES RADIO changed his name to SCOTTY BRINK and after getting out of the service, he went on to have a career on many big stations in the United States as SCOTTY BRINK. Hope this history lesson was helpful to you and feel free to use this Info as your's and pass it along as you so desire.
Talk to you soon, JONATHAN P. CASEY, WSNJ/1240 Bridgeton, WMVB/1440 Millville




Now this is a man who leaves no chance to detail.

Great info, That's the way this board should be 24/7, I Agree..... Now I found this WIBBAGE lineup dating Sept. 1960......

Bill Wright 6-10
Bill Jones 10-3 (Danceland)?
Jerry Stevens 3-8 (Top 99)
Harvey Miller 8-1
Dean Tyler 1-6

What's interesting is the danceland show the same but taken over from the 50's jock Doug Arthur. I thought they decided to remove this program in the late 50's when Rock 'n' Roll took over. And who was and how long Harvey Miller was at WIBBAGE. Was this the famous Humble Harv?

Now the pre -payola days.. 1956,57 what was the lineup?.. ..OK I just scooped this up Sept. 1956...see if your Dad can recall these days,

Pinebrook Praises & News and Info 6-8
Dr. AU Nelson 8-8:30 roughly mixed in with religious news and other info. (not a rock n' roll
show)
All News 9-10
Doug Arthur 10-1 (Famous Danceland)
Harold B. Spins 1-2 (Who's He?)
Fred Knight 2-4 (Was he a Jock?) Is this where the rock programming day begins?
Tom Donahue 4-6
Danceland again ? 6-7:30
Joe Niagara 7:30- 9
Moonglow ???? 9-11 Interesting (was this a rock related show run by Harvey Fuqua?)
Jerry Williams 11-signoff (Is this the famous talk show host from Boston?) Was he an early Wibbage Good guy?

I can learn form this too.

 

[fred flintstone]

I have a vague recollection of a one-hour show (brokered) in which the sole sponsor and the DJ was some car dealer. I think his name was Harold B. Robinson. His son apparently ran the used car lot and the jock was always talking about "my son, Steve 'mark 'em down' Robinson." Not sure what make of car he sold but it seems like it was DeSoto. He really sounded terrible and I always wondered by Wibbage let him go on the air (now, of course, I know why).

 

[georgeq]

Harold B. Robinson was the host of Danceland and his car dealership was the sponsor.
Harvey Miller Was the the famous Humble Harv, mostly heard on California stations but born and raised right here in this area. Tom Donahue and another Wibbage jock Bobby Mitchell moved to San Francisco and together started what became progressive radio, in fact Tom “Big Daddy” Donahue has been called the father of progressive radio and is in the Rock & Roll Hall of fame.

http://www.rockhall.com/hof/inductee.asp?id=92

 

[qtpieislit]

From Hy:
Doug Arthur was at WIBG before Storer broadcasting took over, before the power increase to 50,000 watts, and before the change to continuous Rock & Roll under Storer Broadcasting. He owned a piece of the station at the time. The Doug Arthur DanceLand show was very popular with big bands and pop artists. He was a favorite of Hy’s, and ultimately upon Hy's arrival at WIBG, Hy was invited by Doug to broadcast from what was his private studio, as WIBG had multiple broadcast studios and facilities at 117 Ridge Pike. Niagara later would replace Doug in that time slot. (WIBG was a multiple engineer/board-op broadcast facility, with the D.J. in a sound studio, with only turntables and cart machines. The main control board was on the other side of the glass and was always manned by an engineer. Each studio setup had a separate board connected to a sound studio for the announcer/D.J. News also had a separate studio and engineer. Board-op's were usually 1st class radio-telephone license holders and could interchange with the DA meter readers. There were usually 3 or more engineers on duty at all times. Also, every thing recorded was engineered in the same way and the transcription was handled by the engineers. Broadcast talent never touched the control boards or the transmitters.)
Harold B. Robinson, the automobile dealer, did purchased, sponsor and host a 1 hour show everyday, an extension of the DanceLand segment.
Fred Knight was a news man.
Tom Donahue: Hy called him Big Mam-Moo. And became one of the ‘Wibbage Good Guys’ as Rock & Roll became full time.
Jerry Williams did a talk show and eventually moved on to Chicago Land radio as a talk host.
Humble Harv: Replaced Hy during the Paola investigation, then left for California.
Bobby Mitchell & Tom Donahue did eventually leave Philadelphia to start FM radio on the west coast.

 

[apco25]

From Hy:
Doug Arthur was at WIBG before Storer broadcasting took over, before the power increase to 50,000 watts, and before the change to continuous Rock & Roll under Storer Broadcasting. He owned a piece of the station at the time. The Doug Arthur DanceLand show was very popular with big bands and pop artists. He was a favorite of Hy’s, and ultimately upon Hy's arrival at WIBG, Hy was invited by Doug to broadcast from what was his private studio, as WIBG had multiple broadcast studios and facilities at 117 Ridge Pike. Niagara later would replace Doug in that time slot. (WIBG was a multiple engineer/board-op broadcast facility, with the D.J. in a sound studio, with only turntables and cart machines. The main control board was on the other side of the glass and was always manned by an engineer. Each studio setup had a separate board connected to a sound studio for the announcer/D.J. News also had a separate studio and engineer. Board-op's were usually 1st class radio-telephone license holders and could interchange with the DA meter readers. There were usually 3 or more engineers on duty at all times. Also, every thing recorded was engineered in the same way and the transcription was handled by the engineers. Broadcast talent never touched the control boards or the transmitters.)
Harold B. Robinson, the automobile dealer, did purchased, sponsor and host a 1 hour show everyday, an extension of the DanceLand segment.
Fred Knight was a news man.
Tom Donahue: Hy called him Big Mam-Moo. And became one of the ‘Wibbage Good Guys’ as Rock & Roll became full time.
Jerry Williams did a talk show and eventually moved on to Chicago Land radio as a talk host.
Humble Harv: Replaced Hy during the Paola investigation, then left for California.
Bobby Mitchell & Tom Donahue did eventually leave Philadelphia to start FM radio on the west coast.

Great info especially from the horse's mouth..... Interesting what was the Moonglow show? Was that back seat rock songs run by a board op or a dj?

 

[qtpieislit]

Hy has no recollection of the Moon glow show, as he was on the air at night on 1340/WHAT & 1060/WRCV during the 50’s up until he actually took over the 9-1am time slot at WIBG in late 1957. By 1958 Hy had moved in to the 6-10pm slot, where he would remain through most of the 60’s. When George B. Storer bought the station, prior to Hy's arival, he decided to keep the call letters WIBG, which stood for 'I Believe in God'. However, he was intent on fading out the block programming in favor of a more consistent sound around the clock, Rock & Roll.

From an earlier post:
In early 1957, Hy Lit began as air talent on 1060/WRCV Philadelphia.  Hy was hired away from WHAT/1340 radio, which had become a resounding rating success, therefore taking his growing 'Rock & Roll kingdom' show to the 10:30-2am time slot, on WRCV. NBC at the time also required Hy to do an additional show called 'Sinatra and Friends', from 5:30-6:30 pm, under the name Johnny Dollar. All this to compliment the NBC red network feeds and news top & bottom of every hour. Ironically, Sinatra and friends became a ratings success, as well as the Rock & Roll kingdom, which was primarily doo-wop & soul (known as race music at the time). In the true spirit of NBC, the big wigs from N.Y. traveled to Philadelphia to see why this local phenom was so popular, not only in Philadelphia but and as far away as Boston late at night, where Rock & Roll was initially banned. (Sky wave on the 50,000 watt 1060kc B-1 clear status channel actually worked when the ground system was maintained). NBC, not quite up to date on the growing trends, concluded that the Rock & Roll kingdom should add some Sinatra & friends. It just so happened that WIBG had called Hy, day's earlier, requesting his presence.

 

[apco25]

Hy has no recollection of the Moon glow show, as he was on the air at night on 1340/WHAT & 1060/WRCV during the 50’s up until he actually took over the 9-1am time slot at WIBG in late 1957. By 1958 Hy had moved in to the 6-10pm slot, where he would remain through most of the 60’s. When George B. Storer bought the station, prior to Hy's arival, he decided to keep the call letters WIBG, which stood for 'I Believe in God'. However, he was intent on fading out the block programming in favor of a more consistent sound around the clock, Rock & Roll.

From an earlier post:
In early 1957, Hy Lit began as air talent on 1060/WRCV Philadelphia. Hy was hired away from WHAT/1340 radio, which had become a resounding rating success, therefore taking his growing 'Rock & Roll kingdom' show to the 10:30-2am time slot, on WRCV. NBC at the time also required Hy to do an additional show called 'Sinatra and Friends', from 5:30-6:30 pm, under the name Johnny Dollar. All this to compliment the NBC red network feeds and news top & bottom of every hour. Ironically, Sinatra and friends became a ratingssuccess, as well as the Rock & Roll kingdom, which was primarily doo-wop & soul (known as race music at the time). In the true spirit of NBC, the big wigs from N.Y. traveled to Philadelphia to see why this local phenom was so popular, not only in Philadelphia but and as far away as Boston late at night, where Rock & Roll was initially banned. (Sky wave on the 50,000 watt 1060kc B-1 clear status channel actually worked when the ground system was maintained). NBC, not quite up to date on the growing trends, concluded that the Rock & Roll kingdom should add some Sinatra & friends. It just so happened that WIBG had called Hy, day's earlier, requesting his presence.

I have another interesting question or two about Hy. Did WRCV had other rock n' roll shows or was Hy the only one doing a block program in 1957. Also does your dad ever regret not pursuing his baseball career with the Cincinnati Reds where he would have had a chance to play with greats like Joe Nuxhall to Pete Rose?

 

[Don Niles]

I live in West Virginia and am sort of retired from broadcasting after working a number of formats-Country/Oldies/Classic Rock..I am a loyal listener of Hy Lit Radio and last week did a bunch of E-Mail with Hyski..I as a teenager spent some time in Chester County..Late 65-Late 67..I remember Wibbage Well and WFIL..I own most of the Hy Lit Albums..Hall of Fame 2 and 3 which I found in Charleston,WV in the Mid 80's plus the WRCP one which I bought used in Orlando,Fla...Also the Wibbage Hall of Fame Album which I found in the Mid 80's in Charles Town,WV...I at the time considered Jerry Stevens and Bill Wright Sr. both as more "Adult Jocks" and as the day went on with Joe Niagara thru Hy Lit as more "Hip" and "Cool"..I remember Jerry Blavat on WHAT..I originally came from Western New York and really liked the different sound of Philly Radio..I also remember George Gilbert on WARM..I personally always preferred WIBG to WFIL but at night the Wibbage signal was almost non-existent in Chester County.. I would then listen to 94.1 if I had FM access or tune in to KB in Buffalo whi.ch actually at night came in better in the Delaware Valley than in Western New York..I seem to remember 94.1 interference from Sunbury somewhat even in Chester County.. I hope Hy Lit Radio can be something that will last a long time..