WNOP's "Jazz Ark" days

[Everett]

Yes the days of fun radio. The guests that came and never left. Jack Sheldon, How's your Bird, They go for your eyes and We dig you the moat.
Jack Clements and the statue on top of the church in Mt.Adams, I look as I go past but can't quite see the resemblance to Jimmy Witherspoon.
How about Leo's brass monkey, who got that and I wonder if it is still a good weather indicator. Leo dated the Lady with one short leg, where did she end up.
Best radio ever, Saturday morning early, Leo tries to wake up, sober up and run a radio show. Sometimes it was good it was early, I don't think the sensors were up that early.
The G.D.S.O.B. Show, I loved to see that in the news paper listing, my Mother had a fit everytime I showed it to her, I never told her what it stood for, George and Dale with Scott on board.
We're Near Ohio Property never bothered me. What's Next Old Pal was the theme for the day.
Ev AKA Uncle Evie

 

[cbenwah]

My favorite station of all time.

Bob Nave is a V.P. or something like that with PNC Bank downtown, the last I heard. I hear him doing voiceovers on WMKV-FM. I don't know if his BOP Connection is still on, though.

Bunky Tadwell, a.k.a. Walt Harell is still around somewhere, the last time I asked.

Ray Scott, Leo, Dick Pike, are all playing jazz with St. Peter. Pike did make it to the jazz wake in 2000.

Don't know about John Royer.

I can't remember the name of the Big Band guy on Saturdays, but he left to go to Louisiana.

Jeff Nimmo ruined the station when he became station manager. He replaced Bob Nave with himself. Jeff is no Bill (his dad).

The CNN experiment was a joke.

The Ken McDowell, former news anchor on Channel 5 tried to buy the station after the CNN experiment, but couldn't come up with the cash.

Tim Harrier and possibly others, also tried but failed to buy it as well.

I guess that is why Al Vontz, Jr. finally had enough of the jazz lovers who had the champagne taste, but beer budgets, and simply gave the station away in 2000.

To the Catholics credit, they got the daytime power increased to 2500 watts.

According to my late friend, Dick Plessinger, the Catholics missed their short window of opportunity to increase their nightiime power when the Canadiens were announcing abandonment of AM. I forget the details. He told me there was a time, many years ago, WNOP could have applied for, and gotten 50kw daytime. I had a hard time believing that, but he was an absolute radio genius and wouldn't have told me that if it weren't true.

If I had known what the Catholics were paying for the station in 2000, I would have found a way to buy it myself.

If WKRP in Cincinnati was ever patterned after a real station, I could see it being WNOP.

Any former WNOPers, I sure do miss you. (including Darksoldier)

Tom

What ever happened to Geoff Nimmo?

 

[major]

I have no idea what happened to Geoff Nimmo, but I think I still hear his dad, Bill, on WMKV, doing voiceovers.

 

[JerryK]

Now you're going back a few years. The studio at 606 Monmouth was on the 2nd floor. Ray Scott who was doing afternoons in those days could reach out the window to the south and get tips from the bookie joint that was on the second floor of the adjacent building.
WNOP was a favorite stop for a lot of the entertainers that were appearing at Beverly Hills. April Flowers the stripper was a regular to climb the steps to "Radio Free Newport"
Before the move to Delhi, the transmitter was off 27 down in ColdPrings, a very wide spaced two tower array. They were directional to protect a 730 in Bowling Green, Ohio and a 730 down south in Van Cleve, Ky.
Going way, way back, WNOP was a country station and Ray Scott was a jock. Kenny Price used to do a regular half hour program with his band.

 

[ralph_jazz]

Does anyone have any color photos of the station they'd like to share?

Google image search doesn't seem to find anything except a couple of black and white photos.

They may be artsy, but they're not orange.

 

[jcr]

I have a couple of pictures of the Jazz Ark taken in 1973 or 1974 from up on the bridge that it sat beneath. Would need to dig them out.