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WNOR's "Music Go Round"
- Thread starter WGHRADIO
- Start date
Wow! Top 40 Radio was thriving in Norfolk in the late 50's and early 60's when I lived there. I remember well WNOR and the Music Go Round, Color Radio WGH and WAVY as well! I don't remember Rob Wayne per se but I was a mere kid, so....Some names that do pop up are Jay Lawrence at WNOR and Steve Canyon (don't remember which station but I want to say WGH.)
Steve Canyon was on WNOR,he did the 6:00/11:00 slot and Jay"The Jaybird"Lawrence did afternoon drive.Do you remember Kurt Webster on WAVY"Action Radio" who did morning drive 6:00AM/9:00AM and afternoon drive 3:00/6:00PM and did Dialing for Dollars from 1:00PM till 1:30PM on WAVY TV?
I won a WNOR"Beatle Buggy" from WNOR in 1964 made the cover of the WNOR Swing'25....
I won a WNOR"Beatle Buggy" from WNOR in 1964 made the cover of the WNOR Swing'25....
I remember being really impressed with Norfolk AM Top 40 radio, when I spent a few days there in March, 1970. I definitely remember 1230-WNOR, which I listened to the most. 1310-WGH was also very good, and there was also 1350-WCVU (They called it "sea view"). WCVU was a good station, too. I was back in Norfolk, a little over a year later, and noticed that WCVU had changed its call letters to WKLX, and was still Top 40.
It was unusual to have three good AM Top 40s in the same market. Two always seemed to be the norm....
Does anybody remember a jock on WGH named Jim Conlee? I remember listening to him on a Massachusetts
Top 40 station, WEIM, before he had the WGH gig...
It was unusual to have three good AM Top 40s in the same market. Two always seemed to be the norm....
Does anybody remember a jock on WGH named Jim Conlee? I remember listening to him on a Massachusetts
Top 40 station, WEIM, before he had the WGH gig...
Hey, thanks for clearing up which station Steve Canyon was on. I did remember that he was on at night. Was he the one who used to sign off his show with the Looney Tunes theme "ttttttthat's all fffolks?" I was just a kid then but I thought it was cool. I don't remember Kurt Webster but he was a busy man! Both drive times on radio and mid-days on TV! There's your "multi-tasking!"
I found some WNOR music go-round surveys on line by googling 'WNOR.'
Our family moved away in 1962, so I don't know much about the Norfolk radio scene after that.
Thanks for this thread...
I found some WNOR music go-round surveys on line by googling 'WNOR.'
Our family moved away in 1962, so I don't know much about the Norfolk radio scene after that.
Thanks for this thread...
M
mobley
Guest
This is a subject near and dear to my heart. I once lived in Newport News but was too young to remember hearing any of the radio stations. Strangely enough, I do have a recollection of riding by WGH's studio and tower site and being fascinated by the towers. I also remember the "drama mask" on the station logo..don't ask me why..kids remember strange things sometimes. We moved away from VA, to NJ when I was 5.
Later on, when I was about 9 or so, I became interested (obsessed is more like it) with radio. We were visiting a great aunt in Portsmouth and I spent an entire day with my Silvertone Transistor Radio, spinning back and forth between WGH, WNOR and WAVY. .
When I was 13, we moved to NC and I began to do a lot of DXing. I had heard WGH on several road trips, and knew they were #1 in Tidewater..plus they used the same jingles as WABC. Anyway, from 12 Midnight on GH was an everynight catch in Wilmington NC. This jock named Roger Clark had an automated show, that often featured old jingles and stagers..it was then that I became fascintated with the origins of Top 40 radio.
I remember the legal ID at that time would tag out with "#1 for 9 consecutive years"..meaning WGH had been #1 since 1958..The number one status lasted until about the late70's.
Do any of you all remember the exact year (and month) that WGH (and WNOR for that matter) switched to Top 40? If so, who were the original DJ's..What was the first jingle package? When did both stations start a printed music survey?
One of the former air talents at GH (Dale Parsons) has a great tribute site for WGH. Most of the airchecks, however, are from the late 60's, early 70's period..
Later on, when I was about 9 or so, I became interested (obsessed is more like it) with radio. We were visiting a great aunt in Portsmouth and I spent an entire day with my Silvertone Transistor Radio, spinning back and forth between WGH, WNOR and WAVY. .
When I was 13, we moved to NC and I began to do a lot of DXing. I had heard WGH on several road trips, and knew they were #1 in Tidewater..plus they used the same jingles as WABC. Anyway, from 12 Midnight on GH was an everynight catch in Wilmington NC. This jock named Roger Clark had an automated show, that often featured old jingles and stagers..it was then that I became fascintated with the origins of Top 40 radio.
I remember the legal ID at that time would tag out with "#1 for 9 consecutive years"..meaning WGH had been #1 since 1958..The number one status lasted until about the late70's.
Do any of you all remember the exact year (and month) that WGH (and WNOR for that matter) switched to Top 40? If so, who were the original DJ's..What was the first jingle package? When did both stations start a printed music survey?
One of the former air talents at GH (Dale Parsons) has a great tribute site for WGH. Most of the airchecks, however, are from the late 60's, early 70's period..
Your in luck ! WGH RADIO has a "Tribute Site" with history,photos,top 30 music surveys,and best of all Airchecks,and the history of WGH Jingle Packages and complete downloads of each Pams Series from 1959/1970's ENJOY....www.alohanews.com/wgh.htm
Happy Holidays from Radioland,USA
Happy Holidays from Radioland,USA
I grew up in the area and still live here. I'm 61 now. I listened to all of the stations you mention and worked at several others in the 19702. Someone mentioned Rob Wayne before. He was my favorite and the day I earned my FCC license I was able to talk to him in the studio.
Kid from Queens NYC here. The family used to drive to Norfolk to see the cousins, originally from Queens. Their pop was in -- go figure -- the Navy. We drove down US 13 in 1962 and in 1963. I was a HS freshman in 1962.
WNOR easily was the most fun listen for me. WGH was, as someone posted, very good. I found them a bit too slick, i f that's the word. The battle there must've been like that of the polished, machine-like WABC and the hokier WMCA.
As a DXer kid (and later to work in radio for 26 years) I'd be able to hear WNOR just about every overnight I'd try for them back up in Queens, near Kennedy Airport. It was 'Idlewild Airport then. My Folks had a terrific console Zenith radio with a record turntable behind a pull-out door.
Of course, in 1963, the AM dial was a lot quieter and a lot less crowded.
The overnight WNOR jock was Johnny Hart (or Hardt). I remember hearing Steve Canyon -- I'm sure that was his real name -- one AFTERNOON up in Queens. That reception probably had to do with some daytime-skip conditions.
Other WNOR names I remember were DJ's 'Sam Spade' and 'Buzz Baxter'. There was a newsman named (sp?) Frank Fricenza.
WNOR used two PAMS Music-Go-Round jingle packages, with the sung call letters distinguished by the 'W'. The earlier package was a toot-toot kiddy carousel 'W'. The 'W' in the latter package was more R&B, more ear-grabbing.
I have about six of the latter music-go-round jingles here in case anyone cares to hear them. I believe I got them off WGHRADIO's site -- a real treasure of a find. The eMail is seaplaneharbour @ hotmail.com.
Thanks for the memories!
WNOR easily was the most fun listen for me. WGH was, as someone posted, very good. I found them a bit too slick, i f that's the word. The battle there must've been like that of the polished, machine-like WABC and the hokier WMCA.
As a DXer kid (and later to work in radio for 26 years) I'd be able to hear WNOR just about every overnight I'd try for them back up in Queens, near Kennedy Airport. It was 'Idlewild Airport then. My Folks had a terrific console Zenith radio with a record turntable behind a pull-out door.
Of course, in 1963, the AM dial was a lot quieter and a lot less crowded.
The overnight WNOR jock was Johnny Hart (or Hardt). I remember hearing Steve Canyon -- I'm sure that was his real name -- one AFTERNOON up in Queens. That reception probably had to do with some daytime-skip conditions.
Other WNOR names I remember were DJ's 'Sam Spade' and 'Buzz Baxter'. There was a newsman named (sp?) Frank Fricenza.
WNOR used two PAMS Music-Go-Round jingle packages, with the sung call letters distinguished by the 'W'. The earlier package was a toot-toot kiddy carousel 'W'. The 'W' in the latter package was more R&B, more ear-grabbing.
I have about six of the latter music-go-round jingles here in case anyone cares to hear them. I believe I got them off WGHRADIO's site -- a real treasure of a find. The eMail is seaplaneharbour @ hotmail.com.
Thanks for the memories!
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