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WSTW started out as a boring automated top 40

That sure brought back some memories of the old WDEL-FM / WSTW. I didn't think the calls changed until the rock format happened, but that's been a long time ago. I knew all the songs you featured (not the EZ artists who did these recordings unfortunately they didn't tell you the artists or you edited them out).

Gilbert O'Sullivan's "Claire"
Herb Alpert's "Casino Royale"
John Denver's "Take me Home Country Roads"
Tony Orlando's "Tie a Yellow Ribbon".

I have always been a poor demograph as I listen to all sorts of music, even back then in my youth. So I used to listen to both WJBR and WSTW as beautiful music stations, along with 610 WIP and Ken Garland, WDEL's Bill Horaman and the Musical Clock while getting ready for school. Also 1380 WAMS for the latest hits. 1290 WTUX with its beautiful music also. WNRK also back then.

I also listened to part of the WFIL 1958 youtube audio you had. Benny Goodman doing "It Had to be You" then the newscast. Obviously this was before WFIL became the Top 40 station we all remember.

So was WIBG doing the Top 40 in the late 50's and WFIL became Famous 56 in the 1960's? When did 1380 WAMS actually shift from pop music to Top 40?
 
WAMS was Top 40 in the late 50's, but the 60's were their big days. WILM was playing a type of WIP pop music, "chicken rock" as it was called back then. You wanted to play rock and roll but you were "too chicken!" They even put out a week survey.

WIBG flipped from religious (it was owned by an Episcopal church) to Top 40 in either 1957 or 58. It was pulling in 25% of the audience at night with Hy Lit. Then came Labor Day weekend, 1966. The "Pop Explosion" on Famous 56. The Philly radio scene changed forever.

On WSTW. They were going nowhere as WDEL-FM. A former WDEL sales rep, Les Coleman left his horrible manager's gig at WSER and went back to WDEL. They stuck him on the FM, which was now being called WSTW (the initals of the parent ownership company). This would have been around 1970 or 71. He increased revenue 125% his first year. Les was a great guy and unbelievable sales rep. You would buy from him just to get him out of your store! Through him, I got my weekend gig then afternoon drive slot on WSER.
 
I remember WDEL back then playing the Fifth Dimension's Aquarius/Let the Sun Shine In medley. When the Aquarius part ended and the instrumental part came on to segway into Let the Sun Shine In, WDEL would fade out the song. The second half was a bit too soulful for their audience. Of course WAMS played the entire song.
 
WNRK did the same thing. Too hot for their Hot AC audience back in the late 60's.
 
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