Roddy Freeman, 2006

Around the eighth grade, Roddy Freeman was seduced by the magic of Top 40 radio, specifically WCAO in Baltimore during the early sixties. He writes:

"That led to a fascination with all aspects of radio, including programming, music, signals and transmitter sites. I became hooked on the top 40 stations that boomed into Baltimore at night, including WABC, WLS, WKBW, CKLW and later, WCFL. I read everything about radio that I could get my hands on, including Broadcasting, Billboard, Record World and the Bob Hamilton Radio Report. And I loved listening on family vacations to out-of-town stations, such as WMCA in New York, which I always felt was one of the best top-40 stations ever.

My only brush with a radio career was in my college days, when I worked on-air at two college stations, WBJC-FM/Baltimore while at the Community College of Baltimore and WMUC, the campus station at the University of Maryland. I also handled a weekend air shift at a commercial station, WNAV in Annapolis, during that time.

My real career has been in the media planning and buying area at advertising agencies, which I have found to be an excellent vantage point for watching the radio business. My First full-time job was at W.B. Doner & Company in Baltimore. I have also worked at Ted Bates/New York, Cunningham & Walsh/New York, NW Ayer/New York and McCann-Erickson/Atlanta. Since 1996, I have operated my own consultancy here in Atlanta, Media Innovation."

The Repository thanks Roddy Freeman for sharing!

Tom Dooley, WFIL Philadelphia, January 25, 1972 (29:56)

. . . the Boss Jocks versus the Boss Chicks . . .

This Exhibit 'SCOPED (10:06)

[Technical Note: This exhibit has speed and pitch irregularities. The 'scoped version is recommended.]

When Jay Cook became an off-air program director at WFIL, he had no shortage of candidates to take over his noon-to-3 shift at what many considered the best Top-40 station in America.

He selected Tom Dooley from KRIZ in Phoenix, and Dooley did not disappoint. He flawlessly executes WFIL's format with high energy and congeniality. Fred Lowrey's newscast demonstrates WFIL's commitment to excellence in all areas.

Return to the Repository

Don Wade, WIBG Philadelphia, January 1972 (52:50)

. . . the most fantastic radio station in the entire world, because they pay my bills . . .

This Exhibit 'SCOPED (28:49)

In one of several attempts to regain its glory, WIBG brought in Don Wade as its morning weapon against WFIL's Dr. Don Rose.

The big-voiced Wade did a decidedly adult show while WIBG promoted a teen-oriented contest, a Grass Roots concert for the winning school. And, the station invented a new synonym for news, as Paul Howard delivers WIBG Contemporary.

At this time, of course, Don Wade's future wife Roma wasn't even a twinkle in his eye, nor was the morning talk shift at WLS Chicago, which the couple has hosted since 1985.

Return to the Repository

Bobby Bennett, WOL Washington DC, March 29, 1972 (29:25)

. . . Superbad! . . .

This Exhibit 'SCOPED (09:27)

Bobby Bennett, aka The Mighty Burner, came to WOL from Pittsburgh's WAMO and held the noon to 3 shift (though he is heard in the 3PM hour here.) Bennett's slick, smooth, fast-talking style fit right in with the reverberating 1972 version of the "Big O L". He opened his mic at every opportunity, coming in to, going out of, and even during songs.

This recording features Sheraton's then-famous 8-oh-oh-325-3535 jingle.

Bobby Bennett later worked at Howard University's WHUR-FM in D.C. and later as host of Soul Street on XM satellite radio.

Return to the Repository

Bill Haywood, WOL Washington DC, March 30, 1972 (29:25)

. . . put your teeth in and nail your wig on your head . . .

This Exhibit 'SCOPED (11:45)

By the mid-sixties, the Washington DC market had sprawled to the point where the 1,000 watts-day/250 watts-night signal of WOL could no longer compete against WMAL and WRC with its MOR format. Sonderling bought WOL in 1965 and introduced a soul format that set Washington on its ear.

WOL brought in top-notch talent and presented a sound that was as slick as any Top-40 station. With Washington's black population still residing close in, WOL rocketed to #1 within weeks and stayed at or near the top for almost 10 years.

Big Bill Haywood crossed town from WOOK to handle mornings in the early 1970's. In this period, WOL was in a finely-tuned-machine mode. Notable on this aircheck is that WOL's imaging and jingles sounded very "white". The station had a couple of white program directors in its heyday, Ted Atkins and Dave McNamee.

Return to the Repository

Chris Alexander, KIMN Denver, CO. June 1972 (29:21)

. . . get into this . . .

This Exhibit 'SCOPED (07:03)

When I listen to this aircheck of KIMN, I am reminded of Bill Drake's influence on virtually every Top 40 station in America. This early-seventies version of KIMN was a good one, with Chris Alexander moving through late morning nicely.

And while the station sounds up-to-date and pleasant, it does not have the competitive edge associated with stations in the heat of battle.

Return to the Repository

John Harding, WCAO Baltimore, July 3, 1972 (29:21)

. . . just give it some time, you'll turn out to be a happy person . . .

This Exhibit 'SCOPED (09:01)

When Ron Riley started programming WCAO in 1971, 10-year midday veteran Alan Field decided to leave rather than do things the Riley way. John Harding, 23 at the time, was the first fulltime jock brought in by Riley, and he handled the noon-3 shift.

Harding's great voice and relaxed delivery proved to be a hit and put his career on the fast track. He departed WCAO later that year for WIBG in Philadelphia, where he was known as John Wesley Harding. After a very short stint in Philly, he accepted a job at Chicago's WCFL.

On his way to the Windy City in 1973, the young Harding took his own life.

Rick Carroll, KKDJ-FM Los Angeles, August 1973 (40:57)

. . . Now, you're probably saying to yourself, why can't I be a hand, a nose, or some other part of the body . . .

This is a rare recording of the late Rick Carroll on KKDJ, the predecessor to KIIS on 102.7 in Los Angeles.

KKDJ was a solid-sounding station that should have made it. Of course, Carroll was later to gain notoriety by creating the rock format at KROQ-FM that pretty much remains, to this day.

Some musical selections in this exhibit were restored.

Captain John (Lodge), KHJ Los Angeles, August 1973 (29:08)

This Exhibit 'SCOPED (06:08)

. . . In the last 39 weeks, nearly 390,000 people have flocked to see Deep Throat, in a single Los Angeles theatre . . .

This recording was made during the week that Charlie Van Dyke joined KHJ as Program Director and morning man. KHJ, at the time, was just a shadow of its former Boss Radio self.

Captain John kept things moving from 6 to 9 in the evenings.

Greaseman, WRC Washington D.C., August 9, 1973 (58:32)

This Exhibit 'SCOPED (30:05)

. . . geez, I wonder what James Michael Wilson's wife looks like? . . .

The Greaseman took his act from WAXC, Rochester to Washington's newest Top 40 station for his first taste of major market radio. "The big greasy one," whose normal shift was late night, is subbing for Simon Trane in early evening on this recording. The Greaseman re-invented himself a few times in his career. At this poimt, his personna is of an old, poor farmer. He sticks to WRC's music-intensive format but slips in some funny lines.

As an 0&0, that WRC is still saddled with some NBC News requirements is evident here. The aircheck contains some early Mark Driscoll imaging, created when he was doing evenings in the station's first year. And program director Lee Sherwood brought the Prize Patrol with him when he came to WRC from WFIL. It's difficult to remember when Top 40 stations really played oldies, especially at night, but are there some included in this segment.

Walt Baby Love, WXLO (99X) New York, August 1974 (27:17)

This Exhibit 'SCOPED (10:26)

. . . Walt Baby Love kickin' X at the Super X . . .

Walt Baby Love was in fine form on this aircheck of New York's 99X from a hot summer Saturday in August,1974.

The youthful-sounding 99X was a far different listen from any of its RKO Top-40 sister stations, including its predecessor, WOR-FM. It was more Q-like than Drake-like and prominently featured a shotgun jingle. Unlike the general Top-40 landscape at the time, 99X's clock followed the pattern of a song followed by a commercial followed by a song followed by a commercial, with the exception of a music sweep at the top of the hour.

WNEW-FM New York Salutes WABC, May 1982 (46:51)

. . . Cousin Bruce Morrow wears Jockey Classic Briefs . . .

This is a portion of an incredible piece of radio, put on by WNEW-FM during the week that WABC ended 22 years as a Top-40 station. Producer Earl Bailey spared no energy to create this masterpiece. It included interviews, airchecks, stories, listener comments and music.

This exhibit opens with Bob Lewis, who is followed by Bruce Morrow, Dan Ingram, Scott Muni, Rick Sklar, Chuck Leonard and Herb Oscar Anderson.

Two of my favorite segments are an aircheck of the Brief Showers incident, and Chuck Leonard's story about how he got hired.

Return to the Repository

Scott Shannon, J.R. Nelson, WHTZ New York August 4, 1983 (31:29)

. . . Next thing I know, the Geator with the Heater will be on the line . . .

[Portions previously featured on Z-100 composite exhibits.]

It was less than a week since Z-100 (WHTZ-FM) and its Morning Zoo had signed on — and the day when its new antenna atop the Empire State Building was put into service. The new site replaced the "pea shooter" transmitter of Z-100's predecessor station on 100.3 - WVNJ-FM.

The aggressive approach that would take the station "from worst to first" in four months is evident here with a tongue-in-cheek guest appearance by Don Imus. Scott Shannon is paired here by newscaster J.R. Nelson, who was also the initial imaging voice of Z-100.

Return to the Repository

Fast Jimi Roberts, WPLJ-FM New York, December 1984 (06:00)

. . . putting the squeeze on Zit-100 . . .

This aircheck reflects the hot and heavy war between WPLJ and Z-100 (WHTZ-FM) in late 1984. WPLJ is giving away money and warns competitors to "get out your checkbook or get out of town." WPLJ had slowly segued from AOR to CHR over the latter months of 1983, with Larry Berger staying on as PD. A year later, Hit Radio 95 is starting to get its act together. But the station would not see its best ratings for another year, after it had been rechristened Power 95.

Since its August, 1983 sign-on, Z-100's Scott Shannon had constantly attacked WPLJ on the air, often making fun of Larry Berger. WPLJ remained quiet until late in 1984, when its frustrations exploded with a parody of Z-100's imaging. Z-100 threatened a lawsuit, and WPLJ stopped airing the piece. But on this aircheck, WPLJ refers to Z-100 as "Zit 100."

Fast Jimi Roberts was a natural and always one of my favorites. I believe he came to WPLJ straight from a small FM in Toms River, New Jersey. He was excellent on WPLJ from his very first weekend and eventually replaced Pat St. John in afternoon drive. He remained at WPLJ for 15 years. As of 2006, Fast Jimi entertains at Mix 106.5 in Baltimore and does voiceover work as Robert Jacobs Voice Overs.

Return to the Repository

Harry Nelson, WAPP-FM New York, December 1984 (05:01)

. . . sometime this afternoon, I'll be opening the last present under the WAPP Christmas Apple Tree . . .

With Top 40 giants Z100 (WHTZ-FM) and WPLJ-FM already at each other's throats, I'm still curious as to what convinced Doubleday to join the CHR war with its move-in, WAPP-FM, in late 1984. Z100 and WPLJ both had impressive ratings, and WAPP had some signal limitations, especially in the important New Jersey suburbs.

WAPP did have a good product and brought in heavyweights from around the country, including Harry Nelson, Gary Spears and Bobby Ocean. But the station was out of the CHR format a few months later.

Return to the Repository