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Johnstown Radio,way back when
- Thread starter oldiesed
- Start date
M
MsMusicRadio
Guest
WCRO was rockin after school! Before that it was big bands. Was Larry Ford the Clark Race of Johnstown? Major dayparting
oldiesed said:
September 1983...when WJAC-FM gave way to Key 95! Big Jim Burton in the morning...what pipes! And WJNL-FM, for all of its 50,000 watts, was on a stick too short for it to go to its full potential, and had an automation system that misfired more than a Mossberg shotgun. Then it all changed in 1990 when the Dames took it over.
I was an intern at WHJB in the summer of 1983 when Jim Burton (at WHJB was Chuck Burtner) was there before moving to the Key. He is a GREAT guy, showed me the ropes, took me under his wing. He even did liners for our rag tag college radio station later on. Can't say anything but good things about him.
WCRO was a good little station in its day, much bigger than the size of the market. Mike Farrow (PD) in the morning and Jack Michaels in the afternoon. They were still third in the market behind WJAC AM/FM when we signed on Q-94 in the fall of 1981. Johnstown, like Altoona, was behind the times in switching to FM. We beat WCRO in our first book and it was all downhill from there.
C.
C.
Sure I remember Johnstown radio.
WJAC at 1400 was downtown along side central park in the Tribune-Democrat building. They had the tower on the roof! When they combined the operations of WJAC AM, FM and TV, they moved the studios to Hickory Lane in the Westmont section. The AM went to 850 at 10kw with a NINE tower directional in Holsopple. Just as they opened up the building on Hickory Lane, Ron Stephenson did a TV special taking viewers on a TV tour!
Voices of the past at WJAC: Frank Dell, Mike Croft, Tom Darren, Mike Bunn, Ron Lorence, Don Keifer, Jack Robson and many others.
WARD at 1490 was owned by George Gartland before the fiasco of Jonel Construction ownership. Voices: Bernie Shedlock, Bill Santoro, Art Walter, Joe Kavanah. Joe did a daily man-on-the-street interview from W. T. Grant store on Main Street.
WCRO at 1230. Voices include Jack Riley, Herb Ruth, Sandy Dee, Chuck Bridges, Tom Aroney, John Rubal, Dave Marsh (killed in a car wreck) and many others.
Bixler was originally at WJAC and did a Sunday night program called "The Sunday Night Satelite" and then went onto to his infamous ownership of WVAM in Altoona with Randy Birdsaw.
Others not included above include Gary Hagerich at WCRO, Jim Daly at WJAC, Jerry Allen at WCRO and WJAC, Mike Bucki as Mike Stevens at WJAC and another name at WCRO.
Several at WJAC also worked on-camera at WJAC-TV including Tom Daren and Ron Lorence. Ron Stephenson began his career in Johnstown at WJAC Radio then moved onto TV as news director. He was quite contraversial in the market at times.
Frank Dell was usually morning man at WJAC-AM. He was of the old school and many of the housewife audience loved him. He also did play by play of the Johnstown Jets hockey games at night! Hagerich also did Jets PBP. At one time all three stations carried the Jets home games with WARD picking up only the third period.
More later!
WJAC at 1400 was downtown along side central park in the Tribune-Democrat building. They had the tower on the roof! When they combined the operations of WJAC AM, FM and TV, they moved the studios to Hickory Lane in the Westmont section. The AM went to 850 at 10kw with a NINE tower directional in Holsopple. Just as they opened up the building on Hickory Lane, Ron Stephenson did a TV special taking viewers on a TV tour!
Voices of the past at WJAC: Frank Dell, Mike Croft, Tom Darren, Mike Bunn, Ron Lorence, Don Keifer, Jack Robson and many others.
WARD at 1490 was owned by George Gartland before the fiasco of Jonel Construction ownership. Voices: Bernie Shedlock, Bill Santoro, Art Walter, Joe Kavanah. Joe did a daily man-on-the-street interview from W. T. Grant store on Main Street.
WCRO at 1230. Voices include Jack Riley, Herb Ruth, Sandy Dee, Chuck Bridges, Tom Aroney, John Rubal, Dave Marsh (killed in a car wreck) and many others.
Bixler was originally at WJAC and did a Sunday night program called "The Sunday Night Satelite" and then went onto to his infamous ownership of WVAM in Altoona with Randy Birdsaw.
Others not included above include Gary Hagerich at WCRO, Jim Daly at WJAC, Jerry Allen at WCRO and WJAC, Mike Bucki as Mike Stevens at WJAC and another name at WCRO.
Several at WJAC also worked on-camera at WJAC-TV including Tom Daren and Ron Lorence. Ron Stephenson began his career in Johnstown at WJAC Radio then moved onto TV as news director. He was quite contraversial in the market at times.
Frank Dell was usually morning man at WJAC-AM. He was of the old school and many of the housewife audience loved him. He also did play by play of the Johnstown Jets hockey games at night! Hagerich also did Jets PBP. At one time all three stations carried the Jets home games with WARD picking up only the third period.
More later!
It's hard to imagine that anyone watched WARD-TV (channel 56) in the hilly terrain of Johnstown. I'm guessing they were kept afloat by the radio stations, as was its later incarnation, WJNL-TV (channel 19). Of course, the station eventually ended up as Pittsburgh's CW affiliate after a complicated series of moves.
C.
C.
Yes, I do remember Herb Ruth's TV program on Channel 56, WARD-TV. That was an interesting time. Dick Clark got all that started in Philadelphia and then just down the road from Johnstown, in Altoona, Dick DiAndrea did a similar program on WFBG, Channel 10. Dick DiAndrea was and still is the BEST radio person in Altoona. He RUNS RINGS around anybody currently on the air and hangs out on this board from time-to-time. If you want to learn about radio, how to do the job, how not to do the job, execution, music, sales, production, anything...you don't take "broadcasting" in college, you go to DICK DIANDREA who really knows the stuff!
Anyway, I had the blessing of being within line of site of the Ch 56 tower. Herb's program I watched but I remember the picture quality not perfect. I think they did the program from the TV transmitter site, even outside during the summer. Herb Ruth for a long time,was at WCRO doing an all request show at night. He then abruptly moved to WARD 1490. In the seventies, Herb did a Sunday night oldies show at WCRO and had numerous diffficulties with the then GM of WCRO, as did everybody else! I heard Herb left radio and was selling either insurance or real estate.
Some more notes on WARD...
I heard they were put on the air by Ward Trucking Company...thus the call sign. Later they were sold to George Gartland. WARD seemed to be viewed as the "other" station in Johnstown behind WCRO and WJAC. They were an MOR format with polkas on Sunday morning with Joe Kavanaugh who also did a man-on-the street program I mentioned before. WARD also had a UPI or AP machine in a booth in a window of one of the stores on Main Street! My very first audition was at WARD. I distinctly remember being in the control room watching Al Bird do the news and myself shaking so much from nervousness my bones rattled! Al Bird was there for ages. As the morning man, you just knew he called himself "Al the Early Bird"! Al did move over to WJAC 850 many years ago and has since past on. His widow, I saw in the on line obituaries died a month or so ago.
WARD employed a handicapped man as a news writer. His name was Frank Jordan.
In that era of Johnstown radio, local news blocks were common like at 0800, 1200 and 1800. Bill Santoro, the GM, diod 1200 and 1800. Bill had one of the best voices you'd ever want to have!
I think both WARD and WCRO shared the same Chief Engineer, John Kersheski. Both had transmitter sites on Prospect Hill with WARD having a single tower and WCRO a single "flag pole" type structure. Both were 1000W day and 250W night. In fact so was the old WJAC at 1400.
I know the WARD studio had some really old equipment. I think t he console was an old Western Electric or Raytheon with a separate rack mounted power supply.
As always, more later!
Anyway, I had the blessing of being within line of site of the Ch 56 tower. Herb's program I watched but I remember the picture quality not perfect. I think they did the program from the TV transmitter site, even outside during the summer. Herb Ruth for a long time,was at WCRO doing an all request show at night. He then abruptly moved to WARD 1490. In the seventies, Herb did a Sunday night oldies show at WCRO and had numerous diffficulties with the then GM of WCRO, as did everybody else! I heard Herb left radio and was selling either insurance or real estate.
Some more notes on WARD...
I heard they were put on the air by Ward Trucking Company...thus the call sign. Later they were sold to George Gartland. WARD seemed to be viewed as the "other" station in Johnstown behind WCRO and WJAC. They were an MOR format with polkas on Sunday morning with Joe Kavanaugh who also did a man-on-the street program I mentioned before. WARD also had a UPI or AP machine in a booth in a window of one of the stores on Main Street! My very first audition was at WARD. I distinctly remember being in the control room watching Al Bird do the news and myself shaking so much from nervousness my bones rattled! Al Bird was there for ages. As the morning man, you just knew he called himself "Al the Early Bird"! Al did move over to WJAC 850 many years ago and has since past on. His widow, I saw in the on line obituaries died a month or so ago.
WARD employed a handicapped man as a news writer. His name was Frank Jordan.
In that era of Johnstown radio, local news blocks were common like at 0800, 1200 and 1800. Bill Santoro, the GM, diod 1200 and 1800. Bill had one of the best voices you'd ever want to have!
I think both WARD and WCRO shared the same Chief Engineer, John Kersheski. Both had transmitter sites on Prospect Hill with WARD having a single tower and WCRO a single "flag pole" type structure. Both were 1000W day and 250W night. In fact so was the old WJAC at 1400.
I know the WARD studio had some really old equipment. I think t he console was an old Western Electric or Raytheon with a separate rack mounted power supply.
As always, more later!
At one time all three stations were operating with 250 watts day and night. Back then, all 6 graveyard frequencies were limited to 250 watts. Actually several ran with only 100 watts.
There was so much interference at night that when I listened to Pirate games on WWSW on 1490 Kc. it sounded as though they had a studio audience and the people were mumbling in the background.
There was so much interference at night that when I listened to Pirate games on WWSW on 1490 Kc. it sounded as though they had a studio audience and the people were mumbling in the background.
dear dxdxdx,
You certainley know your stuff on this subject! Maybe you can tell me if the rumor was true about Uncle Herb and his late nite 'guests' at the station while he played an undisturbed album track? The rumor that was told ended his radio gig and his relationship with 'Aunt Leita'.
oldiesed
You certainley know your stuff on this subject! Maybe you can tell me if the rumor was true about Uncle Herb and his late nite 'guests' at the station while he played an undisturbed album track? The rumor that was told ended his radio gig and his relationship with 'Aunt Leita'.
oldiesed
Don't know about that one, Oldiesed. I can tell you however, some other "interesting" stories...
A former staff engineer at WARD told me about a certain jock in the market who went to visit one of his listeners. The husband came home unexpectedly, of course, and found the jock trying to hide behind a couch! I was told this in 1969. The engineer told me the jock was still alive and working in the market back then and as such would not disclose his name!
...one of the transmitter sites in the market was used as a "studio" for certain types of pictures to be taken. This is not rumor...I found the pictures when looking thru a cabinet to find a tube for the transmitter!
Several stories surround a television person. You must first understand this gentlemen was a "star" in the market and was very talented. As such, there were numerous allegations he was a prima-dona and not well liked by others he worked with...you get the picture.
...he took his car to a car wash. The kids cleaning the inside found a beer bottle and pistol under the driver's seat. The gun went off, nobody was hurt but it did cause a big stink in the market.
...one time he would show up at the last minute for his on camera work and would start ordering studio people around etc. One night he showed up "feeling a little too good"! The director could have refused to place him on camera but because of all the problems, he shot him anyway. The "star" was very obviously "not in condition" to be on camera! Management was watching...he was suspended.
I must add a disclaimer here...I had numerous contacts with the "star" mentioned above. I found him quite cordial and gracious without any hint of ego issues. He could have blown me off as just a kid but he was simply great to me and I learned alot from him.
Another TV person...John Moorhead was a riot to work with. Talk about a funny guy! Maybe you remember him doing the weather on channel 6!
A former staff engineer at WARD told me about a certain jock in the market who went to visit one of his listeners. The husband came home unexpectedly, of course, and found the jock trying to hide behind a couch! I was told this in 1969. The engineer told me the jock was still alive and working in the market back then and as such would not disclose his name!
...one of the transmitter sites in the market was used as a "studio" for certain types of pictures to be taken. This is not rumor...I found the pictures when looking thru a cabinet to find a tube for the transmitter!
Several stories surround a television person. You must first understand this gentlemen was a "star" in the market and was very talented. As such, there were numerous allegations he was a prima-dona and not well liked by others he worked with...you get the picture.
...he took his car to a car wash. The kids cleaning the inside found a beer bottle and pistol under the driver's seat. The gun went off, nobody was hurt but it did cause a big stink in the market.
...one time he would show up at the last minute for his on camera work and would start ordering studio people around etc. One night he showed up "feeling a little too good"! The director could have refused to place him on camera but because of all the problems, he shot him anyway. The "star" was very obviously "not in condition" to be on camera! Management was watching...he was suspended.
I must add a disclaimer here...I had numerous contacts with the "star" mentioned above. I found him quite cordial and gracious without any hint of ego issues. He could have blown me off as just a kid but he was simply great to me and I learned alot from him.
Another TV person...John Moorhead was a riot to work with. Talk about a funny guy! Maybe you remember him doing the weather on channel 6!
I had a great time playing AOR on the short lived WAAT on the old 92.1 (pre-GLU) in Johnstown. Did evenings 7p to 1am as Jim Richards. The only promotion I remember was trying to give away as many car FM converters as we could get our hands on. I also remember the night I was on, the owners came in from out of town, told me to play one more record, and say goodbye--because we were out of business. Found a country gig on the also now defunct WWBR. Still in radio today--but not having nearly as much fun.
Was that will Bill Bland owned the station? Also didn't the transmitter get "stolen" one time? Did the Glosser brothers own the station at one time...either before or after broadcaster Bland. I understand that Bill passed away earlier this year out on the west coast. A great man and a great broadcaster!
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