Second Top 40 stations with less power.

[radioman148]

I was always puzzled. Back in 1962, stations usually tied their branding to the calls or the city. WQAM and 'Tiger Radio" seemed totally disconnected. And they went talk from 11 to 1 AM daily. WFUN had fantastic calls that really fit the format and the city. They were music 24/7. Why is WQAM the one called "legendary" and has a tribute page ? When I was in Miami in the Sixties, I really considered WQAM the second station.

I remember it the same way. WFUN was a better listen.

WFUN's tower location(South Miami, not near the core population) and interference from Cuba (even during the day in the late 60's and early 70's especially in western Miami/Dade and western Broward counties) contributed to them being in the shadows of WQAM; they now have an improved pattern and if they had their current signal today; they may have very well been the dominant station.

WQAM's signal reached a lot further north, into Palm Beach county and Martin county as well, whereas WFUN's signal was weaker and had the Cuban interference porblem even during the day.

Ft. Lauderdale had SURF radio WSRF-1580, but they weren't in the same league as WQAM or WFUN and their signal really only served Dania Beach to around Deerfield Beach.

drt

My memory may be foggy, but didn't WSRF have an FM also?

 

[amfmsw]

msmusic...In '62, the clear ratings winner in Atlantic City was WMID, however, most who remember might argue that WOND was the better station, with Pams jingles, better talent (much of hired away from WMID) and a legitimate News department. WMID played a lot more soul, and had a superior signal. WOND went to MOR in Jan '67, after Merv Griffin bought WMID and cleaned up the presentation.

 

[radioman148]

msmusic...In '62, the clear ratings winner in Atlantic City was WMID, however, most who remember might argue that WOND was the better station, with Pams jingles, better talent (much of hired away from WMID) and a legitimate News department. WMID played a lot more soul, and had a superior signal. WOND went to MOR in Jan '67, after Merv Griffin bought WMID and cleaned up the presentation.

I imagine WABC blasted into Atlantic City and had pretty good ratings. Maybe some Phillys too.

 

[amfmsw]

WABC did indeed make the trip down the coastline, 24 hours, but don't know about ratings. The big out-of-towner in the daytime was WIBG Radio 99. The shore was in the main lobe of that legend. But it was a different day then. The AM noise floor was quiet, especially on the beach, which made your Viscount 5 transistor/2 diode radio an excellent lightning dector! The most noise was downtown, from neon lights.

 

[radioman148]

WABC did indeed make the trip down the coastline, 24 hours, but don't know about ratings. The big out-of-towner in the daytime was WIBG Radio 99. The shore was in the main lobe of that legend. But it was a different day then. The AM noise floor was quiet, especially on the beach, which made your Viscount 5 transistor/2 diode radio an excellent lightning dector! The most noise was downtown, from neon lights.

It's true that the noise factor has really changed.

 

[Oldies man]

I imagine WABC blasted into Atlantic City and had pretty good ratings.
Oh the memories. Summer of 66, after sundown, walking the boardwalk in Wildwood with your buddies, doing and observing what 18 year old males do best, along side us was parked a 1965 gold Pontiac GTO convertible, black interior, 2 gorgeous ladies in the front seats and the radio blasting Cousin Brucie. Ah the summer of 66!!

 

[DavidEduardo]

WFUN's tower location(South Miami, not near the core population) and interference from Cuba (even during the day in the late 60's and early 70's especially in western Miami/Dade and western Broward counties) contributed to them being in the shadows of WQAM; they now have an improved pattern and if they had their current signal today; they may have very well been the dominant station.

Ft. Lauderdale did not become part of the Miami market until 1981, so the battle was strictly in Dade County. And there, WFUN, under Jerry Starr, managed to beat WQAM a number of times. Many, myself included (I listened day and night the 6 to 8 times a year I went through Miami back then), say WFUN was the better station then.

 

[DavidEduardo]

WFUN was more directional at night. If you were SW of Miami it was sometimes harder to hear.

If you were southwest of their transmitter at 72nd near the Turnpike, your nieghbors in the 60's were gators (and not the ones with orange uniforms)

 

[DavidEduardo]

WIXY and WHK in Cleveland.

Between those two, each has major night defects just in Cuyahoga County. Where one is better, the other is worse.

In the late 50's through the early 60's, Cleveland often had a three-way Top 40 battle with 1100 under whatever calls it had battling WERE and WHK; when 1100 was not Top 40, WJW was for a while (Pete "Mad Daddy" Meyers was on 'JW).

For much of that period, there were three formats to choose from in the city... three stations were generally MOR, three were Top 40 and two were r&b. So much for choice in the "golden days of music radio."

 

[radioman148]

WFUN's tower location(South Miami, not near the core population) and interference from Cuba (even during the day in the late 60's and early 70's especially in western Miami/Dade and western Broward counties) contributed to them being in the shadows of WQAM; they now have an improved pattern and if they had their current signal today; they may have very well been the dominant station.

Ft. Lauderdale did not become part of the Miami market until 1981, so the battle was strictly in Dade County. And there, WFUN, under Jerry Starr, managed to beat WQAM a number of times. Many, myself included (I listened day and night the 6 to 8 times a year I went through Miami back then), say WFUN was the better station then.

I also remember from the times I was in Miami that WFUN was the better station.

 

[MsMusicRadio]

I imagine WABC blasted into Atlantic City and had pretty good ratings.
Oh the memories. Summer of 66, after sundown, walking the boardwalk in Wildwood with your buddies, doing and observing what 18 year old males do best, along side us was parked a 1965 gold Pontiac GTO convertible, black interior, 2 gorgeous ladies in the front seats and the radio blasting Cousin Brucie. Ah the summer of 66!!

I was in Atlantic City in 62 watching who I assumed were Italian guys from South Philly dancing with their girls at one of the piers. Being a Jewish Princess, I felt really excluded from what seemed the ultimate cool!

 

[MsMusicRadio]

WIXY and WHK in Cleveland.

Between those two, each has major night defects just in Cuyahoga County. Where one is better, the other is worse.

In the late 50's through the early 60's, Cleveland often had a three-way Top 40 battle with 1100 under whatever calls it had battling WERE and WHK; when 1100 was not Top 40, WJW was for a while (Pete "Mad Daddy" Meyers was on 'JW).

For much of that period, there were three formats to choose from in the city... three stations were generally MOR, three were Top 40 and two were r&b. So much for choice in the "golden days of music radio."

I was in Cleveland in 63 and WERE was not TOP 40. Only 1100 and 1420