Musicradio WABC Memories and Stories IV

Nate Custer wrote:

Just discovered your site the other night while doing a search for a list of online radio stations. I, also, was a big fan of WABC, even though I never lived in the metro New York area. I grew up in suburban Boston, spent a lot of time in the spring and summer on Cape Cod, where the clear channel, New York radio stations such as WABC, WINS ("10-10 WINS, New York") came in loud and clear, both daytime and nightime.

I first heard Alan Freed on WINS in the mid to late 50s on Cape Cod. Of course, most nights with the WABC clear channel signal, I could get them at night in the Boston area. I used to listen to Bob Lewis all the time...what a DJ. When I went to Ft. Dix, NJ for Army basic training, I already knew about WABC, and took my transistor radio. We got up in the barracks at 4:30, with Bob-A-Loo was my "morning man."

And then Dan Ingram. Listening to him on your site just impresses me even more of the way he could segue, bring in quick hitting jingles, do voice overs before the vocals came up on records, etc.

Then I moved to the Hammpton Roads area of Virginia, where I still live, and at night, WABC again came in very strong. I work in broadcasting...am a TV news reporter..and before that, I worked in radio as a DJ and newsman...so I have an inside perspective of how commercial a sound WABC had for the times. Keep up the good work on this site.

Nate Custer
Yorktown, Virginia

Eli Rosenbaum wrote:

Allan

Your 77 MusicRadio page is terrific. It brings back great memories for anyone (like myself) who grew up in the NYC area during the 1960's. Thank you for all the time and talent you have put into what is very obviously a labor of love.

FYI: As Big Dan Ingram disclosed when he was interviewed on Bob Shannon's 'CBS-FM show on July 3 of this year, 7/3/61 (a Monday) was indeed his "official" starting date, but he filled in for Chuck Dunaway, to get acclimated, on the evenings of Friday 6/30/61 and Saturday, 7/1/61. Dan said that he had never before revealed this, adding that the station didn't want him to use his name before Monday, and so he announced, "This is the Chuck Dunaway Show -- but this isn't Chuck."

Keep up the great work!

Eli Rosenbaum
McLean, Virginia

"Sdustman" wrote:

Allan,

Thanks so much for the Music Radio 77 WABC Web Site....the jingles section really brought back memories...its amazing how sound does that.

Im 33, born in Brooklyn, moved to Central Jersey in 1969 before we left the entire area in 1973 (moving to bad radio land of Cleveland and Pittsburgh). I can remember being three years old singing the W A B C jingle...kind of like my 4 year old daughter sings the lame WPLJ jingle today. I did move back in the late 70's to hear WABC last years and also 95.5 FM WPLJ's best years.

Radio sure isn't the same...WNEW, WPLJ, WNBC, WLIR/WDRE all were once great too, and now...the mighty buck has taken over...oh well.

As a frustrated DJ wanna be (I'm a Graphic Designer/Art Director) I make my own tapes for my own enjoyment..and do a flashback segment...it will be real cool to play the WABC shotguns that I remember from the early 70's.

Any chance of putting the "Instant Replay" jingle on the web....I remember riding in the car with my family when that would come on...I'd be laughing out of control in the back seat when they'd play the same song twice in a row...I don't know why, but I did.

Another funny memory I had was thinking that the "Ron Lundy" ID jingle was really saying "On Monday"...and then one day when I heard it and realized it was Wednesday, I asked my mother as we were driving on RT 18 in East Brunswick, "Why aren't they singing ON WEDNESDAY" when she realized what I meant, she pulled the '69 blue Dodge Dart into a parking lot so she could finish laughing.

Thanks again for the web site... as soon as I get a Power Mac which can handle Real Audio, I'll be listening to the AIRCHECK section.

You've put a smile on my face which has been really hard to do lately.

Thank you.

Reen Bombardier wrote:

Hi,

Boy your site took me back....I graduated High School in '65, listened to WABC ALWAYS and as a matter of fact.... I was a "Happy Huggy Bear"!!!

I remember how my girlfriend and I always had her '55 Chevy tuned to 77 WABC. She'll get such a kick out of this site. It made me nostalgic for the good old days. Thanks for your memories!

Reen

Robert Casey wrote:

Hi, name is Bob. I used to live 6 miles north of WABC's transmitter site (Lodi NJ) in Oradell NJ. Back in the early 70's, I could hear splatter interference from WABC plus and minus about 100KHz from 770KHz. This lasted a few weeks, then went away. Guess the engineers found and fixed it.

When WABC started playing disco, I wrote them a letter saying I thought it was a bad idea, a lame answer to WKTU 92.3 FM (a disco station that beat out WABC in the ratings for the first time in the history of the universe:-( ). And that I didn't much like disco mixed in with top 40 music.

I actually got a reply letter (which I have lost track of since). "I'm sorry that you don't enjoy disco music, but ...." Can't remember who wrote the reply, think it was the PD? If I ever find it, I'll scan it and send a copy.

Haven't listened to WABC since the music went away......

Bob

Scott Hower, former ABC Maintenance Engineer wrote:

This is a great web site! Thanks for the memories!

Here are a few of mine...

As an 8 year old growing up in Fanwood, NJ, listening to Chuck Dunaway with a transistor radio under my pillow at night. My favorite song: Linda Scott's "I've Told Every Little Star."

Summer vacations at the Jersey shore, listening to WABC on the beach. The morse code transmissions from the Coast Guard stations near Beach Haven would come in loud and clear over Ron Lundy and Dan Ingram.

Driving in the car with my Dad. As a father/teenager combination, WABC was the one radio station we both agreed on (especially in the morning, when he could hear Herb Oscar Anderson).

Plus a few comments...

You've mentioned several movies in which WABC was heard, but not "Dirty Dancing." Cousin Brucie was on the car radio as they drove to the summer resort in the beginning of the film.

Also, on one of the pages the carts in the studio were identified: music, commercials, and jingles all behind the DJ. It's been a long time, but weren't the commercials and jingles behind the engineer and the music behind the DJ? Actually, I think a lot of the music was behind the engineer, with back-up copies behind the DJ. I really can't remember, though.

Please keep up the great work!

Scott Hower
Former ABC Maintenance Engineer

The following was forwarded to me and was originally written by "sfbobby". Unfortunately, I don't know the name of the writer but I have included it for obvious reasons:

I worked at WABC from 1961 to 1964 as a News desk assistant and knew the buildings of that era intimately. In 1964 I moved across the street to the Des Artiste ballroom on the Ron Cochran News then back to 19 West 66th in the Sound Effects department. WABC was at 39 West 66th Street.

Master Control was on the first floor along with the announcers lounge...WABC offices were on the second floor (in the old 2A and 2C) along with studio 2B. This was a network announce and MOR music studio during the day and WABC-FM at night. The third floor was all ABC Radio News. Studio 3B was the air studio. The other studios were offices (including the small studio that Walter Winchell used).

4B was the main Network working studio...home to Flair Reports with Ted Kopple, Charlie Osgood, Jim Harriott, Dr. Joyce Brothers, Ron Cochran, Nat Hentoff etc. 4B was staffed full-time with a full Director( Ted Bell or Warren Sommerville ); NABET Engineer (the lovable Jack McCarthy); and full time Sound Effects Artist ( Keene Crockett, Terry Ross, Bob Prescott, Charlie Krumm, and later...ME). Extra engineers were often brought in for complicated tape and disk playback. The huge old 4A live studio from radios heyday was the network record library in the 60s...thousands of 33s and 78s on high shelves with rolling ladders and a staff of about four ladies who knew where they all were.

The fifth floor was MUICRADIO WABC!!! 5B was the air studio for the jocks...5C was backup (home of the famous April Fool gag) used for Howard Cosell, Sunday morning public servive shows etc. 5A was split between the dubbing room where the carts were made from 45s and News Director Jack Powers office. 5B being an old time network studio had a control room staffed by an AD and engineer for news production.

The jocks worked in the 'studio' portion with the engineer sitting across an open desk. The engineer with his bank of Collins cart machines had a carousel of carts with all the jingles, sound effects, bumpers etc. and the jock had two carousels for all the music and commercials, and their own private sound effects and gags.. They would slide these across to the engineer in order and all cuing was with hand signals and practised looks.

Mark Jeeves wrote:

Hello Allan,

I am the UK's biggest WABC fan, next to Johnny Beerling, and have just found your WABC page on the internet.

You have produced the most fabulous site in the world. Although I love WABC's classic audio, I have never researched the station. You have provided me with some great info.

For your information, I am Assistant Programme Director at Northants 96, a CHR station covering the county of Northamptonshire in the UK. Rick Sklar has been a long time hero of mine, and now I have the publisher of 'Rocking America', so I'm off to see if it's still in print.

You have made my year my friend, and whilst I know you'll be too busy to reply to this, please accept my thanks for this computer site.

I don't understand the internet in the slightest by the way, it was a friend who recommended your site.

Cheers,

Mark Jeeves,
APD - Northants 96FM

Bill Marx wrote:

Mr Sniffen

Well, I stumbled on your page coming through a ham radio link "The Hammurlund Page" It provided a button and " Shazam!" there you were!...What a treat....I was a Rock N Roll oldies collector in the late 50's and 60's and your writings brought it all back. I think I read every word about the DJ's....Terrific...

My friend Tony Warren is the weekend news announcer at WCBS-FM and last year he asked my wife and I to keep him compnay at the station on Christmas Day and we said "sure". I asked who the DJ was for that day and he said "Cousin Brucie". So we spent the day talking to and helping search for tapes of oldies. Bruce Morrow was great ...After being a fan for years in the 60's, He was much nicer than I could have imagined for....The news that day was that Dean Martin had just died. Bruce and I searched all over for a Dean Martin song to play and all we could find was "Thats Amore" so thats what he played...

I still have my 45 rpm record collection of over 3,000 discs...I collected oldies and stopped collecting in 1961 as I went to college and no longer had the money. :)

Thanks for the memories..Its now a treasured Bookmark.

Bill Marx
Ft Lauderdale Fl (formerly of Plainview NY)

David Fentress wrote:

I don't know when your page was originated, but you refer to "Big Joe" Rosenfeld in passing. I recall a paperback book about him, titled, I think, "The Happiness Exchange." Did I read there, or elsewhere, he ran this streetfront social services agency until, one day, a little old lady, died and left him a million bucks(?) in her will and he disappeared. I recall he'd been a big drinker and on the air in NewOrleans, before he came to NYC.

So, can you add some more about him to your page? And where's he now?

David Fentress

Allan comments: Thanks to Don Browne, we have an answer. Check the Big Joe Rosenfeld page!

Ted Silver, Program Director at Q92 in Montreal wrote:

Hi Allan,

I just happened to find your WABC website. WOW !

I grew up listening to WABC at night when I was supposed to be asleep....Cousin Brucie, Bob Lewis, Chuck Leonard, they were my favorites, maybe because I only heard the station at night.

I loved everything about WABC..the jocks, the music, the jingles, the spots, the excitement.

One of my favorite memories was listening to Cousin Brucie broadcasting from the Beatles' hotel suite.

Today, I'm program director of Q92, a lite rock FM station here in Montreal (#1, I might add).

And I have to think that WABC was a big influence on my own career, because it epitomized all that was good about radio.

Thanks for putting up an incredible site, paying tribute to the best radio station ever .

Yours truly,

Ted Silver
Program Director
Q92 Montreal

"Joe" wrote:

Hi Allan

I just came across your WABC Website. Man! I thought that I was the only person in the world who loved that radio station that much. I can't tell you how much I miss it. I get some satisfaction from listening to CBS-FM, but it's not the same.

You don't know how much this means to me (the website, that is). Unfortunately, my computer is broken. So I am using a laptop with no sound card. So I'm missing some of the fun. But as soon as my regular computer is up and running again, you can guess where I'll be.

Although I thought I knew almost everything there was to know about WABC, your website has really shown me how much I don't know and how much I forgot. The closest I got to re-living those days was by reading a book that someone gave me by Cousin Brucie. It's called "Cruisin America".

Thanks again for helping me re-create the memories. Thanks for letting me know that I'm not the only living WABC fan. Please keep the site alive and going.

Thanks,
Joe

Ron Waters wrote:

Stumbled upon your page this evening. It's just incredible. I grew up in Northern NJ, listening to WABC (and WMCA) in the mid-60s. I still have the weekly survey lists published by both stations. The WMCA list was HUGE, measuring approx. 10 x 14.

Ingram is amazing. His off-the-cuff remarks showed what a talent he was ! As an aside, one time Dan was introducing Bob Hardt to do the news and he quipped something so funny that Bob laughed all the way through the 30 second newscast that preceeded the network news. It's a tribute to Dan Ingram that I can remember this story almost 30 years after it happened !

Is there anything on radio that is this memorable?

Ron Waters
Hartford, CT

Lee Degenstein wrote:

Allan,

I stumbled accross your website quite by accident, and what a pleasant suprise! As a life long New Yorker I grew up listening to WABC. Finding your site was like a trip down memory lane.

When Musicradio 77 came to an end I recorded the last half hour or so. For years I thought I was the only one crazy enough to do something like that! What a revalation to find that there are others like me out there! It makes me feel a whole lot better.

I look at what WABC has become today and the station has definately lost it's former personality, warmth and friendliness. But then again these are different times!

Congrats on a great website, keep up the good work....I'll be back!

Lee

Alan Barth wrote:

Hi Allan,

First I'd like to say,that you have the "coolist" web page I've seen, since I started surfing the web 6 mos.ago! For anyone who was a teenager (or older) in the 60s,in the NY metro area; this was the station to listen to!!

But I have to confess that once ABC started it's FM outlet(WABC-FM) I
switched over. Bob Lewis (Bob-a-Loo) was one of my early favorites.

Anyways......this web page brings back a lot of good memories!!! I don't know if your that interested,but I have a WABC poster that was in the NYC subway cars in the late 70's...I think 1978.. The text is similar to what Jeff Roteman contributed.. (Your Great Summer Of Music etc.) but it's in color,with people on the beach & the sun setting in the background...

Again...."Great web page!"

Alan(one L)Barth

Geoff Fox of WTHN TV in New Haven CT wrote:

Allan,

Thanks for your site. Having grown up in Queens I was a huge 77 listener.

I see you now have an aircheck from Liz Kiley. Did you get the tape from Liz (who's now at "The Box")? If so, does she have an email address that you know of? My wife and I both worked with Liz at WIFI in Philadelphia in 1980.

Thanks,
Geoff Fox

Jim Tighe, from WSHI in Fort Wayne, Indiana wrote:

This is a wonderful site you've put together, something for those of us who grew up with WABC to come back to and enjoy the memories. It's great to hear Cousin Brucie, Big Dan, and all, but it's also really great to hear some reminders of our past, like the school day countdown jingle, a Palisades Amusement Park commercial, Castro convertible commericals (of which we all probably can still sing along with, knowing the words by heart.) Even hearing a Household Finance commercial was fun!

To this day, I recall the first time I actually read a live HFC spot on the air myself, and getting a tingle when I read the line "If you're within the sound of my voice..." remembering hearing that from Dan Ingram, Bob Dayton and Charlie Greer. I guess there are those of us who will always think of WABC as a music station, no matter how long its been.

Also, thank you for all the work you did to bring Ron Lundy's final days in New York to those of us who listened to Ron on WABC years ago and are no longer living in the New York metropolitan area. It was very emotional for me to listen to Ron's good-bye and to see the pix from the Channel 2 coverage of his last show on CBS-FM. I cannot tell you how much it meant to me to be able to listen to Ron's final programs, and to see the photos. I printed out the group picture, and it now is on the bulletin board in the control room at Sunny 106.3. A little inspiration at 6 o'clock each morning can't be bad!

I have two fond memories of Ron Lundy. One was in a movie theater in Dubuque Iowa when I was a college freshman, and we were watching "Midnight Cowboy." We all know the scene, and I got a rush."Allright!" I exclaimed in a loud whisper. "Ron Lundy!! WABC!! My HOMETOWN!!" The second time came years later. . .about eight years ago to be exact. We were driving in from Indiana for my sister's wedding, and a reunion with cousins I had not seen in years. We came rolling into New Jersey about mid-morning, and I started punching the car radio incessantly. There was a Beatles song, and ...as I looked at the urban
sprawl in front of us, and Manhattan looming in the haze, I heard "Hello,
Luv..." It was like I had never left, as though it was still 1966, I'm heading home from school and Ron Lundy is on the radio. I got sucha thrill. For a quick moment, I truly felt like I was at home.

I look at the group shot of Big Dan, Dandy Dan, Cousin Brucie, Ron Lundy and Harry Harrison, and I'm looking at why I chose the career I did, why I have fun getting up at 3AM (like Harry!) every morning, and why I feel SO inclined at 8:54 each morning to say "Well, I had FUN today!"

Thanks to Ron and thanks to you for enabling me to share in this special time.

Jim Tighe
Sunny 106.3
WSHI(FM)
Fort Wayne

"CHollon" wrote:

Hi,

I have been visiting your site for a while, only now did I fine the time to drop you a line. The site is truly a treasure for those of us who grew up with WABC.

I got into WABC in the mid 70's ( I was about 11) and was hooked. I have tons of checks. Ingram, Lundy, Michael and some off-beat moments that I have not seen mentioned on your site. For instance, the crazy farm report that WABC used to have to do at night...Rick James (the newsman) and the late Bob Cruz provided one of the "strangest" moments in ABC history breaking up on-air so much that the station went dead for about 2 minutes. The petrified engineer played pig squeals to keep something on the air. There are some others which when I sit down and sift through my chexs, I will let you know.

I was lucky enough to get on WABC's air-waves long past their glory days though. Howard Hoffman who was brought in to get the "kids" at night would regularly put my "Bensonhurst Bomber" character on the air. I was also lucky enough to work with Howard at WQHT here in New York. I have long since left radio but often do find myself thinking back to the "glory days".

Walt Haake wrote:

Hi,

I want to thank you so much for sharing all that great stuff from and about WABC. I've been having the greatest time reliving my youth. From 1961 when I was 10 through the end of the Sixties when I went off to college, WABC was my constant companion. To hear the jingles, the jocks and the jivin' all over again is just fabulous!

Dan Ingram was always my favorite DJ, but I liked them all. I remember in the early Sixties writing to WABC and receiving my Happy Huggy Bear card from Charlie Greer and my Keem-O-Sabe card from Dan Ingram. Oh, how I wish I still had them. I still feel like a member of both clubs.

Hey, thanks so very much. It's a great thing you have done and I'll be back visiting often.

Walt Haake
Princeton, NJ

Vince Santarelli, Publisher / Editor of "Apple Bites" NY Radio Newsletter wrote:

Hello, Allan,

First of all, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Vince Santarelli and I am the publisher/editor of a monthly newsletter all about New York radio called "Apple Bites." I am also one of the bigger fans of WABC. I listened starting at Christmas Time, 1962 when I received my first six-transistor Sony.

I have been enjoying your website for some time now, but I never got around to e-mailing you. I don't know, maybe because I was in awe of the whole thing. It's great! I love it! I've spent many a late night hour just poking around.

While I have been meaning to e-mail you for some time, there is a definite purpose for this comminique! I, obviously, am planning a major tribute to Ron Lundy in my October issue. The tribue that you have here from Ron's former engineer totally blew me away. If you don't mind, I would like to use it in my October issue. If not the whole thing, at least parts of it.

Once again, great site. Thanks, Allan.

Vince Santarelli
Publisher / Editor
Apple Bites

Allan notes: The Bill Epperhart Tribute to Ron Lundy was, in fact, printed in Apple Bites October issue.

Jeff Sherman wrote:

Hi Allan,

I have been meaning to write to you for the longest time. I too was a diehard listener of 77 WABC. I don't know where to start .

From May 10, 1982 until present day I never thought I'd hear or see about WABC again. Thank's to this blessed page we now have a link back to the old 77 WABC. Through Bob Shannon's Web page I got the WABC page and the first time I heard that stand by jingle I felt so good since I thought I would never hear that jingle again. I have printed out almost everything; there is so much to keep and treasure.

If I sound like a radio diehard, I am... I collect all the Arbitron ratings, all the write-ups in the Daily News in the radio section, and have it in envelopes and on my walls. I currently have half a wall devoted to WABC with pictures, the old subway poster advertisements and promos they used to put out. I have the old 77 WABC music surveys and year end lists. WABC was the premiere Top 40 Station in the country. And since NY is the #1 Radio market, whatever station is #1 in NY is the King of the country. WABC was #1 for years, no one could touch them. It was much more than a station it was life itself it was legendary. WABC was it! .....

The first song Dan Ingram ever played on WABC was - are you ready for this- Angel Baby by Rosie and the Originals. Yeah I can't believe it either. That stupid little song.. I always thought it was The Bristol Stomp by The Dovels!

Too bad we can't have a WABC MUSICRADIO 77 fan club and convention. That would be great a convention!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Jeff Sherman

Gary Doster, aka Gary Ryan, wrote:

Allan

I'm sure you heard it before but----WOW!! To see and hear the radio station and jock (Big Dan), that was my inspiration to go into radio 26 years ago, is fantastic. THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!!!

Okay, now with that out my system, thank you for the memories, that I was able to share with my
wife who I found in radio. She had never heard real top 40 radio before, and was able to hear the real masters in top form! (ie-not this 10 in a row no talk radio that has replaced real personality radio!)

I have never had the honor of meeting Dan Ingram, but thank you for the chance to E-mail birthday greetings to him! When I get ready for work in the AM I turn on my computer, and listen to the long air checks. It is like my high school days on Long Island, where I grew up.

I had the chance to PD an oldies station for about 1 year. The reaction by my air staff was fantastic! They said things like "you want us to talk more? What should I say?" My respone was to be yourself and bring who you are to the air waves. If people want 10+ more in a row, they will put on a stac of records! OPPS! SORRY IFORGET this is the 90s!!

No really, some things never change and people want to have fun. Radio is the way to still do it. The numbers of my first book proved true.

Again, thanks for the look back at the true radio masters!!

Gary Doster, aka Gary Ryan

Ralph Mauriello of WQCM in Hagerstown, Maryland wrote:

Hi,

I grew up listening to 77WABC and have never forgotten its greatness. There will never be a radio station that had the impact they did. It's because of WABC and Bruce Morrow, in particular, that at the age of 39, I have worked in radio since 1984, starting out part-time and working for the past 10 years at 96.7 WQCM in Hagerstown Maryland.

Cousin' Brucie gave me my first break, when he actually answered a letter I sent to him and suggested I send a tape to WRAN in Dover NJ. I did, and got a job on the spot. The most fun I've ever had on the radio was at that radio station. The music was everything I had ever listened to in Top 40 Radio.

I would like to ask a favor if I may. Could you possibly foward this letter to my Cousin'. The last time he responded to a letter I sent, my life changed. I still have the response framed and on my livingroom wall. If you can't do this, I'll understand. Maybe his e-mail address if you can get that. I would certainly be thankful.

Keep up a great page on the web.

Ralph Mauriello

P.S. I'm originally from Brooklyn just like Brucie. It's a long story. Suffice it to say, he was and remains my radio HERO!!

George Butch, Chief Engineer, WINZ, Miami wrote:

Hello Allan,

Congratulations on creating a terrific web site honoring the heyday of WABC. I seldom spare much time for web surfing but I've spent quite a few hours wandering around your site. You've also filled in some blanks for me. The aircheck of the end of the musicradio era was one of those things I had long been sorry I hadn't heard.

Over the past couple of years, I've been transferring my oxide shedding collection of open reel taped radio stuff to good quality cassettes. Somewhere, I'm sure I have the mock promo that WABC management ran during the AFTRA strike in 1967 (I think it was 67). It was a take off on the promo,"Today, you'll here these super hits on WABC" followed by clips from current survey songs.

I noticed a number of references on your site and elsewhere to the recent passing of Roby Younge. Working in Miami radio, I met Roby a couple of times. A few years ago, I was asked to give him a tour of a new radio studio complex we had recently constructed in North Miami. He had come by in hopes of finding a job. As we finished the tour and headed for the parking lot, I told him of listening to him on WABC and that I remembered the "picture of Roby" contest that had introduced him to New York radio.

"That's my problem," he said to me as he got into his car. "Everybody remembers me, but nobody will hire me."

Sad, very sad.

George Butch
Chief Engineer,
WINZ, Miami

Allan notes: The "Picket Line" Promo and the "Picture of Roby" contest promo are both in the Musicradio WABC Promos section.

Steve Gilinsky wrote:

Thanks for the Ron Lundy farewell. I listened to every minute on the website. You have done a superb job and I visit this site at least 4 times a week. It's my favorite.

I'm 36 years old, own my own radio station and have been listening to WABC, then CBS-FM since 1968. People, including my wife, just don' t understand the way I grew up with a radio in my ear all the time. They don't understand how I can sit on your web site almost every day and choke back a tear.

Thanks again for the memories.

Steve Gilinsky

Wayne Sandifer, Program Director of WJDX in Jackson, Mississippi wrote:

Allan:

Hello from Jackson, Mississippi. I'm P.D. of a heritage station, WJDX..now WJDX-FM/MIX 96.3..a 100kw Hot AC station. We started the whole LMA thing back in 1990 and we put 62/JDX on 96.3 one day and started all the commotion!

I grew up in W. Caldwell, N.J. and listened to ABC. In 1963, a friend told me about WMCA and I idolized B. Mitchell Reed. Late in 67, I found OR-FM and became it's #1 listener. I was fascinated by the tight jocks, musical variety and most of all...FM Stereo!

In the mid 70's when OR was WXLO and WMCA was talk, I managed to listen to WWDJ and WNBC. But let's face it, WABC remained consistent through it all and it's now wonderful to visit this page you have put together.

It was the sound...the loudness and friendly voices coupled with those bright and cheery jingles. It WAS WABC. Dan's lyrical skew on the Palisades Park jingle, Brucie's "I'm having a blast" attitude, HOA's fatherly comfort and My Dad's saying.."that boys is from the south" comments about Ron Lundy's show...it all made WABC a part of my life in N.J.

There were others too... the great BMR from WMCA, Triple D and Jake Spector and then++++WOR-FM!++++! That was the end of WABC for me, at least for a few years. I do admit that I would listen to ABC in the car. The reception was much better over in the suburban hills of Essex County.

Ron, Dan, Brucie and their peers are the last of the real radio entertainers who made us feel good without being vulger or nasty. Thanks to them I had a career at what I always wanted to do...maybe not at their level but still...I got paid to work on the radio. Mom, Dad..wherever you are I thank you for your support and encouragement. I also thank those wonderful WABC Good Guys for their inspiration!

It was fun!

Wayne Sandifer
Jackson, Mississippi

Chuck Diamond of Oldies 95.3 WKMQ, Rockford, IL wrote:

I grew up in Cincinnati, where our Top 40 station, WSAI, used (copied!) many of the techniques and formatics of WABC. For example, we enjoyed "Radio A Go-Go" in the Queen City, along with the same jingle package WABC used.

What great memories your website brought to me! Thanks for the fun!

Chuck Diamond
Oldies 95.3 WKMQ, Rockford, IL

Tony Logiudice wrote:

Allan:

One of your E-Mail senders, Chris McLenaghan, was right . Why can't we get WABC Music Radio back on? What he said about the consultants is right .Young people listening to modern radio have no earthly idea of true radio.

Judging by the response of the people who punch up your WABC Musicradio page, the interest is still there. When WABC's Dan Ingram was on, people laughed. His one liners were unique and downright funny. His personality was second to none. When Ron Lundy was on before Dan, you were entertained by another TRUE personality. When they both got on together, such as the time they did the skit about Ron tying Dan up in the BOWELS of the WABC building and cutting away occasionally to hear Dan grunting and groaning his way back to the studio, the listener was entertained to no end.

It's a shame everything is profit and money without entertainment. Press the buttons, don't talk over the music, don't show any personality, and expect to get the ratings. That's not radio, that's a joke. If you put this on your E-Mail page and any program director would like to respond to this E-Mail, I would be curious. With today's technology, can't something be done to get MUSICRADIO WABC (version 1997) going again...or are the program directors still relying on consultants who have no idea what real radio is?

I hope someone at a super radio station somewhere reads this and your other e-mail messages and takes a chance to put a format together that has personalty and music . In other words, if you want a hit station, bring back WABC and a by-product of all this would be listener enjoyment...

Remember that Mr Consultant?

Tony Logiudice

Al Schlenker wrote:

Ya Baby, I remember like yesterday.

It was 1965 and I was in basic training in that hell hole called Fort Dix New Jersey. The DI's didn't manage to confiscate my tiny transistor radio and listening to WABC when ever I could sneak a chance still gives me some great memories. Cousin Brucie kept me gin when the times were bad. I never got a chance to thank him. Maybe you could do it for me if you ever get a chance.

Al Schlenker

Bob VanDerheyden of New York's WHN, WCBS-FM and also of CBS Radio wrote:

Loved the memories...

I started at CBS (1964 - 22 yrs old)- Producing The Jack Sterling Show. When Jack retired from CBS in 1967... WHN (then a Storer station) picked him up. I was part of Jack's contract at WHN. At WHN I moved up to PD ( at the young age of 25) This would have been about 1967 or 1968. Jack decided to retire from WHN (1970) after three years. The commuting from Conn was getting to him. So, I needed a morning guy.

I brought Herb Oscar Anderson back to NY after he had quit WABC. I knew Herb was in Minnesota on the farm so I called him. He told me he was building another house in New Canaan!!!! I said I had a spot for him --- mornings at WHN.

John Moler was the GM and wanted HOA to "audition" for the job. Imagine that!!!
HOA didn't ----- I hired him and and his producer Maury Barber.... and we started to play more hit oriented material.

At that time WHN was "The Sound of Beautiful Music".....Dreadful...WABC was the ONLY Top 40 station in New York AM or FM.... I wanted to take WHN Top 40---and started to. I remember playing "Hooked On A Feeling", BJ Thomas...and Moler almost had a heart attack... A nice man...but he just didn't get it. When I asked John if we could go Top40 I was told.... quote "George B. Storer doesn't want a rock and roll station at 400 Park Avenue."

That was that....- I was transfered to Miami (WGBS) and New York management could not handle HOA... (By the way, Dean Tyler replaced me at WHN). Herb's contract was bought out a year short of the three years--- and he wound up doing afternoons on WOR/AM...and really sounded out of place.....

I quit Storer (hated Miami) after just 9 months, came back to CT and went on to program WCBS-FM in the late '70's. I hired Harry Harrison at WCBS/FM when WABC let him go...A super guy... I also hired Joe McCoy to relace me as PD at CBS-FM.

I also created and produced the "Top 40 Satellite Survey" and hired Dan Ingram to host the show when I was the PD of RADIORADIO, the CBS "2nd network". It was my idea.... the whole thing including the phrase "count UP to #1". I hired Dan because he was available and a great talent. I also insisted, and Dan agreed, that we do the show in real time...it was not wild tracked!. The show didn't last longer because CBS just didn't get it...and wasn't watching the store. I also created and produced Top 30 USA with MG Kelly...... and they (CBS) blew that one too.

Thanks for the great memories..

Bob VanDerheyden

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