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QuickCheck: Richard D., WHND 560 Monroe (Detroit) MI | 1983

Steve West — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 05:10:27 +0000

New contributor “Paul” checks in with a Detroit area station that’s been gone for 20 years. He writes:

(This) came from a long ago defunct radio station…. that was once in it’s heyday as a GREAT (FM) oldies station (WHNE) from 1973 – 1976 until it finally ended up as a has-been AM station until it’s demise around 1990.

Quality is good and of course, it’s a music station on AM… and we sure miss that!

QuickCheck: Richard D., WHND 560 Monroe (Detroit) MI | 1983 is a post from: Airchexx.com

Ron Lundy, WABC New York | July 29, 1970

Steve West — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 05:01:21 +0000

Courtesy of Matt @ BigAppleAirchecks, here’s Ron Lundy at a very sold out WABC! While this is scoped, the unscoped version still has more commercials than music. You’ll need patience to listen to this, as the source audio as we received it is choppy and a bit muddy, otherwise its a great representation of America at the height of the Vietnam war. Listen for a full newscast including stories about fish with mercury, extreme pollution, a heatwave causing reductions of electricity, and more.

And of course, our memories of Ron Lundy. I tell ya, Heaven’s got one hell of a radio station!

Ron Lundy, WABC New York | July 29, 1970 is a post from: Airchexx.com

Big Wilson, 66 WNBC New York | April 1969

Steve West — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 05:10:31 +0000

There’s a lot that’s been said about Big Wilson – he’s a legendary personality on the old WNBC. Problem is, when people think of radio in the 1960s in New York City, the first station that always comes to mind is WABC. So, WNBC was always dwarfed… and never really tried to compete in the Top 40 arena anyway, as NBC, the network, always had features running on air which disrupted the music presentation.

Big Wilson is captured here in a recording that sounds like it was made with a microphone placed in front of a table radio speaker. The audio quality isn’t the best. But its worth remembering Big Wilson and a radio station with more heritage than any other station in America… WNBC. The station has been gone since 1988, but certainly not forgotten.

Big Wilson, 66 WNBC New York | April 1969 is a post from: Airchexx.com

Magic Matt Allen in the Morning, Sirius Totally 70's | 2007

Steve West — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 05:05:05 +0000

We don’t as a rule post Satellite Radio airchecks, mainly because we’re interested in the authentic broadcasts of classic AM and FM radio. Sent in by new contributor Brett Provo (current Production Director for WMAS-FM Springfield MA), this is an exception to our rule.

Magic Matt Allen is genuinely FUNNY. As the morning man on the now-defunct Totally 70s channel on Sirius before the merger with XM, Matt had a unique sense of timing and his one liners remind us of Dan Ingram and his ability to quip a one liner over a song intro. That’s a talent which is truly a GIFT, not acquired. Really, gang, you can’t make this stuff up.

Yes, some of Satellite radio is voice tracked, some channels are lame, and others not, but every now and then some fantastic talent is found there. Your webmaster thinks its worth the subscription fee, if for no other reason than because it’s more entertaining than Over-The-Air radio is these days.

Totally 70s on Sirius Satellite Radio before the XM Merger

Magic Matt Allen in the Morning, Sirius Totally 70’s | 2007 is a post from: Airchexx.com

Jimmy Jam, Hot 99.9 WHXT Easton/Allentown PA | July 15, 1991

Steve West — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 05:00:44 +0000

We don’t know much about Easton PA (as with many lesser markets), but this is a good sounding Top 40 at the end of the 80s CHR era. By ‘92, grunge and rock would take over much of the landscape… but this is a rhythmic, 80s-imaged CHR and it is good to hear!

Added by Lance Venta: This aircheck is about 6 weeks before the station would become “Oldies 99.9″ WODE. The demise of WHXT would also lead to its primary CHR competitor “Laser 104.1″ WAEB-FM to rebrand as “B104″, a name it would keep to this day.

From our Anonymous Contributor archives.

Jimmy Jam, Hot 99.9 WHXT Easton/Allentown PA | July 15, 1991 is a post from: Airchexx.com

Charlie Harrigan, 750 KFQD Anchorage | June, 1985

Steve West — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 05:00:08 +0000

Our first aircheck from Alaska features this AM Stereo hit music station from Anchorage. The only information we can dig up about KFQD is that it is still around, doing a news format these days.

Recorded by contributor Bob Gilmore on one of those Sony SRF-80 (I believe) AMAX radios, this is a wideband mono aircheck of the morning show. Charlie Harrigan is filling in for the regular guy (Marcus in the Morning), so we don’t really know what the real morning show sounds like, but Harrigan doesn’t skip a beat. This is a contemporary hit station, but they play the 4 Seasons and what we hear is the Adult type songs you’d typically find on AM. The rest of the day may have been more uptempo.

The news guy has a gravely-sounding voice and reminds us of Terrance McKeever, sarcasm and all. KFQD is very full-service in this recording, and if there are any of you who remember this station, we invite you to comment below.

Charlie Harrigan, 750 KFQD Anchorage | June, 1985 is a post from: Airchexx.com

Steve Shannon, First Day on 680 CFTR Toronto | June 23, 1973

Steve West — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 05:10:23 +0000

Its really amazing how similar certain streamlined formats were on both sides of the Canadian/US Border. CFTR Toronto could easily be confused with 93/KHJ Los Angeles in ‘73 with their shotgun, less talk approach. Still, the hits make the difference and the Canadian content is evident in rotation on this HOT Top 40 680 CFTR.

It would be another seven years before John Records Landecker would arrive here from his world famous gig at WLS Chicago, but CFTR really made a name for itself.

It’s Shannon’s first day and if there are any technical mistakes, call him on the listener line to complain!

Thanks again to Bob Gilmore for the donation!

Steve Shannon, First Day on 680 CFTR Toronto | June 23, 1973 is a post from: Airchexx.com

Howard Hoffman, 77 WABC New York | April 8, 1980

Steve West — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 05:10:29 +0000

1980 was a year of change for WABC. By the end of the year the music would begin to shift to a more adult sound, but in the early part of 1980, WABC was still a hot Top 40 station, as evidenced by this short scope of the wacky Howard Hoffman show. Hoffman is really out of control on this night. How does one describe the Howard Hoffman show? Well, lets just say that he wouldn’t be allowed on the air with this approach anywhere today.

WABC, with Hoffman in the lineup, is a much different sounding station than that of just over a year prior, when PD Al Brady cleaned house, getting rid of most of the staple WABC jocks except for Ron Lundy and Dan Ingram (who, at the time of this aircheck, was doing mornings). Still, this is Top 40 WABC and the brand with it’s late 70s Jam jingles is still intact.

There aren’t many recordings of the end of the Top 40 era at WABC, and this one from 1980 is an original recording available no place else but right here. We invite you to listen now to this unique slice of history!

Howard Hoffman, 77 WABC New York | April 8, 1980 is a post from: Airchexx.com

George Michael, MusicRadio 77 WABC New York | February 28, 1977

Steve West — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 05:10:32 +0000

The Late George Michael is tagged here doing a great show on WABC from 2/28/77. This is an original recording, donated by Bob Gilmore. Notables here include much signal fading and white noise on the tape, which suggests this was recorded some distance away from New York City. No matter, Michael is in top form, as was the norm on the George Michael Show – he never misses a talkup or hitting the post!

These are the pre-disco days of the 1970s. Sure, a few stiffs are sneaking in, like The Sylvers – Hotline, but this is real Top 40 variety, with a generous dose of Jam jingles, Dan Ingram voiced imaging and that hot reverb!

Here’s an original, never posted on the web anywhere – so pass the word and tell your listener friends that WE have the airchecks most coveted around the world!

George Michael, MusicRadio 77 WABC New York | February 28, 1977 is a post from: Airchexx.com

Charlie Van Dyke & Company, 68 WRKO Boston | April 6, 1979

Steve West — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 05:10:31 +0000

Bob Gilmore is proving to be a great source of airchecks – having recorded thousands himself, his are original recordings of vintage radio. This one’s no exception. Check out Bob’s website, www.bobgilmore.com.

Charlie Van Dyke is one of America’s foremost voices, heard on TV, Radio and even in Movie Trailers… but for most of the 70s and 80s, his career was spent behind the mic of some of the best Top 40 stations ever heard. WRKO, by 1979 is feeling the pressure from FM – WVBF, in particular, and unbeknownst to most people, is in it’s final year as a Top 40 station. I consider this the best that RKO sounded, even better than the 60s Drake incarnation.

Charlie Van Dyke & Company, 68 WRKO Boston | April 6, 1979 is a post from: Airchexx.com