Here’s one that will make you go WOW!… Terry Knight on WEAM – this sounds like a big station, and being that it is in the now-Washington Metro market, it probably was back in ‘67. But at only 1,000 watts, who woulda thought?
Big town sound on the station that later would become WMZQ, Washington’s Country station. This relatively flea powered AM served the suburb of Arlington Virginia.
Apparently pulled right off the master reel, this comes to you in stunning audio quality for such an old aircheck. Runs about 5 minutes.
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How i miss WEAM radio. I grew up in Alexandria Virginia and WEAM radio was the one. I well remember the Jack Alex and Terry Knight show. Radio today, at least for me, has lost the flare of exiciting radio of the 50’s and 60’s. Many years ago i bought the full set of different radio shows on LP albums starting with 1956 to 1964. Like to have a CD of WEAM radio. Thanks for you site.
In Our Lords Service
John
Yes, at Fairfax City Town Hall, Live Band The Aristocrats and Jack Alex
Yes, Jack Alex dance at Glen Echo Amusement Park with The Aristocrats! Outdoor concert!
Live at The Rocket Room – Rock and Roll Band The Aristocrats!
Yep been there played that, Skeeter Boswell, Vaughn Howard, Roger Easterling, Keith Edwards! The Aristocrats
I went to Yorktown with you guys. Probably knew Keith Edwards best. We double dated for the senior prom. I heard that he passed away. What has happened to the rest of you guys? “Skeeter Boswell, Vaughn Howard, Roger Easterling, Keith Edwards”
WEAM was indeed a great station. There is also an aircheck of WEAM on ReelRadio. I was stationed in D.C. in 1964-1966, and we listened to WEAM all the time. Thanks to Airchexx for a great aircheck!
Richard
The WEAM “1964″ aircheck is interesting. However some correction is in order. First, this recording is from January 1965, not 1964. The “flea-powered” reference is not in order. The station operated with 5,000 watts day and night on two direectional patterns and placed city grade daytime over all of DC and most of the suburbs. Nights the lobe shot over DC as well and placed city grade over most of the city, with a null to the north. it was not 1,000 watts!
Agree with Rob Norton. I lived in Silver Spring “back in the day” and listened to WEAM….especially at night. I was gone by ‘65, but listened from about ‘57 to fall of ‘62 when I went away to college. Back then, WPGC, WDON, and WAVA (780) were all great DAYTIME stations. At night it was WINX, WEAM and WCAO in Baltimore plus WABC, WKBW and WLS from out of town.
WEAM’s 4 towers were just inside Fairfax County about a quarter mile west of where Powhattan drive crosses the line from Arlington. While we weren’t in the absolute null, the night time WEAM signal wasn’t too good where we lived. Someone mentioned a “whistle.” Yeah! Maybe they were off frequency a bit??
But what the heck, these were the golden AM days! EVERYTHING sounded good on the old ‘59 Ford radio!!
Great! Love to hear these old tapes!! Anyone have any Jack Fisher on WEAM? He was there in ‘64…
Again, Thanks!
WEAM interviews Klaatu (Carpenter) in The Day the Earth Stood Still
Was this the same Terry Knight who worked in Detroit later this same year?
WEAM was the only AM station in DC in the 60s that ran all night. Good sounds!
I just loved WEAM , I tuned it it from about 1958 till it went off. Tuned in WPGC,WINX, and WHMC as well, but liked WEAM the best as they played more hits. I lived in Bethesda/Chevey Chase, the station came in ok ther but I remember it had a wissel is the back ground, but this was the old AM days so it did not matter vary much. Would like a cupple houres of the old radio broadcast, it would be nice to lissen to. Thank you for this web sit, it meant so much to me.
Bob
I loved WEAM, tuned in around 1958 and till they went off the air. Loved Jack Allex, Terry Knight, Russ Wheeler ETC. Boy, do I remember The “Rocket Room” Add.
This web site just took me back to better times, lived in Bethesda/Chevey Chase at the time. THANK YOU for this nice Site.
Bob
Remember WEAM very well. Listened to it starting in the mid – late 50’s (even recall the “listen to the NEW WEAM contest”). The best jocks from that era in DC were Bob Rickman (RnB Special) & Don Dillard (played great rockabilly & RnR) from WDON. Of Course JA the DJ & Harv Moore from WPGC were great for the more top 40 pop sounds. Also dug the RnB dj’s like Rockin’ Robin in Baltimore, Hopalong in Annapolis & Moon Man & Al Bell in DC. Plus many fond memories of the Rocket Room, Rands, Benny’s, Hayloft & definitely the Howard Theater.
Hi,
I am trying to find out about my father. I believe he was general manager of WEAM sometime late 1950’s to mid 1960’s. His name was Kenneth Wood. I still have some of his 45 records that were radio station copies. If anyone can help me with this I would appreciate this. Thank you
Hi, I have a Weam aircheck from January 1, 1968 ,with johnny Rouge, Will trade you for a Wpgc aircheck, Unscoped please, Thanks,
Terry Knight was Jack Fisher renamed by station manager Harry Averill. Why Averill decided to do this is unknown but he did it. Jack Fisher was a well known and well liked dj at WEAM. As a teenager Jack was one of the kids who danced every afternoon on American Bandstand. Jack had been one of the four djs from Washington Top 40 stations who emceed the FIRST Beatles concert in Washington in 1964.
Jack and Harry Averill did not see eye to eye on this or anything else and Jack was fired in early 1964. Jack landed at a very successful top 40 station WROV in Roanoke were he stayed until about 1971. Jack left WROV to work in advertising in Roanoke and then came back to WROV from 1981 until 1991. He is now retired.
I grew up within sight of the 4 WEAM towers and used to ride my bike there before I was old enough to drive. I got involved with various of the djs while still in Jr High. I always like Jack Fisher the best. I dragged equipment and took money at the door for many sock hops and battles of the bands for a number of years. After high school I had to choose between radio and news photography and chose photography. But I have fond memories of WEAM and Top 40 AM radio.
I knew Jack when he worked with the advertising agency handling McDonald’s. Anyone know how I can cotact Jack?
I understand he lives in Roanoke. There is a very good website for WROV where Jack worked for years http://www.wrovhistory.com/ which may be useful. The station is gone but they still have reunions.