WLS Chicago: Big 89 Rewind ‘08: 1-2PM Fred Winston

Hour two of the Fred Winston show is much like the first hour (12-1Pm) and features Catherine Johns with news, and by this time we’re all starting to get irritated with Les Grobstein’s sportscasts. What is it about this guy that grates on our nerves? There was a bit of negative reaction (based upon what we’ve read on the message boards) to Les’ sportscasts, which ran longer in many cases than the actual news itself.

Listen for the first appearance of Lyle Dean and a promo for “Choose your news” – a longtime feature of the old Fred Winston morning show back in the 70s and 80s.

WLS Chicago: Big 89 Rewind ‘08: 12 – 1PM – Fred Winston

And now, the real fun begins! Rewind, for the first 7 hours, was (IMHO), kinda boring unless you really loved hearing jocks just talk. Winston here is STILL funny, and able to quip a one-liner over a song intro just as good as the old days. And that voice is still as deep as ever, if not a bit gravely these days.

We still get hourly news, clips of the old WLS, and of course, steady reminders that this IS TODAY, Chicago’s Talk Station – 890 AM WLS!

Fred Winston 1st Day on AM 1000 WCFL Chicago | March 13, 1981

Going through the archives of donated materials, I seem to have forgotten about this one.

Who remembers this re-incarnation of WCFL as a contemporary music station? Apparently, according to WCFL Chicago Radio Timeline**(see note below), WCFL returned from MUZAK land, first as an All-News station in 1978-79, then flipped to an Adult Contemporary format in 1980. Who knew? Well, by 1981, then owner Mutual Broadcasting decided to add some popular personalities… Winston being one, Gary Gears another… and voila! WCFL was back, although quite a bit more subdued than the previous Top 40 years.

This is kinda funny, Winston is still a wisecracker, and someone calls in to say they are recording this for posterity, Winston fires back, ‘what, are you crazy? Trying to blackmail me or something hahaha‘

We’re lucky this survived all these years. Its from a time when WCFL tried a last ditch effort as a music station before going religious, then the huge days as WLUP-AM. Now, be forewarned. This took a lot of processing and sounds kinda wierd, since it was apparently an AM Stereo recording – from one of the early attempts at it like Khan, Hazeltine or something, and while there’s stereo separation in parts of this 30-plus minute aircheck, the receiver used in recording made it sound a bit grainy and there wasn’t much bass. That’s fixed here but it ain’t perfect so if it sounds funny, its not your computer! It would have helped if the person who originally digitized this had used a higher bit rate, but we can only use what’s available.

** The WCFL Chicago Timeline has apparently disappeared and in its place is we found a site with a trojan infection, which is why we removed the link to it. For your protection we strongly advise listeners to NOT search for any links to the WCFL Chicago Timeline.

Fred Winston, Dick Saint & Doug Dahlgren on 89 WLS Chicago | March 12, 1976

…There’ll be no high today, sorry…. I’m high… no no no… I’m kidding. I wish I was high… no haha just kidding…

If we had a ratings system, this would get four stars! Wait! Actually, we do! Try it.

This aircheck comes to us from Ira Menacker via Matt Seinberg. Thanks to both of them.

Now, the story behind the story… so to speak on this bitterly cold March day, is that Dick & Doug had been fired from crosstown rival WCFL. Many of you who come to this site probably already know the story, but for the benefit of those who don’t, here it is in a nutshell. WCFL was changing formats from Top 40 to Beautiful Music (Elevator music, Easy Listening… whatever label fit at the time). D&D were being blown out along with most of the staff, EXCEPT, Larry Lujack who would continue doing afternoon jock playing Chicago’s most beautiful music.

Apparently, the morning team was given an opportunity to do a ‘last show’. Well, they spoke a little too much about the impending format changes, and about mid-way through the show, management arrived and took all the microphones, and politely escorted the two out of the station!

What you hear on this aircheck is a hilarious morning show. Fred Winston invites Dick & Doug to appear on his show and what follows is anarchy. The duo even lock Winston out of the studio at one point!

This is what radio used to be like. Spontaneous and enormously funny! 37 years ago. Seems like yesterday.

Or, in it’s original format for you dialup folks…