Courtesy of Robyn Watts, we’re completely unsure of the date on this one, although there are clues contained within this aircheck.
Allan Sands(see below for the correction) even has his own jingle. All of which contributes to a stellar recording highlighting the then number one radio station in Jacksonville. Top 40 radio at its very best here.
Right near the start he says it is April 16, 1969.
The first name is Allen or Alan, not Alex. If I’m not mistaken, this guy was Greaseman’s newsman in the late 70’s. I also remember hearing him on AM 690 (under different letters) in 1989 when the station got special clearance from the FCC to run their daytime power at night as hurricane Hugo was making landfall on Charleston, S.C. Nice clear signal here in upstate New York.
I was in Charleston, SC around this time, and WAPE boomed in there like a local. In fact, I think it gave WTMA a pretty good run for its money.
Alan Sands was hired from WIRK by WAPE Program Director Jim Shirah who is a good friend of mine.
From 1967 thru April 1970 JIm did morning drive with “Honest John” Ferree handling afternoon drive. Alan Sands and Dale Kirby did mid-days.
The legendary Big Ape daytime signal was tremendous. Louder and wider on the dial than any station! The Water cooled transmiter built by the Brennan Brothers designed it that way with a 500 ft. antenna with a better ground system than anybody. Signs stating WAPE 690 The Big Ape 500 miles of Music along the Atlantic Beach highways from Cape Canaveral to Wilmington, North Carolina.
Jim told me the WAPE In Men, in their matching green blazers, did appearances at concerts all along those cities on the Atlantic Beaches and were treated like celebrities in areas a LONG, LONG way from the station in Jax.
The famous “Ape Call” was used to ID the station with NO spoken words. Think about it! Listeners knew immediately what station they were listening when they heard the Ape Call. Cleveland Wheeler, who worked at the Ape in the early-mid ’70s told me the Ape Call added a special mysticue to the huge coverage area station.
I miss those days when AM was king. Radio had personality and was fun to listen to. I’m afraid we shall never pass that special time again.
I feel very fortunate to have grown up in the days of the transistor Radio.
P.S. The newman who worked at the Big Ape while the Greaseman was there was Alan Moore. Alan usta end his new presentation with – “For Wape news … this………….*long pause*………….. is Alan Moore!