Big Apple Airchecks
Jim Collins & “The Time Machine”, 66 WNBC New York | November 29, 1987
Date of Recording: 11.29.1987 Station: 660 WNBC New York (W2XY/WBAY/WEAF/WRCA/WNBC) Format: Full-Service Gold-Based Adult Contemporary Branding: “Sixty-Six W NNNNNNNN BC“ Featured Air Personality: Jim Collins (WPGC/WNBC/others) Contributor: Frank Davis Total Time: 22:22 (Telescoped) Airchexx Entry: 1,542 WNBC Burnin’ up in a heatwave of hot STEAMING Rock N Roll!… Curator’s Notes: Pre-dated in the New York area ONLY by 101.1 WCBS-FM, this was simply the best Oldies show on the air at that time. The whole idea was to re-create the 1960s sound of 77 WABC, and, right down to the PAMS jingle re-sings, this show accomplished that goal! Most of you will probably agree. These Oldies really SOUND better in Mono, anyway!
Allen Beebe, KLDE ‘Oldies 94.5’ Houston
Station: 94.5 KLDE (KBTZ/KARO/KLEF) Houston Format: Oldies Branded: “Good Times, Great Oldies” Ownership: AMFM, Incorporated Featured Air Personality: Allen Beebe (KNOE AM-FM/KMJC/WNBC/KNOX/KODE/KGBC/KNFX/WEZB) Contributor: Big Apple Airchecks “I am Beebe…“ Voluntary Subscription Options Yearly Subscription : $80.00 USD – yearlyMonthly : $10.00 USD – monthlyWeekly : $3.00 USD – weekly Curator’s Notes: Over the years, airchexx has acquired a number of great airchecks featuring the talents of Allen Beebe. From markets like New Orleans to New York City to Houston, Beebe has been heard in a diverse mix of radio stations. Here, the station known as “Good Times, Great Oldies”, KLDE is featured at a spot in history which is just pr...
Lee Sherwood, 93 KHJ Los Angeles | January 23, 1981
Station: 93 KHJ Los Angeles (Wikipedia) Format: Country Branded: “The New 93 KHJ” Featured Air Personality: Lee Sherwood Contributor: Big Apple Airchecks Total Time: 34:48 Aircheck #1,595 I mentioned a few moments ago that Humphrey Bogart was born on this day... Curator’s Notes: Fans of “Boss Radio” will surely be disappointed with this, COUNTRY aircheck of KHJ. There is a bit of history mentioned on the news (read by Lee Marshall) with the story of the Iranian Hostages being released this particular day. That day in history, “Gone With The Wind” was released. Country or not, I *LIKE* Lee Sherwood. Great pipes, knowledgeable and topical, Lee puts on a good morning show. Better, in my humble opinion, than a lot of modern radio people. If you enjoy t...
The WPGC Files – Part 3. Lee Logan. January, 1979
Station: 95.5 WPGC Morningside Md (Washington DC) //1580 WPGC Washington (Wikipedia) (WPGC Tribute Site) Format: Top 40 Branded: “Music Radio” Featured Air Personality: Lee Logan Contributor: Big Apple Airchecks Total Time: 5:09 Aircheck #1,592 You’re dealing with a sick man here… Curator’s Notes: This aircheck could serve as a clinic on how to do nighttime Top 40 radio! Really, I wish there was more of this but it runs only 5 mintues scoped. Lots of disco music was played here, but showing that this was a TRUE Top 40 station, Boston and the Rolling Stones make their appearances in this short clip. And… it wouldn’t be 1979 if the Bee Gees weren’t all over the radio!
The WPGC Files – Part 2. Dan Mason, December 23, 1978
Station: 95.5 WPGC Morningside Md (Washington DC) //1580 WPGC Washington (Wikipedia) (WPGC Tribute Site) Format: Top 40 Branded: “Music Radio” Featured Air Personality: Dan Mason Contributor: Big Apple Airchecks Total Time: 5:27 Aircheck #1,590 WPGC FM and AM Morningside. Hello! Just after 12 noon with Dan Mason and a Blues Brothers album on the way, hang on. (Bee Gees music) This has, actually, posted elsewhere, but as part of our WPGC series, it’s important that we hit ALL the highlights of this radio station which employed so many talented individuals. Dan Mason, of course, would become Program Director of WPGC shortly after his 1978 arrival, and moved right up the executive ladder from there. His entire career is on public display at many places on the web, including the N...
The WPGC Files – Part 1. Steve Michaels, Autumn 1978
Station: 95.5 WPGC Morningside Md (Washington DC) //1580 WPGC Washington (Wkikipedia) (WPGC Tribute Site) Format: Top 40 Branded: “Music Radio” Featured Air Personality: Steve Michaels Contributor: Big Apple Airchecks Total Time: :52 Aircheck #1,589 …Just tell me WPGC is your FAVORITE radio station! Curator’s Notes: The first of a long series of WPGC airchecks is also the SHORTEST aircheck posted in a long while. At just under a minute long, this shouldn’t take up too much of your time. Steve Michaels was, according to the WPGC Tribute Site, the late evening jock. He sounds better than most prime time jocks today do!
Dan Ingram on “Channel 77” WABC New York (January 25/March 22, 1966)
Station: 770 WABC (WJZ) New York (Wikipedia) (WABC Website) (WABC Tribute Website) Format: Top 40 Branded: “The All-Americans” Ownership: The American Broadcasting Company Featured Air Personality: Dan Ingram (Wikipedia) (Dan Ingram interview with Allan Sniffen at Musicradio77.com) Contributor: Big Apple Airchecks Total Time: 10:26 Curator’s Notes: This aircheck is a bit confusing. Actually three different ‘checks on one tape, this starts with the beginning of the famous New York City blackout – Dan Ingram mentioning the electricity ‘slowing down’. Really just a clip, before it moves on to January 25, and then March 22 of 1968. Notice the majority of this recording lacks WABC’s reverb. Most likely either recorded directly off the board or fro...
Dan Ingram, 77 WABC New York | July 22, 1967
Sure, this is a post update, but there’s really nothing better than hearing MusicRadio 77 from its best-loved era, with it’s best-loved jock! This begins at the tail end of WABC News, then its right back into a fast-paced format full of Beach Boys, Rolling Stones and Beatles! It’s also a blistering hot July afternoon and New Yorkers are trying to cool off any way they can. Note how clean and crisp this recording is. It came to airchexx by way of Big Apple Airchecks and this proves that the aircheck sharing partnership we have with Matt Seinberg’s hobby site is not only valuable, but providing our listeners with the highest quality airchecks, comparable with the original master copies being donated to us by the jocks themselves! IF YOU ENJOY THIS AIRCHECK, PLEASE CON...
Composite: Lee Roberts, WXLO “99X” New York | December 17, 1977; February 4, 1978
Station: 98.7 WXLO (WOR-FM/WRKS/WEPN) New York Format: Top 40 Branded: 99X Ownership: RKO-General (General Tire & Rubber, Co.) Featured Air Personality: Lee Roberts (WAVZ/WTIC-FM) Contributor: Big Apple Airchecks (Website) Total Time: 20:38 “The whole reason they never put escalators in apartment buildings...! Curator’s Notes: We originally posted this on 11.04.2010 after receiving it on cassette. A great dub of decent quality from the master tape still held at Big Apple Airchecks. 99X was probably at the peak of it’s success as WXLO. Lee Roberts would later go on to work with yet another New York legend (he didn’t know it yet), “Broadway” Bill Lee, at Mike Josephs’ “Hot Hits” Top 40 formatted 96 TIC-FM Hartford...
Frank Kingston Smith, 105.7 WVBF Framingham (Boston) | August 15, 1978
Recording Date: 08.15.1978 Station: 105.7 WVBF (defunct) Framingham Ma (Wikipedia) Format: Top 40 Branded: “F-105” Ownership: Fairbanks Communications Featured Air Personality: Frank Kingston Smith (Bobby Mitchell at WRKO) Contributor: Big Apple Airchecks Total Time: 17:00 (Telescoped) Aircheck #1,581 F-105 Carly and James. Good morning! It’s 7:13 with Big Frank… Curator’s Notes: Frank Kingston Smith is well known in Boston, having appeared on nearly all the Top 40 stations at one time or another. He was a longtime personality on the Top 40 format at 68 WRKO (AM), first as Bobby Mitchell in the Drake era and later as himself. Smith was also heard for a little while on 98.5 when it was WROR after flipping to live (assist) AC from automated Oldies. In fact, he w...
World Exclusive! Ron O’Brien, 68 WRKO Boston | September 17, 1978
Recording Date: 09.17.1978 Station: 680 WRKO (WNAC) Boston Format: Top 40 Branded: 68 WRKO – Boston’s Concert Station; Boston’s Super Star Station Featured Air Personality: Ron O’Brien (Real Name: Richard Walls; October 24, 1951 – April 27, 2008) Contributor: Big Apple Airchecks Total Time: 22:39 Aircheck #1,580 WRKO.. Yes, if I had to pick between loving and fist fights, I’d pick love every time!!… Curator’s Notes: There’s not much I can say to describe this aircheck. You really must listen for yourself. This is probably the best that WRKO ever sounded as a Top 40 station. (All you current WRKO Talk listeners never heard what this station REALLY was like) WRKO simply COOKS! RKO General really knew how to program a tight radio station. And th...
Dick Summer, 95.5 WPLJ New York | 1973
Recording Date: 1973 (Exact Date Unknown) Station: 95.5 WPLJ (WABC-FM) New York (Wikipedia) (Website) Branded: “Rock ‘N Stereo” Format: Freeform Album Rock Ownership: The American Broadcasting Company / ABC (Current:) Cumulus Media Sister Stations: 770 WABC/WABC-TV 7 (Current:) 770 WABC/WABC-TV 7/94.7 WNSH/103.9 WMBN Featured Air Personality: Dick Summer (WBZ/WPLJ/WNBC/WYNY/others) Contributor: Big Apple Airchecks Total Time: 12:25 (Telescoped) #1,576 If you’re 90 years old this Spring and you’re getting married, I suggest you be very careful… Curator’s Notes: If you’ve never heard the beginnings of Freeform Album Rock, this will be quite a shock. There’s almost no trace of any real ‘hard’ rock here. Plenty of album cuts and...
