Charlie Cook is heard holding down the overnight on the old 1050 WHN, Running 30 minutes, scoped, you get the feel of how “New York’s Country Station” sounded in the second half of the 1970s.
Notice what Country songs were being played. Much different than the fare being heard in the 80s, just a few years into the future. There was also an obvious lack of commercial content on WHN overnight, except some live reads. As the aircheck moves along, there is a bit more content, Cook is doing some sports updates and promoting upcoming music – all important to note, since along with open request lines, this is proof of a time long before voice-tracking. And, of course, its all in glorious AM!
You can hear a station composite done by Billboard ™ Magazine from May of 1977 HERE.
I remember WHN from the early 70s, pre- country days. My mom always had it on the car radio. They had a gunny DJ named Bruce Bradley who had a running bit about the “disappearing pastrami animals”.
Make that “funny” DJ. Please edit if you can!
Steve, what do you mean? Charlie Cook was a ‘funny’ DJ?
No, Bruce Bradley was funny.
I’ve lived in Fairmont, West Virginia my whole life (51 yrs.). At the time that aircheck was made, WHN had two West Virginians on its airstaff, namely, Charlie Cook, who had just the year before, been at WWVA, Wheeling, and Bobby Wayne. Bob “wizard” Wayne was from my home county, and, owing to a wild and crazy lifestyle, died in 1990 at 48. From where I sit, that was the golden age of country radio.