Dan Ingram’s 20th Anniversary Broadcast, 77 WABC New York | July 3, 1981

Dan Ingram WABC
A young Dan Ingram featured in a 77 WABC Promotions Photo, circa 1978

This aircheck is probably out there somewhere else on the web, but we did receive a perfect copy on cassette, which was obviously the first generation edit due to the typewritten date on the label (using an old cart label, at that!)

Officially, Dan Ingram did his first show on WABC on July 3, 1961, although he did go on the air prior to this date without using his real name – so Dan Ingram was actually not Chuck Dunaway on the Chuck Dunaway show back in ’61. But on July 3, 1981, Dan Ingram was marking 20 years with the American Broadcasting Company by doing what he always did – play the music and entertain, on a microphone with no reverb. What a way to get a gold watch!

WABC really threw a party for Ingram. Among the guest, Howard Cosell and many of the jocks Big Dan worked with over the years. This includes a few airchecks of bloopers and significant events during Dan Ingram’s 20 years at WABC.

Others who were closer to the actual event will explain in greater detail how this day unfolded. One thing is certain. As Dan Ingram celebrated 20 years at WABC, the writing was already on the wall for WABC as a music station as it was only ten months later that WABC dropped all music and launched Talkradio 77.