It’s been a long time since the WPTR studios looked like that. In fact, the original WPTR building stands dark and empty, and when someone steps up and buys the building (maybe that’s already happened), the long-dark 1540 transmitter building and towers out back will probably face a wrecking ball.
It wasn’t always like that. Long before the station’s religious days as WDCD, long before it’s “Stereo Country” days, WPTR was one of two Top 40 AM monsters who competed for prestige and ratings. WPTR’s glory days were certainly the mid 1960s through the late 1970s.
Here in 1979, WPTR is hanging on to its Top 40 format, but as you can hear, competition from FM has forced the station to make certain on air adjustments. First off, this is *NOT* the Top 40 format that made WPTR famous in the market. It’s far more Adult Contemporary sounding (with a liberal splash of Oldies) even before “AC” was an established format.
Don Brooks is an established CHR jock. After WPTR, Brooks would be heard over to the east, at 102.9 WDRC “FM 103” in the CHR days before THAT station went to it’s longtime Oldies format. You’ll hear some of that later as we add some more of Don Brooks’ work to the site.
TECHNICAL
Don Brooks is doing the morning show filling in for the normal morning guy Bob Woody, who this day is appearing on local television. WPTR was using a weather service called “Compu-Weather” and their morning meteorologist is Todd Gross… who calls in early in this aircheck talking with Don Brooks about his pick in the World Series game that evening.
This recording is in excellent shape. There’s no noise, and this is just as I remember WPTR, processed with *VERY* low bottom end equalization. It didn’t give WPTR a crisp sound but it sure gave the jocks deep voices! Ironically, later in the 1980s when WPTR broadcast in C-Quam AM Stereo as a Country station, it sounded better than its FM competition, WGNA. Perhaps thats a matter of personal preference, but unfortunately, I’ve yet to find an aircheck from WPTR’s country format to compare with anything else in the market.
Courtesy of Contributor Paul DiMarco
LISTENING OPTIONS
Click below for an audio-only recording in our custom player.
Click below to view this aircheck from our //www.youtube.com/channel/UCFjC8GIIIKO5vLA0vGtb6ig!
