Even Now, Great Radio is Just a Click Away

I’ve been spending more time with airchecks of classic radio lately. It’s not just radio geekery, although I’ve got nothing to hide. It’s not just a comment on the state of today’s radio; I still find things that I like. But it is nice to hear a level of craftmanship that is less readily available now. Not every moment sizzles decades later, but there’s enough to confirm that I’m not merely romanticizing things.

I’m also listening to more vintage radio because more is readily available. Two broadcasters in particular have been especially active posting audio recently. There are also a handful of broadcasters celebrating recent milestones. And I’ve been inspired to share a few things from my own collection. So it made sense to share a first-ever Aircheck Roundup. 

I’ve really appreciated the airchecks posted by Ellis B. Feaster, the morning host at Christian AC WPOZ (Z88.3) Orlando, Fla. On Feaster’s front page, you’ll find a lot of big-names: WCBS-FM New York with Harry Harrison from 1984 and Scott Shannon from his first day in 2014. But there’s also a playlist for CKLG (LG73) Vancouver, B.C., the legendary ‘60s-through-‘90s CHR that was a Canadian counterpart to KHJ Los Angeles. There’s a playlist for classic R&B radio, with not just Frankie Crocker on WBLS New York, but also AM sister WLIB, which is a station I couldn’t find for years.

In recent months, west coast radio veteran Maverick has been posting airchecks at the rate of several a day. Maverick’s YouTube page is here, but Threads has also been a good way to keep up with him, especially during that period after the initial splash when he was one of the radio people consistently posting something other than “is this thing on?” 

Recent offerings include Kevin & Bean on KROQ Los Angeles from 1992 and Larry Morgan, now Audacy’s regional brand manager overseeing KRTH (K-Earth 101) Los Angeles, from 1984 on KIIS Los Angeles. But Maverick is also posting current tape, including veteran Dave Sholin on KSJJ Bend, Ore., Tampa’s WQYK vs. US103.5 Country battle, or the Hot AC battle between WKTU and WNEW (New 102.7) New York. While those stations are streamable, it’s nice to have the ability to hear them in a few minutes’ time.

I’ve found airchecks of WFIL Philadelphia’s Tom Tyler through both Feaster and Maverick. I grew up with WFIL in real time, but I hear it differently now. Besides having Joel Denver as Music Director, WFIL was one of Top 40’s best-produced radio stations, moving with a tightness that’s rarely heard (and perhaps rarely understood or appreciated) now. Its imaging seems to have been typically a year ahead of the rest of the format. 

I could have listened to mid-‘70s WNBC New York, too, but it wasn’t of much interest to me. They were too adult-leaning, plus I was now listening to smaller-market stations during the day and out-of-market stations at night so I could hear more new music. But I’ve rediscovered the station and its odd Hot AC blend, which included a lot of disco songs that didn’t cross over nationally, on Tight and Bright Airchecks.

Recently, I’ve been inspired to go back to my own archives, for among other things “My 1987 Holiday Road Trip” and the first decade of Hip-Hop radio. I’ve tried not to center this article too much on far-distant call letters, but market-leading K-Earth 101 is certainly a station out of today’s headlines. Here they are on Labor Day 1984 playing No. 1 songs in order, ending with a rare incursion for the Oldies radio of the time into the early ‘70s. 

The last round of Hip-Hop airchecks includes a lot of the legendary KDAY Los Angeles. Veteran PD Steve Hegwood, now the owner/programmer of Hip-Hop Streetz 94.5 Atlanta and its sister stations. Hegwood was PD of KYOK Houston, an AM station heavily inspired by KDAY. Here’s a great tape of them and Robert “Show Biz” Moseley, who’s still in Texas radio. 

Readers have also supplied classic audio as well. Longtime reader and New York radio veteran Naphtali Jimi Bruce was inspired by a recent article spotlighting audio of WCZY (Z95.5) Detroit to send a 25-year career retrospective, spanning multiple formats, but with a good cross-section of New York’s mid-‘80s R&B radio as well. Bruce is also represented on Feaster’s site. 

Sharing vintage (and new) audio is also a good opportunity to share some related recent listening. Longtime Philadelphia radio host Helen Leicht, a veteran of WIOQ, WMMR, and WXPN, revived her Acoustic Sunday show at 10 a.m. on Folk Music Notebook. Her first show is a great listen; there’ll be a new show this Sunday. 

Retro Pop Reunion host Joe Cortese celebrated his 40^th anniversary in Boston radio. I asked him for some vintage Boston tape and he shared this from WBMX (Mix 98.5) as one of the Modern AC format’s flagship stations in August 1999 under PD Greg Strassell. You can also hear him here on Retro Pop Reunion and doing the long-running Back to the ‘80s Saturday Night on AC WMJX (Magic 106.7) Boston. 

WXRT Chicago’s Terri Hemmert recently celebrated her 50^th anniversary on the Triple-A station with an extensive weekend of commemorative activities including the proclamation of Terry Hemmert Day and the WXRT studios being renamed for her. There’s a brief clip of Hemmert on WXRT from 1989 posted here. WXRT’s own recap also includes this commemorative.

Finally, if you like hearing your vintage radio in real time, there’s a six-hour tribute to Chicago morning man Larry Lujack airing Sunday of Thanksgiving weekend, Nov. 25 at Noon, from the people who brought you the popular WLS/WCFL retrospective.