Scott,

Your site makes me want to cry (and that's a good thing)! Where did you get all those old photos. People I haven't seen for a thousand years (Steve Casey, Tom Graye, Tom Kent, Steve Perun, Chris Shebel).

I worked in programming and music.  John Gehron was my first boss and Karen Cavaliero my second boss.  She just moved to Las Vegas with her second husband so she's now Karen Mordue.  A long time friend too.  It makes me feel old to think that you're on-the-air major market and were just a kid in the 80's when I was working at WLS.  It was a special place.  And I don't think how realized just how special until we did a reunion in 1997.  To hear the old timers speak of being a youngster and hearing WLS in their respective home states and how that was a goal of theirs.  I think of myself as very lucky that I worked there.  I actually was more charmed than that....worked at WGN with Wally Phillips, Roy Leonard and Bob Collins, The Loop with Johnny B, Steve & Garry (for the second time), Danny Bonaduce, and then spent nearly three years at WMAQ which allowed me to be part of that illustrious history.  Boy there's a book in there somewhere.

There's a small group of staffers I still see a couple of times a year and the other morning I had a complete trip to the past on the air with Landecker and Brant Miller.  WLS was a great first job.

Take care.  Can't wait to dig into the site.

-Cindy Gatziolis

 

 

   

Hey Scott, 

One of my fondest memories was hearing Larry Lujack brag about having the exclusive new Beatles release Lady Madonna/The Inner Light when nobody else in Chicago had it.  I have that on audio tape and it is awesome to hear yet today.   Do you know where Dex Card is?  He was the best when I was a kid playing the top 40 every afternoon.  AM top 40 radio was a way of life for me.  God knows I'll never be the same.

PS: I was listening to WGN last night late on my way home and heard Steve King (ex WLS) and he was discussing old top 40 radio and he gave you a nice plug for your web site.  He said you have a great web site on WLS and I agree.  I thought you would be pleased to know that you've got some good friends on the air.

-Mark Stegall
Wataga, Illinois

 

 

   

Scott,

I'm writing a paper and preparing a presentation on "The Maple City Four," which were mainstays on the WLS National Barn Dance program from the 1920's thru the 1940's.  Do you have materials which could be available to me or copied?

Your site is terrific!  What a treasure!

-Leigh Morris

We do have a bit on the quartet from Indiana in the Sears and Prairie Farmer eras, however if anyone else would like to help out, contact Leigh at lmorris@csinet.net   -Scott

 

 

   

Scott, 

Your web page sparked many great memories of "The Big Eighty-Nine."  My first recollection of WLS dates back to the mid '60s when as a child of six, I would frequently alternate my rock-n'-roll listening between WLS and WOKY in Milwaukee.  At the time, my father had an old Hallicrafters shortwave receiver with a great AM tuner section which became the basis for my AM radio addiction and eventual entry into broadcasting.  By the time I was in my teen-age years, my family had moved to Joliet, a southwestern suburb of Chicago and not too far from the WLS Tinley Park transmitter site.  From Joliet, it was an incredible experience to hear the thunderous roar of the WLS transmitter which oftentimes blanked-out the entire AM band.  My fondest memories of WLS include Larry Lujack's "Klunk Letter of the Day," and John R. Landecker's "Boogie Check." And who could ever forget the sound of that gorgeous reverb, which became a WLS signature and hallmark.  I spent nearly twenty-five years in radio with about ten years as Director of Engineering.  I eventually left radio in the mid '90s when seemingly every station and broadcast group was turning ownership several times during the course of a year.  It was time to leave.  Today, I'm a corporate communications attorney and engineer for AT&T.  I'm having a great time but it will never match the fun, mystique and entrepreneurial spirit we all enjoyed at one time in broadcasting. 

Scott, thanks for chronicling the history of WLS and for offering this great tribute to those who were a part of the world's greatest radio station. 

-Paul Christensen 
Jacksonville, Florida

 

 

   

Scott -

Your site has kicked a mighty hole into my 6 hour lunch!  That perk (or curse, take your pick) is courtesy of my current gig reporting traffic in the Mighty Metro of Des Moines! As you can imagine, there's traffic here in Des Moines, just not as much and not as long. Formats may come and go, but there will always be traffic. It's not the career path I envisioned in my rather humble, off and on radio career, but it's serving me well.  Just as I would have never envisioned that a legend like WLS would drop music for talk. And a generation or so prior it dropped country and farm for the Rock and roll phase that I knew. It's nice to see some things stay the same ... but it's also good to have them change. And to be able to roll with the changes and still maintain such a long term identity is very rare indeed, which is what WLS has done. I'll admit, I'm not much of a talk listener, but they do pay homage to their heritage well while executing the talk format.  I have to say I've learned A LOT about the history of WLS, particularly the Prairie Farmer era, from this web site.  And I didn't realize that WLS was a shared time station for many, many years until reading about it here.

Radio was a major inspiration for me growing up. Like many distant listeners, in southeast Iowa WLS was mostly a nighttime habit, although we were close enough that a WLS daytime signal was there, but barely. Just about everyone in this section went to their daytime home, KIOA. (another station with great sing-able calls...KIOA, minor key - 940, major key) Earliest recollection was my oldest brother listening to some Biondi cat. I was all of 4 years old.

Later I would learn that Dick Biondi was a Buffalo but more importantly a Chicago radio legend. My generation was full tilt Landecker...."Boogie Check" and the whole bit. I think the program "That 70's Show" is rather stupid, but their opening shot of the characters in a somewhat decrepit land yacht, with WLS on the radio, would hit my high school cruising days exactly on the mark. Just a group of friends hangin' loose.

Things do change, though. Soon my radio would spend less and less time on the AM side, with a new, solidly produced local FM from Iowa City boosting its power. I'd still check on WLS from time to time, but even in the early 80's, one could sense the times and technology was changing. So, it made good sense for the shift to all talk on 890.  Phil Duncan, who played the last song on WLS, said it well when he said that by the time you realize your dream, "your dream is out of date and the world has decided to move on."  So many more "entertainments" available today ... it's hard for any one of them today to have the impact that 60's and70's, even 80's music radio had on their times.

Thanks again for a great site....

-Russell Johnson
Des Moines, Iowa

 

 

 

 

morethoughts

1   2   3   4   5   6   7   8   9   10  11  12  13  14  15  16  17  18  19  20  21  22