New site www.phillytalk.com
this archive site www.phillytalkradioonline.com
On
November 6, 2000 Philadelphia's heritage talk station, WWDB, stopped
broadcasting talk at 9am. The staff was called to a meeting and
told the format was changing, they were all fired. Throughout the day
all that the listeners heard was a computerized voice count down until at 5pm the
the format was
changed to 80's rock. The studio dedicated to playing Sinatra
music was used to play the new format. The other two studios, one
brand new, were left empty. Facilities and production were slated to
move to its sister station WXTU.
Contents |
Related Pages |
|
- Lineup (fall 2000)
The Morning News Team with Earl Bailey and Pat Farnack - 5 to 9 am.
Gil Gross - Weekdays from 9 to noon.
Irv Homer - Weekdays from noon to 3 pm. email
Jay and Hilarie - Weekdays from 3 to 5 pm. email
Kent Voss - Mon. - Thurs.. 5-7 pm.
Jim Corea - Evenings 7-9 Archive
Susan Bray - Weekdays from 9pm to 1am. Susan's Website & email link.
Steve Martorano - 1 am to 5 am.
John McNulty - Food and Wine Saturday evenings 6 to 8 pm
Joel Gibbs - MovieMania Saturday, 10 pm to midnight
Sid Mark - Frank Sinatra show - Friday 5 to 10 and Sundays from 9 to 3. Archive Page
Franny Rizzo - Sunday nights at9
Jason Meyer - fill in host
John Stolnis - Producer - fill in host
Russ Miller - Russ Miller's Website - Real Estate, Saturdays.
Austin Culmer
David Coleman
Frank and Mary Jelineck - Dinning Around - Saturdays at noon.
The Car Show - Saturdays from 2 to 4 pm - Frank and Mike Daulario
Program schedule for June 1997
Monday-Thursday
5:30 am Phil Valentine
9:00 am Irv Homer Show
12:00 noon Rush Limbaugh Show
3:00 pm Dr. Laura Show
5:00 pm Tom Marr & Susan Bray Show
8:00 pm Dr. Jim Corea Show on Health & Fitness
10:00 pm Debra Luray Show
1:00 am Dom Giordano Show
Friday
5:30 am Phil Valentine
9:00 am Irv Homer Show
12:00 noon Rush Limbaugh Show
3:00 pm Dr. Laura Show
5:30 pm Friday with Frank featuring Sid Mark
10 pm Debra Luray Show
1:00 am Austin Culmer Show
Saturday
5:30 am Dom Giordano Show
8:00 am Russ Miller On Housing & Real Estate
12:00 noon Dining Around with Frank & Mary Jelineck
2:00 pm Financial Forum with Steve Cordasco
5:00 pm Frank Ford Show
8:00 pm Frank Rizzo
11:00 pm Dr. Yvonne Kaye
3:00 am David Coleman Show
Sunday
6:00 am Sunday Morning Show
9:00 am Sunday With Sinatra featuring Sid Mark
3:00 pm Dr. Dean Edell
5:00 pm The Doctor Is In with Dr. Jim Corea
6:00 pm Dr. Jim Corea on Health & Fitness
8:00 pm Steve Friedman - Mr.Movie Show
12:00 midnight Dom Giordano Show
Past Favorites, fill in hosts, etc.
Noted fill in hosts (in order of appearance) - Chuck Darrow, Bill Thomas, LaDonna Monet, John Ziegler, Dick Pomerantz, Mark Williams, Mike Seigal, Gil Gross....
Past Favs - Smokey Gifford // Rollye James // Dom Giordano // Bernie McCain
Way Way Back - Dominic Quinn // Wynn Moore // Stan Major // Richard Hayes // Bernie Herman // Ken James // Rod Luck // former PD, Jack Ellery
Thumbnail Pictures
![]() |
Kent Voss | ![]() |
Susan Bray |
![]() |
Pat Farnack | ![]() |
Gil Gross |
![]() |
Earle Bailey | ![]() |
Valerie Knight - News. Picture |
![]() |
Joel Gibbs | ![]() |
John Brown - Traffic & Weather, mornings |
![]() |
John McNulty |
Click the pictures below to enlarge
![]() Frank Ford |
![]() Kent Voss2 - Kent Voss1 |
![]() Russ Miller |
![]() Dominic Quinn - 1994 |
![]() Old DB Christmas shot |
![]() Yvonne Kaye |
![]() Larry Gifford |
![]() Paul Perello - News - WWDB 1985 |
![]() Jay and Hilarie |
![]() Frank Rizzo and Harry Gross |
Here
is an ad placed in the Inky by WWDB from May 1975 (140K)![]() |
Mike
Rossi at the SuperBowl www.phillysportz.com |
Rod Carson | Steve Friedman "Mister Movie" |
Station Address
166 E. Levering Mill Rd.
Bala Cynwyd, PA 19004
Bala Cynwyd, PA
17,000 watts -- Tower height 954 ft.
Note: Operations will be moved from this building to WXTU, also owned by Bealsey.
Station Owners
Beasley
Broadcast Group, Inc.
3033 Riviera Drive, Suite 200
Naples, Florida 34103
Telephone: 941-263-5000
Fax: 941-263-8191
http://www.bbgi.com
email@bbgi.com
Press Links
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/001106/fl_beasley.html - Press release.
column by former sales executive Jeff Hurvitz
Daily News Stu confirms the "behind the scenes" story you read here first on November 8th
In Stu's column today he comments on the new "Point" air commercials and the similarity to B101's spots.
From Stu's column today - Excerpt - Tongues were set wagging when WWDB discard Irv Homer was spotted coming out of the City Line building that is home to WPHT talk radio, carrying a manila envelope under his arm. Turns out he was there not for a job interview (he's under a no-compete clause until May, check with me then) but to cut commercials for Cherry Hill Wellness Center, which he is allowed to do. On another front, look for Evil Irv's exposure to increase on Marc Howard's Sunday-morning "Inside Story" snip-and-snarl TV show. .
WWDB format flip FAQ's
Send a snail mail directly to the station. Make one copy to Bruce or Brian Beasley and the other marked "For the Public File." Public File letters must be made available to, just that, the public upon demand.
166 E. Levering Mill Rd. Bala Cynwyd, PA 19004 Bala Cynwyd, PA
Sid's contact information is here. His show is syndicated on other stations. He works out of a studio called Masters and Johnson in Narberth. The name of his production company which oversees the syndicated show is Orange Productions and my guess is that he will continue to do the show from the same studio. His personal studio at WWDB is now (as of fall 2000) used to air "the Point" format.
Irv Homer email (the jury is out whether he reads it)
The rest should get any regular mail forwarded to them c/o WWDB
Nope, Don't email me any direct complaints. I didn't do this. If you DO feel the need to email me use some good letter structure so I can read it easier. Your first name is a help as well.
Other Notes:
On November 3rd the Beasley's registered thepoint965.com (482 NE 31st Street BOCA RATON, FL 33431) - This was three days before they flipped formats. Remember up until November 6th they led the entire staff to believe that they were going to continue with the talk format. As we reported here first on this website (11/8) that turned out to be a ruse.
January 1999 - The first fan based "VossWorld" website was created by Alex Charnya. After his host company goes out of business it is replaced by kentvoss.com
Year 2000 AIR awards winners
(there is an odd relationship between AIR award winners at WWDB and then the
winners leaving. In a previous year Phil Valentine won3 and was let go
2 months later.)
Best Traffic Reporter - John Brown, Metro Networks
Best Talk Show Host - WPHT Michael Smerconish
Best Morning Team - WMMR Barsky in the Morning and team
Best Spot News - WWDB Tom MacDonald & Brad Segall, Pier Collapse
Best Sports Reporting - WWDB, Mike Rossi
Best Public Service Announcement - WWDB Zach Giltrap
WWDB won 3 AP awards in the spring of 2001, months after they ceased operations.
Brief History
The call letters stood for William and Dolly Banks (calls were changed around 1968). The siblings William and Dolly bought was was then WHAT-AM from the Public Ledger. Included was 96.5 FM which was used to simulcast the AM side until 1955-56. They hired Sid Mark to host an overnight jazz music show on the FM. In 1958 WHAT 96.5-FM became all jazz until early 1975. On March 17th 1975 WWDB 96.5-FM flipped to all talk. After her brother died in 1979 Dolly took over as full owner and GM. Several lawsuits were filed against WWDB in 1985 concerning age and racial discrimination. Dolly retired in May 1985. The station was then sold to Ragan Henry (a Philly lawyer) for $6,000,000. At that time he was the only minority station owner in town. Soon after he sold it to Charles Schwartz who turned it over to his private company, Pinache Broadcasting, in 1986. You might remember the station was carrying a heavy spot load for Pinache Travel through the late '80s. In 96 Mercury Broadcasting bought it for [[ here the story is incomplete, I have to look the rest up in my files]] 48 mil and then Beasley bought it for nearly 65 mill in the late 97.
Philly Talk Radio Online - Talk Radio News for Philadelphia