What a kick! I was GM at WMAL, 1970-1974. We just had a reunion at the WMAL-AM transmitter site. Little changed. Frank Harden was there at age 91 and so was Tom Gauger and Len Deibert. Had a great time. I am 87 now.

@thespeez

7 жыл бұрын

From what I understand, Frank Harden is now almost 95. He left the station in 1998, so I'm told.

Thanks a ton for uploading this classic piece of DC radio nostalgia. Those were the days.

I grew up on WMAL. As a kid, had to be out of the house for school by the time the march came on at (I think) 7:25 am. I have a 20 minute recording of some of WMAL's theme music that I got off the Internet somewhere years ago. Every so often I still listen to "That's why we like to be in Washington, DC." Thanks for this.

@gigyoung1983

6 ай бұрын

Identical to the time I had to go out to the bus stop for school…FORWARD MARCH!!! I’m 54.

Brings back a lot of good memories. Coincidence: I had thought about WMLA back in the 70s, and their lineup. A few years later, they added sports talk show host Ken Beatrice, and made the station even better! Thanks for the post.

Glad you enjoyed it, Hal! My listening years were 1968-1979 - MAL was simply the best! Thanks!

Thanks for this rich time capsule. I remember WMAL from this era - indeed from 1965 onward when I moved to Washington for university. You salvaged well from your deteriorating tapes. BTW, ABC certainly had some great sounding newscasters in the day - good to hear Bob Windsor again. Classy gal in the Bayer Aspirin commercial!

So wonderful, thanks for the memories!

Thank you and please post more! :)

@JohnKelm

9 жыл бұрын

You're welcome. I wish I had recorded a lot more back then!

This was a few years before ABC would buy WMAL. I believe it happened in 1977.

Great Stuff!! I remember that place and that radio station.

From back in the day, right before my household moved from NYC. The news of the war in Viet Nam hit a little close.

I love you MOM!

Bob Windsor...a name I'd forgotten from the Information network.

When people were alive no cellphones real news and every read books and were close to their family’s great times

@samglass2004

5 жыл бұрын

T

I would be very grateful if there were any recording made of the shows, like Harden and Weaver, during that time. Is there any old library or such, or are there any recordings held by an engineer at home?

@JohnKelm

6 жыл бұрын

If you haven’t already seen them, I have a few others here on YT. Here’s one that includes Harden & Weaver from 1970. kzread.info/dash/bejne/hH2Lw9Owk6mvZrg.html

Great to hear this again. Does anyone remember "Felix Grant in the Evening?" Anyone remember WPIK/WXRA Country Radio?

@rockvilleraven

6 жыл бұрын

It was after Sportscall with Ken Beatrice, I can't believer that Bernie Streeter'ss Arby's restaurants sales went up even when Ken used to say (for health reasons) "I don't like curly fries, I don't eat curly fries, I heard they're good" Felix's show was known as the "Album Sound".

@USNAVDC

6 жыл бұрын

Felix Grant and a million-dollar voice for radio! Smooooooth.

@robinkeiger2208

5 жыл бұрын

I sure do!!! Thanks so much for this!!

@ChrisSpil

8 ай бұрын

Absolutely. I think Felix Grant moved over to WRC AM 980 around 1984. And, yes sure - WPIK 730 in Alexandria (WPKX, effective 1980)

This the radio station Mom had on in the kitchen every morning growing up. Morning March meant get your asses outside, so you don't miss the school bus.

Programming at it's best.

Does anybody have the WMAL station identification songs of the '70's and '80's?

I didn't realize the MOR-formatted stations of the day played more cover-versions like the easy-listening stations of the 1970s and '80s. I thought more of said stations would play more music by the old crooners (Sinatra, Como, Ames, Damone, Martino. etc.) and 'croonettes' (i.e. Patti Page Rosemary Clooney, Vikki Carr, etc)

@21:23 Could we get a list of names - left to right?

Plante the Truth!

Two weeks ago I was in Northern Virginia and punched up WMAL while on the Beltway. Totally un-listenable garbage now. A typical shouter and ranter station that has grown all too prevalent. Listening to this vintage broadcast reminds us of what a "uniter" WMAL once was, attracting a broad audience. Now, however it and its ilk only serve to artificially divide us - we are truly the poorer for it. We need to turn this crap off.

@thespeez

7 жыл бұрын

They still have listeners. Do you REALLY think a Full-Service/Personality-MOR formatted station could reemerge in today's day and age?

The music is awful

@libertyann439

4 жыл бұрын

This was before music got loud, unmelodious and sounded like people throwing car parts against a garage door.

What a ridiculously unhip, boring, sleepy station

@JohnKelm

3 жыл бұрын

Yeah, it was great! Thanks!