The call changes can narrow the date of this scrap of paper. Some isn't helpful. WJBR is still on 99.5 unchanged since 1956. WPEN became WMGK only in 1975. WFIL only became WIOQ in 1971.We know it's older than that. 92.5 FM was WIFI back then and is WXTU now. They changed format from pop to country before 1984. WIP-FM hasn't been on 93.3 since 1965, after which it has been WMMR. On 93.7 these days we have WSTW, it hasn't been WDEL-FM since abotu 1966. (WDEL-AM remains on 1150.) WFLN-FM is now WBEN, it only dropped the heritage FLN calls in 2006. WHAT-FM also changed calls in the late 1960s when it dropped it's jazz format. 98.1 FM is now WOGL as it has been since 1987. Back in the 1960s WCAU-FM was simulcasting MOR with WCAU-AM.
WSNJ-FM 98.1 helps narrow the date a bit. That station signed on in 1946 as WSNJ. (FYI: Wikipedia incorrectly dates that to 1961) What happened in 1961 was that WSNJ swapped calls with 107.7 WPBS. they had already been on air for 5 years. They changed calls to WUSL in 1976. WSNJ remained on 107.7 until about 8 years ago. So, it had to be printed before 1961 the date of that call swap and after 1956 the date WJBR signed on. (Math corrected by Fybush)
WXPN, WHYY and WRTI are about all where they were even if the programming has changed a lot. WHYY has a typoed frequency. But WPWT is more of a mystery. they were a share-time with WKDU on 91.7 from the1950s into the 1980s. I hear they were a crazy psychedelic hippie station. I'd love to hear an aircheck. I'll have to write a post about them sometime.
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I think you're off by a few years, Jose. Here's the chronology as I understand it: WSNJ-FM moved from 98.9 to 107.7 at some point prior to January 1961, when the Philadelphia Bulletin put WPBS on the air at 98.9. (The Bulletin had owned WCAU AM-FM-TV until 1958, then went back into the FM business after selling WCAU to CBS.)
ReplyDeleteSo it can't be later than 1961. (Note that it's missing a few other FMs that signed on in the early 1960s - 101.1 in 1963, 104.5 in 1965.)
In fact, it can't be later than 1959, since it's also missing 106.1, which signed on then.
So how early is it?
I peg the card (or at least the data shown on the card!) to about 1957, since it includes WJBR-FM...and since it has 90.9 (incorrectly shown as "90.0") as WHYY. 90.9 signed on with those calls in 1954, but changed calls to WUHY in 1957 to match its new sister TV station, WUHY-TV 35. The FM station didn't go back to WHYY until 1978 or thereabouts.
(Credit to phillyradioarchives.com for some of these dates!)
Jose - interesting article. I noted WXPN is listed as 88.9 and has moved to 88.5 in the 80s. WHYY is listed as 90.0 and is now on 90.9. I am not sure when they moved.
ReplyDeleteHarry
Yeah,I assumed 90.0 to be a typo on WHYY and ignored it. I totally missed the WHYY call change in 1954. you got me there. I didn't go back far enough.
ReplyDeleteAs to the 1961/1962 call move from 98.9 to 107.7.. my error. I looked right at the date then got fixated on Wikipedia's wrongness... then counted my years the wrong direction.
Jose, The station at 101.1 that came on the air about 1963 was WIBF-FM in Jenkintown. The first announcer I remember hearing was a gentlemen who came from WDEL-FM in Wilmington by the name of William Benezet Klein. He use to be the announcer for a classical music program that he hosted every weekday evening from 8 to 11 on WDEL-FM. Every evening at 8 they would switch from simulcasting their AM portion to the FM portion and as I said play classical music. I'll never forget Mr. Klein whole name because he would say it every night. He had such a great baritone voice. Unfortunately I can't remember what type of music they played. I half believe it was religious music. Wasn't 104.5 the station with call letters WDAS-FM that played Gospel music?
ReplyDeleteBack in the late 50's and early 60's there was such a choice of classical music to be head in the Philly area. Of course there was WFLN-FM going on the air in 1949, but then we had WJBR which had classical music practically all day and night. As mentioned earlier WDEL-FM played classical music from 8 o'clock on and WFIL-FM played it also. If memory serves me correctly they (WFIL-FM) would simulcast WQXR-FM from NYC. Also WUHY played classical music. I always thought there would be a WFLN-FM for all eternity. Just goes to show todays' broadcasters aren't interested in quality just the bottom line. Thank God for WRTI picking up the ball in classical and jazz broadcastin. Back then the FM stations were spread across the dial from one end to the other. Today the FM dial is so crowded that the stations interfere with one another. Oh how I long for the good ole days of FM.
Ted Moyer ---- Reading, PA