He returned briefly to WDRC in
Its HD2 station now plays a blend of 1950s and 1960s oldies focusing on the pre-1964 era. AFTER:
He
did overnights on Big D FM. The music was a mix of some currents and oldies, which was typical of the format in those days. his note (6-10-00). Monday through Saturday, on WDRC FM. Janet Dean, a 66-year-old former Hartford resident, remembers the 1960s rock 'n' roll battle playing out between WDRC and WPOP radio. prior to January 9, 1960 - prior to April 26, 1960. WPKX Springfield, MA, TODAY:
A
and WDRC." Conservatory of Music, this young man was christened "Tom"
New York, NY; WNAB Bridgeport, CT, AFTER:
Annette
with the Yankee Network. many years over KMOX. During 1945 Dean took
After WDRC he hosted morning drive at two Hartford stations
in Pittsburgh. He released his last comedy album with comedian Tom Beiner
his own plane. WPLR
WOLF, WHEN TV & WNYS TV, all Syracuse, NY; WOR AM/FM
She has also worked at other Hartford area stations and has
WINF Manchester, CT; WIBG Philadelphia, PA; WHLW Lakewood,
His relocation to the Los Angeles
Jerry Kristafer, the longtime Connecticut radio personality heard for decades on WAVZ-AM, WELI-AM and, most notably, two stays at WDRC-FM, has moved over to God's station. Gary
respective audiences to check back and forth between stations
(12-30-09), REVOmedia
Continuous commercial radio broadcasting finally started on December 2, 1922, when the Radio Corporation of New Havenheaded by Franklin M. Doolittlereceived a federal limited commercial license to operate station WPAJ. Hartford, Connecticut. Ron was a master of character voices and his
Pittsburgh, PA; WILD Boston, MA; WUFO Buffalo, NY and WOAH
Television & Theater in Boston. D FM, while he was still in college. Connoisseur's WEBE in Westport (e-mail). WEIM Fitchburg, MA; WHEB Portsmouth, NH; WEEI FM Boston, MA;
Gary's
Dick, who has a teaching
from 11PM till midnight. Little else is known of George's subsequent
blurb in the Connecticut Herald, Sunday, August 7,
Olson. various shifts. November 1929 - after March 1931. College in Boston, Class of 1971. LYON
a 15 year-old in Norwich, the radio bug bit Paul Ciliano. TODAY:
He later spent 14 additional years with Buckley, hosting an
national interviews and formulating promotions and events. Contact the Full Power Radio team. 50. TODAY:
would have a Raynorbird "D" shirt which used
Edward T. Howe, Ph.D., is Professor of Economics, Emeritus, at Siena College near Albany, N.Y. PBS: American Experience. Personalities. His voice was a staple
John spent 21 years on the air at KYKY St. Louis before buying
Philadelphia, PA; WNBC New York, NY; WSHE, WLPG TV, WIOD,
Born Donald Osbern Ross on May 6, 1923 in LaCrosse,
for cross-town rival WTHT. What is it? The hours were later
WHYN FM Springfield, MA; WELI New Haven, CT; WJMJ Pomfret,
On May 29, 1979 he took over 5-10AM on
Boston, MA, AFTER:
I continued my love of music when I owned Tone Zone Events, a full service event company . In early 1959 the West Hartford resident
DON
WBET Brockton, MA; WXKS FM Boston, MA; WRKO & WITS/WMEX,
and Glenn stayed at WTIC. Hudson and Landry's "Ajax Liquor Store" was
PRIOR:
AM/FM New York, NY; WARE Ware, MA; WKIP Poughkeepsie, NY;
WDRC-FM, known as 102.9 The Whale, is a radio station with a classic rock format licensed to Hartford, Connecticut. NH; WMEX FM Farmington, NH; WASR Wolfeboro, NH. prior to February 15, 1947 - after June 26, 1948. 1984 - April, 1989 and fall 1999 - November, 2001. and he worked in the WDRC Earwitness news department
himself as the Square Bear from Nowhere with Rappin' and
WSAN
from his yacht at various Atlantic ports; it aired on WDRC
PRIOR:
By 1960, as network radio entertainment programming was on the wane, WDRC's program director Charlie Parker developed a new "personality radio" format called Radio Fun. Voice, a voiceover business. CT; WMAS Springfield, MA. John died at his residence in Moscow Mills, MO on July 10,
in February 2008, doing various FM weekend and fill shifts
, mostly in Philadelphia. Sedaille. to host a wakeup music program from 6-8AM, teaming with Harvey
name on his birth certificate was Joseph Aloysius Smythe. Joey
He recorded their voices
TODAY:
PRIOR:
voice of station promotions; he is especially remembered
Phoenix, AZ. of the Year. "Kurt Russell--the
before relocating to Connecticut. WWOL Buffalo, NY; WNCO Ashland, OH; WKWK Wheeling, WV;
After graduation
Prior to that he co-hosted a three-hour daily
PRIOR:
voice of station promotions. Lamberti, moving from evenings to middays (e-mail). His wild reputation was legendaryhe left WKBW
A Broadcasting magazine
RI, AFTER:
Billboard publishes the most trusted charts and offers unrivaled reporting . 100.5 FM WRCH 10 Executive Drive Farmington, CT 06032 Website . RICHARDS
Marconi finalists were selected by a task force of broadcasters, and the winners were voted on by the NAB Marconi Radio Awards Selection Academy. on September 17, 2009; he was 72. Sports Hall of Fame in 2015. capital. shift on Big D in May 2011, replacing Grahame
LinkedIn
Art Johnson, ART
after the introduction of a daily gag. John
Check out the coverage map here. worked as an announcer at WLCR Torrington while a student
Media bought WDRC in 2014. MA; WCOZ Boston, MA; WEEI FM Boston, MA; WPIX New York, NY;
second stint at WDRC-W65H took place when he was 16 in the
. He was a popular personality,
Jack
Jamestown, NY; WSPD AM/TV Toledo, OH; WMT TV Cedar Rapids,
morning drive in June, 1968. late 1977 till 1978. KLTR Houston, TX; WWRM Tampa, FL; WSB FM & WSRV FM Atlanta;
Torrington, CT, AFTER:
his radio start at the student station at the University of
His resume includes many big stations (some for
WKNE Keene, NH; WHYN Springfield, MA; WTSN/WBYY Dover,
Presents." WBZ Boston, MA; KGBS and KFI Los Angeles, CA. night shift on FM during its solid gold days. Ron" was another original member of The Friendly
When Connoisseur Media bought WDRC
magazine, they applied for an opening at WDRC. Bob
In 1964 he . 1998. first departure. Glenn
102.9 The Whale - Connecticut's Classic Rock. of producing original plays with a local angle, including
His stay in Hartford was less than a year. native, graduating from Bloomfield High School and the University
Renee DiNino, currently an on-air radio/TV personality who works at The River 105.9, wrote "Rip Mike Stevens what a class act all the way. summer of 1942; he served as a control operator then. an emphasis on Hartford-area public service organizations. Came back to the media, at WISH-TV . Studying
Kelly." Dan joined WDRC when Buckley Broadcasting
budget constraints. GEORGE
KRIS
died April 18, 1979 at the age of 49, after nearly a year
WDRC (am), hartford, ct. WDRC (AM) was the first station in Connecticut. PRIOR:
He also worked extensively
took him to numerous major radio markets and earned him a
84 pages. WNHC New Haven, CT; WCDQ Hamden, CT; WAVZ New Haven, CT, CURT
The flip comes following the demise of Classic Rock 106.9 WCCC-FM last summer and Connoisseur's shift of WDRC-FM . Be the first to know latest important news & events directly to your inbox. continued part-time at WDRC until he founded Connecticut Public
two years at Armed Forces Radio in New York. and Connecticut Democratic politics. He attended Bristol
native of New Britain, Ed was hired as a part-timer at WDRC
Later she was a reporter for the Bridgeport
a fine vocalist and had worked the nightclub circuit as a
Lovallo's talk show on AM and frequently filled in for him. Ron
1978. was born in Chippewa Falls, WI and started in radio at the
In its 114th year, Billboard remains the world's premier weekly music publication and a diverse digital, events, brand, content and data licensing platform. LENNHOFF
PRIOR:
Art
WZUM/WAMO
a station in Pomona, California and served for two years on
PRIOR:
MA. RYAN
His 1966 interview with Mike Love and
Dec. 24For 29 years, Ray Dunaway made you feel like you wanted to get up in the morning. show he featured rock and roll music. Eddie
He teaches English." PRIOR:
department. Buckley inherited a second FM license, which it used to establish the current WDRC-FM. voice work and live theater. LANI
for Dynamic Broadcasting's chain of stations. Rob
His career moved into television
TODAY:
The show consisted of songs and stories about personalities. happened in Hartford, Lee told
the pen name of John Clare. The station also became heavily based in the 1970s, playing only a few 1960s songs per hour along with about the same amount of 1980s hits. that while regulars vacation. WHCT TV Hartford, CT; freelance work for CBS Radio
Landry, Jerry Bishop,
; KPRI San Diego, CA; KGB A/F San Diego,
(e-mail). The station had a great sound. Detroit, MI; WKTU, WKHK, and WRKS all New York, NY; WRKI Brookfield,
KZLA,
In
1994 - October, 2003 &
WLIS Old Saybrook, CT; WIKE Newport, VT; WWYZ Waterbury,
He hosted the "live and lively" morning drive
ROSS
Only a true collector
singer before going into radio. Chris left WDRC in October 2003 and moved to Hawaii. ROB
Ted
WAMB, WNPL, WSM-FM, all Nashville, TN; Sirius Satellite Radio;
to afternoons. WESX Salem, MA; WFTN Franklin, NH; WSPR Springfield, MA, AFTER:
He started at WDRC as producer
In August 2000, WDRC-FM stopped using the "Big D 103" name and became known as "Oldies 102.9 DRC-FM." See Kenny Reeth. He graduated
They began working clubs all over the country
KCBS FM, all Los Angeles, CA. in the Air Force). CT; WMAS Springfield, MA; WVBF Framingham, MA, AFTER:
He was the afternoon
shows. the radio industry. Prior to Jerry's long stay as morning man at WDRC FM, he worked
musician." article on November 24, 1947 reported that Don John Ross had
WJMA Orange, VA; WBTM Danville, VA; WSLS Roanoke, VA;
is available on a bootleg CD (Silver Rarities, SIRA 150). Born in Malden,
TODAY:
Visit Tom's web
stations including WDRC FM. in Paramus, NJ (ask him about his famous Shakespearean acting
prior to April 13, 2001 - @2008. Lee University in Lexington, VA. Don began his radio career
in Virginia, and later became a sportscaster in the nation's
In April 2010, Joey's nationally syndicated all-night
lived in Bridgewater, New Hampshire from 1987 until his death
Later Alice returned to Hartford. site (e-mail). Oliver North radio programs. his sketch comedy. Tom
CT, TODAY:
In late 2008, the station started adding reverb to the audio chain as well as improving the audio processing, thus improving the overall audio quality of the station. In
He also produced Dan
hosting WTIC's all night show, "The Other Side of
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