Connecticut Radio Memories - Episodes 1 & 2

Summary:

EPISODE 1 - Doolittle's Dream and Parker's Promise - The story of Connecticut's oldest radio station – WDRC AM.

EPISODE 2 - Static Free - The story of Hartford's Oldest FM station, and other FM stations in Hartford, that didn't have AM counterparts. This includes WHCN, WWUH, WRTC, WJMJ, WFNQ/WSCH/WLAE/WLVH, WPBH/WPKT/WNPR, and WHUS.

Details:

EPISODE 1 - Doolittle's Dream and Parker's Promise - The story of Connecticut's Oldest Radio Station

In 1922, Franklin Doolittle built a radio station in the back of his store in New Haven which would become WDRC radio. He also conducted pioneering experiments on Avon Mountain with Major Edwin Armstrong in the development of FM radio.We begin with a look at WDRC’s early years as a CBS radio affiliate, carrying network programming and producing local shows with personalities like Harvey Olson, Russ Naughton, Bill Sheehan, and Larry Colton.

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. Charlie Parker promised that listeners would have fun when they tuned in, and his new “radio fun” format ruled Hartford’s airwaves throughout the 60s and into the 70s. Parker, together with music director Bertha Porter - who had an incredible talent for picking hits - led WDRC to the top of the ratings for young listeners. During these years WDRC had many popular air personalities including Dick Robinson, Joey Reynolds, Sandy Beach, Brad Davis, Ken Griffin, Dick McDonough, Jim Raynor, Jerry Bishop, Ron Landry, Long John Wade, Kent Clark and Joel Cash.

This episode includes commentary from Dick Robinson, Joey Reynolds, Sandy Beach, Brad Davis, Ken Griffin, Dick McDonough, Jim Raynor, Jerry Bishop, Kent Clark, Steve Parker, Bill Hennessey, Rusty Potz, Dan Blume, Stanley Peer, Wayne Mulligan, John Doolittle, Bob Paine, Ed Brouder, Al Cohen, Joel Cash, Mike Dreschler, Lani Jurev, Jack Lenhoff, and Fred Swanson.

Includes archival audio of Dick Robinson, Joey Reynolds, Sandy Beach, Ron Landry, Long John Wade, Jerry Bishop, Art Johnson, Dick McDonough, Kent Clark, Brad Davis, Harvey Olson, Russ Naughton, Jim Raynor, Jack Zaiman, Larry Colton, Bill Sheehan, Maj. Edwin Armstrong, John M Bailey, Walt Dibble, Charlie Parker, Paul Motto, Bertha Porter, Paul Morency, Joe Barbarette, Jim Nettleton, and Aaron Shepard.

EPISODE 2 - Static Free - The story of Hartford's Oldest FM station, and other FM stations in Hartford, that didn't have AM counterparts

We look at the origins of WHCN as a classical music station in T. Mitchell Hayes’ Concert Network, and after financial problems, its 1969 conversion into Hartford’s first all-progressive rock radio station, and one of the earliest free-form stations in the country.

In addition, we look at several other FM-only stations heard in greater Hartford including WWUH (University of Hartford), WJMJ (St. Thomas Seminary), WRTC (Trinity College), WHUS (University of Connecticut), WFNQ/WSCH/WLAE/WLVH/WZMX as well as Connecticut Public Radio which started as WPBH, then was WPKT and is now WNPR.

This episode includes commentary from: Larry Titus, Frank Donovan, Ivor Hugh, Bryant Thomas, Paul Payton, Jim Shannon, Neil Portnoy, Gordon Weingarth, Charlie Horwitz, Gabby Parsons, Abby “Firefly” Gray, Gary Lee Horn, Mike Picozzi, John Ramsey, Fred Swanson, Mike Dreschler, Jerry Bishop, Wayne Norman, John Ellinger, Bob Ellsworth, Phil Callan, Paul K Taff, Bill Henry, Reynolds Onderdonk, Steve Martin, and Ray Dunaway.

Includes archival audio of: Larry Titus, Stu Kauffman, Picozzi and the Horn, George Michael Evica, Mort Fega, Neil Portnoy, Robert Bray, Bob Ellsworth, Clark Smidt, Ivor Hugh, George Malcolm-Smith, Bill Henry, Robert J Lurtsema, Spitz & Peebles, Reynolds Onderdonk, and Floyd Richards.