Connecticut Radio Memories - Episodes 7 & 8

Summary:

EPISODE 7 – Brass and Park – Radio stories from Waterbury and Bridgeport including the histories of WICC, WNAB, WJZZ/WPSB/WEZN, WATR, WWYZ, WWCO, WIOF/WYSR/WMRQ, WBRY/WTBY/WQQW.

EPISODE 8 – Hometown Radio Part 1 – Stories from radio stations in Connecticut’s smaller cities and towns including WCNX/WMRD (Middletown), WILI (Willimantic),WINF (Manchester), WKNB/WRYM (New Britain), WLIS (Old Saybrook), WNLK (Norwalk), and WSOR/WEHW/WKND (Windsor).

Details:

EPISODE 7 – Brass and Park – Radio stories from Waterbury and Bridgeport

In this episode, we look at some of the radio stations in two of Connecticut’s other big cities – Waterbury and Bridgeport. We look at Waterbury’s radio stations, the family owned WATR AM and the FM which later became WWYZ, WWCO AM and the FM that later became WIOF, then WYSR, and then WMRQ. We also look at WBRY which was a popular AM station, which became WTBY and then WQQW but eventually went out of business. We also look at Bridgeport’s top station WICC – one of Connecticut’s oldest stations, and its onetime FM station WJZZ which was Connecticut’s first all-jazz station – it later became WPSB and then WEZN. We also look at competitor WNAB which survived for many years against WICC. There were many great personalities that came out of these stations, including Bob Crane, Frank Delfino, Rocky the Space Jockey, Gene Valentino, Al Warren, Tiny Markle, and Barbara Davitt, just to name a few. Includes commentary from: Al Warren, Bob Paine, Dick Ferguson, Frank Delfino, Richard Ward Fatherly, Bill Flower, Don Meno, John Bunnell, Wayne Mulligan, Steve Martin, Gene Valentino, Bob Craig, Skip Franco, Walt Pinto, Dave Billis, Marty Moran, Jason Steinberg, Barbara Davitt, Marvin Rothschild, Sophie Zembruski, Tom Chute, Bryant Thomas, Ken Griffin, Lee Gordon, Bill Davies, Don Meno, Dave Billis, and John Ellinger. Includes archival audio of: Bob Crane, Al Warren, Ray Taylor (Dan Ingram), Lance Drake, Tom Collins, Dave Brubeck, Mike Lawless, John Bekish, Don Cornell, Ralph Flanagan, Tony Marvin, Bob Michaels, Lou Terri, Kathy Foxx, Dave Feda, Scott Morgan, Chip Hobart, John Saville, and Danny Lyons.

EPISODE 8 – Hometown Radio Part 1 – Stories from Radio stations in Connecticut’s Smaller Cities and Towns

In this episode, we look at some of the smaller radio stations which have served as their “hometown” radio station. This includes WCNX in Middletown (later WMRD, WILI in Willimantic, WINF in Manchester (which became Hartford’s first all-talk station), WKNB in New Britain which eventually became an all ethnic station WRYM, WLIS in Old Saybrook, WNLK in Norwalk, and WSOR in Windsor which became WEHW and later WKND, Hartford’s original soul and R&B station. Includes commentary from Bob Muscatel, Del Raycee, Rusty Potz, Wayne Norman, Bill Glynn, Ed Henry, Chuck Crouse, Sean Edenburn, Bob Dunn, Bryant Thomas, Phil Hale Jr., Penny Duborg, Bill Hennessey, Charles Poticha, Don Blair, Richard Ward Fatherly, Dick Bertel, Wayne Mulligan, Mike Rice, and Fred Swanson. Includes archival audio of Gary Girard, Jeff Jacobs, Mike Gerardi, Wayne Norman, James Duffy, Bob Gregory, Tony Bennett, and Irwin H. Forbush.