In 1973 WTAE-AM was stumbling along with a 3.3 share of the market and a musical format that one staffer desrcibed as "end of the road".
Ted Atkins, who had programmed KHJ in Los Angeles and CKLW in Detroit, was hired as general manager and given two years to make WTAE competitive.
The first record Atkins ever heard on WTAE was Tie A Yellow Ribbon, which at the time was the number one record in the country, except they were playing a version by Lenny Dee at the organ. They followed that with Up, Up and Away by Andre Kostelanetz.
Atkins' original dilemma was twofold - build an audience and reduce the demagraphics of the existing audience. More than half of that original 3.3 share was women over 50. It was a boring station. Atkins wanted to make some noise in the market and wanted to get away from that old MOR (whoever thought this would work) idea of being all things to all people.
O'Brien and Garry
[ JINGLE ]
The answer was oldies. "Solid Gold TAE" debuted in late 1973 with a format structured around the hits of the 1950s and '60s and an overall sound that borrowed heavily from KHJ. That started the station on the way up. The other turning point came a year later during the fall ratings period.Morning drive personality Larry O'Brien suggested a trial run of a two-man show, adding John Garry, who worked afternoon drive. They doubled the morning audience and were teamed up permanently in March of 1975.
O'Brien and Garry worked from 5-10am, Jim Quinn followed from 10am-2pm, Don Berns had the 2-6pm slot, Johnny Williams handled 6-10pm, with the 7 to 8 hour reserved for Myron Cope's sports talk show, and Susie Barbour handled the 10pm-2am shift. The station was automated from 2-5am.
This is from Spring of 1974 when the station was less than 9 months on air in it's oldies format. This is 2 separate (scoped) shows put back to back, with part of Christmas week 1973 on the 2nd half. Newsman Ron Rinninger and "20/20 news". The announcer is Charlie Van Dyke.
The arrival of Jack Bogut at WTAE was a shock to most Pittsburgh radio listeners. Who would have thought that after nearly 20 years Jack would leave KDKA and move to WTAE. Captain Showbiz had struck again. Bringing many of KDKA's listeners to WTAE and allowing O'Brien and Garry to help the new WHTX on FM. Jack came to WTAE and also had his own TV show on WTAE-TV Channel 4. Jack later moved on to WISH FM.
The string of legendary afternoon men at 1250/wtae was amazing! John Garry replaced Bill Hillgrove in 1973 when Solid Gold TAE was born. John held down the afternoon slot until he moved into the morning slot with Larry O'Brien in April of 1975. Then moving to afternoons on The Big 1250 was former KHJ Los Angeles Boss Jock Johnny Williams. Johnny remained in the afternoon drive position counting down the WTAE Hit Parade until February 1977.
Johnny Williams is playing hit records in 1976. [ LISTEN ] (9:43)
WTAE Transitions to 96 KX. This does sound like format change day on the FM side of this simulcast of 96.1 FM / 1250 AM. The change happened at 6pm at the conclusion of the Johnny Williams show. The FM side would separate from the AM and play Disco all night long. The format change brought a Rock Leaning Top 40 format and the call letters WXKX.
Johnny currently lives in Hawaii and administers one of the best internet sites for radio on the web, 440 Satisfaction. In these years the magic of WTAE was really beginning to spread all over the city as these great personalities lit up the airwaves. Bob Dearborn arrived in Pittsburgh to carry on the tradition. Bob was legendary during his stay at WCFL in Chicago. After Bob Dearborn left Pittsburgh, he started up one of the first and most successful late night satellite programs, RKO's Night Time America.
Suitcase Simpson is unpacked & working the turntable on January 31, 1977. [ LISTEN ] (8:52)
WTAE was a fully staffed Top 40 station on FM is a big deal. In 1977, most of the hit music was still being played on AM – and that puts “96 Kicks” in that small but unique category of emerging FM CHR stations of the 1970s.
At one point, NTA was carried on TAE overnights, bringing Bob back to the friendly city. In the summer of 2007, Bob joined FM 98.5 CKWR in Waterloo, Ontario for morning drive. Following Bob Dearborn was not an easy task, but Captain Showbiz again reached into his bag of tricks and brought in Don Berns. Don's resume included in one of the most influential Top 40 stations in America, KLIF in Dallas. Don spent many years as a freelance voice talent in Toronto. His clients included ESPN Classic Canada and The Hockey Network. He is also a techno DJ of some note under the name "Dr. Trance." He plays at clubs and parties all over Canada and in selected cities in the U.S. including Pittsburgh.
In early 2003, Don became the station and promo voice for the new WWKB 1520 in Buffalo. Don passed away of a heart attack on March 1, 2015. Former KQV Afternoon Personality Jon Summers also returned to Pittsburgh to spend time at WTAE. Jon is now a member of the AM Buffalo staff at WKBW-TV. Larry Richert also anchored afternoons at WTAE. Larry came to WTAE from WEEP and was the last Afternoon Personality during WTAE's music years.
One of Pittsburgh's most best known personalities was Chuck Brinkman. Chuck came to WTAE after more than a dozen years at KQV. When Chuck first came to The Big 1250, the station was still playing a Middle of the Road sound with a lot of Perry Como.
Everyone knew, that with Chuck Brinkman on board, that a more contemporary Pop sound was on the way. Chuck was known as Pittsburgh's Oldies Authority, and played almost all of the Oldies hits on WTAE when they first were on KQV's Finest Forty. He was the Program Director and Afternoon Drive Personality at KLUV-FM in Dallas for 17 years.
RATE THE HITSNovember 4, 1976 Twice in the 1970's WTAE published full page ads in the Pittsburgh Press asking listeners to rate the music played on WTAE.Jim also worked at WIBG in Philadelphia, WPIX in New York and WKBW in Buffalo. Jim returned to Pittsburgh in 1975 to do mornings at 13Q (WKTQ). Many of WTAE's traditional Midday games including What's Cooking were included in the Jim Quinn Show as well as Lunch Time at the Oldies. Pittsburghers who grew up with the Mighty Quinn had a chance to relive great memories with Jim again at WTAE. Since leaving WTAE, Jim has remained in Pittsburgh, first at B-94 as part of the Quinn and Banana morning show, now as the host of his own talk program.
In January 2004, Jim Quinn's show moved from WRRK-FM to Pittsburgh's new FM talk station 104.7 WPCB. Jim's show is also also syndicated on WHLO in Akron Oh, KYCR in Minneapolis Mn, WYTS in Columbus Oh, WHJJ in Providence RI, WKJK in Louisville Ky, WTKI and WDPI in Huntsville Al, WXZO, WEAV and WTSJ in Burlington Vt. among others. The show can also be heard on XM satellite radio Channel 165. Another of WTAE's midday personalities was Jim Harrington. Jim's resume includes KDKA and WCBS in New York. Jim was most recently heard in the morning on WWVA.
Evenings at WTAE were the home of Mike McGann. Mike joined WTAE in 1973. The smiling Irishman played Pittsburgh's favorite music for a couple of years before moving over to WXKX, 96 KX. Mike speny many years back in Pittsburgh as Operations Manager for Renda Broadcasting's WPTT and WJAS. He was also the afternoon host on WJAS. Johnny Williams after moving from Afternoon's segued into nights on WTAE. Eventually Jay Mitchell stepped into the night time from Pittsburgh's 3WS (WWSW). Jay spent a number of years at 3WS doing weekends.
While Overnights are a wasteland at many radio stations, not so at WTAE. Tom Lyons was the first of WTAE's overnight jocks. Tom also was a long-time Pittsburgh personality. Tom was a member of KQV's Fun-Lovin' Five for a couple of years in the sixties working as Tom Lee. Johnny Williams also spent some time on the overnight shift before moving to Hawaii where he lives today. Susie Barbour formerly of 96 KX, WTAE's sister station also spent time as the late night hostess on WTAE. Susie spent many years at KDKA. Susie is now Director of Marketing for Hefren Tillotson in Pittsburgh. Eventually the overnights were put on the bird with America Overnight with Ed Busch & Eric Tracy. After RKO shutdown the show, Bob Dearborn returned to the WTAE airwaves with Night Time America.
Many other personalities also spent time in the Ardmore Boulevard studios including Mike Farrow, Cary Paul, Sara Lockard, Kevin Benson, Chris Night, Bob Conrad, Bob Palmer and even syndicated shows like America Overnight. Sara Lockard is part of the morning show at WSHH in Pittsburgh.
As recognizable as WTAE's air personalities were, so were the news people. Alan Boal, long a part of Pittsburgh radio (including many years at KQV), anchored WTAE's news in the morning. Gerry Shane and Bob Kopler (also from KQV) handled afternoon news for many years.
The late Ron Rininger, a Pittsburgh radio fixture handled WTAE's night time newscasts from 1973 until his death in 1983. Kathy Kerestes, also known as Mon-Valley Minnie and Newsette joined in on the fun with O'Brien and Garry. Neil Spence also joined WTAE from KQV. After switching over from the 20/20 News format to news on the hour, WTAE also brought in Pittsburgh veteran Paul Long to handle the 5:00 news. Paul, who passed away in July of 2002, was the dean of Pittsburgh news.
Joe DeNardo who has been in Pittsburgh television for decades owns and operates one of the most respected weather services in the nation. DeNardo weather on WTAE radio and television is a Pittsburgh institution. DeNardo's forecasters have been a part of WTAE since the beginning.
WHO WORKED AT WTAE? Here is the list: Ron Adams, Susie Barbour, Don Berns, Jack Bogut, Chuck Brinkman, Al 'Jazzbeaux' Collins, Rege Cordic, Henry Dabecco, Bob Dearborn, Mike Farrow, John Garry, Jim Harrington, Tom Langmyer, Sara Lockard, Tom Lyons, Rock Marshall, Mike McGann, Jay Mitchell, Larry O'Brien, Jim Quinn, Larry Richert, Don Shafer, Jon Summers, and Johnny Williams.
Some materials found on this page were originally published by the following: Airchexx
