WFIL

WFIL was formed in early 1935 by the combintaion of two existing radio stations: WFI, which was placed on the air March 18, 1922 by department store Strawbridge and Clothier, and WLIT (formerly WDAR) of the Lit Brothers department store. Both stations shared time on the same 740 AM frequency, which was not uncommon in the crowded airwaves of the 1920s. On November 11, 1928, both stations moved to the familiar 560 frequency.

In September 1961, WFIL Radio is still at 46th and Market Streets in West Philadelphia. This is the master control room. Note the two 16" turntables on either side of the board.

The department stores were located across the street from each other, and each had studios in their stores and antennas on thier rooftops. WFI had an early affiliation with New York City station WEAF that was the forerunner of the NBC radio network. When the stations merged, they adopted a portion of each call to become WFIL.

New studios and offices were opened in the Public Ledger building at 6th and Chestnut Streets. At this time, the station was an NBC-Blue affiliate operating at 1,000 watts. In addition, WFIL was also a member of the Mutual Broadcasting System and the regional Quaker Network.

WFIL/WPVI Building in 1963.

In 1937, New offices and studios were located on the 18th floor of the Widener Building at Broad and Chestnut Streets. A new 1 kilowatt "hi fidelity" transmitter was inagurated in southwest Philadelphia (near 63rd and Passayunk) with a 329 foot self-supported tower. In 1946, the station was sold to Triangle Publications for $1.9 million. Triangle, owned by Walter Annenberg, also owned The Philadelphia Inquirer, and later TV Guide and Seventeen magazine, among other media properties. At this point, the NBC Blue network had become ABC, of which the station was an affiliate.

In 1947, WFIL raised its power to 5000 watts and installed new broadcasting equipment in the more spacious (and cheaper) land acquired in Whitemarsh Township, PA. Around this same time, the AM studios in the Widener building were upgraded and FM and TV facilities, still in their infancy, were added as well.

In 1952, WFIL moved to new studio quarters in the WFIL-TV building at 46th and Market Street, the first building in the country specifically designed for television broadcasting. A new 11,300 sq ft addition to the building, which had been opened in 1948, allowed all broadcast activities to be consolidated in one place. At this location, the TV show "Bandstand" (later renamed "American Bandstand") began with host Bob Horn and shortly thereafter with Dick Clark, who had been a staff announcer for WFIL. At this time, WFIL was known as "The Philadelphia Inquirer Station" with a "middle of the road" format.

According to Roger Clipp, General Manager of the WFIL stations from 1956 - 1968: As personnel, equipment and programs burgeoned, the "new" building (vintage 1947) at 46th & Market became hopelessly inadequate and after several years of searching for the right location, Triangle in 1962 began building its new Triangle Broadcast Center at 4100 City Line Avenue, Philadelphia, which it occupied January 12, 1964. This very handsome and efficient edifice now houses the WFIL stations and all the management personnel for the Triangle Radio and Television Division.

A major programming change to top 40 music occurred on September 18, 1966, known as "the pop explosion." It was described in promotional material as "a bright, exciting sound of truly modern radio; the sound of popular music; young, personable air personalities; a station that immediately attracted the attention of literally thousands." Popular air personalities at this time, known as "Boss Jocks" included Jay Cook, Jim Nettleton, George Michael, Dave Parks, Frank Smith, and Chuck Browning. WFIL personalities in the later years of the top 40 era included Dr. Don Rose, Jim O'Brien, Dick Heatherton, and Banana Joe Montione.

Kevin McCarthy in February 1974.

In 1971, Triangle sold WFIL to LIN Broadcasting for $11.5 million (WFIL-FM was sold to Richer Communications and became WIOQ) As FM radio gained popularity in the late 1970s, music formats on AM suffered a severe loss in ratings, and WFIL was no exception. In 1977, an adult contemporary format debuted, and in 1979, the format was switched to a middle of the road format. In 1980, the studios were moved to 440 Domino Lane and shared space with sister station WUSL-FM.

Banana Joe interviews John Lennon.

From 1981 to 1983, WFIL programmed a country format, and then an oldies format called "Famous 56" in an attempt to cash in on the station's glory days of the mid 1960s, but to no avail. In 1987, LIN sold the station to WEAZ-FM radio for $4.5 million and the studios were moved into the same location as new sister station Easy 101 at 10 Presidential Boulevard. The new owners immediately ended all live programming on WFIL and started playing an oldies format delivered by the Transtar satellite service.

SWEET AS CANDY

A massive modernization program was undertaken at the transmitter site, eventually resulting in a new transmitter and towers. The unpopular Kahn AM Stereo system that the station installed in 1983 was replaced by the slightly less unpopular C-QUAM system.

By 1989, most listeners interested in oldies had migrated to WOGL FM, the winner in the four-way oldies race. At this point, the owners of WFIL commissioned a feasibility study which determined that putting any more resources into the oldies format would be a waste of money. So, on May 11, 1989, WFIL quietly dumped the syndicated oldies format and began simulcasting soft adult contemporary sister station EZ 101. This was likely the low point in the storied station's history. By July, the calls were changed from WFIL to WEAZ.

Since there was virtually no reason for anyone to listen to an inferior AM simulcast of an FM station, ratings were all but non-existent. A sale of the station to Salem Communications for $6.5 million was announced in 1990 but subsequently fell through.

After limping along almost invisible for two years, WEAZ constructed a tiny automated studio and launched easy listening "WISH 560" on August 15, 1991. The name "Wish" was a play on the old WWSH calls from a popular Philadelphia easy listening station in the 1970s.

When WEAZ-FM became WBEB-FM (B101) in May 1993, WEAZ changed calls to WBEB. Wish 560 hung on for two years, but the audience size never met expectations, so when Salem Communications made an offer, WBEB was sold for $4 million in October, 1993. Salem already owned 990 AM WZZD, former arch rival of WFIL then known as WIBG. (wibbage) Ironically, both stations are now housed together in the WZZD studios at 117 Ridge Pike in Lafayette Hills. After the sale of WBEB, the calls were changed to WPHY and a religious "time-brokered" format was adopted. In 1994, talk programming was added, and the heratige calls of WFIL were reinstated at 560 AM.

Jay Cook on Monday, October 28, 1968. [ LISTEN ] (14:57), and another aircheck featuring J.J.Jeffrey spinning records in May of 1971. [ LISTEN ] (20:56)

Jeffrey was known for his work in Boston at WRKO and in Chicago at WLS. He went on to station ownership later.

Here's a series of airchecks clipped together to form an entertaining composite aptly titled The Sounds of WFIL [ LISTEN ]

WFIL Philadelphia PA - Jim O’Brien & Tom Dooley - 1971/1972. (1:04:23)

WHO WORKED AT WFIL? Here is the list: Hank B., Jerry Blavat, Chuck Browning, Jim Carr, Dick Clark, Eddie Coyle, Mike Crossan, Dan Donovan, Tom Dooley, Kevin Fennessy, Humble Harve, K.C. Hill, Banana Joe, Chuck Knapp, Brother Love, George Michael, Bobby Mitchell, Jim Nettleton, Joe Niagara, Jim O'Brien, Big Ron O'Brien, Steve O'Brien, Dave Parks, Joey Reynolds, 'Sweet' Randy Robins, Dr. Don Rose, Frank Smith, Jere Sullivan, and Ted Winkler.