For many radio listeners, May 10, 1982 was the day the music died. WABC “Musicradio 77” was considered by many to be the greatest, most influential Top 40 radio station of all time. On that fateful day, WABC stopped playing music. After Ron Lundy and Dan Ingram said their goodbyes, there was a moment of silence. Immediately thereafter, WABC “Talk Radio 77” debuted on the frequency.
This aircheck was recorded approximately 5 months later. It’s their opening sweeper for “The Best of the Michael Jackson Show.” That’s talk show host Michael Jackson, not the moonwalker! I received it from Apple Valley, Minnesota using a Pioneer SX-3900 and long wire antenna. As I’ve mentioned in previous postings, this Pioneer was an amazingly sensitive receiver. Notice how there is very little adjacent channel splash from WJR-AM 760 Detroit or WBBM-AM 780 Chicago. By selecting from several long wires, I could hear either WABC or KOB/Albuquerque, New Mexico. Each station was completely clear and free from interference from the other.
As with many other exhibits on this site, a Technics stereo cassette deck and Scotch Dynarange tape were used to make the recording.
WABC_AM_Michael_Jackson_Show_Open_October_1982
This is great! Thank you for posting it.
I was a longtime talk radio listener, beginning in the mid-1980s when I transitioned from contemporary music in my early 20s to talk radio and 50s-60s oldies.
This promo is the kind of talk radio I remember in the 1980s and how great it was when it wasn’t “all politics, all the time” and not only all politics, but today, it’s all one-sided CONSERVATIVE political talk, with little dissenting viewpoints and those that make it on to the host are belittled or slurred with name calling.
Of course, political shows belong on radio but not only one type and only that particular type, which accounts for not even a third of the U.S. population. People who identify as Democrats are about 28% of the U.S. population with Repubs. slightly smaller, according to polls.
I recall hearing Michael Jackson’s national show, as well as Gordon Elliot on this network, plus Bruce Williams and the great TalkNet hosts. And I remember great local talk radio hosts who kept us informed and enteratined.
This promo — which talks about how a listener can connect to the newsmakers and interact with the news, that was great and helped make general talk radio interesting, like with Larry King’s national show.
All of that is gone now, thanks to narrow-minded radio managers, employed by Republican-backing corporations that cannot stand the thought of airing programming that might appeal to a wider audience, who only see one narrow-minded and hateful group as the only one they should program to.
Sorry for the rant, but I’m so disappointed in allowing myself to be taken in by these radio hucksters like Limbaugh and others — men who never attended collage or thought they knew better by dropping out (looking at you Glenn Beck!) who think they’re wise enough to tell others how to live– and vote and if they don’t vote for their narrow choice, well, those aren’t Repubs., they’re not even Americans!
I haven’t regularly listened to conservative talk radio in 20+ years and longer for commercial FM, since it abandoned 1960s oldies. I find Art Bell reruns on apps more entertaining than anything on commercial radio. NPR is also good.
Thank you for bringing the memories back.