Some Links

TV News Philadelphia
This site features current news and gossip about TV News in the Philadelphia market. It lists the current news teams and previous ones. You can check out the latest ratings, find out who has won awards and listen to current and some old news theme for our city.

Classic Philadelphia Radio
This link goes to a site dedicated to the two rockers in Philadelphia radio decades ago. Of course, this means WFIL (Famous 56) and WIBG (The Big 99). There's photos and other items. Listen to WFIL airchecks of Jim O'Brien, Jay Cook, George Michael, Long John Wade, Jim Nettleton. From WIBG, hear Joe Niagara, Hy Lit, John Landecker, Joey Reynolds and Jerry Stevens. There's even some old WIBBAGE and WFIL record lists. Did you remember that WIBG had once played and charted Eddie Arnold?

Famous 56 Site
What do you think this site's about? You're right! WFIL Radio when it was Famous 56. This website, besides the Boss Jocks, also include the news and engineering staff. Features clips by Allen Stone, Fred Lowery and Glenn Barton. Also a tribute to Jim O'Brien. There's also items about the Big 99, WIBG. This site also includes WCAU-FM. Has jingles plus Ed Hurst's Steel Pier Show Theme song and a tribute to Gene Hart.

Reel Top 40 Radio Repository
"Uncle Ricky" did a nice job putting this site together. Features Real Audio air checks from all over the USA. From Philadelphia, check out Ray Gilmore, George Michael, Hy Lit, Joe Niagara, Don Rose and Terry Young. Also has David Letterman from 1969 and Rush Limbaugh as a rock jock in Pittsburgh. Also vintage Alan Freed material.

New York/Philadelphia Radio & Television
Dealing with both New York City and Philadelphia, here you can find many memories. There's an old WPEN playbill featuring Larry Brown, Pat & Jack and Frank Ford. Check out the transmitter maps and the history of the area's radio and television outlets. Plus, there's the latest news about the broadcast biz in the Philly market.

Jeff Miller's Broadcasting History Site
This is for you history buffs. There's a chronology of AM broadcasting from 1900 until 1960. Also featured are articles from Broadcasting magazine including How Early Sponsors Were Few and Far Between. Interesting article about early stations. Do you remember that WIAD went on the air in 1922 from the living room of Howard Miller. The station became WELK (no relation to Lawrence) and finally WDAS. The calls WIP were picked out of a hat. Site also includes sound files.

TV Party's Philadelphia Shows
Here's a wonderful site. There's photos of Bill Webber, Chief Halftown, Gene London and Captain Noah. You can see and/or hear Sally Starr, Joe Earley (Mr. Rivets), Bertie the Bunyip, Pete Boyle and Happy the Clown. Plus locals from the Delaware Valley share their memories of these memorable programs. After you're done here, check out the rest of the TV Party website at http://tvparty.com.

The John Zacherle Official Website
The "Cool Ghoul" himself in on the Internet. Zacherle, who played Roland on Shock Theater on WCAU-TV in the fifties has a whole website dedicated to this stuff. There's plenty of photos and a history of the program. The character, by the way, was based upon an undertaker in another WCAU production, "Action in the Afternoon."

The Buffalo Broadcast Pioneers Website
This is the website of the Buffalo Broadcast Pioneers. It has photos and information about broadcasting in Buffalo, New York.

The Canadian Broadcast Pioneers Website
Here's a website for the Canadian Broadcast Pioneers. Has bios of the pioneers of Canadian broadcasting, our northern neighbors.

Broadcast Pioneers' Library of American Broadcasting
Here you'll find, among other things, the Jerry Lee Archives. There's tons of photos from network announcers to big bands to comedians. Of local interest are photos of former Gospel DJ Mary Dee and a young WJMJ announcer, Sally Starr.

The Media History Project
There's an excellent timeline here for the history of communications, going back as early as 3500 BC. The 20th century timeline is especially interesting. Did you know that in 1961, a boxing match showed the potential of pay TV?

The Original Old Time Radio Website
Here's there are photos of vintage radios, an illustrated history of The Shadow radio show and loads of information about Old Time Radio. Of course, there's tons of vintage radio clips from Fibber McGee to Your Hit Parade.

100 Years of Radio
Although this site is from Italy, the text is in English. This site goes all the way back 'til 1895. Though it's slow to load, a visit is certainly called for. Here, you'll find the history of the "wireless." There's photos and more including the actual voice of Guglielmo Marconi.

The WRTI Old Gang (Alumni) Website
WRTI was founded by Broadcast Pioneers member John B. Roberts. Here co-webmasters Gerry Wilkinson and Jerry Klein (both members of the Broadcast Pioneers) have gathered the sights, sounds and stories of the early days of the Temple University station (from 1948 until 1969). You can see photos of Jane Norman and Ed Hurst and listen to Merrill Reese while he was still in college. Thousands of photos and hundreds of radio clips. Also see in Real Video John Roberts addressing the Broadcast Pioneers at its January 1998 meeting. (It was the 50th anniversary of the "birth" of WRTI.)

Jim Steele's Vintage Microphones Website
Here, you'll find hundreds of pictures of vintage microphones. The old RCA 44's are, of course, here, along with most of the others including the Continental Carbon Mike, Model 25.

The History of Rock 'n' Roll
This great site deals with the early days of Rock & Roll and its disc jockies. There's also a section on Bandstand and an interesting piece about Bob Horn. Read about the payola problems and the record companies.

GGN Information Systems
Here's some old items about the early, experimental days of television including W3XE which later became WPTZ. Some nice test patterns here.

Early Television Foundation
There's tons of information at this site about the early days of television. Has information about sets and equipment. Both Black & White and Color. The Early Television Foundation is dedicated to the preservation and restoration of television receiving and camera equipment from the early days of television.

Chester, Pennsylvania Radio Stations
Here's a site all about Chester, Pennsylvania. There's plenty of information and pictures. After you're done reading about Chester's stations, check out the rest of the website at http://www.oldchesterpa.com.

Official Sally Starr Website
This is Sally's brand new website. There's plenty of information and photos. All kinds of items about the Delaware Valley's most loved children's host.

The WCAU Prime Time Club
The Prime Time Club is where WCAU-TV/AM/FM old timers gather. They get together to catch up with each other, to gossip, to talk about the good old days and compare them to the not so good new days, and generally participate in the rewarding atmosphere of a joyous reunion. They have a Delaware Valley group, and a Florida group, and many of their members attend functions at both venues.

The Broadcasters' Foundation
The Broadcasters' Foundation, like the Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia is an offshoot of H.V. Kaltenborn's "Twenty Year Club." For nearly 60 years, the nonprofit Broadcasters’ Foundation has been a safety net in times of personal or family crisis for radio and television professionals across the country.

The Philadelphia Press Association
Since 1945, PPA, the Philadelphia Press Association has been made up of members of the working local press serving the Delaware Valley area. This site has information about journalism in our area, both print and electronic.

Anne Klein & Associates
Anne Klein & Associates is a national public relations firm based in the Philadelphia region. It is also the Philadelphia office of Pinnacle Worldwide, an international network of leading independent PR firms. Founded in 1982, the firm provides strategic counseling and communications programs to help clients achieve business goals. Their clients include Fortune 500 companies and other national and regional businesses and organizations.

The e-mail address of the Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia is pioneers@broadcastpioneers.com