What are your favorite BC stations?

[WA3VJB]

On WKBW 1520,  what's the name of the instrumetal theme that they play every night just after midnight right before "God Bless America"?  And who is singing "God Bless America"? - Sounds like a 50s era female vocalist vs Kate Smith.  And is it my imagination, or do they always play "Gloria - G-L-O-R-I-A" with the line "She comes around here.. just about midnight.." at midnight evry night?   Seems like I've heard it more than a few times when listening to the big KB at the witching hour!



Chris, I asked KB personality and sometime AM ham radio operator Tom W2KBW your question --
he writes back



The midnight theme on KB  is called Midnight Mood by Richard Multby.
This song was originally played on another Buffalo radio station WNIA back in the 50's.
Growing up in the 50's & 60's the only two radio stations catering to the teenagers on the AM dial where WKBW-50KW & WNIA-1KW. They went head to head.
So out of nostalgic respect, KB is playing Midnight Mood---- Ya, it's great song.
The female artist singing God Bless America is Connie Francis.
It charted #36 in 1959 on MGM Records.
The song Gloria by the Shadows Of Knight played on KB around midnight is purely a coincidence.    So I'm told.
 
 Tom - W2KBW
 The BIG KB--- between you & me.

[k4kyv]

WLS used to rule here with rock 'n roll during the 60's before the advent of FM (in those days FM was mostly local classical background music).  I also listened to CJBC, Toronto on 860.

Now, WLS is mostly talk, and CJBC is completely covered by former daytimer satellite boxes that are now allowed to run nighttime.  But I can still get them via streaming audio on the internet.

I used to listen to shortwave more than the MW band, but now it's mostly filled with bible-beaters.  BBC, Radio Australia, Radio Canada, Radio France International have all but disappeared in North America.  Many of those stations are still audible via streaming audio.

95% of my BC radio listening these days is NPR.  They have a 5kw AM in Nashville on 1430 kc/s, but I get them better here on one of 3 FM's that put a good signal into the area.

Used to listen to WSM when they offered a wide variety of listening (Grand ol' Opry on Saturday night, classical on weeknights, Saturday afternoon live Texaco Opera, and a live morning show called "Waking Crew".   Nowadays I enjoy looking at their Blaw-Knox tower when I drive by, more than listening to the station.  Plus their signal is not a solid as I remember.  Probably the overall increase in electrical background noise, not their signal.

[W3SLK]

Don said:

WLS used to rule here with rock 'n roll during the 60's before the advent of FM (in those days FM was mostly local classical background music).  I also listened to CJBC, Toronto on 860.

Yessir, the Loop has my vote. I remember listening to WLS in my '68 Fury III. Only had an AM receiver. Later, I went to boot camp and BEE in North Chicago at Great Lake Naval Station. They had a real awesome FM format that was hands above the rest in this neck of the woods.

[K1KFI]

My favorites are in my memory, as well as the six transistor radio that took me to sleep at night. There was WMCA and WABC fighting for teenage ratings. Its funny, WABC's Cousin Brucie is now doing a specialty show on satelite radio. Proving old disk jockeys and AM'ers never die, they just move 'up' the band.

I think you were blessed if you could hear the New York City stations in their heyday. You had talk/humour with Jean Sheppard, a ham himself, on WOR and late at night the 'Makebelieve Ballroom' on WNEW. Funny how the call spelled new, but they played all sorts of 30's, 40's and 50's music during the 60's; a lot of jazz as well mixed in with Basie, Ellington, Sinatra and such. It was their FM outlet, which  played the new 'rock' of the time. For news there was and still is two am powerhouses that I listen to frequently, 1010 WINS and the flagship WCBS, news radio. Those of us who are a little older will remember  the syndicated 'Breakfast Club' out of Chicago on WNBC. Don McNeil was the host as I ate some Kellogs for breakfast. NBC was the last radio network to give up prime time radio syndication....Wow, there might be a book in all this! Any collaborators? It was all of this on transistor detection and the old Zenith that warmed up my bedroom,  that made the memory and the love of "the broadcast sound"!

[W9GT]

Okay...now I'm going to show my age.  Anyone else remember such classics as XERF
Del Rio, TX studios and Mexican xmtr...home of Wolfman Jack?  Or how about WLS and the Dick Biondi show?  Or...how about CKLW the RKO General Station?  AM radio was king back in the 50s and 60s and rock and roll sounded great coming out of the car radio.  Our local giant, of course was WOWO which was famous world wide with the fabulous four (term used long before the Beatles) with Bob Seivers, Bob Chase (who is still there), Jack Gray, and Chris Underwood.  1190 was king, but the local 1KW WGL on 1250 with DJ Al Russel was beloved by local teenagers.

Long live AM     Jack, W9GT

Whoa....must have been having a senior moment...the WOWO fabulous four were:
Bob Seivers, Bob Chase, Jack Underwood, and Hal Cessna.  Other than WOWO, WLS was probably our favorite as well.  Seemed like they were stronger here then... than they are now .........don't know what changes they made since the 60s.

Jack, W9GT

[c. mac neill w8znx]

CBC radio one and CBC radio two

no advertising
never beg for money
news you never hear about on american broadcast radio
great humor shows, real satire
no music play list
likley to hear music that ranges from classical to rock to hip hop
neat summer only shows that only last 10 or 12 weeks

am lucky only 17 miles north west of Windsor Ontario


dit dit mac

[Ken - K2UPI]

Well, like Paul [WA3VJB] one of my favorite school night stations was WKBW

[Ken - K2UPI]

Well, like Paul [WA3VJB] one of my favorite school night stations was
WKBW, but I couldn't fit the "All American 5" under the pillow.  These
days I guess it would be any station with "big band" music from the 30's
and 40's or 50's rock n' roll. (when I was a kid).  For me 740 AM in
Toronto and WTLA  [1200] in N. Syracuse work best.  At night it's WRVO
in Oswego where Fibber Magee & Molly, Guildersleave, Amos & Andy
and X minus One are stlll alive and well.