WEDR EARLY YEARS

[t.j.]

Hey Guys:

I was wondering would anybody know when did the 50's show "The Wax Museum" start on WEDR and when did it end? From a 1968 billboard article I know it was on from 11pm to 12mid.

I am trying to gey together a complete schedule for WEDR's block programming from 63 to 71. So far I see that WEDR played a lot of country from 1964 to 1967.

Thanks for your help

T.J.

[t.j.]

Hey Guys:

Does anybody know when did WEDR start playing Progresssive Rock? Was it around Sept of 1966?

Thnaks
T.J.

[MariaNinguem]

Ray Kassis, WEDR's general manager, hosted The Wax Museum weeknights 1966-1968. Truly great oldies.   Today he owns WWBC in Cocoa (among others). I'm sure he'll remember the various lineups.   Ray did the show until WEDR went "underground" (to be honest, when I heard the news, I thought they were moving, lol).  A guy named Mike Stearns befriended Ray and convinced him that album rock was the way to go.  Ray was ousted in favor of Martha Quigley when E.D. Rivers solved his chain-wide EEO problem by going black on the one outlet. 

When Ray was doing the Wax Museum (which he also did on KYED in Houston in 1970 while he was working for Woody Sudbrink before the station became KYND), Glynn Walden was WEDR's CE and morning host. Today he's head of engineering for CBS Radio.  The bills were mostly paid by preachers--  Carl C. McIntyre's 20th Century Reformation Hour and Dr. Fernando Penabos in particular, who were surrounded by top 40.  Middays were an MOR hybrid, "Music For Mrs. Miami".

Ray creatively made that station work.  No one would give the station record service, so he came up with weekday 5-6 PM block, "Record Review", where the local promoters got a half hour a week to play what they wanted, as long a they left it after the show.  They all showed up.  Columbia's Chuck Thaggard, Liberty's Danny Alvino and others delighted in the exposure.

Yes, they were previously country, but I'll save that for another day, if I remember to find this board again.  (If you're cataloging mid '60s Miami FM country, don't forget WGOS.  I'm sure someone will fill you in.)

[ai4i]

I remember The Army In Sound, hosted by WMCA's Harry Harrison, the "Morning Mayor of New York".

[radiosanchez]

The bills were mostly paid by preachers--  Carl C. McIntyre's 20th Century Reformation Hour and Dr. Fernando Penabos in particular, who were surrounded by top 40. 

Is this the same Penabas that later had a Spanish-language talk show on WAQI??? He passed away some time ago.

Also, my father had just bought his new Admiral console stereo and seems to recall WEDR at the time was big on the "Paul (McCartney) is Dead" rumor, supposedly even playing the Beatles songs through a 'machine' to check to see if it was really Paul....I wasn't there, these are just stories I've been told from Dad.

[ai4i]

Dr. Fernando Penabos...

Is this the same Penabas...my father had just bought his new Admiral console stereo...

Let me get this right, your father bought Fernando's new Admiral console stereo

[radiosanchez]

Dr. Fernando Penabos...

Is this the same Penabas...my father had just bought his new Admiral console stereo...

Let me get this right, your father bought Fernando's new Admiral console stereo

No.......sorry for the grammatical faux pas...He bought his own.  Two different comments. :0