Baltimore Radio 1984

Welcome to Baltimore Radio 1984, a website that takes you back to November of 1984. Why November 1984? Because that was when the cassette was recorded. Someone digitized it and made it available for download more than a decade ago. That website doesn't even exist anymore. Either way, I cannot pass on an opportunity to highlight broadcast history and allow a compare and contrast to how the stations are operating now. The following stations are featured with the following formats at the time: WYST-FM 92.3 - Adult Contemporary WPOC 93.1 - Country WCEI 96.7 - Adult Contemporary WLAN-FM 96.9 - Top 40 WIYY 97.9 (98 ROCK) - Rock WYCR 98.5 - Top 40 WBSB 104.3 (B104) - Top 40 WQSR 105.7 (Q105.7) - Oldies/AC WMAR-FM 106.5 - Top 40 WCAO 600 - Country Now, because I was three at this time of the recording, and I grew up in the D.C. area, I might have some incomplete history. If there are any corrections or additions, please email me: kenny [at] kennyburns [dot] com.

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Memories of V103 before it was jacked up in the new millennium.

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The last, and far from the least, radio station in this look at Baltimore Radio from November 1984.  We cannot have a conversation about Baltimore Radio in 1984 without including B-104!  This aircheck does have a promo of Brian & O’Brien but we do not have anything from their show.

This aircheck does have Ken Merson, Willie B, Lisa Kaye, and Brian Carter.  Oh, this is also 24 MINUTES!!!

Now for the history: B-104 was originally WITH-FM. The call letters changed to WBSB in 1980 after Scripps-Howard Broadcasting bought the station. The Sun reported on June 16, 1980 that the company was doing a blitz for a major move in the market.

By May 1981, B104 "more than doubled” the audience of 104.3.

The party wouldn’t last however.  By the early 1990s, B104 suffered the fate of many Top 40 stations during that time, a format change.  Ironically, 104.3 returned to Top 40; now known as Z104-3.

But for now, enjoy this nice blast from the past; where on your FM, it’s B-104.  Also, enjoy this TV commercial from B104 with the Md. World Trade Center as a radio dial.

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Morgan State Public Radio signing of in 1984.

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WBJC-FM Sign off from August 1984

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106.5 was HOT! The station known now as Mix 106-5 was Hot Hits 106, WMAR-FM; sister to WMAR-TV (Channel 2) and The Sunpapers.  Hot Hits came to Baltimore sometime in 1983 (it was hard to pin down in the Sunpaper archives.)  They joined a storied group of radio stations consulted by Mike Joseph. Before Hot Hits 106, WMAR-FM was a beautiful music station.  It also changed call letters to WRLX a year before returning to it’s original call letters.  It should also be noted that this is the second incarnation of WMAR-FM.  This page already highlighted the first went off the air in the 1950s.

Now in terms of the master recording, Hot Hits 106 is the second most recorded station.  Stay tuned for the most recorded station...you should probably know who that is by now.

In the meantime, check out SteveMcVie.com to learn more about Mike Joseph’s Hot Hits.

And here’s a commercial for Hot Hits 106 from 1984

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Saw this video on YouTube. It's the sign-off announcement for WBMD from October 1984.

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WQSR - The Greatest Hits Of Your Life

Before it was Jack...and on 102.7, WQSR was on 105.7, licensed to Catonsville.

Q105.7 WQSR played the old hits and the new hits.  You'll hear this as the music ranges from the 60s to the 80s.  Oh...and they have jingles!

The former WKTK was supposed to be part of ABC's Super Radio satellite music service.  For those who were born in the 90s, satellite anything was sexy and everyone wanted to get in on it.  Unfortunately, not enough stations subscribed to the service to make it economically feasible so ABC scrapped it.

Key Broadcasting Company decided to go forward with the Baltimore version of Super Radio in 1982.  For more information on Super Radio, or at least hear what it's supposed to sound like, I'll refer you to Allan Sniffen and his website, musicradio77.com.  He has the demo posted on his website.

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98 Rock 

They've been rocking since 1977!  Here's what 98 Rock sounded like from 1984.  Very simple presentation.  None of the imaging they have now.  Sarah Fleisher, who you will hear more of on this air check than any other jock, was on her way to earning the title of Baltimore's queen of rock.  A title that she still holds today in the midday.

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Radio 60 WCAO - Pop Gone Country

WCAO at this point in their history was just purchased by DKM Broadcasting from long-time owner Plough Inc. Under Plough ownership, WCAO became one of Baltimore's Top 40 stations; memorialized by the album "Cruisin' 1968."  

The DJ who voiced that album is Johnny Dark, who was still with the station as afternoon drive DJ and Program Director.  In fact, you will hear a little bit of Johnny on this air check.

At this point in WCAO's history, they've only been a country station for two years after switching from a contemporary format.

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FM97 Delivering The Hits

The second Pennsylvania station featured here is a little bit further into Central Pa in Lancaster.  It is also one of two stations on this site that benefits from the old school radio dials.  FM 97 actually broadcasts on 96.9MHz.  However, the way old radios operated, it was close to FM97.

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98 YCR: The Music Source

We now have come to feature the first of two Pennsylvania stations on our aircheck nostalgia tour.

In this post, a snippet of 98YCR.  It's arguably the closest station to the Md.-Pa. border compared to the next station we feature.  Specifically, it's one hour from my current home in Southwest Baltimore.  I had to go to Hanover, Pa. recently.

98 YCR was a long time Top 40 station.  We join them as they clocked in 10 years as "The Music Source."

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WPOC from The Rotunda studios

WPOC has been a country music station for a long time.  In fact at the time of this aircheck, WPOC was one of two stations programming country music to the entire market.  An aircheck of the other country signal in Baltimore, WCAO, will be posted soon.  Four country signals total if you include suburban stations in WHDG in Havre de Grace and WBEY in Grasonville/Annapolis.

By this point, WPOC was in its tenth year of ownership by Nationwide Communications Inc.  Yup, the 80s was still a time when companies diversified what they do to make money.  The insurance company purchased the station from the forerunners of Sinclair Broadcasting Group, owners of WBFF-TV.

Anyway, here is a snippet of WPOC from 1984 from the Rotunda studios.  

EDITORS NOTE: From this post on, all of the clips posted will be at least a minute.

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Your 92 Star!

Before there was 92Q, there was 92 Star, an Adult Contemporary Station with a sister AM station that signed off after sunset.

This is a 44 sec. clip of 92 Star where we hear a snippet Sean Casey (now with WCBM) and Dan Warren.  This is the first station where we have a Top of the Hour ID (radio geeks rejoice!)  I believe the person who is voicing this ID is Dan O'Neil, who is currently sales manager for WNAV in Annapolis.

As always, if you have any information to provide about the history of 92 Star, please email me.

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The early days of 96-7 WCEI? Possibly.

It's the shortest part of the recording at 36 sec.  WCEI was an AM and FM combo based on the Eastern Shore in Talbot County.  The AM station, according to the 1985 Broadcasting Cablecasting Yearbook, carried a Big Band/Middle of the Road format while the FM programmed Adult Contemporary music.

According to the 1984 yearbook,  WCEI-AM/FM was a simulcast.  It can be suggested that this clip of WCEI-FM was from it's early days as the station as we know it in 2014.

If there is any history that you can add about WCEI in 1984, please send me an email.  The address is kenny [at] kennyburns [dot] com.

Editor's Note I will be referring to the 1985 Broadcasting Cablecasting Yearbook for some historical references because it provides a better snapshot of radio in 1984.  The information in it covers Dec. 2, 1983-Dec. 1, 1984.  Thanks to American Radio History for posting the yearbook and for being just an awesome archive in general.

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What Baltimore Radio sounded like in November 1984

Here is the first post; What Baltimore radio sounded like 30 years ago!  This is actually two parts combined for seamless listening.  The stations that you will hear on this recording (and on this blog) include B104, Hot Hits 106 WMAR-FM, Q105.7 WQSR, 98 Rock, WCAO, FM 97 (Lancaster, Pa.), 98 YCR (York, Pa.), WPOC, 92 Star, and a snippet of WCEI (Eastern Shore).

The recording is dominated by B104 (24 min.) and Hot Hits 106 (more than 16 min.), the two Top 40 stations in Baltimore.  The other eight stations on the recording total close to 20 minutes when calculated together.

In later postings, each station will be highlighted individually. History behind this recording I downloaded two MP3s from a website on Virginia radio of all things.  I emailed the webmaster to see if he had any Baltimore recordings.  He said it was recorded from a cassette (hence the two parts, each 30 minutes.)  If I remember his story correctly, someone gave him the cassette.  I wish there was more history to offer on the actual recording.  Good news is there is history on the stations.  I hope to be delivering that in the coming weeks.

Editor's Note This file in particular is nearly 62 minutes long. There were minor edits made to make the two parts (side A and side B) play seamlessly.  Other than that, you are getting the file as downloaded more than a decade ago.

Enjoy!