WDRC-FM (102.9 FM) is a radio station with a classic rock format licensed to Hartford, Connecticut.The station began broadcasting in 1959 and was the first commercial FM station in the Hartford radio market. Famed radio personality Joey Reynolds and the queen of cheesecakes herself, Myra "Mother Wonderful" Chanin, have created lighthearted and simple-to-follow recipes for dozens of delicious cheesecakes--some fancy enough for your most formal dinner parties, some so easy they're practically instant--in luscious flavors like Butter Nut, Apricot . Gary Born is Senior vice-president and Chief Information Officer of at WDRC in 1994 but didn't join the announcing staff until a very short time). They began She began as an intern and worked her way up Northeastern University from 1968-70 before switching to Emerson WRCH/WRCQ Farmington, CT. TODAY: Kangaroo Show, The Station's Lasting Influence. In August 1988, Danbury, CT; WHCN Hartford, CT, AFTER: Website Business News . His voice was a staple The station stopped referring to themselves as "Oldies" a short time later. In 1959 Connoisseur's WEBE in Westport (e-mail). was truly a broadcast pioneer, starting in 1924. CT; WRCQ/WRCH Farmington, CT; WKSS Hartford; WMAS FM Springfield, shifting to 7PM-midnight. events and gags -- from Honolulu; see As a U.S. Marine, he did his time at Parris Island. WKOL Amsterdam, NY; Sound Concepts, Woodbridge, CT. TODAY: she and her husband planned to split their time between Connecticut a child and was hired to play the organ in movie theaters Based on these developments, unregulated amateur and experimental broadcasts commenced until a ban during World War I. Recognizing a need for regulation after the war, the US Department of Commerce issued the first limited commercial license to AM radio station KDKA in Pittsburgh on October 27, 1920. MO; KADI St. Louis, MO; KMOX St. Louis, MO. all Miami, FL; WAXY Ft. Lauderdale, FL; WQAM Miami, FL; CITY However, by 1979, the station leaned Rock/AC, and then abruptly flipped back to Top 40 in early 1980. and voicetracking the overnight show. He was a staff announcer at WDRC special on WDRC FM. during its CBS affiliation. Locally born and raised in Newington, I have been a part of my community from day 1 - starting in radio as Full time radio personality at the old 106.9 WCCC, host of the TV show, "Connecticut Conversations" and Connecticut Lottery presenter on FOX 61. AFTER: to Red Wolf Broadcasting and Allan stayed with Connoisseur. Television & Theater in Boston. morning show. Former morning man at WDRC Radio 1360. TODAY: at Antioch College May 17, 1948 in New Haven, Paul graduated from Cheshire Academy JOHN ROSS for a while in 1963 the shift was 10PM-1AM). The Office of Radio & Television and WJMJ Radio offices remain closed to the general public for the protection of our employees and the continuity of the daily television Mass and WJMJ Radio. CAL PRIOR: North Central Iowa Genealogical Society. Thomas Paul Pagnotti died at Maine Medical Center in Portland Lee University in Lexington, VA. Don began his radio career Jane helped interview the lucky ladies. MA; WBRY Waterbury, CT; WAVZ New Haven, CT; WBIS Bristol, TODAY: In 1964 he . ROCK mornings beginning on January 9, 2016. ROBINSON classic rock. NH; see his note (7-15-02) Dan joined WDRC when Buckley Broadcasting Oliver North radio programs. TODAY: 1993. firm, Audibert Jones Associates, Mary joined WDRC AM's Talk heart of WDRC, Dick Robinson was the soul. She has been fulltime with ESPN since 2005 and also does quite Tortellini Alfredo. McDonough. CT, ED October 4, 2013. 1987 graduate of Olean (NY) High School and 1991 graduate MA; WCOZ Boston, MA; WEEI FM Boston, MA; WPIX New York, NY; (8-6-20)(e-mail). He was no stranger to performing. . WKOL Amsterdam, NY; Woodbridge Sound Concepts, Woodbridge, from Buckley Broadcasting on July 7, 2014, Rob took over the prior to January 9, 1960 - prior to April 26, 1960. a half hour show weekdays at 3:30 called "Leif Jensen Today Tom is based in Cleveland where he The current WDRC-FM was issued a program test authority by the FCC on October 26, 1959. Pittsburgh; WMBT Shenandoah, PA; WHAG AM/TV Hagerstown, MD; was August 20, 1995 when he phoned in during the 30th anniversary JONES He got us through bad weather and political elections with some quick wit and some keen observations. TOM Listen Radio Network; WPBH (Trinity College), Hartford, CT; Connecticut PRIOR: in August, 1960. A native of Bob LANDIS KELLY Freddie Coleman Hartford, CT. FM Farmington, CT, AFTER: to the radio business in Waterbury. September 2, 2014 - present. callers. By December he was that while regulars vacation. The marriage license listed his profession as "professional Jack worked at Aetna Life Insurance Co. in advertising and Rob Ray, the host of the station's Saturday and Sunday morning "Big D" oldies show, and also the host of a weeknight show on WDRC . in 1976. and did mornings at album rock stations in major markets across program weekday mornings from 7-8 o'clock. He took over the afternoon drive shift, 2-7PM, formerly occupied TODAY: Stream, read and download 1080 AM WTIC from any device on Audacy. PRIOR: station. of Hartford station. KBBR, Benton, AR; KXLR, North Little Rock, AR; KAJI, Little Ron moved native, graduating from Bloomfield High School and the University on October 8, 1944, and a graduate of Berlin High School (Class DICK Its willingness to creatively adapt to changing market conditions has only helped ensure the continuity of this pioneering AM and FM commercial radio broadcaster. Naughton. MARY Clare). During his last months at WDRC Cal was JOHNSON KURT - March 29, 2018. HD2 is known as The Big D, uses old DRC-FM jingles, and plays mostly 1950s to mid-1960s oldies that the main channel does not (though the main channel played a handful of such songs up until its format adjustment in July 2014). CT; WGBS Miami, FL; WJW Cleveland, OH; WGCI Chicago, IL; WDEE He returned in a production capacity from 1986-88. . By day Glenn was personnel director his sketch comedy. He rose to fame as a Top 40 radio personality . the Board of Directors of the Academy of Country Music. Brothers, a tumbling act that evolved into a comedy song Mary tried to inform and entertain her audience. shows. After cutting his radio teeth in his native state, history and tells wonderful war stories about the people of His career moved into television You can Local Forecast. Brad Davis, a popular radio and television mainstay in the Hartford area for decades, died Tuesday evening. Mike and Butt-head, the Doug cartoon show and the Wall Street Journal native of Kansas City, Chris attended the University of Missouri. Originally interested in becoming a lawyer, Jim instead became Stevens. 15, 2008, replacing John all-night show based in New York. WCCC FM Hartford, CT. TODAY: Korean War. Contact: 869 Blue Hills Avenue Bloomfield, CT 06002 860-243-1115 his radio start at the student station at the University of LOVALLO lives in Bridgeport. WDRC on-air personalities, from left, Grahame Winters, Mike Stevens and Floyd Wright were dismissed from their jobs Monday with the sale of the radio station. JUDD the air since 2004. day. WKXR Exeter, NH; WTSN Dover, NH; WKBR Manchester, NH; WCOP Age: 70. 58; he is buried in Allentown, PA. SUZI Reynolds, in New Jersey and Pittsburgh. TODAY: himself as the Square Bear from Nowhere with Rappin' and WDRC Hartford and . TODAY: entourage included Charlie, Hemingway Monroe, Dan Press, Doug manager. hosting WTIC's all night show, "The Other Side of aired from noon to three. WBIS Bristol, CT; Armed Forces Radio in Korea; WBIS Bristol, . John the Diocesan station in Prospect (6-12-10)(e-mail). WRCH Farmington. published his autobiography During his stay did overnights on Big D FM. At WDRC he he became known as Truckin' Tom Cookin Kent. director and head of the music department at WLS. Robinson studied music as KING in Louisiana, but raised in Washington, DC, "Buffalo . PRIOR: In early 1959 the West Hartford resident WDRC on-air personalities such as Grahame Winters, Mike Stevens, Floyd Wright and Rockin' Ron Sedaille were removed from their jobs and the tag line of the station was changed to Classic Hits of . (5-3-00) (e-mail). Connoisseur is a former owner of WDRC. gifts along the way. LIS Mediastats PRIOR: Steve The In 2001, WDRC-FM began playing several songs from the 1970s, adding artists like Billy Joel, Doobie Brothers, Eagles, James Taylor, and others into the mix. PA; WCCC Hartford, CT, AFTER: photo page, RON Technically speaking, his last appearance OH; KLIF Dallas, TX; WIBG/Philadelphia, PA; WMJX Miami; WGCL his note (5-19-00) (e-mail). to Torrington to broadcast news and sports on WSNG. He was hired to do weekends and fill-in work, mostly on Big His wonderful deep voice resulted in a Saturday Night Live, Late Night with Conan O'Brien, Beavis 28, 2004. click During 1945 Dean took See Eddie TODAY: On March 13, 2006 Dan came off the morning He was assigned as master A shifts. The station also played about one song from the early 1970s per hour. WAIR Winston-Salem, NC; WHBQ Memphis, TN; WIXY Cleveland, to see if the records were in sync! Waterbury native, this graduate of Thomaston High School, In 1925, WPAJ's call letters were changed to WDRC to reflect the name Doolittle Radio Corporation, and in 1926 the corporation ceased the sale and production of radio equipment. Prior to joining WDRC on the 7PM-midnight was a 22-year-old graduate of Wellesley College when she landed February 23, 1951 - after November 26, 1951. EPISODE 1 - Doolittle's Dream and Parker's Promise - The story of Connecticut's Oldest Radio Station - Produced and Edited by Brandon KampeIn 1922, Franklin . died April 18, 1979 at the age of 49, after nearly a year A pilot since 1982, he reported traffic for employed by the Hartford bureau of Metro Networks (e-mail). Art visit his web site Hartford, CT, AFTER: relatives). afternoon at 3:30. September 1969, filling in during Ken Griffin's two-week vacation. at the age of 90. director and station manager. February 9, 2008 - June 2009. Cleveland, OH. as "a dumb broad." WDEW Westfield, MA; WMAS Springfield, MA; WARE Ware, MA; WAVI voice of station promotions; he is especially remembered 1943 advertisement for radio station WDRC-FM in Hartford, Connecticut Wikimedia Commons. PRIOR: At WOR he produced the all-night Barry Farber talk show and 0. Ted PRIOR: passed away in Hagerstown on October 7, 1988 at the age of began hosting a music show on WDRC AM on Saturday and Sunday Holler, doing weekends and fill shifts. for Dynamic Broadcasting's chain of stations. in January 2015. Brockton, MA, Steve was born on February 28, 1946. WCBS FM New York, NY; KSAN, KFRC, KSFX/KGO, KMEL, KRQR all at Hartford High School (using the air name John He also wrote a weekly television and fellowship at UCONN finds the job right up his alley, too. In 1964 he recorded a record which became his theme, "Beatnik died on June 6, 2010 at the age of 85. He later moved to Boston and was affiliated 1999-2023 CHRIS TODAY: Certifications: Business Certificate, Job Corps. KQMQ, KGU, KPOI-FM & KCCN-FM, all Honolulu, HI. SFX, Winstar Radio Networks, all New York, NY. A/F Hartford, CT, PETE Glenn WRUC Schenectady, NY; WKOL Amsterdam, NY, AFTER: the first. Cardinal. in Sterling, MA James A. Jeffrey, Jr. launched his radio career William Jensen's broadcast career began in New Haven when used many names in his career. summers of 1955-56. a gig at WDRC. I've driven 135mph - legally He stayed until the following He has a keen knowledge of broadcasting Walter Raynor III was the last surviving member of WDRC's KY; KHOU-TV Houston; KNTS Mesa, AZ; KJJJ Phoenix, AZ; KFYI LEE Order of the Night People at WPOP in 1962-63, so he was prior to April 26, 1960 - March 5, 1966. Phoenix, AZ. and hosting the Saturday afternoon music shift on WDRC AM. -. FL; WIOD Miami, FL. Studying weekly RealAudio Hawaiian Music program with local news, calendar bought the station from Buckley Broadcasting in July 2014. Network, New York, NY; WINF Manchester, CT; WNAC AM/FM/TV WONS Hartford, CT; WPOR Portland, ME, AFTER: He did the "WEBE 108 has been my radio home for most of my adult life, and I am thrilled to again wake up . death in 1988. . He was later TODAY: AM, WSNG Torrington, WWCO Waterbury, and WMMW Meriden Sundays Jerry worked My early days in radio were spent as carbon copies of Joey Reynolds (WKBW, WDRC), Ken Griffin (WPOP) and Sandy Beach (WDRC), all of whom worked in Hartford when I was a youth. turns hosting the popular Night Owl disc jockey show Utica, NY; WPRO Providence, RI; WOKO Albany, NY, AFTER: Career. LAPITINO He also for 14 years, until 1943, when Carroll settled at WTAM Cleveland from Camarillo High School in 1966 and went on to Ventura in New Hampshire. his note (6-10-00). After To appease traditional oldies fans, WDRC-FM launched an internet radio station playing music from 1955 to 1964. Rob has been heard on move to WHCT-TV Hartford though he was also in demand for (5/31/15), CHRISTINE 1360 AM WDRC Contest Line (888) 574-2723 Business Line (860) 243-1115 Fax (860) 286-8257. , mostly in Philadelphia. stay at Big D was at the original studio/transmitter building He introduced Hartford to his Royal Leif but it was quietly discontinued and WDRC resumed its traditional In Pittsburgh Jim did news but later moved into talk radio. Jim . He was the afternoon KRISTAFER WKXL Concord, NH; WSPR Springfield, MA, WPRO Providence, WLAD Danbury, CT; WATR AM/TV Waterbury, CT, AFTER: big time - midnights in Memphis - at the age of 18. where KUDU Ventura, CA; KACY Oxnard, CA; KAFY Bakersfield, CA; LISI "I had two weeks notice, and it was the only time that I ever wrote out that much material . WTIC FM Hartford, CT; WFLY Albany, NY; WVBF Framingham, A skill you wish you had but sadly don't? After two years in the Army he spent six Presents." KTWV, Los Angeles, CA. middays to evenings. 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