REEL TOP 40 RADIO REPOSITORY

Pete Fuentes
UPN 9, WWOR-TV
Pete Fuentes, 1999
FOX 6 NEWS

The Pete Fuentes Collection

In 1999, after 12 years as News and Feature Reporter for WWOR-TV (UPN 9, Secaucus, New Jersey), Pete Fuentes returned to California as Special Projects Producer and Reporter for XETV Fox 6 in San Diego.

In 2017, Pete is working for himself at
Coastal San Diego Rentals.

Pete joined WWOR-TV in September of 1987. Prior to WWOR-TV, Pete was a reporter for KCRA-TV in Sacramento, California. He began his broadcast career in 1972 while serving in the U.S. Army as broadcast specialist with American Forces Radio and Television. In 1974, at AFRN in Alaska, he was named Billboard Magazine Air Personality of the Year. Fuentes has received numerous awards and achievements, including two 1993 Emmy Awards.

Born in Pecos, Texas in 1952, Pete says "Southern California radio in the late 60's and 70's was the golden age of Top 40." He spent his teenage summers visiting his older brother in Los Angeles, and grew up listening to Boss Radio. "I will never forget the sound of KHJ," says Fuentes. "Boss was the only way to describe it. I decided radio was what I wanted to do for life."

Another unforgettable experience for Pete was listening to Wolfman Jack on superpower XERB in Tijuana, Mexico: "There was nothing like listening to Wolfman on a warm desert night over the Southwest."

The Repository is very grateful to Mr. Fuentes for sharing airchecks with us all. Thank You, Pete!

[Descriptions by Pete Fuentes]

 TOP STREAM 64 Kbps (10Khz)
Charlie Tuna, KHJ Los Angeles, February 27, 1970 (01:00:55)

Play Scoped This Exhibit 'SCOPED (21:11)

UNSCOPED

'SCOPED

...You can't beat love and marriage - as long as it's with the same person...

Charlie Tuna (heard here from 12N to 1PM) is my fave DJ. Charlie is in true form on this tape. Check out the patented tight intros and one-liners. Tuna is a delight.

I found this aircheck while visiting WCBS in New York City when I was doing a story on their DJ Reunion. Joe McCoy said, "I think I have one of the old Drake DJ tapes..." These were distributed to all Drake stations to demo the format. What a find!

A SCOPED VERSION OF THIS AIRCHECK WAS ORIGINALLY PRESENTED IN JULY, 1997. THE UNSCOPED VERSION WAS PRESENTED ON FEBRUARY 7, 2016 AS A GIFT FROM THE MICHAEL HAGERTY COLLECTION. TWO SONGS WERE RESTORED IN THE UNSCOPED VERSION.

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Wolfman Jack, XERB, 4/12/70 (24:37)

...Uh, Operator, do you know who I am?...

As you know, Wolfman Jack recorded his show in Los Angeles. The tapes were taken across the border and aired on XERB.

Wolfman was at his best when he played the blues. We'll have to excuse the Edison Lighthouse record . . .

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 TOP STREAM 44 Kbps
 Jay Stone with Cheech & Chong, WXLO, November 26, 1974 (18:36)

Chong: I'm sure glad our ancestors had enough brains to shoot a turkey for Thanksgiving...
Stone: As opposed to what?

WOR-FM (New York) became 99X in a mild format change in 1973-74. On November 26, 1974, a few days before Thanksgiving - Guest Stars Cheech & Chong joined morning guy Jay Stone.

Stone passed away October 15, 2001.

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Pete Fuentes on AFRN, Alaska, 2/74 (06:36)

... stop grinnin' and drop your linen...

Here's a 'check of some of my own Top 40 days at American Forces Radio in Alaska. (I'm really dating myself when I start talking about streaking.)

This is a composite of an afternoon show called On The Move. It helped me win Billboard DJ of the Year in 1974.

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The Pete Fuentes Collection joined REELRADIO on January 19, 1997
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