Jim Charne started in college radio at WSSR, University of Wisconsin Madison, in 1968. He was Music Director when hired by Jim Scully in September 1969 as a Columbia Records college rep.

Jim worked until graduation for Columbia (the world's greatest part-time job — even if it paid only $15/week!), including one summer at the Chicago Branch, then managed by Mert Paul, and another summer at Black Rock, New York HQ, reporting to Bruce Lundvall as a summer intern.

Don Van Gorp offered Jim a job upon graduation as the Epic Records local promo manager in the Minneapolis branch, working for branch manager Bob Jamieson, and with Timothy D. Kehr, a multi-year Billboard magazine Promo Man of the Year award recipient. Jim spent the year working radio in the five upper midwest states, an area known for its large number of Gavin reporters.

The region was great for country to Top 40 cross-over. Examples while Jim worked the region were Kris Kristofferson's "Why Me, Lord," Charlie Rich's "Behind Closed Doors," and any Tammy Wynette record that showed a glimmer of top 40 interest!

In late 1973, Jim moved to New York to work under Charlie Lourie as an Epic/CBS Associated Label Product Manager. He remained with Epic National Staff, working with Ron Alexenburg, Jimmy Tyrrell, Stan Monteiro, Al Gurewitz, Mel Phillips, Jim Jeffries, Rick Swig, Steve Popovich, Bruce Harris, Tom Werman, Susan Blond and many other wonderful colleagues, until late 1979.

During the time he was with Epic, Jim was involved in the careers of artists such as Ted Nugent, Cheap Trick, Muddy Waters, Boston, Charlie Daniels Band, the Epic Nashville roster, and the Monument, Blue Sky, Philly International, and T-Neck labels.

These days, Jim practices law primarily in the videogame industry. But music is his first love — and we NEVER forget our first love!

Ron Walker, WRIT Milwaukee WI., April 17, 1971 Pt. 1 (41:39)

. . . Live it up, 'til midnight! . . .

We don't know if this "Oldies" presentation was a special event or business as usual for WRIT in Milwaukee, or if this was the regular shift for host Ron Walker, but there's a lot more classic content here than the music. They pulled out the old jingles, a bells-and-whistles Action Central News presentation plus a dusty stash of genuine '50's and '60's Solid Gold. John Wood handles news and sports in Part One of this Wonderful recording made between 7:26PM and 8:07PM on Saturday, April 17, 1971.

They play "Number One This Week" jingles into decade-old records, but the commercial content is all current. Note that mid-April was generally when Arbitron began the dreaded "April/May" survey period, so maybe this was a special event after all.

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Ron Walker, WRIT Milwaukee WI., April 17, 1971 Pt. 2 (39:30)

. . . On a Million Dollar Solid Gold Weekend . . .

Part Two of Ron Walker on WRIT in Milwaukee is from Saturday, April 17, 1971 between 8:07 and 8:46 PM. Talk legend Stan Major has joined the station with an evening talk show, and Robert L. Collins (1942-2000) will be his first guest.

The Pick Of The Pops is a new sound from 1963, but nothing tops the fourth song in, indisputable proof that recreational drug use in the Sixties had influenced the independent music industry.

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Chuck Leonard, WABC New York, August 15, 1971 (01:01:08)

This Exhibit 'SCOPED (23:54)

Hey, listen! It's Chuck Leonard on WABC, August 1971, and this is one you haven't heard before. There is a second hour following this one, recorded on reel and archived here in our Sacramento underwater studios. It has been made available JUST FOR REELRADIO SUBSCRIBERS.

Even though President Nixon was expected to address the nation that evening, the most nostalgic moment in the hour is followed by a spot for hamburgers! I liked this, actually, I like hamburgers.

There's local and ABC news with Gil Hodges and Joe Templeton. There is also an editorial. Jingles precede everything EXCEPT music, for the most part. Otherwise, Leonard is totally minimal and he would have plugged into a "boss radio" format without a blink. This is actually really tight radio, maybe they were trying too hard ... the intro of that Paul Revere record over the end of that spot.. and playing that Blood, Sweat & Tears TWICE? Big stiff, so what was up with that?

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Chuck Leonard, Frank Kingston Smith, WABC New York, August 15, 1971 (01:06:25)

This Exhibit 'SCOPED (26:11)

This is the continuation of Chuck Leonard on WABC from August 15, 1971, followed by Frank Kingston Smith, and his large stash of personality jingles.

Also included: Sneak Peak with Leonard, and both WABC and ABC Contemporary news.

This exhibit begins at 4:08PM on Sunday afternoon, and Leonard is still the "announcer on duty" until his Sneak Peak segment. Smith's shift starts at around 4:30PM, which is certainly unusual. Maybe he was late getting to work?

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Rob Sherwood, KDWB Minneapolis-St. Paul MN.,
September 3, 1973 (01:30:03)

This Exhibit 'SCOPED (29:06)

Rob Sherwood's radio career began in California in 1963, and he managed to stay on the radio until 1993, wrapping up 36 years in radio at KHOP in Modesto, California. In between, he worked at WDGY, WYOO and KSTP, in addition to KDWB in Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota. Along the way, he spent time in Green Bay, Wisconsin (at WDUZ) and San Francisco (at KIOI) and made quite a few other stops as well.

In Part One of this two-part exhibit (with Part 2 appearing at a later date), we hear Sherwood having fun with helium balloons and playing lots of rock 'n' roll singles. There's only one musical surprise in the entire 90 minutes, but it's a fairly rare one.

It sounds as though KDWB had a mobile studio in a trailer, which they were using for this broadcast at the Minnesota State Fair.

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