Jimmy P Stagg, WCFL Chicago March 26, 1970 (1:44:45)

… Plays The Hits Time …
[Description by Uncle Ricky] Jimmy P. Stagg is the star, TM jingles and all, in this ultra-expanded super-long uncut unscoped studio sample of Big Ten WCFL, that once-giant VERY first-class radio station operated by The Chicago Federation of Labor. It’s March of 1970. Remember? Does it take a Union to make a radio station this good? Well, it did then. This is exceptionally professional radio, with the exception of a turntable that accidentally stops turning in the first few minutes. (At least it happens to a deserving song.) Jim Stagg was silenced by cancer in November of 2007. His friend Sam Hale wrote: Jim was among the select few who traveled with the Beatles on their American tours. In fact, I was surprised to see him at the Atlanta concert in August, 1965; not knowing he was traveling with them. At that time, Jim was with WCFL. He later was at WMAQ, but on the Friday when the jocks were called together for a meeting and informed that on the following Monday the station was going country, and each one could apply for a position with that format, Jim decided he had enough of the politics of radio. It was then that he opened a record store in the Northern suburbs of Chicago and later added more stores, including one in Orlando. Prior to Chicago, Jim was afternoon drive jock at KYW and, earlier he had been at KYA, WIBG and, where I first met him, WYDE – Birmingham. Jim had a marvelous voice and during his college years was the featured soloist with the Crimson Tide orchestra at the University of Alabama. Our thanks to Sam for his comments, and to John Celarek for this full-length exhibit.

Welcome to the new ReelRadio!

This site is now operated by the North Carolina Broadcast History Museum. 

We want to thank the board of ReelRadio, Inc. for their stewardship since the passing of the founder Richard Irwin in 2018.  It has not been easy and they have maintained the exhibits for future generations to enjoy.

I met Richard Irwin, aka Uncle Ricky, when we were freshmen at East Carolina University.  We both had worked at local stations in our hometowns.  No one was more passionate about radio, especially Top 40 radio, than my friend Richard. 

Our goals with this site are to preserve the exhibits and make them available free of charge for people to enjoy.  Over time, we hope to add some airchecks to the site.  This will not happen immediately.  Time and resources will determine the future of new exhibits. 

Many thanks to the web folks at the Beasley Media Group for countless hours of work.  Again thanks to the board members of ReelRadio, Inc. for their faith in us. 

Richard Irwin’s hope was that his site would live on long after his passing. He said, “I hope REELRADIO will survive as my contribution to the ‘radio business’. The business is allowed to forget me, but the business should never forget the great era of radio that we celebrate here”.

We remember Richard and we thank him. If you enjoy this new site, we would appreciate a contribution. We hope you enjoy the new ReelRadio!

Board of NCBHP
North Carolina Broadcast History Project