Aircheck Factory Presents Ron O'Brien Revisited, 1980 (0:57:06)

Tom Konard's Aircheck Factory Collection
… I’m not goin’ anywhere, those are my samples, no, really man, I sell Fuller Brushes on the side …
Ron O’Brien, WPGC, 1976[Description by Uncle Ricky]

Big Ron Revisted, produced by The Aircheck Factory in the early
1980’s, chronicles the fast-moving career of Big Ron O’Brien (real name: Richard Walls) from KUDL Kansas City in 1970 to KFI Los Angeles in 1979. O’Brien was selected as Favorite Talent of 1978 by subscribers
of Around The Dial.

Between KUDL and KFI are samples of Ron’s work at WCAR Detroit,
WCFL Chicago, KTLK Denver, WXLO (99X) New York, WOKY Milwaukee, WPGC Washington, D.C., WFIL Philadelphia and WRKO Boston. You’ll also hear excerpts from Big Ron’s single, Take Some Time Out.

Ron O’Brien, WOGL

This retrospective is narrated by Tony Raven, who worked with Ron at KUDL as Weird Mitchell.

Ron O’Brien was born in Des Moines, Iowa on October 24, 1951, and died at the age of 56 from complications of pneumonia, on April 27, 2008. He had been working at WOGL-FM in Philadelphia.

©2008 – 2014 REELRADIO, Inc.

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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