Atlanta was a hotbed of Top 40 in 1963, and WPLO had formidable competitors in WAKE and WQXI. Little bits of the actual event are missing here and there, but this restored exhibit is a delightful half-hour for everyone who remembers 1963.
Bill Ward, decades after this aircheck
Program Director Bill Ward is efficient, friendly, and on format with lots of weather, goofy promos, and a couple of bits on this very early 6AM-ish morning. And, there’s a Top 40 playlist that favors Pop and Country. When he flubs a promo, he quips “Welcome to ‘You Bet Your Job’, friends!”.
Mr. Ward had no trouble finding a long career in programming and managing stations that he flipped to the country format, in Dallas, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. Twenty years after this aircheck, he was GM of KMPC and President of Gene Autry’s Golden West Broadcasters. Bill Ward passed away July 31, 2004.
Best bet for the actual date of this broadcast is December 18, 1963, based on the Ken Wilson Headline News report of a missile launch from Vandenberg AFB, which occured on December 18, 1963. Also, we know Mr. Kent recorded WPLO on December 17. The classic ad for Budweiser  first spot in the 6AM hour!  is a tasty treat, and the spot for the Wollensak tape recorder confirms that we have crossed over into the Sixties Zone.