This composite aircheck of WAPE (690, Jacksonville, FL) from May of 1972 includes early morning host and PD Jay Thomas (who later became a TV star). Also featured: 9am-12N host Larry Dixon. I got this clip (many years ago) via Larry, who had worked with me at WIXE, Monroe, NC, in 1969. Hello, Larry! Another standout on this aircheck is PM driver Cleveland Wheeler, whom I never met, but this guy had preparation and pipes to the max!
This clip is remarkable from another perspective. Note the reverb AND the Drake Jingles and the “Truckin” and “YOU JUST RIPPED ME OFF..” East coast (reverb) and West coast (Drake/McCoy) came together at WAPE in 1972.
WAPE had a huge signal that covered the beaches from Jacksonville to North Carolina. The period represented here was a WAPE revival, of sorts. The BIG APE had been successful in the 60’s as a very broad-based Top 40 station – with reverb, of course. It returned, in 1972, as a slick hybrid with hot formatics and outstanding talent. And they kept the reverb.