ReelRadio-Default-01

John Records Landecker, WLS Chicago, 1979 (Scoped) (0:13:16)

Scoped
The "Windy City" Airchecks Collection
… Am I excited about my first day on the job, or what? …

Here’s John Records Landecker on his first day in afternoon drive on WLS. It’s 19 degrees, the Transit Authority is on strike, and he jokes that “after 8 years, I finally got day work”. Included: the Christmas Wish contest, a Seasons Greetings jingle, and Dick Orkin as a Sugar Plum for The Gap.

Landecker replaced Bob Sirott. Sirrott was sitting out his non-compete clause before beginning AM drive on WCRK-FM (ex WDAI-FM) a few months later.

Thankfully, this is The Enormous 89 playing real Top 40 — a mix of pop, R&B and rock! The inevitable paranoia over disco music had yet to take its toll, and compared to the faux AOR heard in Landecker’s farewell airchecks from 1981 (below), this one is right on target.

Update: December 13, 2009 – the unscoped version. Tim’s original tape was noisy and warbly at the beginning of side 1 but improves. REELRADIO will be forever grateful for Tim’s generosity.

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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!

Carl Davis
Trustee
North Carolina Broadcast History Museum