Mark Elliot, Drake-Chenault Weekly Top 30 Demo 1980 (0:08:21)

… . . . determined by our Countdown Computer . . . …

Drake-Chenault Enterprises, Inc. was still syndicating radio programs on vinyl in 1980. This is a demo for one of them: The Weekly Top 30 hosted by Mark Elliot, first syndicated in 1979.

According to demo narrator Bill Drake,
” you can at least triple your investment. The show zeroes in on the affluent Adult Contemporary audience which allows you to line up prestige advertisers.”

Hey, it’s a Demo. He’s givin’ the people what they want. Bill Drake has been relatively modest and very unassuming about his contributions to the Top 40 legacy. It was simply business, and he did simple things that worked.

“The Weekly Top 30” continued into 1982, and then folded. It was the first nationally syndicated challenger to Casey Kasem’s American Top 40.

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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