Ron O'Brien, WRKO Boston, December 11, 1978 (0:18:37)

… This is Big Ron, I know I need a cold shower, I’m going to take one right now …
[Description by Uncle Ricky] This recording of the new “Album” version of WRKO opens with Big Ron O’Brien interviewing John Belushi just before the WRKO Christmas Concert at The Boston Garden. Not a small promotion, especially combined with an ongoing call-in contest for album winners of any LP from the current Warner-Elektra-Atlantic catalog. Big Ron has fun with newsman Bill Rossi, and this is an exceptional exhibit of a legendary talent and late-model RKO Boston Top 40. In addition to the Belushi interview, you’ll hear O’Brien stop the “short” version of a Chicago song and run around the studio searching for the ALBUM version – after all, they were New Englands’s Album Station! Nevertheless, The Pointer Sisters customize their hit (LP or not) and note also the announcements regarding limited commercial content. In this generation, it was called “less is more.” Big Ron O’Brien died from complications of pneumonia on April 27, 2008. He was 56.

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