The Power of Production - In the Beginning (0:04:47)

… but the ears only laughed to hear such a silly voice for God …

This appeared on Programmer’s Digest, Volume I, Issue 11, January 1973, which wasn’t shipped until late May of that year! It was reportedly created in February of 1973 at WDRC in Hartford on a pair of Ampex half-track reel machines. Its creator, Dan Siemasko, went on to KQV, Pittsburgh.

It’s hard to believe that any free-thinking human would be offended by this, but be warned: The words “God” and “Jesus Christ” are used for entertainment purposes. This was (and still is) a brilliant piece of audio production, just as enjoyable now as it was in 1973. And what about Dan Siemasko? Your curator turns to our honored guests for an update (COMMENT, below) on his whereabouts. Such talent, one would think, should be rewarded – if there’s a God, that is.

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!

Board of NCBHP
North Carolina Broadcast History Project