The Eric Rhoads Collection
Eric Rhoads at WYYY, 1971
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Eric Rhoads started his radio career in 1969 at the age of 14 working as a DJ in Fort Wayne, Indiana at WITB and WLYV, and in Kalamazoo, Michigan at WYYY. At age seventeen, Eric's "big" break came when he joined the inaugural staff of Heftel Broadcasting's Y-100 (WLQY and later WHYI) in Miami, Florida working for Buzz Bennett, John Rook and later Bill Tanner. He went on to Bartel's WMYQ Miami which became 96X and was music director for Jerry Clifton. He briefly worked with Tom Birch at WQAM Miami. (Birch and Rhoads were air talent together at Y100). Rhoads' first programming gig was in Fresno, California where he beat legendary programmer Bill Drake with K104 (KIOY). Soon thereafter Rhoads and programmer Jerry Clifton formed New World Communications, a program consulting firm. Rhoads and Clifton programmed about 25 stations.
Rhoads owned his first radio three stations at age twenty-five, in Salt Lake City (KLRZ), Provo (KEYY) and New Orleans (KHAA). Rhoads sold the properties in 1986. He then founded Streamline Communications Corporation, which manufactured The Giant Boom Box, remote radio studios for stations around the Globe. In 1987, Eric Rhoads purchased The Pulse of Broadcasting magazine. He changed the name to The Pulse of Radio only to find the magazine's In 1997 Rhoads published his first book: Blast From The Past: A 75 Year Photo History of Radio. The scope of Streamline expanded beyond Radio Ink with the launch of Streamline Press, a publisher of radio industry books and DVDs. Reacting to the start of the Internet Radio Industry, in 1999 Rhoads founded e-Radio magazine, the first publication dedicated to radio and the Internet. The scope of the publication was refocused in May 2000 and the publication was called STREAMING Magazine, which was later broadened to the title Digital Media. In 2004, the company launched its first non-industry related title: Plein Air Magazine, targeted to artists. In 2006, they launched Fine Art Connoisseur which targets affluent art collectors. Today, Streamline also publishes web sites, and conferences including The Radio Ink Hispanic Radio Conference, Forecast '07, held annually at the Harvard Club; and Convergence '07 (formerly called the Radio Ink Internet Conference). In November of 1999, Rhoads caught the dotcom bug and founded RadioCentral Networks, Inc., an Internet radio network of custom radio stations for the web's leading destination sites. Rhoads raised $18 million and created custom radio for many leading brands, including Earthlink, Lycos, About.com, A&E Television, and others. In 2002 the company was the most listened to online radio network. Rhoads maintained his involvement with Streamline throughout his tenure at RadioCentral. Rhoads was also an initial investor in SuperRadio Networks, which was sold in 2004. Rhoads is a collector of antique radios and microphones and is an accomplished photographer and oil painter. His photographs and paintings have been represented in art galleries in Seattle, Washington; Santa Fe, New Mexico, and Palm Beach, Florida. Eric is pleased to share selections from his aircheck collection at REELRADIO. |
Unscoped
[Description by Uncle Ricky, contributed by Eric Rhoads]
Ouch! Long-time Y-100 morning man and PD Bill Tanner opens this hour with a shot at competitor 96X and their latest promotion.
In addition to a visit from some regular characters, Tanner welcomes tennis pro Bobby Riggs, in town to play in a women’s team tournament. Captain Y is featured with traffic. A complete newscast from Jim Reihle is also included.
Tanner’s peppy, friendly style goes well with giggly phone bits, muffled drops and silly gags. It’s all very non-pretentious and real-time. There are no (serious) jingles or recorded promos. There is nothing behind the curtain – this is Miami FM Top 40, just as it was.
[Description by Uncle Ricky, contributed by Eric Rhoads]
This stereo exhibit boasts excellent separation, great fidelity and the inimitable Don Cox, who always had fun on the radio. Cox passed away in September of 2003, while visiting his family in Georgia.
In addition to WHYI, Don’s career included stops at WKTQ/13Q in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, WEFM in Chicago, KHJ in Los Angeles, and WPOW and WKIS in Miami.
Scoped
[Description by Uncle Ricky, contributed by Eric Rhoads]
Ouch! Long-time Y-100 morning man and PD Bill Tanner opens this hour with a shot at competitor 96X and their latest promotion.
In addition to a visit from some regular characters, Tanner welcomes tennis pro Bobby Riggs, in town to play in a women’s team tournament. Captain Y is featured with traffic. A complete newscast from Jim Reihle is also included.
Tanner’s peppy, friendly style goes well with giggly phone bits, muffled drops and silly gags. It’s all very non-pretentious and real-time. There are no (serious) jingles or recorded promos. There is nothing behind the curtain – this is Miami FM Top 40, just as it was.
Scoped
[Description by Uncle Ricky, contributed by Eric Rhoads]
This stereo exhibit boasts excellent separation, great fidelity and the inimitable Don Cox, who always had fun on the radio. Cox passed away in September of 2003, while visiting his family in Georgia.
In addition to WHYI, Don’s career included stops at WKTQ/13Q in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, WEFM in Chicago, KHJ in Los Angeles, and WPOW and WKIS in Miami.
[Description by Uncle Ricky, contributed by Eric Rhoads]
From Dick Orkin’s Radio Ranch Website:
“At the suggestion of Ken Draper, WCFL Radio Program Director in Chicago in the late 60’s, Dick Orkin conceived and wrote the Chickenman and Toothfairy series while he was Public Affairs/Production Director at the “Voice of Labor” radio station… In the early 70’s, Dick created this 325 episode radio serial that told of Newton Snookers… The episodes dramatize the mishaps of Newton  who in his attire of lavender dental smock and sequined high hat and mask  visits the homes of children who lose their growing teeth. The series has aired on more 2,500 radio stations wordwide and remains in syndication. In recognition of his creation of these series  as well as his radio advertising work  Dick was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in April 2002 by the National Association of Broadcasters.”
[Description by Uncle Ricky, contributed by Eric Rhoads]
This exhibit was created for REELRADIO in 2007 from recordings contributed by Eric Rhoads. It was not broadcast as heard here, though all of the elements were on the radio at one time or another. It begins with the ZAP! used by KCBQ in the early ’70’s, followed by the original 1946 recording of Shaving Cream vocalized by Paul Wynn, as written by Benny Bell.
Dr. Demento made the song popular again in 1975, and it was re-released. The 1946 recording is followed by one of those “Drake Tympani” effects, and then, a 1975 re-sing of Shaving Cream, created by Benny Bell for Y-100. The lyrics include the names of the Y-100 jocks at the time. Jay Marks went into the woodshed, and he writes that these special shaving songs were also created for other stations to promote the record. The exhibit concludes with a generic Good Evening, Friends.
Bell was born in Brooklyn, NY in 1906. His dad wanted him to be a rabbi, but instead, he was making records for cocktail parties at the age of 40, when Shaving Cream first hit the charts. When he did the promotional Y-100 song heard here, he would have been 69. He passed away in 1999 at 93 years of age.
[Description by Uncle Ricky, contributed by Eric Rhoads]
Yes, the Musical Director for David Letterman did a monthly radio show from The Hard Rock Cafe in NYC. It was syndicated by NBC, but it was broadcast on Chicago’s WLS (ABC), so it must have been that ’80’s detente thing. Paul Shaffer hosted “Live from the Hard Rock Cafe” once a month, from June 1985 to August 1986. And is that John Landecker doing the live read on the TWA spot, and the unscripted Casey imitation? If this program pre-empted the Landecker show, he would still be the “announcer on duty.”
The late NBC staff announcer Bill Wendell (d. April 14, 1999) sets up the opening gag with Letterman, and his
hearty laughter is heard in the background (just like on TV.) Michael J. Fox and musical guest Lou Reed also join Paul in this nutty, crazy radio show.
Scoped
[Description by Uncle Ricky, contributed by Eric Rhoads]
Yes, the Musical Director for David Letterman did a monthly radio show from The Hard Rock Cafe in NYC. It was syndicated by NBC, but it was broadcast on Chicago’s WLS (ABC), so it must have been that ’80’s detente thing. Paul Shaffer hosted “Live from the Hard Rock Cafe” once a month, from June 1985 to August 1986. And is that John Landecker doing the live read on the TWA spot, and the unscripted Casey imitation? If this program pre-empted the Landecker show, he would still be the “announcer on duty.”
The late NBC staff announcer Bill Wendell (d. April 14, 1999) sets up the opening gag with Letterman, and his
hearty laughter is heard in the background (just like on TV.) Michael J. Fox and musical guest Lou Reed also join Paul in this nutty, crazy radio show.
[Description by Uncle Ricky, contributed by Eric Rhoads]
WMYQ’s Lee Logan reports that Greg Austin is lost in the Devil’s Triangle off the coast of Florida. The “Marine Operator” is alerted to the problem, though listeners with “multi-band radios” are receiving messages from Greg, but woe is us – is he lost, or not? The General Manager says helicopters are standing by, and the North Miami Police Department is standing by.. Or is the entire thing a hoax? (Note that despite this critical situation, promos for the ongoing Pick Up The Pieces promotion continue…)
Was this 1975? Anything notable, or just a goofy promotion? COMMENTS?