The Pat Martin Collection

Picture of
Pat Lopeman, then.

Picture of
Pat Martin, now.

Pat Martin is one of the luckiest people in the radio industry. He was born in a rural Illinois farming community as Patrick Lopeman. When he was just 16, Art Roberts selected him as the Guest Teen DJ on WLS in Chicago.

With no broadcast school training, he worked at small and medium sized stations throughout the Midwest. Then a break came from WTLB in Utica, New York. With just a year behind him, he was able to record an audition good enough to win a slot at WIFE in Indianapolis. Bill Shirk recruited Pat as production director at WXLW, Indy. Pat produced the famous "Balls" promos.

After several small market program gigs, Martin was hired to turn around WSPT in Stevens Point, Wisconsin. At least two dozen well known DJs worked there. It was the Billboard Magazine "Station of the Year" in 1978. From there, Terrell Metheny hired him to program WBCS in Milwaukee which went #1 12+ and 25-54 in 1982. Pat credits much of the success to Art Roberts in afternoon drive — the same man that gave him 15 minutes of fame on WLS in 1965.

In 2010, Martin is the president of Bay View Broadcasting, the owner of WMOM-FM in Ludington, Michigan. He also owns a successful used broadcast equipment business — which has provided start-up equipment for several hundred radio and TV stations.

The Repository thanks Pat Martin for sharing!

Scoped
… Everything’s high, man! …
[Description by Uncle Ricky] This short aircheck perfectly captures the Summer of 1979! K-Tel has a hot disco record and tape offer, Lorenzo Lamas is making his film debut, and you can Dance, Dance, Dance to every song. What a happy time! And, for those tuned into Jack Armstrong on KTNQ/10Q, it was What’s Happening.
Unscoped
… Everything’s high, man! …
[Description by Uncle Ricky] This short aircheck perfectly captures the Summer of 1979! K-Tel has a hot disco record and tape offer, Lorenzo Lamas is making his film debut, and you can Dance, Dance, Dance to every song. What a happy time! And, for those tuned into Jack Armstrong on KTNQ/10Q, it was What’s Happening.
Scoped
… . . . He’s a got a low voice, too . . . so’s everybody except me! . . . …

[Description by Uncle Ricky]
Quick and clever Dale Dorman quips his way through a brutally cold Friday morning, January 23, 1970, at Boston’s WRKO. Prior to settling in Boston, Dorman worked at KYNO in Fresno, California and KFRC in San Francisco.

This tightly-scoped aircheck offered mostly Dorman, and the famous Johnny Mann jingles. However, only a few seconds of a 20/20 newscast and almost nothing of the morning’s spot load made the cut. A couple of the musical selections were interesting, however, so the music has been restored. Thanks to Stormy Hunter for his help with the music restoration.

Dale Dorman passed away on October 25, 2014 following a long illness. He was 71.

Unscoped
… . . . He’s a got a low voice, too . . . so’s everybody except me! . . . …

[Description by Uncle Ricky]
Quick and clever Dale Dorman quips his way through a brutally cold Friday morning, January 23, 1970, at Boston’s WRKO. Prior to settling in Boston, Dorman worked at KYNO in Fresno, California and KFRC in San Francisco.

This tightly-scoped aircheck offered mostly Dorman, and the famous Johnny Mann jingles. However, only a few seconds of a 20/20 newscast and almost nothing of the morning’s spot load made the cut. A couple of the musical selections were interesting, however, so the music has been restored. Thanks to Stormy Hunter for his help with the music restoration.

Dale Dorman passed away on October 25, 2014 following a long illness. He was 71.

… Hold on a second, let me check my organ out …
[Description by Uncle Ricky] Robert Murphy (Murphy In The Morning) is featured in a composite of bits from his LOL morning show on WAYS/95Q in Charlotte, N.C., circa 1977. Following his hugely successful time in the Queen City, Murphy went on to even bigger things at WKQX-FM/Chicago. This composite features a Pass The Loot segment and the able assistance of regulars Larry Sprinkle and newsman J. Frank Coley.
… the police had also noticed him, because he seemed to be a local neighborhood screwball …
[Description by Uncle Ricky] Pat Martin at WSPT was able to connect with Kelley West in New York for this remarkably detailed report following the murder of John Lennon.
[Description by Uncle Ricky] This is a composite of composites of WSPT/Stevens Point, Wisconsin, from contributor Pat Martin, beginning in January 1977, and ending in October, 1980. Such composites were typically created for presentation to the stations advertising representatives, advertising agencies and advertisers. It begins with a composite from January, 1977 Steve Point, Pat Martin, Dave Marx, Chris Shebel, Tom Gray at 4:35, a composite from February, 1978 Dave Marx, Chris Shebel, Tom Carr, Dallas Cole, Maureen Mecozzi, Creative Department Production Demo, WSPT Talents Move Up! at 11:28, a composite from May, 1978 Pat Martin (introduction), Dave Marx, Chris Shebel, Tom Carr, Cole at Night, Terry Gibson, Maureen Mecozzi at 16:13, a composite from June, 1979 Mike Rogers, T.J. Davis, Dallas Cole, Terry Gibson, Barb Starr, Dan(ny) Clayton and at 22:51, a composite from October, 1980 Mike Rogers, Rick Anderson, Kevin Kenney, Robin Stone
[Description by Uncle Ricky] Before there was Bill Shirk at WXLW, there was Bill Shirk at WERK, WERK in Muncie, Indiana. In this tightly-edited composite of Super Shirk from 1972, Shirk calls Howard Hughes.
… I’m not OK, and you’re not OK, but that’s OK …
[Description by Uncle Ricky] Don Geronimo and his 7-8PM program are heavily processed on this unscoped stereo recording of WPGC, Morningside-Washington D.C. from what might be August, 1981. Here’s some organic analog 1981 stereo, such as it was. It includes the top 3 of the top 5. There’s a nice promo that plays into a stop set, the most damaging of the “new formatics” of 80’s programmers.
Scoped
… Dear Art, this is my 25th try for Teen Disc Jockey …
This Exhibit ‘SCOPED (06:15) Contributor Patrick L. Lopeman writes: “This is just about the most valuable aircheck I have. Art Roberts hosted the “Guest Teen Disk Jockey” between 10 and 10:15 every Saturday night. I got picked in November, 1965. Sixteen years later, Art did afternoons for me in Milwaukee. Art’s most famous Guest DJ was Pat Sajack.”

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