Posted on 12/12/2010 12:50:37 PM PST by raccoonradio
Sid Mark, who's been ring-a-ding-dinging the sounds of Frank Sinatra for 55 years, has learned that WPHT-AM will eliminate his Friday radio program.
Sunday With Sinatra - Mark's five-hour marquee show (8 a.m. to 1 p.m.) - is not going anywhere, he's been told. He expects to inform his audience Sunday morning about the imminent change.
WPHT (the Big Talker 1210) is retooling its lineup over New Year's, moving morning talker Michael Smerconish to 3 to 7 p.m. and eliminating the syndicated talk shows of Glenn Beck and Sean Hannity (who have not yet found new Philadelphia stations).
WPHT has not announced who will follow Smerconish at 7.
Friday nights were a challenge from spring till fall, when Phillies games affected Mark's 6-to-9 p.m. time slot. For a spell several years ago, Friday night Phillies games were carried on WIP-AM (610), lest they bump Sidney.
That a Sinatra show exists on a talk station is testament to the appeal and passion of Mark, who joined WPHT one month after the death of his longtime station, WWDB, in 2000. WWDB had briefly shifted the Friday show to Saturdays.
Mark's Sinatra affiliation began in November 1955 when the overnight rock-and-roll DJ on WHAT-AM failed to show up for work and Mark, a jazz spinner, solicited requests because he had no playlist. From 2 to 3 a.m., Mark played Sinatra, and all station owner Dolly Banks had to hear was that the phones had lit up.
(Excerpt) Read more at philly.com ...
I guess they’re not stupid enough to ditch Rush. Or are they?
No, Rush will still be there. The lineup will be Chris Stigall (from KC) mornings, then Dom Giordano 9-noon; Rush 12-3,
Smerconish 3-7 pm.
Some in radio are wondering if Clear Channel, which syndicates Rush (Premiere Radio) might start their own Rush Radio station like they did in New Orleans and Boston (if so they would pull Rush from WPHT and add Beck, Hannity, etc.;
they do own a couple FM stations in Philly). Not sure if that will happen. For now Rush is still at AM 1210
and Hannity and Beck need to find a home.
More here...
http://www.allaccess.com/net-news/archive/story/83958/wpht-to-move-michael-smerconish-to-afternoons
Chris Stigall, our 710 KCMO (Kansas City) morning drive conservative takes Smirconish’s place on Jan 3rd. Our loss but a great opportunity for Chris to shake up Philly with some real conservative fun.
They now have our Chris Stigall who I will miss tremendously. Good for them, sad for KC.
THIS IS BS!!! Sid Mark is a Philadelphia LEGEND. Hundreds of thousands of people (millions?) owe Sid a debt of gratitude for bringing Sinatra’s music into our lives. His original station, WWDB did the same thing, and they realized the error of their ways. I suspect this new incarnation of a so called “big talker” will realize they screwed up big time as well.
I hope so, Marc spinning Frank is a timeless radio dial pleasure in this area!
I occasionally enjoy listening to Frank on Friday nights. Sid Mark is an institution around here. I think it was to Sid that Sinatra famously remarked, “If you want a friend, get a dog.”
Meanwhile, ‘Something Stupid’ is going on with ‘The Big Talker’. Why in God’s name would that station move a worthless, Ubama-endorsing squish like Smerconish to a prime afternoon spot and dump Sean? (Fortunately, the move is meaningless to me since I get 77AM out of NY real clear, and now I won’t have to change the station when Mark Levin comes on. And anyway, I sometimes check out Medved during that time slot, too. Anything but Smerconish.)
Still, these perplexing moves by ‘The Big Talker’ conjure up “deja vu all over again” - - this reminds me of the path WWDB took just before that station disappeared, when they dumped Tom Marr and Phil Valentine and brought in a couple of young no-name squishes. (I think Dominic Quinn was dead by then.) Oh well, ‘That’s Life’.
I think Sid has a nationally syndicated show
Maybe Smerconish wanted a better slot—or he lost his syndicated gig and is only doing WPHT? The other poss. is maybe Clear Channel indeed wants to launch a Rush-Radio type station on one of their FM properties in Philly (CBS owns WPHT)
Souderton, Montgomery County, PA. Please add me to the ping list. Thanks.
Thanks ... That site is a gold mine of memories..
ping
This is a travesty! WPHT stinks! I'll listen to Rush on WABC from now on.
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