Musicradio WABC Pictures of the Week for August, 2012

Week of August 7, 2012:

NY Times Headline
July 21, 1969

So, what does this have to do with WABC?

The moon landing was the biggest story of the summer of 1969 and WABC was then the nation's biggest radio station.
Program director Rick Sklar had a big interest in the space program and was very much impressed by the technology of its backup systems.
He was inspired to create more redundant systems in and around WABC than had ever been created for a radio station before.
In his book, Rocking America, Sklar speaks of the lengths he went to for backup capabilities based on NASA!

Musicradio WABC always made an effort to involve itself with whatever was going on and the moon landing was no exception.
The station created a contest for whoever could come up with the best suggestion for the first words to be spoken when man first stepped on to the lunar surface.
Of course, Neil Armstrong had his own idea on that subject but no one knew it prior to Apollo 11's landing.

Here is the promo for that contest:

WABC Moon Contest Promo
(Harry Harrison and Dan Ingram)

And here's the winner of it:

WABC Moon Contest Winner Promo
(Dan Ingram and Bruce Morrow)

Finally, here's another promo from August of 1969 where WABC gave away American flags at the NYC parade for the astronauts:

WABC Parade Promo
(Dan Ingram)

Week of August 14, 2012: 

Thirty eight years ago, Cousin Brucie did his
last show on Musicradio WABC

Over the years there has been a great deal of discussion about Bruce leaving WABC. 
Bruce has commented that WABC was becoming too restrictive for him to do his kind
of personality radio and his boss, Rick Sklar, argued that Bruce was not as attentive to his show as he could have been.

Either way, it seems WABC wanted to tie Bruce's compensation to the ratings which opened his contract for negotiation.
Rival station WNBC was courting Bruce to take over for the departing Wolfman Jack so the opening of Bruce's contract
gave him the opportunity to change stations--and he did.

Bruce continued at WNBC for three years.
Meanwhile WABC hired George Michael to replace him.

Bruce Morrow's Last Musicradio WABC Show
August 7, 1974

      
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Week of August 21, 2012:

Musicradio WABC Advertisement
(1972)

(courtesy Johnny Donovan)

And speaking of Johnny Donovan...
Here's Johnny on WABC
July 9, 1972

            
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Week of August 28, 2012:

Summer, Cousin Brucie and Palisades Amusement Park!

(courtesy Peter Kanze)

Cousin Brucie at Palisades Amusement Park in his Leopard Skin Suit!
And the guy up in the air?  That's Charlie Greer!