The other WABC $25,000 Button!

For more on what is probably WABC's most famous contest:
WABC Musicradio Button

"Muni Money"

Members of Scott Muni's Fan Club got more than a membership card...
They got Muni Money!

Here's Scottso's WABC Theme Music:

           
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"Grasshopper Jump"
(Tommy Watts and His Orchestra)

Chuck Leonard (l) and Dan Ingram

(October, 2001)

Dan Ingram tells the story of how he recommended Chuck for a job at WABC in 1965:

         
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Scott Benjamin interviewed Chuck's daughter, Diana Leonard about her father:
Diana Leonard Remembers Her Dad

Artist Jack Davis did this series of caricatures of the WABC DJ's in 1974 

Herb Oscar Anderson
(1964)

"HOA" was New York's first radio "Morning Mayor".
He didn't sound much like a Top 40 DJ but, then, that wasn't his job.
Instead, his challenge was to make WABC attractive to advertisers in an era
when rock was considered music that only kids listened to.
Herb gave credibility to the format and was largely responsible
for WABC attracting a solid advertising base in the early to mid sixties.

Herb had (and still has) a phenomenal radio voice with an easy going manner
and was able to convince the parents of kids who listened to
Cousin Brucie at night to leave WABC on the next morning.

Herb Oscar Anderson airchecks are hard to come but here's one from January 21, 1964:
(courtesy David Messing)

          
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During "WABC Rewound 2000", Herb appeared with us. 
Steve Malzberg interviewed him with Allan Sniffen, Jonathan Wolfert and Peter Kanze.
Herb talks about his time on WABC, how he was dubbed "The Morning Mayor",
how he was able to appeal to advertisers and people of all ages,
what it like playing "HOA Bombs" and competing with WMCA.

Herb on WABC Rewound
May 29, 2000

         
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