Erie Radio Schedule August 1974

This Erie Radio Schedule appeared in the Erie Morning News in August of 1974. Being a long-time fan of local radio, I recognized quite a few of the disc jockeys listed here, such as Frank Martin ("The Morning Mayor"), Ronnie Gee (Ron Seggi), Joey Stevens (later a TV weatherman), Bill Shannon, Tim Earl (another TV weather forecaster) and Ken Olowin.

WERG was the new kid on the block, broadcasting on 89.1 FM. It later moved from 89.9 to its present home at 90.5

A couple of the stations had early sign off times; WMDI cut out at 1 a.m., while WQLN and WERG went off at 2 a.m. WHYP would sometimes unintentionally sign off during the day, and the needle would be stuck in the locked groove at the end of a record for minutes on end.

One of my favorites was Al Knight, or Big Al Knight, All Night, Every Night. I think the interns must have cut their teeth on the overnight shift putting in carts of the pre-recorded voice of "Al Knight" occasionally between songs.

I can still hear some of the jingles in my head. Fun times!

Enjoy more fun facts about the history of Erie, Pennsylvania at: Old Time Erie

K-104 Top 104 of 1980 part 2 WCCK Erie, PA

Here is the remainder of the K-104 Top 104 of 1980.  As with the first part of this article, this one also has a lot of cool songs that you don't hear on the radio anymore:

#38 Gamma I'm Alive" features guitarist Ronnie Montrose and keyboardist Alan Fitzgerald, who both played with Sammy Hagar.

#50 Survivor "Somewhere In America"Vocalist Jim Peterik had a hit as the lead singer of "Vehicle" by Ides of March.

#102 Off Broadway "Stay In Time" Lead singer Cliff Johnson was in Pezband, another of my favorite bands. Great Chicago power pop. I must have played the Off Broadway album every day for a year.

#40 The Inmates "The Walk" (I really like their version of "Dirty Water" as well.)

#79 Linda Ronstadt "How Do I Make You" I played this album a million times. A really good song, but there are better ones on the album. Linda was one of the first artists to play the new Tullio Arena on her "Get Closer" tour in 1983.

#68 The Pulse  "You Want To Know Why."

Did you miss Numbers 1-34 of the  Top 104 of 1980? Want to read about the Commerce Building, the former home of K-104?

Find more fun facts at Old Time Erie

K-104 Top 104 of 1980 part 1 WCCK Erie, PA

The K-104 year end Top 104 was a big event for the teenagers of Erie. If I remember correctly, songs were counted down in reverse order, starting at #104, which was "She's Out Of My Life" by Michael Jackson.

I had several cassette tapes ready to record my favorite songs (which did not include any Michael Jackson).

This list hung on my bedroom wall for a long time. One local band- The Pulse- appeared on the list at #68 with "You Want To Know Why." http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jhEGajjCvFw The band included Bob Burger, Jeff Burger, Marty Lee and Jeff 'Tune' Klahr.

Other favorites include:

#15 "The Very Last Time" by Utopia http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tF7pCzi9LNM

#21 "Say Hello" by April Wine http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M48DitTJTw8

Commerce Bldg demolition 12th and State St. in Erie, PA

State Street in Erie, PA looking north from the railroad tracks to watch the demolition of the
Commerce Building. Photo by Debbi Lyon ©2012. 

It was a sad day when the final truckload of rubble was carted away for the old Commerce Building in Erie, Pennsylvania. A crane and wrecking ball was used to slowly take down the mammoth building at 10 East 12th Street.

The Commerce Bldg. occupied the northeast corner of 12th & State for many years. I used to go to the studio of WCCK-FM K-104 to pick up boxes of 7" singles. WWGO had its studio there in Room 212 in 1968, when Larry Perrotto was the station manager. (WWGO-AM 1450 began in 1935 and became WWGO-FM 103.7 around 1968. and later evolved into Go Underground, where you could hear Moby Grape, Jethro Tull and Ten Years After in the wee morning hours. WWGO later evolved into K-104.)

Bill Shannon, program director of K-104, used to play local bands such as The Pulse, Friction and Prophecy, the pre-Stabilizers band

WYNE's Dan Geary (aka Captain Dan) remembers "an exceptionally young Johnny Holiday (aka Bob Bach) broadcasting 'From the edge of the ledge' at the Commerce Building, high above State Street." at WWGO.

Frank Ferreri (aka Ron Rondo) was on WCCK-FM from 1970 to 1976. He remembers one of the other tenants a couple of floors below the station. "Great bar in the basement, the Aristocrat Lounge."

Joel Miller says, "When I was on WCCK/K104 1974-1977 the studios were in the Commerce Building. I have VHS video of the building being torn down. I took it from along 12th Street while the studio was exposed from the outside walls having been knocked away."

Jim Griffey (aka J.J. Sanford) started as a DJ at WCCK-FM on March 18, 1976, spinning "You Sexy Thing" by Hot Chocolate. Jim says the Aristocrat Lounge "became an after hours haunt...the Pickwick Club. Many times I had to wade my way around drunks and hookers when I'd have to do an early Saturday shift."

Tami Bennett (aka Tami Hagar) also did a stint at K-104 after the station moved to West 26th Street. She visited the Commerce Building many times, "but not as an employee. My Mom did commercial traffic for WWGO in the days of Jim 'Lemmons' LaBarbara."

K-104 moved to 1946 West 26th Street in Erie, PA after leaving the Commerce Bldg.

Dr. Elmer Hess was one of the first people to open an office in the new Commerce Building around 1913. Richard Irwin of Pittsburgh, PA was the architect and the Commerce Building was soundly built by Mayer Brothers Construction Co. of Erie, PA.

WLEU-AM had a studio in the Commerce Building, according to Dorothy J. Anthony. "I worked there in the 1950's!"

At the end of its life, the Commerce Building rented out practice rooms to local bands, so I got to rock out on John Rainey's Flying V once or twice. You could crank up the Marshall stack and play as loud as you wanted- there were so few tenants that the place was practically a ghost town.

The Baldwin Building (the one with the First National Bank logo on it) overshadows the Commerce Building in this photo. You can also catch a glimpse of the Boston Store on the left, partially obscured by a street light. The block letter sign for Gem City Furniture at 1507 State Street is in the center.

K-104 survey from 1980: K-104 Survey from 1980

Enjoy more facts and photos of Erie, PA at: Old Time Erie