Rock Radio Scrapbook


AIRCHECK OF THE WEEK
For week of August 3, 2014
Edition #795

Talent: BOB ROBIN
Station: WHB Kansas City
Date: April 29, 1960
Time: 30:42/28:03 (unscoped)

"Radio One, right here in the heart of America."

Top 40 radio pre-dates the rock era.

Long before Elvis Presley and Bill Haley were rocketing up the charts, businessman Todd Stortz introduced the first Top 40 format at KOHW in his hometown of Omaha in 1951. As one account goes (and there are many), Stortz and program director Bill Stewart noticed customers at a bar in Omaha playing the same songs over and over on the jukebox. They took that idea to radio and it worked: KOHW's market share went from four per cent to 45 per cent in 1951.

Bolstered by that success, Stortz brought his format to WTIX New Orleans in 1953 and a year later took it to WHB Kansas City. WHB was a huge success, garnering a 52 per cent market share, leaving Kansas City's three other radio stations to split the rest. The World's Happiest Broadcasters had arrived and would be a dominant force for a long time.

WHB's share remained in the double digits until the early '80s, but competition from FM eventually overwhelmed it. In 1985, the legendary station dropped Top 40 after 31 years for oldies. Continuing to be buttressed by FM, the once-mighty WHB dropped to a 1.2 share in 1990. It switched to a country format in 1993 and went all-sports in 1999.

This April 29, 1960 aircheck captures WHB during its glory years. You're "Bobbin' With Robin" - Bob Robin - as he counts down the big hits of the day on "The Top 40 Show." Robin - whose real name was Robert Sticht - died in 2012 at the age of 83 having retired from radio just five years earlier. The Mississippi native also worked in Memphis, Louisville and New Orleans before jocking at WLAC, WSIX and WAMB.

Hear Bob Robin on WHB, Pt. 1 (UNSCOPED) here.

Hear Bob Robin on WHB, Pt. 2 (UNSCOPED) here.

(The Don Shuttleworth Collection)

 

More 1960 airchecks here!

 




Rock Radio Scrapbook pays
online streaming fees to the
Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada (License 22-F)

 

 


The Aircheck of the Week PREVIEW!

We're previewing the Aircheck of the Week on Facebook. Every Friday, we post the audio link to the Aircheck of the Week on Facebook with the full feature to follow on Sunday as usual.

Rock Radio Scrapbook: Inside Edition
 


 


Download your free RealPlayer
to hear the Aircheck of the Week via your PC or mobile device

Click here for technical help
 

 


RETURN TO ROCK RADIO SCRAPBOOK