Rock Radio Scrapbook

AIRCHECK OF THE WEEK
For week of December 14, 2014
Edition #813

Talent: JOE O'BRIEN
Station: WMCA New York
Date: December 21, 1960
Time: 1:01:13/1:01:09 (unscoped)

(The first WMCA "Good Guys," circa 1963)

It was Christmas 1960 and radio's exciting new team was at WMCA.

WMCA began a Top 40 format in 1958 but the "team concept" for its deejays didn't come about until late 1960. The team concept - highlighted by use of the term Good Guys beginning in 1963 - had been used before but WMCA program director Ruth Meyer perfected it and made it a success. Everything at WMCA was about "team" - the jocks had the same haircuts, wore the same suits and did record hops and other personal appearances. They even recorded a record album, The Good Guys Sing, and the WMCA theme song We're The Good Guys was sung by the jocks themselves.

In late 1960, the WMCA "team" consisted of Joe O'Brien (6-10 a.m.), Harry Harrison (10 a.m.-1 p.m.), Don Davis (1-4 p.m.), Johnny Dark (4-7 p.m.), Bob Callan (7-10:30 p.m.) and Burt Sherwood (1-6 a.m.) with Barry Gray doing a talk show from 10:30 p.m. to 1 a.m.  The morning show was especially a delight - a mixture of information, easy chatter and the top hits of the day tied together by the personable O'Brien, with help from his sidekick Benny.

Hear Part 1 of Joe O'Brien on WMCA from December 21, 1960 (unscoped) here.

Hear Part 2 of Joe O'Brien on WMCA from December 21, 1960 (unscoped) here.

(The Sam Ward and Don Shuttleworth Collections)

More 1960 airchecks here!