For now, Dick Clark...

So long. Rock, roll, and remember.

These are things associated with Dick Clark... things associated with Dick Clark. Ready. Go!

If you are younger than 30, and didn't watch TV on New Year's Eve, you don't know who Dick Clark is... or any idea why he's been eulogized plentifully this week.

Long story short, he shined the spotlight on others. That spotlight shined on so many different musical acts, so many different game show contestants, and so many dancers from coast to coast on American Bandstand.

On a few occasions, he hosted shows simultaneously on CBS, NBC, and ABC. I remember him on $25,000 Pyramid, TV's Bloopers & Practical Jokes, New Year's Rockin' Eve, and The Other Half.

He almost broke the winner's circle record on Pyramid the last time he was a guest celebrity. He counted us into 39 of the last 40 New Year's. He hosted one of the first shows to give away $100,000 on a more-than-once-a-year-basis. He created the American Music Awards. He pioneered lip-synching... he was required viewing Saturdays at 12noon on ABC. I loved when VH1 aired Bandstand reruns back in the 90s.

He was innovative, pioneering, and courageous. Sadly, most of America thought that he couldn't go on much longer co-hosting Rockin' Eve. It took a lot of guts to do what he did. He may not have been able to communicate his thoughts as well as he used to, but that mind of his kept working through all the struggles.

From Utica to Syracuse to Philadelphia to Hollywood and beyond... Dick Clark will be missed.

I hope those Bandstand reruns come back someday. Until then, listen to theme by Barry Manilow, and try not to dance.

Safe home, Dick Clark.

Buckle Up,
TS

My friend Larry O

I haven't posted here in a while... but I felt compelled to after what the range of emotions I experienced this morning.

Larry O'Rourke, one of our sports announcers and sideline reporters for T-102 and WPPA, is one of my favorite people to work with. I always enjoying conversations with him. The longer the road trip was, the better the stories were.

Now, I know where his son got his gift of gab that I've been reading all about.

I haven't been able to find a bad word said about young Larry O... one of a kind.

Young Larry O was laid to rest today, concluding a four-year battle with ALS. His struggles have been well-documented by his fellow writers at the Morning Call. Just google Larry's name and you'll see all the tributes to him. They're beautiful.

Larry had a heart as big as a golf course. Read the posts of my friends Mandy & Tom Housenick on the Morning Call's website. That explains Larry in a nutshell.

I never met young Larry O in person, and I really wish I had. The only time I was in the same facility as he was the night he got inducted into Blue Mountain High School's sports hall of fame. This was 2008. He was transported to the ceremony stage via golf cart, with Big Larry O driving.

As his abilities became more limited, you never heard him complain. I never heard Big Larry complain either. Every time I asked Dad about son, the response was always as positive as possible.

While sitting in Saint Ambrose during the funeral mass, I looked around to see his fellow scribes, fellow sports reporters, and a number of Philadelphia sports dignitaries.

Before the final blessing, Big Larry stood up. As best he could, he thanked everyone. It was the most trying, and equally, most courageous, minute of his life. I highly doubt there was a dry eye in the congregation after that. Mine included.

Our celebrant stated that the most painful moment for a parent is to bury their own children. I've never seen the pain battled more gracefully as I have with my friend, Larry O.

His luncheon is this afternoon. The emotions will more likely swing from those of sadness and tears to smiles and laughs.

That's how Young Larry O would have wanted it.

When the time comes for us to remember Big Larry O, it will not only be as a great storyteller, and a great colleague and a great friend. It will also be as one of the strongest, toughest people I know.

"God Bless Larry O'Rourke!"

When Big Larry O shouted that at the end of his minute, I thought the exact same thing of Young Larry O.

And Big Larry O, too.

Election

Yes, your eyes aren't deceiving you, I'm writing a blog about politics. Here are some random thoughts...

After years of making excuses to my Dad for not voting, I registered to vote a few years ago. It's easy to remember who I cast my first vote for... the late Jim Rhoades following his passing.

I'm not the only one who has been sick of seeing Toomey/Sestak ads since May. A number of people I know have been counting the days until the election ads stop airing. I guarantee there would be fewer political ads if candidates were required to spend the same amount after the elections as they do prior to election day.

I could never be a good political candidate. I can't sling mud.

I can almost guarantee that I will among the first 100 to vote at my polling place tomorrow. I'll go around 8:30.

Go vote tomorrow. Take your kids with you, too.

Buckle Up,
TS

Can you smell it?

Fire up the fryers. Plug in the pizza ovens. Start simmering the soup. Stock up on soda.

Football is here.

We welcome aboard Tim Demko for netcast play-by-play, and Chuck Kutz as an analyst on our broadcast games.

Don't forget that the netcasts are archived for playback anytime afterwards.

Then, hear all the scores on Goal Line on Friday nights at 9:45PM, then on Sports Saturday at 9:00AM on WPPA and WPPAradio.com.

Oh yeah, TD Tips is back at 5:45PM on Fridays on WPPA... Herbie won last year for the umpteenth time. C'mon guys... do I have to come back so that someone can beat him?

Now for my predictions... for entertainment purposes only.

Wyomissing vs. Pottsville: I don't mind if I'm wrong on this one... Wyomissing 14, Pottsville 12

Tri-Valley vs. Schuylkill Haven: Tough game to open with... TV 20, Haven 17

Whitehall vs. Blue Mountain: BM will finish with a winning record, but this is a tough first test... Whitehall 26, BM 13

Minersville vs. Williams Valley: Miners will improve this year... WV can run. WV 21, Miners 14

Shenandoah Valley vs. North Schuylkill: New QB's on both sides... NS 23, SV 6

Panther Valley vs. Mahanoy Area: I see another deep playoff run for PV this year... PV 29, Mahanoy Area 14

Tamaqua vs. Jim Thorpe: I'm interested to see how both teams reload... this was a dandy last year. Tamaqua 28, JT 20

Marian vs. Lehighton: Marian is hungry... Marian 30, Lehighton 19

Northern Lebanon vs. Pine Grove: PG needs to establish an offense early... PG 14, NL 7

Nativity vs. Freedom Village: Back to St. Clair for the Green Wave... Nativity 21, FV 13

Penn State vs. Youngstown State: Bundle up, only gonna be 70 on Curtin Road... PSU 45, YSU 10

Please help my friends at WVIA...

Every Tuesday in April, go to Wendy's between 5-8pm, and 10% of the proceeds go to WVIA.

This fundraiser is held at the Wendy's in Pottsville, Shamokin, Bloomsburg, Danville, Drums, Hazleton, Hummels Wharf, Lewisburg, and Wilkes-Barre. It is also being held at Wendy's in Clarks Summit, Dallas, Dickson City, Dunmore, East Stroudsburg, Edwardsville, Honesdale, Lock Haven, Matamoras, Montoursville, Mount Pocono, Pittston, Scranton, Towanda, and Williamsport.

Thanks for helping my dear friends at WVIA.

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Big Ben, stay home. Club it up all you want after you retire.

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Phil Mickelson is better than Tiger Woods, in more ways than one. This past weekend proved it.

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The Phillies won their opener and their home opener. Too bad they don't play the Nationals every other series the rest of the year.

Buckle up,
TS

I goofed...

Daylight Time begins on March 14th, not March 7th like I had printed in the T102 calendars.

And yes, March has 31 days.

I shoulda hadda V8.

Buckle up,
TS

The newest inductee into the Apology Hall of Fame

MSNBC's Countdown with Keith Olbermann has an Apology Hall of Fame... filled with inductees ranging from all walks of life... from Mark McGwire to Eliot Spitzer.

Enter, Eldrick.

I'm sorry that T-102 thankfully didn't participate in what I'm calling, "I'm Sorry Friday." Everywhere I turned on TV today was the teaser for Tiger's apology. Just about everyone was boasting of its coverage of this made-for-TV event.

I didn't watch it... when I saw it on a TV here in the building, I turned away. I already knew what the message was going to be. I've seen it all-too-often, and I've said those same things all-too-often. Trust me, I'm no angel.

Can we trust Tiger like he was? I dunno. When you see Kobe Bryant on TV, do you think of his run-in with something similar 7 years ago? When you see Ray Lewis on TV, do you think of what he went through the year before he won the Super Bowl MVP? When you see Eliot Spitzer on CNBC, or former NJ Governor Jim McGreevey, do you think about their escapades in the headlines?

Only time will tell how Mr. & Mrs. John Q. Public perceive Tiger from here on in. There will be those who want to hear every sordid, tedious detail. There will be the crowd who will tell him what Dr. Phil likes to say, "You choose the behavior, you choose the consequences." When he decides to return to the PGA, there will be rowdy fans who will remind him of his transgressions.

I don't envy the guy one bit. He has more weight on his shoulders than every single government official and school board member combined. I do object to the timing of his statement today... some are overanalyzing how he's sticking it to Accenture ( a sponsor that dropped him as a spokesperson) by doing this during their sponsored event this week.

Yes, he should have done this much earlier. But, he's living his life now the way his uber-bloated PR machine wants him to. Must be nice. Boy, I wish had that machine with me every time I screwed up here at the station, or when I made my Mom angry.

I can't wait til the day that Tiger removes the veil of secrecy and gobs of red tape, and just opens totally up. I doubt that'll happen, but more of America would accept him as a human being, rather than someone who is more teflon than tin cup god. I remember back in 1999, when the Greaseman made an off-color remark on radio about African-Americans, got fired from his job in Washington DC, then went on local TV. I'll never forget the short clip I saw... it was the angriest I ever saw WRC-TV's Jim Vance, who is African-American. "What the hell were you thinkin'?" spewed Vance. Greaseman's answer was simple... "I wasn't." I'd love to see Vance interview Tiger one-on-one, no holds barred, no PR people... just Vance, Tiger, and a camera. I know it won't happen, but I can dream, can't I?

It'll be a good 36 hours before this news gets moved to the back burner. Then, he'll be front and center again when he returns, Masters or otherwise... and I'll be changing the channel.

Buckle up,
TS

"A thing of value"

Hello to you.

This may be one of the angriest blogs I've written. If you've had a bad day, read this later. It won't cheer you up.

If you've followed TV news, and the ever-increasing folly that is Luzerne County politics, you've seen a seemingly-endless parade of government officials get caught doing something illegal.

I haven't blogged about it, I just shook my head and put on WGAL... that way, I know I wouldn't have to watch any news about it.

Today, the biggest figure of all this (literally and figuratively) submitted a guilty plea. Former Luzerne County Commissioner Greg Skrepenak admitted his guilt in illegally accepting "a thing of value, namely $5,000," quoting the charges. Simply put, bribery.

Have we finally reached the caboose of this crazy train? Beats me.

The count is somewhere above two dozen now... the number of people who are in trouble because of these illegal actions. You can also associate those people who replaced the resigned who are also in trouble, too... now we're somewhere around 30.

I know two of them.

Skrep is the most famous.

He graduated from GAR, my alma mater. I admired him as a great football player, and a kid who was full of potential. He was a starter at Michigan, then with the Raiders and Carolina Panthers. He came home, dabbled in local media and politics, and was ultimately elected Luzerne County Commissioner.

Sadly, there he is pleading guilty in a courtroom today. Ironically, his attorney was an altar boy with me back in the day.

I read the plea agreement and charges online... it sent a chill through my body when I saw his signature on the plea. It was the same signature that was part of my autograph collection.

Here's what pains me about all this, and angers me to a degree.

#1 How the hell do you think you could get away with it? You hold a public position, live in the public eye, and know that if you screw up, you're gonna get pounced on. There ain't any shoulder pads that can stand up to this amount of piling on.

#2 How did you break it to your family? All of these people have families. I could never face mine knowing that I let them down.

It hasn't been a easy 30-day stretch for me... one idol dies, another's going to the hooscow, two cousins passed away, a boyhood friend was seriously hurt in the Middle East, and a few other hardships among friends.

I'm thankful that my parents, teachers, friends and bosses molded me the way they did...

Bottom line... if it's illegal, don't do it, you'll get caught eventually.

I'm done ranting. I feel better. Always find an avenue to release your pent-up frustration... never leave it bottled up. There's always someone who will listen to you, whether you know them or not. Don't believe me? You probably don't know me, and you just read this. See, it works. Have a pleasant day.

Buckle up,
TS

A la carte, please, Comcast?

I'm not as happy as I used to be with the selection of channels I'm getting with my $57.80/month I pay to Comcast. I have no need for the digital package, even though I really miss Game Show Network and would like to watch NFL Network in the comfort of my home.

Last I saw I wasn't allowed to get a dish, so it's cable or nothing (rabbit ears don't work anymore).

Last month, we were stripped of Fox 29 without explanation. My guess is because Fox is threatening to charge cable systems for carrying their stations, instead of the long-running practice of offering free transmission of broadcast affiliates. It's something like what led Shen-Heights to not carry WBRE and WYOU because the station owners wanted transmission fees.

Here's what I would like offered to us on our cable menu...

1. The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton stations: WNEP, WBRE, WYOU, WOLF, WSWB, WQMY, WVIA. I would also like to see WYLN Hazleton in there, too.

2. No New York stations... aside from 10 or so Yankees games, do we need WWOR? We used to get Fox5 and WPIX, but they also got dropped along the way.

3. More Philly/Harrisburg stations... at least one more, and make it a CBS. We have 2 NBC, 2 ABC, 2 CW, and 2 MyNetwork affiliates. Why not another CBS, like KYW CBS3 Philly or WHP CBS21 Harrisburg? And if the WYOU brass complains, drop WYOU, because they no longer have local news. Definitely keep WGAL, MyPHL17 and WPVI. WLYH doesn't offer me much anymore.

4. I don't need 4 shopping channels.

5. Keep the government channels & news networks... we all need a good laugh every now and then. Keep Comedy Central and TVLand... we all need a good laugh every now and then.

6. If you're gonna put something on channel 11 (where Fox29 was), put WFMZ there. They do mention Schuylkill County in a lot of their newscasts.

7. Just about everything else is okay, but let me pick and choose what I want. I'm hardly home, and I stick to the staples when I watch... the local channels, ESPN, CNN, and the Weather Channel.

For my $57.80/month ($4 of which goes to local government), let me choose 40 channels, broadcast or cable, and I'll shut up and enjoy. I'll take four ESPNs (1,2,U, and Classic), CSN Philly, FSN Pittsburgh, MASN & MASN2, NFL, Weather Channel, CNN, HLN, MSNBC, Fox News, Food Network, PCN, CSPAN 1 & 2, GSN, E!, CNBC, ABC Family, Nick, TV Land, Comedy Central, TVG, HRTV, and 14 locals... WNEP, WBRE, WOLF, WSWB, WQMY, WVIA, WGAL, WHP, KYW, WITF, WPVI, WFMZ, WYLN, and KDKA Pittsburgh.

Buckle up,
TS

Losing a career influence...

Depending on who and where you are, names mean different things to you. This is true especially when there a two prominent people with the same name. Perfect example is Adrian Peterson. One is the Vikings' running back, the other is the Bears' running back. There was a successful pro bowler, and a popular actor, both named Don Johnson.

When I say George Michael, you probably think of the lead singer of Wham! However, if you're from the Washington DC Metro, Philadelphia, New York City, or anybody in radio or TV, George Michael is an icon.

George was the #1 radio personality in Philadelphia at WFIL from 1966-1974. He replaced Cousin Bruce Morrow at WABC New York, and was #1 from 1974-1979. In the latter part of his time at WABC, he was also a weekend sportscaster at WABC-TV. He then moved to Washington DC's NBC affiliate, and had a magnificent 27-year run, as a sportscaster and host of "The George Michael Sports Machine."

I first saw him on the Sports Machine in 1984. While visiting my uncle's in 1989, I remember listening to Don & Mike on WAVA radio, and George did a sports segment every day. I watched him on his sports report and was captivated. Being the pack rat that I was/am, I taped his sportscasts any chance I got.

I had the privilege of being invited to an Orioles game in Baltimore in 1998, in a luxury box. When I found out the TV could pick up, George's sports report, I was glued to it.

I faithfully watched the Sports Machine, the last 8 years of which I watched on WGAL.

It pained me when NBC started slashing budgets and wanted to cut more than half of George's sports department. Instead of cutting those positions, including his wife's, he opted to step away. His last sportscast was 3/1/07.

One listen or one view of George Michael, and you knew he was on top of his game every single time. He was a legendary demander of perfection. He never settled for anything less than the best.

When I first learned that George was on radio before TV, and started to listen to tapes of his old show. I knew I wanted to be just like him. I never could replicate his signature voice or endless enthusiasm, but I've tried on a few occasions on the Party Zone.

I e-mailed George when he retired, wishing him luck, and showing him the blog post I made that day. Four months later, he replied. Some of his comments included, "I want to thank you for the very kind note... Thanks for the posting. What a memory trip! George Michael".

Now, it's my turn to say thank you for the memory trip.

George passed away yesterday morning. He had been quietly suffering from leukemia for the last two years. Radio and TV has lost a legend. I lost the guy who is a huge career influence. I repeat what a lot of my colleagues and fellow media members say... there will never be another George.

He lives on in our memories and in tapes and videos of his work. There are plenty of YouTube postings, as well as airchecks on MusicRadio77.com, Famous56.com, and Reelradio.com.

George leaves his wife, two children, and a large amount of fans... me and a few of us here at the station included.

God Bless You, George, and thank you.
TS

Hershey in December

Believe it or not, I'm not referring to football...

I will be there for state football championships this weekend. I highly advise not going to Hershey if you aren't going to the Selinsgrove/Manheim Central game on Friday night. I expect 10,000 of my closest friends to be there. Saturday would be a better option.

I've blogged before about Sara Bozich of the Harrisburg Patriot-News and her fantastic weekly column. Well, she's written a book about Hershey. Hershey: A Guide To The Town Built On Chocolate is now available online. If you haven't been off of Hersheypark Drive when you've been to Hershey, then this is a great read. Find out more at www.touristtown.com/books/hershey.html.

Happy reading!

Buckle up,
TS

The adventures of Sunday driver...

The weather was not kind to me yesterday. If you drove between 8AM-11AM, you drove slower than usual, or not at all.

I parked on the side of the road, awaiting snowplows on route 443 from 8:15ish-9:50. As I decided to hit the road, one did come the other was on 443 in Friedensburg.

I was supposed to be in Elizabethtown by 9:30... ended up getting there at 12:45. The inclement weather often leads to road closures, crashes, and detours. Did I hit them? Yes, yes, and yes.

No wonder I had a headache.

The advisories were posted the night before to start at 5AM, then got moved up overnight to 7AM. Lesson learned? Travel waaay ahead of time, and shell out a few sheckles for a hotel room and good tires.

Believe it or not...

Hockey season starts today. Yes, I know. It's still technically summer.

But, my favorite hockey team, the Hershey Bears, start training camp today. Team Broadcaster John Walton has all the details on his excellent website, www.johnwaltonhockey.com.

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The T-102 Netcast game for this Friday will now be Schuylkill Haven at North Schuylkill.

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Buckle up,
TS

Residency

I mark 10 years this week that I'm an official Skook. After working in State College for eight months, I returned full-time to T-102.

The day I moved was even hotter than today's temperatures. The Summer of '99 was a hot, dry one. It was 95 degrees on the 4th of the July. I remember it because I was on air that day and night. The owner of the station I worked at in Happy Valley also coordinated fireworks shows. Through a sophisticated system of computers and antennas, I ran the 1999 State College fireworks. All I did was click a mouse... and put up with lousy air conditioning in the studio. I never got to see any of them until the staff meeting two days later.

The day after, RC asked me to come back to T-102, and I said yes.

A month later, my parents and aunt came to Bellefonte with a U-Haul to help me move. Wouldn't you know it, the day move was the day it rained cats and dogs. Three of us made the trip from I-80 back to Wilkes-Barre through a line of storms. That weekend was also my parents' anniversary. Their dinner was at the Wendy's at Buckhorn, sitting beneath windows that leaked.

These are moments that memories are made of... especially with family. I went to a family reunion last month, and had a ball. In fact, it is now my responsibility to add to the photo album for next year. Dad and I will start working on that over Christmas. I had another family get-together this past weekend, at my Godson Josh's graduation party. Hot as hell, but it was fun to see everyone again.

Josh starts classes at King's next week. You couple that with the fact that there is a head coach in the NFL younger than I am, and you can tell I'm getting old.

I look forward to the day that I can host family get-togethers at my place of residence... wherever it may be. I think I can count 12 states where I have relatives (PA, NJ, MD, FL, IL, GA, CA, LA, SC, NC, MA, VA, and probably more)... not bad for a kid who has roots in the mid-South, Ireland, Poland, and Lebanon. My great-great-great-great-great-uncle is a Saint... Nimutallah Kassab Hardini, who was born 200 years ago. I also remember my great-grandmother telling me I am also a descendant of Vice President John C. Calhoun.

I have more investigating to do.

Buckle up,
TS

If this gets passed...

If the "Performance Tax" bill gets passed, you'll probably hear a lot less music on radio. Here's the other side of it... http://www.noperformancetax.com

We lose another good guy...

First, it was Harry Kalas. Now, it's Gary Papa. The longtime sports director at Channel 6 WPVI in Philly passed away this afternoon. He fought a long battle with prostate cancer. An excellent tribute is posted at www.6abc.com.

Buckle up,
TS

This TV poll...

WNEP-TV is conducting a poll, asking you to vote for your favorite local DJ.

Go to WNEP.com, click on Decades of DJ's. Click on the link to vote for your favorite.

I'm not going to tell you who to vote for, but I will tell you that the two gentlemen who Andy Palumbo highlighted are two of the best in the business in their areas.

I first met Frankie Warren when I was 12, and he was at WILK. This was in 1987, when WILK still played music as "AM 98." The only thing that has changed about him in recent years in that he shaved off his mustache, and now has a family. He's always been a great guy, both on air and off air. We've worked a few Bowl For Kids' Sake events together in Wilkes-Barre, and always had fun.

Gary Chrisman has been a guest with me on Sports Saturday in the past, and he knows his stuff. He was actually on T-102 a few times... back when Railway Park was in the Little League World Series in 1997. He's the radio voice of the LLWS. He also owns his own TV production company, broadcasting local football and basketball. He's also a very nice guy, and never short on stories to tell.

If I get any votes in WNEP's poll, I'm grateful.

Buckle up,
TS

14 years ago...

May 12th, 1995 was my first day on radio as a "DJ." I found out the day before that my first show would be the next day.

It was a rainy morning on the campus of King's College in Wilkes-Barre. Finals had wrapped up the day before. The campus was kinda barren, since everyone had moved out.

What set 88.5 WRKC apart from the other college stations in the area was the Radio Home Visitor... a daily news program for the blind. It aired at 10AM, and replayed at 11AM.

I was already scared that morning, and the fear doubled when the "RHV" wasn't on at 10AM. The rule was no RHV, no music. The program director got there at 11:10 and signed the station on. Father Tom, the station manager, was at a funeral. I got there shortly after and got things ready for my show.

The station always played an entire album during the noon hour. My first record that I played was, "Live Nude Guitars" by Brian Setzer. Then, my show ran from 1:00-4:00. A couple other DJ's had stopped in. Father Tom came back, hearing that RHV got on late. I thought my first day would be the last day. Luckily, I was spared.

I played mostly R&B and a bit of dance music. I did my shows on Friday, then on Thursday throughout the summer. Honestly, my biggest fans were the temporary residents at the Luzerne County Correctional Facility. I'm sure you can figure out my euphemism.

I did one or two more shows after school started, then I got hired at two stations in Scranton.

I might have done 13 or 14 shows on 88.5... I supplied most of my own music, on cassette. There were some CDs and some records, but not too many. While the RHV played, I would venture back into the music libraries and look through all the albums.

The station as I remember it had only one functioning studio. When the student center got remodeled, an entirely new facility was built, complete with all music on hard drive. A new tower is in the works for the station as well.

College radio has always been a great breeding ground for budding talent. It's one of the few places left where you can get real radio experience. Most colleges around here have one or two stations, some even closed circuit. If you're interested in going to college for communications, get hooked up with its radio station. I'm thankful I did.

Father Tom still hosts the Radio Home Visitor every day. It's the nation's longest-running radio reading service for the blind. I owe them a night sometime soon.

Buckle up,
TS

Random musings...

You can't spell twitter without twit.

Why in the world do I want to know what somebody is doing every single moment of their lives? There's one aspect of life that I greatly treasure... privacy. This is why you don't hear me publicize where I am 24/7/365. Where you are is more important than where I am.

All you need to know is that I'll be on your radio tonight from 6:00 to midnight... and I'll tell you where I've been after it happens.

The next time you check someone's twitter, just remember how you got along without it, and how much less complicated life was.

Go on youtube and watch any commercials from the 70s... no websites, no cell phones, no internet, no video games and you had to actually leave your house to buy something. No reality shows, no CDs, DVDs, DVRs, CNN, ESPN, or HDTV.

You went to Hess's to buy a console TV that could never be hung on a wall. You wrapped aluminum foil around the antenna to be able to watch the Phillies games. Standing in line waiting to get checked out at Zayre's and A&P? That was a reality show. No infomercials.

You listened to the radio for new music, then went to the record store to buy the entire album... no I-tunes back then. Heck, cassette singles were a big deal in the late 80s.

News anchors had the voice of God, and were revered and remembered as such... Walter Cronkite, Huntley & Brinkley, John Facenda, Franklin D. Coslett, and so many more.

You can tell that I long for some parts of the good ol' days. My earliest memory dates back to 1977. I first remember paying attention to what was going on in the world in 1980, when my parents got cable. What a big deal it was to have 12 channels!

Let's see... WDAU, WBRE, ESPN, WNEW, WNEP, WPHL, WVIA, WOR, WCAU, WPIX, CNN, and KYW.

What memories! Vic's Vacant Lot on ESPN, Tom & Jerry on WPIX, and the Pink Panther on Fridays at 7:30 on KYW. I'm not sure why, but my parents let me have a black and white TV with rabbit ears in my room when I was five. I would watch Keith Martin on Eyewitness News at 11, then Johnny Carson on the Tonight Show. We only had four channels back then, and none of them aired anything overnight. Ah, the good ol' days!

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Miniature golf! We have a few nice courses in this area. Heisler's, Goody's, and Burnie's.

My friends and I went to Carlisle Sports Emporium on Saturday night... two courses, $10. Crowded, but worth it. I got two holes in one on the Western Course. Yee-haa! Shot 4-under par, best round I've had in a few years!

Is there still a mini golf course in Pine Grove?

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Buckle up,
TS

Losing a few great ones...

Forgive me for not blogging lately. I didn't give it up for lent, but have been busy here.

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If you're younger than 40, then you know no other voice than Harry Kalas when it comes to the Phillies. Look at any media site in Philadelphia and the suburbs. You'll see tributes abound. I'm sure Youtube is flooded with them.

When the Phillies won the World Series in October, I was lucky enough to be able to pick up WPHT in Philadelphia up at my parents' house that night. The radio signal was 10 seconds behind the TV play-by-play. When I saw Brad Lidge kneel on the ground in disbelief, I turned up the radio so I could hear Harry's call. I'll never forget the joy in his voice that night.

I credit whoever had the foresight at Comcast Sportsnet to put a camera in the press box to record Harry making the final call, and Chris Wheeler celebrating like crazy.

WBRE used to carry a few Phillies games here and there, and I'd occasionally watch and listen to Harry, Richie Ashburn, and Andy Musser. I've watched the Phils more in recent years, and smiled anytime I got to hear "Outta Here!"

A few years ago, we had a Harry Kalas call as a contest cue. "Here's the stretch. The 1-0 pitch. Swing and a LONG DRIVE... IT'S OUTTA HERE!!!! TREMENDOUS HOME RUN, JIM THOME, AND THE BIG MAN DELIVERS AGAIN!" Vintage Harry Kalas.

Thanks for the Memories. Eternal High Hopes.

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As I type this, Al Kovy is playing Night Ranger's "Goodbye"... "I was never much good at goodbye" is the lyric that sticks in my head.

An hour ago, I found about John Madden's decision to retire. Since 1979, John has been on NFL telecasts. He was probably one of the few broadcasters to be prominently featured by all 4 major networks... CBS, Fox, ABC, then NBC.

For the first time in a very long time, he took a week off last season. I sensed retirement was near, but not this soon. It's tough to imagine watching football without hearing his voice. To me, Pat Summerall and John Madden are still the gold standard in broadcasting teams.

John picked a good time to go out on top. He and Al Michaels had one of their best games ever in Super Bowl 43. Not many people can go out on top. Good luck, John.

Frank Caliendo is crying somewhere, because he won't have any new material for a while.

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WYOU dropped their news department a few weeks ago.

They were the top news station in Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in the 60s and early 70s. However, the ownership couldn't keep up with WNEP once Newswatch 16 went full steam ahead in the 70s. When they finally moved to 415 Lackawanna Avenue, things slowly got better. They were at their best in the mid-90s, especially with the 11:00 leading into David Letterman. They really scored points with us in the media who were watching their coverage when Bill Clinton came to Wilkes-Barre.

When WYOU was sold to new owners around 1997, things began to change for the worse. Five high-priced talent were let go, including Debbie Dunleavy. Honestly, the news product looked alright for a few years during the 22 Action News era. Unfortunately, it's gone. I'm glad my buddy Scott Stuccio went to work for the Penguins when he did.

When the (bonehead) owners of WYOU in 1998 entered into the shared services agreement with WYOU, we were all skeptical. Most of their footage could be seen on both WBRE and WYOU. Some people referred to the two as Channel 50 (22+ 28).

Speaking of (bonehead) owners, another leader in Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in the 60s and 70s is on life support. The Mighty 590 W-A-R-M was the station to listen to from 1958 through the 70s. By the 90s, they were news/talk, and I listened often... especially when their signal went to FM in 1995.

Then Susquehanna Broadcasting sold them and their sister stations in 1996 for $10 million. Slowly, WARM became lower on the priority list. Lately, WARM has been oldies via satellite and running on the backup transmitter. That transmitter went kaput two weeks ago. Not sure when it will be back.

For both WYOU and WARM, the people who have been working there the last 10-12 years should be credited for trying to make lemonade out of a pretty small lemon. It's too bad that their owners don't live in the area and don't know the people who make things tick around here.

That's what I've always liked about working here... I see the owner every day. He grew up here, and he knows the area. That's just about true for everyone who is here.

I've worked for the big corporation, and never saw anybody associated with direct ownership... just via e-mail and memos. I'd love to see the rules return to a company only allowed to own one am, one fm, and one tv in a market... I can dream, can't I?

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Buckle Up,
TS