R.I.P.: Harry West, Longtime WARM NEPA AM Drive Host

Harry West

Former Radio Personality Harry West, the radio voice of generations at The Mighty 590 WARM in Scranton-Wilkes Barre PA died Friday night, September 27th in Pittsburgh.

He was 89-years-of-age.

West was ill for some time, according to the WARM Tribute website.

West, born Harry Westcott was fond of telling the story of how his parents got him a crystal radio set when he was a boy. Harry retold that story for years. He started his radio career in Reading but then moved up to the Scranton area when WARM Radio rocked the local radio industry and changed formats in 1958. The outlet went from a standards type of music to rock and roll. It was an instantaneous success.

When Harry joined WARM Radio he came onboard as a newscaster for WARM First News First.

After morning deejays Harry Newman and George Gilbert moved on respectively to other markets (Newman) and responsibilities,(Gilbert) Harry was made the Morning Man. Harry’s show, part of the dominant WARM format became a huge success. For the next decade he was the cornerstone of WARM programming. His show consisted of wry humor mixed with sledgehammer irony and downright corny, but well delivered jokes.

Harry West became the morning jolt for all of the WARM audience which was called WARMland. West retired in 1992.