September 18 In Radio History

In 1927...the Columbia Phonograph Broadcasting System debuted with a network of 16 radio stations. (Although other sources say 18.) The name was later changed to Columbia Broadcasting System, CBS.


In 1942...the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation was authorized for radio service.

In 1965...Billboard's Hot 100..1965:  The Beatles made it three consecutive weeks at #1 with "Help!".  Barry McGuire edged up one spot closer with "Eve of Destruction" while Bob Dylan slipped with "Like a Rolling Stone".  We Five had "You Were On My Mind" and the Dave Clark Five moved from 13-5 with "Catch Us if You Can".

The rest of the Top 10:  The instrumental "The 'In' Crowd" from the Ramsey Lewis Trio, the McCoys slipped into the Top 10 with "Hang On Sloopy", the Turtles were moving slower with "It Ain't Me Babe", Sonny & Cher's "I Got You Babe" came in ninth and the Yardbirds reached the list with "Heart Full of Soul".


In 1967...Longtime NYC radio personality Martin Block WNEW, WABC, WOR died.

Martin Block

In 1934, he went to work for WNEW at a salary of $20 per week. In 1935, while listeners to New York's WNEW in New York (now information outlet WBBR) were awaiting developments in the Lindbergh kidnapping, Block built his audience by playing records between the Lindbergh news bulletins. This led to his Make Believe Ballroom, which began February 3, 1935 with Block borrowing both the concept and the title from West Coast disc jockey Al Jarvis, creating the illusion that he was broadcasting from a ballroom with the nation’s top dance bands performing live. He bought some records from a local music shop for the program as the radio station had none. Block purchased five Clyde McCoy records, selecting his "Sugar Blues" for the radio show's initial theme song.

Because Block was told by the station's sales staff that nobody would sponsor a radio show playing music, he had to find himself a sponsor. Block lined up a producer of reducing pills called "Retardo"; within a week, the sponsor had over 3,000 responses to the ads on Block's radio show.  Martin Block's style of announcing was considerably different than the usual manner of delivery at the time. Instead of speaking in a voice loud enough to be heard in a theater, Block spoke in a normal voice, as if he was having a one-on-one conversation with a listener. When one of Block's sponsors offered a sale on refrigerators during a New York snowstorm, 109 people braved the elements for the bargain Block advertised; by 1941 potential sponsors for his show had to be put on a waiting list for availabilities.



In 1968...Gary Stevens does last show at WMCA 570 AM


In 1970...Jimi Hendrix died in his apartment from an overdose of sleeping pills in London at the age of 27.  Hendrix was pronounced dead on arrival at St. Mary Abbott's Hospital in London.  Hendrix had left a message on his manager's answering phone earlier in the evening--"I need help man."

In 1971...on the album charts...Stanley, Idaho's Carole King dominated the album chart once again as Tapestry was #1 for the 14th week in a row.  The Moody Blues remained in the runner-up spot with Every Good Boy Deserves Favour and Rod Stewart was next with Every Picture Tells a Story.  Who's Next was next followed by Ram from Paul & Linda McCartney.

The rest of the Top 10:  The self-titled Carpenters, Mud Slide Slim and the Blue Horizon by James Taylor, the Soundtrack to "Shaft" by Isaac Hayes, Black Sabbath with Master of Reality and the epic What's Going On by Marvin Gaye.



In 1974...John Lennon was a guest DJ on WNEW 102.7 FM in New York City.

In 1978…"WKRP in Cincinnati," starring Gary Sandy, Howard Hesseman, Gordon Jump, Loni Anderson, Tim Reid, Jan Smithers, Richard Sanders, and Frank Bonner, started a four-season run on CBS-TV.


In 1983...For an MTV publicity stunt to promote KISS' new album, Lick It Up , the band appear in public for the first time without makeup.


In 1997....Ron Lundy retires from WCBS 101.1 FM


In 2006...WIYY-FM, Baltimore, becomes the 1,000th station to commence HD Radio transmissions