September 3 In Radio History

In 1939…In a radio broadcast, British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain announced that Britain and France had declared war on Germany. Germany had invaded Poland two days earlier.


In 1954...Last new episode of “The Lone Ranger” aired on ABC. Repeat episodes were aired by ABC in 1955 and by NBC in 1956.

Gary Owens

In 1965... Los Angeles DJ Gary Owens KMPC 710 AM was signed to the voice for the title role in Roger Ramjet, humorous super hero of a new animated TV series. Owens performs several other voices on the show in addition to the leading character. Roger Ramjet is a super astronaut who fights assorted evildoers with the help of a high- powered “proton” energy pill.


In 1969...The hit song "I've Got You Under My Skin" by The Four Seasons was released to radio


In 1970... WMCA in New York City announced the hiring of Los Angeles talk host Bob Grant to do a daily show beginning September 22. The station recently announced it was going full-time (two-way) talk radio ending a long run of playing popular music. The station was the most popular “pop” music station in the country from 1963 through 1967.



In 1971...Paul McCartney decided to name his new band "Wings."

In 1972...DJ Mike Kelly of Cleveland's WIXY 1260 AM spends 21 days, 3-hours and 58-minutes on a Ferris wheel at nearby Cedar Point Amusement park.

Don Burden

In 1976...The FCC orders radio station KOIL 1290 and sister KEFM in Omaha off the air. Licenses for the two stations, plus WIFE-AM in Indianapolis and KISN in Vancouver Washington were revoked by the FCC on grounds of misconduct by operator Don Burden – board chairman and majority stockholder of Star Broadcasting. It’s the FCC’s most severe action to date. Revoking the license means he can’t sell.

Burden was charged with a long list of violations, including running phony contests on the air, billing advertisers twice, slanting news broadcasts and giving free airtime to some political candidates.


In 1977..."Best of My Love" by the Emotions was the #1 song again for the third week.  Andy Gibb's former #1 "I Just Want to Be Your Everything" refused to fall further and that meant Rita Coolidge couldn't advance with "(Your Love Has Lifted Me) Higher and Higher".  The Commodores ("Easy) and James Taylor ("Handy Man") were stuck as well.  The rest of the Top 10:  The Floaters and "Float On", Crosby, Stills & Nash with "Just a Song Before I Go" at #7, Fleetwood Mac's "Don't Stop", the Brothers Johnson edged up with "Strawberry Letter 23" and ELO landed their 11th hit and second Top 10 with "Telephone Line".


In 1977...Rumours by Fleetwood Mac spent its 17th week at #1 on the album chart, one shy of the all-time Rock Era record by More of the Monkees.  CSN, the solid release from Crosby, Stills & Nash, was #2 followed by the Soundtrack to "Star Wars".  JT from James Taylor was fourth and Moody Blue by Elvis Presley moved from 24 to 5 following his passing on August 16. 


In 1979...Don Imus returned to WNBC 660 AM from his Cleveland Exile.

After a stint at WGAR  1220 AM in Cleveland, Ohio, Imus moved to New York City and WNBC 660 AM in December 1971. During this first stint at WNBC, Imus recorded three record albums, two for the RCA Victor label (1200 Hamburgers to Go, including some of his more popular humor from KXOA, WGAR and WNBC broadcasts, and One Sacred Chicken to Go with Anthrax, a primarily studio-created album centering on his satirical character, The Right Rev. Dr. Billy Sol Hargis) and one for the Bang label.

Imus was fired from WNBC in August 1977 along with several of the station's other personalities, in an effort to revamp the station's sound and boost ratings. In 1978 he returned to Cleveland radio as afternoon drive host on WHK, making the front page of the Cleveland Plain Dealer on his first day back in town. During that year, Imus commuted between Cleveland and New York to tape a TV talk show, Imus Plus at WNEW-TV.

In a surprise change of fortune Imus was rehired by WNBC in September 1979, and revived his morning drive show.




In 1979...Anti disco - WLUP Chicago DJ Steve Dahl’s “Do Ya Think I’m Disco” has sold more than 200,000 copies nationwide in two weeks and many radio stations are playing the anti-disco record. In Detroit  - WWWW morning DJ’s have organized a Death to Disco Ducks society, In Los Angeles, KROQ’s own insane Daryll Wayne is burying disco albums at the beach.  In Kansas City – KYYS DJ Max Floyd is recruiting listeners for an antidisco “Rock ‘n’ Roll Army. Some pop stations are featuring “no disco” music sweeps.


In 1985...songwriter Johnny Marks, who wrote the Christmas classics Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer, Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree and A Holly Jolly Christmas, died at age 75.

Bob Sievers

In 2007...long time Fort Wayne, Indiana, radio personality, Bob Sievers, died at age 90.

Sievers worked for WOWO 1190 AM for more than 50 years.

Sievers, 90, retired from his morning show on WO-WO radio in 1987 after more than 50 years at the station.

During his five decades with WOWO, he earned the title of “Mr. WOWO” as host on the popular morning show “Little Red Barn Show” that aired from 5 to 7 a.m., and the Bob Sievers show that aired from 7 to 10 a.m. Monday through Saturdays.

“I can’t think of anyone more influential in this town, and I’ve been here 35 years,” said Ron Gregory, a close friend and former WOWO radio announcer. “I can’t think of anybody who comes close to the impact that Bob Sievers had. It’s definitely the end of an era.”

Bob Sievers at age 90

In the days when the station’s 50,000-watt signal was not competing with the number of stations it does today, Sievers’ voice – and popularity – stretched across the country and around the world.

WOWO listeners could be found in 28 states and even overseas, and Sievers would often receive letters from devoted listeners across oceans, like missionaries in Africa, Gregory said. In addition to his time on the radio, Sievers also made public appearances for organizations, churches and clubs on his personal time.