590 MIGHTY MEMORY #532

PHOTO INDEX: WARM RADIO HARRY WEST HOLDING A RECORD.

THE RECORD GUYS

Tom McEntee died the other day . He was a former green Beret who served his country and I'm sure he had some interesting times and stories. As a returning vet, he rarely talked about his war service. However after the war, he entered the music field and was associated with ABC/Dot records. Like most record men of the 60s and 70s, he had an abundance of anecdotes and tales associated with this part of his life. Tom was the founder of the Country Radio Seminar which is now a blockbuster organization with a huge turnout at an annual affair in Nashville. He was Southeast editor of the now gone CASHBOX Magazine. To put this in perspective for our Forever 590 readers, Tom was the promotional guy who got the records to the radio stations. Back in the 60s and 70s, record companies would send representatives to various radio stations with promotional copies hoping that the station would add it to their playlist. The hundreds of songs not making the playlist were given away at radio station remotes and appearances. After hearing the song on the radio, radio execs hoped people would buy the song at the music store. WARM was one of the most visited stations in the country because of its ratings success. Stations like the MIGHTY 590 were frequent stops for lieutenants of music executive Tom McEntee. One of the songs McEntee was responsible for getting on the air was "Come Monday", a mellow tune that launched the career of one Mr. Jimmy Buffett. The song was of course played on WARM in the summer of 1974. Here's Jimmy Buffett talking about that song and how he did the video on it. Buffett was the singing star but it was a guy like Tom McEntee that made radio stations aware of Buffett's talent.

590 MIGHTY MEMORY #533

PHOTO INDEX: WARM "CASH CARD"

SAVE, SAVE, SAVE!!!

In this blog we've touched on the customer service values of the Mighty 590 and the way the station connected with its listeners. WNEP's Andy Palumbo and former WARM newsman sent this cash card along. This was a card that a WARM listener used as a way to garner discounts and savings at WARMland businesses. Those concerns were also advertisers for WARM Radio. So in effect everyone won. It was a WIN WIN even before business gurus were using that phrase. The sales team won, the station increased its listnership and top of mind awareness and the listener, the consumer got a deal. Or if they didn't, at least they thought they got a deal. The WARM Cash Card, just another inexpensive but inclusive way WARM used to touch its audience.
In 1969 the Doors "Touch Me" was a top song played on WARM. Touching the listeners was paramount to WARM's success.

590 MIGHTY MEMORY #534

PHOTO INDEX: THE SOLE VOICE OF WARM RADIO TODAY, TRUE OLDIES CHANNEL'S SCOTT SHANNON.

STAYING TRUE

WARM Radio has been running the True Oldies Channel for a few years now. It is a good format with wonderful music that typifies the tunes heard on The Mighty 590 in its heydey. Popular and nationally know disc jockey Scott Shannon voices and runs the channel. A few weeks ago Shannon asked listeners to e mail him about the first 45 they bought. Naturally I couldn't resist and sent Scott this note:
Hi Scott, loved you on vh1, listening on WARM AM 590 Scranton/Wilkes Barre. My first oldie I bought was the 4 Seasons “Let’s Hang On”. I remember having my buck in my pocket and going to the local 5 and dime. I was looking for Herman’s Hermits “A Must To Avoid” but I kept on calling it “a must to a boy”. I was a dumb kid. So then I saw the seasons jacket that had them all in a singing pose. They were suited up in ties and double breasted coats and I thought, “These guys had style….and could sing”. So with my fifty nine cents I bought “Let’s Hang On”, 3:15. Phillips Records, black label, orange lettering, flip side “Sassy” an instrumental. David Yonki (pronounced YONK-EYE) Wilkes Barre, Pa.
A few weeks later, ironically enough on the day I went to the Woodstock museum Scott played my song and read the e mail. He and his staff were kind enoiugh to let me know when the song would be on. I first received a "shout out" from Scott.
THANKS DAVE...GREAT NOTE.....GOOD TO HAVE YOU LISTENING.. SCOTT
Then I got a confirming e mail from the staff:
Hi! Your song will air around 11:25 Central today. Thanks, Guy Patton
Although I did not hear it, many of my friends did and when I arrived home, my voice mail had many messages saying they heard me on WARM again, but this time coast to coast. Here's the link to the True Oldies Channel http://www.trueoldieschannel.com/ as well as 590 WARM. http://www.warm590.com/Article.asp?id=598365And here are the two songs I mentioned. The first was the 45 that I couldn't remember, Herman's Hermits "A Must To Avoid" and the second was the 4 Seasons "Let's Hang On" from The Ed Sullivan show.

590 MIGHTY MEMORY #535

PHOTO INDEX: VAUGHN'S BREAD PROMOTION.

PROMOTIONAL MANNA

WARM Radio had its big days at Rocky Glen Park. We all know that from the hundreds of photos we've seen. But WARM would sponsor promotional days at the park which featured family fun days. People who showed up were treated to discounts at the park, an opportunity to hobnob with WARM personalities but also get some free producct. At one WARM Vaughn's promotional day at Rocky Glenn, a half a semi filled with bread was give away. While WARMlanders got their bread in August of '64, they were listening to these songs:

As George Gilbert used to say, "You could never go wrong with the Beatles" and with this promotion, you couldn't fail with this song.