590 MIGHTY MEMORY #454

PHOTO INDEX: TV AND RADIO.

WARM AND TV

Once upon a time there was a WARM TV. That was when WARM was owned by the Scranton family. After WARM was bought by Susquehanna, WARM stood alone as the radio ratings leader in northeastern Pennsylvania. But WARM personalities and staff made their way onto the big screen.
Two WARM disc jockeys, Tom Woods and Bob Woody had a stint as host of the Komotion Show on Channel 16, WNEP TV. Woody also hosted a Saturday night program aired at 7PM called “Comedy Classics” where “The Woody Guy” introduced Three Stooges shorts and displayed a lot of his own zany wit and humor.
Public TV took full advantage of the popularity of WARM personalities. After Bill Kelly matriculated from Avoca to Pittston as Vice President of Development in the mid 70s, he invited WARM personalities like Harry West, Tim Karlson and others to pitch for funds on Action Auction 44. Later former news director of WARM Jerry Heller joined the WVIA TV staff. Karlson later became sports director of WNEP TV.
The TV newsrooms were populated by former WARM staffers Mike Stevens, Andy Palumbo, Vince Sweeney, and of course Kevin Jordan.
Kitch Loftus, one of the first pioneering female reporters in the area has been producing documentaries with her husband Anthony Mussari for years.
So while WARM made careers in sound, many of those personalities who passed through those doors made their way on to TV with predictably successful results.