590 MIGHTY MEMORY #366

PLAY BALL 

As we approach The Major League baseball All Star Game we should remember one of the great teams of all time in broadcast history. The WARM Softball Softies. Here is a photo from Tom Woods Facebook page with some of “the players."
Photo: Tom Woods Facebook page.

The top pix from left to right, Jim Davies, Tom Woods, Bob Oliver (dec), Ron Allen (dec), George Gilbert (dec), jack Doninger (dec)

590 MIGHTY MEMORY #367

ROYAL CROWN SODA AND WARM 

WARM Radio was the place for advertising for soda companies like Coke, 7 UP  and Pepsi. But another advertiser that was prominent on WARM was the Royal Crown Soda Company. 
In the 1950s, Royal Crown Cola and moon pies were a popular "working man's lunch" in the American South. In 1954, Royal Crown was the first company to sell soft drinks in a can, and later the first company to sell a soft drink in an aluminum can. In 1958, the company introduced the first diet cola, Diet Rite, and in 1980, a caffeine-free cola, RC 100. In the mid-1990s, RC released Royal Crown Draft Cola, billed as a "premium" cola using pure cane sugar as a sweetener, rather than high fructose corn syrup. 
The company also released Cherry RC, a cherry-flavored version of the RC soft drink, to compete with Coca-Cola Cherry and Pepsi Wild Cherry. In October 2000, Royal Crown was acquired by Cadbury Schweppes plc through its acquisition of Snapple. Royal Crown operations were subsequently folded into Dr Pepper/Seven Up, a former subsidiary of Cadbury Schweppes. 
In 2001, all international RC-branded businesses were sold to Cott Beverages of Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, and are operated as Royal Crown Cola International, which handles RC Cola products outside the United States. In the US, distribution is handled by Dr Pepper Snapple Group. (wikipedia). 
But in the 60s RC Cola that brand that was then a little company urged WARMlanders to "Be smart........think big". 
Looks like they took their own advice. 

590 MIGHTY MEMORY #368

RYDER ROLLS INTO “WHAT’S HAPPENING” 

During the 60s and 70s there were various clubs dedicated to teens as well as those younger college students. WARM Radio advertising many of those events on the back of their survey sheets. This is from a 1968 May 5th survey sheet featuring Joey Shaver. 
The number one song was “My Forever Came Today” by the Supremes and Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels were riding high with their 1967 hit “Sock It To Me Baby’. 
 

590 MIGHTY MEMORY #369

OIL THAT “BOD” UP 

Anyone who grew up in the WARMland summers in the 60s and 70s tanned. One of the “burners” of choice was Johnson’s Baby Oil. Here’s how it went. You went to the beach and slabbed on the baby oil. You sat and burnt. First you got red as a lobster. Then you started to peel but then your were a bronzed tan. It went well with light summer clothing. If you didn’t get skin cancer, you’ll remember Johnson’s Baby oil and those hot summer days living for the sun.
 

590 MIGHTY MEMORY #370

CALLING ALL SALES PEOPLE 

When WARM Radio was pulling a 60% share of the radio market, the best job anyone could have had in broadcasting was to be a sales representative for The Mighty 590. 
WARM had a boatload of national accounts as well as the largest radio audience in the Northeastern Pennsylvania metropolitan market. So it was surprising in March of 1972 that WARM was actually advertising for sales people. At one point WARM didn’t even consider sales reps from other stations but as the market started to change so did that policy. 
One of Dick Bolen’s big hires during that time was a Veteran named Tim Durkin who later went on to become Sales Manager at WARM, a General Manager at Rock 107 as well as a General Sales Manager. Both Bolen is alive and well at 75 years of age. Tim Durkin passed away in 2004.
Bolen helped Joey Shaver transition into sales after the "Nighthawk" left his night time program. Previously in this 590 Mighty Memory we reported that Bolen had passed away. We were thinking of Bert Miller who was one Bolen's top sales people and was a mainstay on the WARM staff.  
We thank Mr. Bolen for letting us know he was still within the mortal range of the 590 Forever blog and apologize for the error. 

We also want to thank his for sending us along his business card that he used when he was running the very successful and dominant WARM sales team.

590 MIGHTY MEMORY #371

THE MORNING MAYOR 

While elections were held in WARMland just twice a year to pick elected officials, on the Mighty 590 Len Woloson was in a constant campaign to be known as The Morning Mayor. Woloson was featured n a button promotion that lasted nearly the time of his tenure when he returned the second time around on WARM. 

590 MIGHTY MEMORY #372

WARM AND FATHER’S DAY '70s STYLE

Back in the day, WARM Radio had a contest for everything. When June came before there was ever a Pocono Race, the Mighty 590 had a very popular Father’s Day contest. 

As indicated by this survey sheet featuring Len Woloson, a lucky dad could win a $200.00 wardrobe from WARM Radio. The survey sheet was dated May 31, 1970. The number one song was “American Woman” by The Guess Who. Clothing prices for men in 1970 were very low compared to today’s prices. A suit could run you $100.00 (and that was a good one) and two suits could be bought at outlets for about $125.00. Ties ran about ten bucks and belts and socks were in that price range. So $200.00 went a long way in getting a WARMland dad spruced up. Maybe he’s have enough left over to buy a little something for Junior.