RADIO'S REVOLUTION AND THE WORLD'S HAPPIEST BROADCASTERS (RADIO)
Summary
This radio documentary concerns radio pioneer Todd Storz, who created the Top Forty format and changed the way people listen to radio. Narrated by Richard Fatherley and Ray Otis, this program features interviews and comments from Storz's colleagues and friends. Topics discussed include the following: the way the Storz family took control of the radio business; former employee Harold Sodderland on how the Storz family figured out a way for KWOH-AM in Omaha, Nebraska, to thrive; the way the station became the highest-rated station on the AM dial; former continuity director Peggy McGrath on the fun of witnessing the success; the station's programming structure, which has been emulated ever since; the word of mouth about KWOH-AM and their unique contests; the tactics Storz used to learn more about developments in radio; the controversy and publicity that resulted; how amazing the station's ratings were, considering it was a daytime station; events that made KWOH-AM the most popular station in the country; former newsman Charles Gray on his job of in-studio news anchor; Storz's decision to start a new station, WDGY-AM in St. Paul, Minnesota; former program director Bill Armstrong on Storz's creation of the first Top Forty format; the treatment of engineers as on-air talent; the way other stations began to copy the format; Storz's station WHB-AM in Kansas City; the highest amount of money that Storz paid to acquire a station; a treasure hunt contest that entailed two stations working together; Sodderly on the intervention of the FCC during the sale of WQAM-AM in Miami, Florida; WQAM-AM's domination of southern Florida's radio industry; Storz's sister, Susan, on how stations furthered programming objectives by utilizing electronic gadgets with the help of electronics whiz Dale Moudy; the fact that independent radio stations had the most listeners in the late 1950s; the way long-time Storz employees began to expand their horizons; scouting the talent pool in various stations; trademarks that Gordon McLendon picked from Storz formats; Storz's final station and his untimely death from a stroke at thirty-nine; and the dramatic impact that Storz had on AM and FM radio station formats. Commercials deleted.
Cataloging of this program was made possible by Ralph Guild, 1999.
Details
- NETWORK: Syndicated
- DATE: November 30, 1998
- RUNNING TIME: 1:23:56
- COLOR/B&W: N/A
- CATALOG ID: R:17109
- GENRE: Radio - Public affairs/Documentaries
- SUBJECT HEADING: Radio - History; Rock music
- SERIES RUN: Syndicated - Radio, 1999
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Richard Fatherley … Narrator
- Ray Otis … Narrator
- Bill Armstrong
- Charles Gray
- Peggy McGrath
- Gordon McLendon
- Dale Moudy
- Harold Sodderland
- Susan Storz
- Todd Storz