The WRKL Radio Tribute Site

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WELCOME TO WRKL.ORG
The WRKL Radio tribute website
'Keep it on the R'

Click here to see what's become of the WRKL building..

An October 11, 2021 Hudson Valley News article by Robert Brum about the sale of the WRKL property

Take me to THE STEVE POSSELL 50TH ANNIVERSARY PAGE, in 2019

The Journal News, in its June 6, 2017 edition included an article about the future of local radio, specifically Rockland County radio, by Robert Brum.

The Great WRKL Tower Collapse is now on its own page, here.
If you can't pay a visit to scenic Mt. Ivy in person to check out the fallen tower, this page is the next best thing.

WRKL's 50th Anniversary was in 2014. We have a special 50th anniversary page. It includes the 1969 WRKL record album, "The Impossible Dream".

Whatever happened to WRKL?

From July 4, 1964 until March 18, 1999, WRKL was Rockland County, New York's community radio station. Locally owned for over 34 years, the station was sold to Odyssey Communications at the end of 1994. The new owners phased out the station's MOR music programming and replaced it with a combination of local and syndicated talk programs. When the company decided it would rather build an empire of small FM stations than run WRKL, the station was put up for sale. A buyer was found in September 1998, and Polnet Communications took over ownership of WRKL on March 19, 1999. Their programming was in Polish. These pages celebrate what was WRKL for its first (almost) 35 years.

Wanna know more about WRKL's history? Click here.

On August 7, 2018, Steve Possell did some reminiscing with a couple of his fellow alumni from WRKL on his wrcr.com morning show. Here's Steve with Bob Marshall, Dave Saviet and Mark Hanok (honestly, how do you get rid of that guy??). Check out "The Bad Old Days at WRKL".
Thanks to Jeff Lewis for the audio.

On this page are the SOUNDS OF WRKL. Links to R other pages, with pictures, archives and more R at the bottom of this page.

Most files are now mp3's.

Let's begin at the beginning, with WRKL's First Broadcast from July 4, 1964 at 9:10 AM. What you hear is the voice of WRKL founder Al Spiro, as recorded in New York City. The original recording made at the station that day was destroyed in the fire of July 22, 1967. Presumably the WRKL "theme" preceeded Al's opening remarks.

After the station's trailers were burned to the ground in that 7/22/67 arson fire, the station returned to the air on July 27, 1967. Here are Spiro's comments opening that day's Hotline program. (above 2 excerpts taken from the WRKL "Impossible Dream" LP)

All good things come to an end, and WRKL as we knew it did too, on March 18, 1999 at 3:00 PM. Norman Garfield delivered the closing remarks that day, and gave the final station I.D. (courtesy of Neil Richter)

Listen to the WRKL Theme, heard on the station at sign-on and sign-off for its first 30 years.

MISCELLANEOUS SPOTS, PROMOS, I.D.'s & WHATEVER

Freddy Mertz--a very entertaining guy who's probably worked at more radio stations than you've ever listened to--had a run on WRKL in the mid-1990's. Here are a couple of clips from September 1996, furnished by Scott Salotto.
Freddy & Bagels
Freddy & Suffern Mayor George Parness talking after a water main break in that village

More Mertz, in these clips from Eddie Wilson:
Freddy and Steve Possell on Steve's 25th anniversary with the station, from 2/29/96
An excerpt from the FREDDY MERTZ SHOW on St. Patrick's Day 1996. Scott Salotto & Eddie make appearances
More from the FREDDY MERTZ SHOW in March 1996 First Freddy speaks with 12 year-old Melanie about her pool, then he talks with WRKL account exec Linda
Melanie on with Freddy again later that same month
Melanie and Freddy on Pet Patrol February 1996
Melanie plays an April Fool's Day joke on Freddy April 1996

Former RKL account exec. Paul Panzarella sent us the following from his collection. The best guess is that these were from the 1982-1985 period.
Grandpa's Attic featuring Steve Possell
Presenting....Steve & Steve (Possell & Roy) on an All Bright Electric spot
Another All Bright Electric spot with Carol Ann Pretzel & Steve Roy
Monsey Glass & Window Holiday spot which casts Steve Possell in the role of Santa
Monsey Glass & Window spot starring Steve Possell as a talking window

From a January 1980 "Rob McLean" midday show, we've got the following 6 cuts. Recorded in Stony Point, NY, some of the cuts are a bit noisy....
Getting To Know You spot & Morning Report Promo Rob McLean with a two-fer
Welcome Wagon spot & Cooperative Extension PSA
A live-copy read of a Basketball Promo
Waldbaums spot donut featuring Jeff Baker
Jeff Baker strikes again on a Nova Lighting spot
No one delivers a spot like Steve Possell. Here he is over 30 years ago on a Herb Lack Paint spot

An almost clean copy of the station sign-on & theme from the early 80's
3 for the price of 1 Legal I.D
Squiggy Tympani I.D. (rare!!)
HERK'S Commercial Parody(or is it?)(1976)
Pete Gregory Liner #1(1977)
Pete Gregory Liner #2(1977)
Promo Radio-Red Hot Because It Works--A Radio Advertising Bureau intro to a sponsor testimonial from Gary Goldberg. That's actor Howard Duff on the intro, and Steve Roy on the tag(1982)
Samsondale Furniture spot featuring Steve Possell and the store's cheesy jingle(1982)
Awards too numerous to mention I.D.(1982)
Another "award winning" Steve Roy I.D. The added tympani was a Saturday Morning exclusive
And still another Steve Roy I.D. from a 1988 aircheck
Steve Possell as introduced by Tim Scheld. Bob Marvin pops up here too(1980)
A very special message from owner Betty Ramey about plans to build a fulltime WRKL(1982)#
Rich Mendelson's News Intro which introduced every half-past newscast(1980)
Elvis LIVES at W-R-K-L-vis featuring Dan Taylor(1987)
Bonnie Burnham reading a WeatherPhone Promo (1988)
Steve Possell on a Jeff Baker Show promo(1978)
Mark Hanok promo(1980's)#
Nanuet Mall spot featuring Marty Brandon(1996)
Palisades Center Mall spot featuring Jeff Baker & Jon Feld(1998)
Rockland Bakery featuring Jeff Baker(1998)
N.Y.S. JobService PSA, featuring Charlie Goldstein. Charlie used to come in once a month to record these(1982)
V.D. Gets Around PSA that seemed to surprise the unflappable Steve Roy(1981)
Weather Phone promo. Steve Roy(1981)
"Good Old Jazz" promo for the 12/6/81 show
Ralph Snodsmith with a Garden Hotline promo(1988)
Steve Wendell I.D.#
Useful I.D. (1984)#
Kris Erik Stevens I.D.(1995)#
Week In Rockland intro, featuring Kris Erik Stevens(1996)#
Tradio Promo (1997)#

Which leads us to a stack of contributions from former WRKL Production Director, Eddie Wilson:

First, a couple of announcements that were purchased by JUKEBOX RADIO. (SAY WHAT?? Read all about it here) Jukebox Radio was an FM translator that could be picked up in part of Rockland County. They were introducing WRKL listeners to their mix of local news, traffic & weather, and oldies music. These ran on WRKL for the last few days of its life. The reverb heard on the promos was consistant with the sound of Jukebox Radio.
Jukebox Radio promo 1 Jukebox Radio promo 2
From Eddie's show on April 19, 1996, the intro to the WRKL Pet Patrol, voiced by Kris Eric Stevens
Eddie on April 20, 1996 starting up the Tradio show, filling in for Scott Salotto
That same day, Eddie with sports director George Dacre, and back to Tradio
Eddie opening up Tradio, as he subs for Scott Salotto
From March 15, 1999, in WRKL's last week of English broadcasts, Eddie launching into his Sounds of Morning contest Be the 9th caller at 362-9100!
Eddie once again on 3/15/99 with the open of OPERATION STORMWATCH On a Monday morning, following a snowstorm just days away from the station's final sign-off
Eddie on the phone with a WHAT'S COOKIN' contest winner, and a weather forecast from 3/22/96

Freddy Mertz Show promo Voiced by Kris Erik Stevens from March 1996
Stevens again, on a Freddy Mertz Show promo (March 1996)
Mertz Show promo with Rudy Giuliani (May 1996)
Another Mertz Show promo with Giuliani (May 1996)
Mertz Canada Geese promo (June 1996) Voiced by Bill Moffett.

Station voice Kris Eric Stevens on a promo for the Dr. Laura Schlessinger Show (March 1996)
Another Dr. Laura promo from May 1996

Eddie on a :30 for Roberts Painting (March 1996)
Marty Brandon on a commercial for the Rockland Yellow pages
Eddie tags a spot produced by the famous Dick Orkin's Radio Ranch for a book, "BLAST FROM THE PAST" by B. Eric Rhoades. It's still available on ebay, over 25 years later, and at a better price, too (March 1996)
Eddie's prerecorded opening for the Sportstalk program (June 1998)
Heineken Beer Trip Giveaway promo (July 1998)
Eddie does 4 promos for the Union State Bank Weatherphone (September 1998)
A Back to School Promo (September 1998)
"One Moment Please" Promo (September 1998)
Andy's Menswear commercial, with Eddie and Joe Sussman (March 1996)
Big Daddy's Liquors commercial (August 1998)
Clarkstown Heating commercial (September 1998)
Doctor Roof commerical with Marty, Joe & Julie
Action Nissan commercial (July 1998)
Two WRKL telemarketing ads:Telemarketing Ad 1 (6/98) Telemarketing Ad 2 (7/98)
Monsey Glass commercial (June 1998)
Promo for the annual Ramapo Independence Day celebration with the voices of Eddie Wilson and Neil Ricther (June 1998)
Marty Brandon and Eddie on a Cropsey Farm spot (August 1998)
In it's final year, 1998, WRKL was doing a lot of live remotes. Here are a couple of Eddie's promos for them:
Rockland Auto Plaza Remote promo (July 1998)
Don Pablo's Restaurant Remote promo (June 1998)
A Drug World spot from 1998
Even more Eddie Wilson on a Financial Mobility promo-the show so nice they ran it twice(1998)
Julie the Contest Queen & Marty Brandon on another Monsey Glass spot(1997)

Back in 1997, the station set up a telephone comment line, for listeners to call and voice their opinions on the station's programming. Although the calls were not going to be broadcast, they were listened to. This piece of production was created at the behest of General Manager Bill Brady, for reasons only he could explain. Basically it's a hatchet job on News Director Phil Stern's daily talk show, and featured Brady's own voice at the start, and as one of the callers. The rest of the calls were legitimate. It was never heard on the air, that we know of.
The Anti-Phil Stern Promo (1997)

From Andy Blecher, this aircheck from a Saturday morning in 1995. Andy does a lot of crosstalk with news anchor Melissa Exelberth, something the program director told him to stop doing, after hearing this broadcast. Andy says that didn't stop him, and in fact he used this aircheck to help land a radio job in Phoenix. Take that, Phil! Andy & Melissa - 1995

Submitted by Neil Richter. All material from 1995-1999
Jeff Baker's EAS Test Opening
Clara Mack's Gospel Show Promo
Kevin Conners' & Julie's Spring Valley Marketplace Spot
Norman Garfield's Jewish Sounds Promo
Jeff Baker shilling for West Nyack Car Wash
Hey buddy, wanna buy your own radio show? John Wilson explains
Afternoon News Promo with Kevin Patrick
An I.D. like this only comes around once every 200 years. Here's Ray Rossi's Bicentennial Station I.D.
Now, over 2 minutes of exclusive non-stop Ray Rossi bumpers with an ID thrown in for exclusive good measure. EXCLUSIVELY on the KIOTR website. Get the message?
The Contest Disclaimer as related by Kevin Conners
Captain Radio, George Dacre's Sportstalk Promo
After Kris Erik Stevens, but before Ray Rossi, Bill Moffett was the station "voice", heard here on a station I.D. and a bumper

Here are a couple of old sound files, recently contributed by Mike DeMeo.
A WRKL Signoff from the summer of 1966, as best as we can figure. The voice is that of Bob Fitzsimmons. Bob reads the signoff, talks about a dance that evening at Letchworth Village's Kirkbride Hall, and goes over the station lineup for the next day.
He mentions Pete Brooks, Frank Wallace, Al Spiro, Big Daddy (aka George Dacre), Lance Lovely, and Hotsy Totsy. According to ex-WRKL-er Steve Possell, on summer evenings when the station didn't sign off until 8:30, Bob would play Broadway showtunes from 6:30 to 7 PM, hosting under the name Lance Lovely. Bob talks up the intro to the station theme, and then the transmitter is turned off just before the theme finishes!

Also from sometime in 1966 comes another file, the WRRC Signoff. WRRC/1300 was the competition. Their signoff this night was read by Dick Thomas, and includes a generic jingle.

LIVE FROM MT. IVY, IT'S SATURDAY MORNING!!(1980-1983)

NYC had Saturday Night Live. Mt. Ivy had SATURDAY MORNING. Steve Roy started it in 1980; taking a looser, more humorous approach than the station's usually old-fashioned presentation. Here, Christopher Cross opens up the first half-hour of 2/13/82. The very next half hour, it's back to the 60's with Jan & Dean. In spite of the liberties which were taken with the station's format on Saturday mornings, one staple remained, the award-winning WRKL newscasts. A full 1/2 hour of news at 7AM, as teased by Jeff Baker, subbing for Steve Roy that morning.
Also from that 2/13/82 aircheck are a Nanuet Mall spot and a Welcome Wagon spot. That Nanuet Mall spot, besides having too much copy for the donut, shouldn't have run that morning; it promoted a show which had ended the day before! Tim Scheld is heard with the news following the spot. Tim's now with WCBS Radio. You've gotta love the inclusion of the "Celsius" temperature reading!! Neil Mazur is the voice at the end of the Welcome Wagon spot. Neil is currently Chief Engineer at Fox5 in Atlanta, WAGA-TV.
Everybody got into SATURDAY MORNING, including newsman Scheld. Here, it's time for the latest weather, with the special Saturday morning weather announcer introducing meterologist Mark Hanok (heard these days on WRCR-AM1700). In a 1981 clip, Steve Roy goes a round with the latest weather announcer. Later, as newsman Rich Komonchak closes out an exhaustive 35 minute newscast, Roy realizes he forgot something. That's right, the latest weather announcer, again. This became a regular occurance. Here's another .
The latest weather announcer was just one of the "regulars" on Steve's Saturday morning show. Another was Lyle Dean, the former ABC Radio newsman with the 3-ball voice, heard here as a pitch man for Suffern's Good Samaritan Hospital, in this Useful Message. What do you do when a pre-recorded liner doesn't know when to quit? Roy handles it with his usual diplomacy. As for how the "Keep It On The R" was woven into the format, Roy gives an example. Here Steve weaves in several of the Saturday Morning regulars, including one of the "hoots" (don't ask) and Bob Marvin, as he heads towards the news. In another Steve Roy clip, Steve has difficulty with a Farenheit-to-Celsius conversion. Dan Duprey voices the WRKL Christmas Appeal promo, as heard on Saturday morning 12/5/81. Also included is a sponsor testimonial.
Roy plugs the upcoming 35-minute Saturday morning 7 AM news. And here, a familiar-sounding intern is given an on the air tryout.

FROM THE RKL NEWSROOM

Not much remains in the way of audio from the award-winning WRKL news department, but here are a few clips. First, an excerpt from what was probably the 1975 "Year End Report", by news director John Russell. And here's a wrap by reporter Rich Mendelson on East Ramapo school lunches, from early 1976. Fast-forward to January 1980. This is the opening of an 11 AM newscast with Lori Siegel. The top story is the economy. 13.3% inflation, a 15% prime rate. Ahh, the good old days.
Sean Adams found this recording of the top of the WRKL 5 PM Evening News from Novemeber 27, 1996. It fades after about 4 minutes, and the commercials were taken out but here it is.
Scott Salotto dug up some of his work from 1997. Here's a composite of at least 2 morning newscasts from August '97. In the news, a county corrections officer sentenced, the Palisades Center Mall under construction, Medicare premiums, plus Cliff Cole's traffic & Mark Hanok's weather.
Jared Kindestin checked in with this audio from '98. First, he's topping a noon newscast live on the scene of a daylight bank robbery in Nanuet. Next he wraps St. Anthony's 100th anniversary, then anchors an afternoon cast. Note that in its final days, WRKL was Rockland 910.

BOB MARVIN MATERIAL

Bob Marvin coined the phrase, "This land is Rock-land" back in 1977. Off the air, he was none other than General Manager Mort Siegel. He ran WRKL for over 18 years.

A brief dissertation we call Selling Radio. Required listening for all radio sales wannabes.

Bob Mambo #5 in Hi-Fidelity mp3 format"...it's better than they deserve..."
Swing the Mort now in Hi-Fi Stereo
Bob Marvin's "Theme from SHAFT"
Get Up & Boogie (That's Right) Now this too is available in Hi-Fi...featuring Bob Marvin & Silver Hair Convention
Bob Marvin goes Techno, and there's a bit o'Bob from everywhere, in Bob Muzik
Bob Marvin Theater Review (1979) We don't know why the Coachlight Dinner Theater in Nanuet went belly up, but this scathing review by the ubiquitous Bob Marvin might be one reason...
Finally--the Bob Marvin LINER collection is here. A baker's dozen of gems from 1977. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13

Here at the MAIN PAGE of the KIOTR website we feature the sounds of WRKL. But you ain't seen nothin' yet. Make your visit complete by stopping by the rest of the KIOTR pages:

Photos of the R: equipment & people
A look at the construction and additional equipment necessary to make WRKL a 24 hour facility
Things of historical significance; licenses, logs, newspaper r-ticles, more
The WRKL Alumni page. Can you help fill in some of the blanks?
The rise and fall of the R
Whether you were a listener or an employee, share your WRKL memories, and see who's checking in
Note: The Message Board is hosted at another site, unaffiliated with wrkl.org. We are simply providing the link.
Clicking the link will open the Message Board in a new browser page.

But wait, there's more. While on the web, visit:

The New York Radio Memories website, a treasure trove of N.Y. area radio memorabilia and links

# indicates material provided by Scott Salotto.
We're always posting additional files, but for now, Bob Marvin has THE LAST WORD

HELP!! We're looking for additional material for the site. Got an audio tidbit? Printed material? Pictures? write the R

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