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"THE SOUNDS OF WRTI"

Posted by Jerry Klein. Updated January 3, 2010.

Thanks to the magic of the Internet, we're able to bring you, right here on your computer, some of the actual sounds from the "Golden Age" of WRTI (before all-jazz). We also have some (relatively) recent sound clips, from the 40th Anniversary broadcast on July 10, 1993, as well as from the ceremony commemorating the 50th anniversary of the dedication of the Thomas Hall radio studios, on January 21, 1998. Plus, the special 1998 Reunion Production of Playhouse 90.1 -- QUESTING FOR CAMELOT.

All clips are from my own collection, unless otherwise noted. On this page you will find an assortment of miscellaneous clips, plus links to several separate pages with more clips. Enjoy!

-- Jerry Klein


WRTI Audio/Video Files


To hear any clip, click on the icon at the start of the description.


THE WRTI PROGRAM THAT WAS 30 YEARS IN THE MAKING!

Special 1998 Reunion Production of Playhouse 90.1 -- QUESTING FOR CAMELOT

Over Memorial Day weekend of 1998, 27 WRTI alumni, along with family and friends - 55 people in all - gathered for the first ever WRTI reunion. The highlight of the afternoon was the taping of a brand new production of Playhouse 90.1. The script, entitled "QUESTING FOR CAMELOT," was written by Gerry Wilkinson from an idea suggested by Jerry Klein and developed by Gerry and his youngest daughter, Zara. Click here to listen to "QUESTING FOR CAMELOT. (11 minutes 5 seconds)

Click here to read the complete script as it was actually recorded, along with the names of all those who participated.


SIGN-ONs, SIGN-OFFs, SSTATION IDs

A station ID from the 1950s. Announcer unknown. Clip provided by Jerry Immel of Atlanta, Georgia.

The WRTI-AM sign-on, Fall 1965, courtesy of Mike Biel. Announcer: Dave McLaughlin. (36 seconds)

The WRTI-AM sign-off, Fall 1966. Announcer: Joe Ryan, station ID by Jerry DelColliano. (2 minutes 36 seconds)

The normal WRTI-FM sign-off (sans anthem) circa 1966 or 1967. Announcer - Bob Donze. (41 seconds)

A live WRTI-FM sign-off by Ed Sciaky, following his Broadside folk music show on April 1, 1967. This clip includes the National Anthem. (2 minutes 8 seconds)

Station sign-on, May 10, 1968. Announced by Ed Sciaky. (1 minute 8 seconds)

The very first sign-on from Annenberg Hall, on October 14, 1968 at 12:45 PM. The announcer, and the very first voice heard on the first broadcast from Annenberg Hall, was Ed Sciaky.


STATION PROMOS AND PSAs - Click here for audio clips of various WRTI promotional announcments.


PROGRAM INTROS AND CLOSES and Miscellaneous Production - Click here for audio clips of various WRTI production pieces.


CLIPS FROM BILL STOCK'S CLOSET - Quietly Proud Bill sent us some tapes he found in his closet. Click here to hear Bill, Mary Ellen Redmile, Merrill Reese and more.


PROGRAMS PRODUCED AT WRTI FOR WFIL - Among the tapes Bill Stock sent us were some Studio Schoolhouse productions for WFIL.


CLIPS FROM MIKE BIEL'S ARCHIVES - Click here to hear the voices of lots of WRTI people, plus historic clips of John F. Kennedy on the Temple campus.


SOME CALL IT MADNESS - Click here for audio clips from S.C.I.M., a comedy skit program broadcast weekly from November 1965 through May 1966. More details on the show are on our S.C.I.M. page.


PLAYHOUSE 90.1 - Click here for audio clips from Playhouse 90.1, "A Weekly Series of Outstanding Radio Dramas" produced by Gerry Wilkinson. (Spring 1967)


THE RADIO SHOW - Click here for audio clips from "The Radio Show", a comedy skit/variety show created by Ron Wertheimer and produced by Mickey Saperstone. (Spring 1967)


BROADSIDE - April 1, 1967 - Click here for audio clips from the April Fools' edition of Broadside, the weekly Saturday night folk music program. If I recall correctly, the program originally was hosted by Barry Berg and was later taken over by Ed Sciaky. Under Ed, the program gradually mutated into underground and progressive rock music.


MIDDAY MUSIC MAN - Click here for audio clips from Midday Music Man with Walt Mocrytzki - March and May 1968.


FLORENCE WEISS INTERVIEWS - Click here for audio clips from Florence Weiss' interviews with Tom Snyder, David Susskind, John Davidson and Joe McCauley.


WRTI-FM NEWS - "The World Today" was on WRTI-FM long before CNN even existed. Here are several samples of broadcast journalism from that and other WRTI programs.


TEMPLE SPORTS with Charles Liebman - some photos and clips from the guy who was always "rounding third and heading home."


CHRISTMAS AT WRTI - Hear three complete Christmas recordings produced at WRTI in 1961, 1963 and 1968. Also photos from the 1964 WRTI Christmas party, holiday station IDs, a holiday prank - WRTI style, and a special greeting from New Year's Eve1965.


THE 1958 TEMPLAR YEARBOOK RECORDING

Hear the 45-rpm record that was included with the 1958 yearbook (courtesy of Joel Albert).


MISCELLANEOUS

Live broadcast from the Temple Music Festival, December 13, 1966. Host: Jerry Klein; Studio Host: Mike Biel. (2 minutes 43 seconds)

Retrospect: World War II - Aired on Friday nights from February through April of 1968, this was an ambitious series of ten hour-long programs produced by Gerry Wilkinson. The narrator for episodes one through eight was Bruce Smallwood. The announcer on the intro and close was Jerry DelColliano. On episodes nine and ten, the narrator was Ed Sciaky and the announcer was Mike Biel. This clip is the beginning of the first episode. (3 minutes 7 seconds)

Here's a promo for the 10-part World War II documentary on "Retrospect." Announced by Bruce Smallwood. (1 minute 21 seconds)

Some audio from the Sixties, unearthed by Gerry Wilkinson:


THE RECORD SHELF

Intro to Mike Biel's program, "The Record Shelf," from Feb. 19, 1969. It is the start of a 3-part series on "The History of the Comedy Record." Although this particular program was done by Mike at Northwestern University following his graduation from Temple, it is based on his work at Temple. "The Record Shelf" was a weekly staple on WRTI-FM. (2 minutes 53 seconds)

A rare admission from Mike Biel.


RTF PRODUCTIONS

End credits from "To Brooklyn with Love," a radio drama produced by Florence Weiss for our RTF 44 class, and broadcast on WRTI-FM's Playhouse 90.1. This was aired in the Spring of 1968. Jerry Klein was the engineer on this show. (2 minutes 37 seconds)

Movie promo: "Alley of the Molls." Written by Scott Chelmow, produced and directed by Jerry Klein for RTF 144, October 1968. The announcer is Walt Mocrytzki. (1 minute 54 seconds)

Clip from "The Horla," produced in 1968 by Roger Wood and starring Jerry Klein, Florence Weiss and Ken Kubin. (Thanks to Roger Wood for sending the tape of this production, which is one that I did not have in my collection.) Bill Stock was technical director on another production of the same script, produced in 1963 under the name, "The Monster Within."


THE GREAT BASKETBALL SHOWDOWN: Click here for audio clips and photos from this epic basketball game between WRTI-FM and WRCP - February 12, 1969.


WRTI FOLK ON WCAU - Click here for clips from WCAU's "Morning Newsbeat" featuring Rich Kirkpatrick and Rich Mayk, along with a special interview with Marc Franz.


THE END OF AN ERA: Audio from the final broadcast from Thomas Hall, from Mike Biel - May 1968.


THE BEGINNING OF THE END: Click here for audio clips from The First Broadcast from Annenberg Hall - October 14, 1968, 12:45 PM.


WRTI-FM 40th ANNIVERSARY: Click here for sound clips from WRTI-FM's 40th Anniversary observance on July 10, 1993.


50th ANNIVERSARY OF THE DEDICATION OF THE RADIO STUDIOS IN THOMAS HALL: Click here for sound AND VIDEO clips from the ceremony held on January 21, 1998.

And here is an actual clip from the 1948 dedication itself!!


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