Bob Backman

His Story

The following is written by Gerry Wilkinson... A couple days ago, I was on the Internet reading my e-mails that basically pertain to this site, when I got knocked off. On purpose, I sign on AOL so that when someone calls my number, the call waiting will bump me off line. In that way, I don't miss any calls. If the person hangs up before the modem drops the carrier, I simply hit *69 and find out who called. Well, on this occasion, the return call went to Channel 61, WTGI-TV which is licensed to Paxson Communications for Wilmington, but TV61 is based here in Philadelphia. I took a guess that the call came from our old WRTI buddy, Bob Backman. I was correct. Bob told me that he's been General Manager at Channel 61 for a couple of years. Paxson has been transferring him around so, right now, his family is still in Ohio, which is where he previously worked. In August of this year, Paxson is starting the seventh over the air television network, PAX NET. In a hutshell, the network will be made up of all 72 Paxson O&O stations plus any indys that wish to sign up. The basic idea is that they will be sort of an over the air version of the Family Channel running off network family oriented programming. Once things are firmed up with the new network, Bob will get the word whether he is staying in Philadelphia or will be sent elsewhere. If they let him stay here, he plans for his family to move here during 1998.

Bob told me that nobody thought he had any talent and Jane Lessner buried him on AM. Only after landing a job at WHAT, did they allow him to move to FM. He worked at WRCP with Shelly Davis and Jerry Klein. From there, he kicked around at several different places and finally ended up with Paxson. He was able to make the move into TV when Paxson sold off their radio properties to concentrate more heavily into television.

We talked about where the industry has been and where we feel its headed. Bob doesn't have any Internet connection, either at work or at his Philadelphia apartment. He can only access the site from his family home in Ohio.

Earlier this year, Channel 61 changed its call letters to WPPX. All the Paxson stations have changed their calls because of their new network called, "PAX NET." All stations now have the letters P & X in them. For more details on the call letters change, check out this Business Wire story.

December 3, 2001 - Bob lost his job at Channel 61 when NBC took control of PAX and moved Channel 61 into the Channel 10 facilities on City Line Avenue. You can contact Bob via e-mail. His e-mail address is listed in our e-mail directories.

In late March 2002, Bob Backman reported that he is now Sales Manager for the PAX station in Memphis, TN. Also Bob's weekly 3-hour syndicated radio show "Cool Bobby B's Doo Wop Shop" is now heard in 30 major markets plus it is also broadcast 3 times a week on XM Satellite Radio's fifties channel. Bob's new phone number is 901-729-3277,

1970 Photos from the collection of Jerry Klein. Photo on right by Gerry Wilkinson.

This is the WRTI Old Gang Web Site

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