Dick Swayze

His Story

The following is written by Gerry Wilkinson....While I was working on the November 1998 WHYY-TV Capital Campaign, Kenn Venit e-mailed several old Temple News articles that he wrote. I saved them onto floppy and promised that after the November Capital Campaign and the December TV Pledge Drive were over, I would upload the stories.

One of these articles was about Dick Swayze, who was a paid staffer as Chief Engineer. On Monday, January 4, 1999, I spoke to Dick at the WCAU-TV transmitter site in Roxborough.

Dick left WRTI in the early sixties. Dick thinks it was about 1963, but Mike Muderick and Mike Biel think it was between Fall 1964 and Spring 1965. Kenn Venit who wrote the article thinks it was more like 1965 or 1966. When I started at WRTI in September of 1965, John Wright was Chief Engineer.

Dick left WRTI to go to WTOP Radio in Washington, D.C. Afterwards, he went into the army and then back to work in the nation's capital. Eventually, he found his way back to Philly but by then WRTI-AM was gone and WRTI-FM was all jazz.

He said that he visited the site late in 1997 or early 1998 once Al Maslin informed him about the site. Dick, like Al is involved in Ham Radio. Once Dick gets his computer up and running again, he will forward us his e-mail address. In the meantime, anyone wishing to contact him may do so by calling him at the WCAU transmitter at (610) 668-5570.

The following is an e-mail from Dick Swayze to Gerry Wilkinson....You found me. I am at WCAU and have been since late 1966 except for a very short stint at WHYY in early 1969. Am working at the transmitter in Roxboro but I think I mentioned that to you when we talked on the phone the other day.

I borrowed my wife's browser and ISP to check out the WRTI site. Wow.! I forgot that I was that young once.

I have started a search for my hard copy of the article at home but as of now I haven't been successful.