© 1999-2024
Man From Mars Productions

History
obg logo
 
 
 


January 1, 1970 - WDRC AM/FM began broadcasting 24 hours a day with overnight host Dik Haddad. Click here for a page of photos from 1970 taken by Scotty Morgan.

Click here for 1971 coverage map

Casey Kasem

audio - Bob DeCarlo voices WDRC promo for American Top 40 February 14, 1971 - WDRC AM/FM debuted a new nationally syndicated program, American Top 40, hosted by Los Angeles deejay Casey Kasem. It aired every Sunday night from 7-10PM. In September it moved to 8-11PM. Later the show expanded to four hours, reflecting the increasing length of hit records and the time required to play the top 40. Starting in June 1981, AT40 was aired Sunday mornings as well. This promo features WDRC's Bob DeCarlo.

audio - August 19, 1973 Listen to a recording of Casey Kasem on WDRC from August 19, 1973.

August 15, 1971:  AT40 ad
Rick Buckley - February, 2000
Richard D. Buckley, Jr.

September, 1972 - Richard D. Buckley died; Richard D. Buckley, Jr., and his sister, Martha Ann Buckley Fahnoe, took over the corporation.

September 28, 1972 - In an effort to differentiate 102.9 from 1360 in the minds of listeners, WDRC FM began airing five hours a day of Solid Gold on the new Jim Scott show.

Solid Gold ad
October 13, 1972:  Mobile Studio D debuts

October 13, 1972 - The brand new Mobile Studio D was unveiled at Lynch Toyota's "Put Your Hands On A Toyota and Never Let Go" promotion. Jim Harrington did the honors (below left). (Right:) Bob Craig at a 1973 remote.

click for pictures of the 1973 motorpool

audio - July 16, 1973 July, 1973 - WDRC FM employed a new positioning statement: "Connecticut's non-stop stereo rock." It stopped on-air references to 102.9, calling the station "Big D 103." WDRC AM spent the rest of the decade calling itself "Hartford's Music Authority."

Bob Craig at 1973 remote

July 1974 - WDRC vice president and general manager Richard S. Korsen was named executive vice president of Buckley Broadcasting Corp. WDRC Sales manager Dick Robinson was named vice president and station manager.

January 13, 1975 January 13, 1975 - "The WDRC Morning News," with Walt Dibble, Bill Hennessey, and Ted Dalaku was launched. It was a daily half hour program which lasted less than six months. It was a victim of longtime competitor, WPOP, which dropped pop music and went to an all-news format in June.

audio - February 22, 1975 February 19, 1975 - WDRC began its first Feed-A-Friend Food-a-thon at Westfarms Mall in conjunction with the Hartford Community Renewal Team. The goal was to collect 53,000 non-perishable food items for needy families. Working from inside WDRC's Mobile Studio D, Ted Dalaku, Dick McDonough, Judd Otis, Dave Donovan and other staffers welcomed drive-by donations. As Charlie Parker explains, they far surpassed their goal.

December 4, 1975 - Richard S. Korsen announced that WDRC A/F would build a 1,700 square foot addition to its transmitter building at 869 Blue Hills Avenue in Bloomfield and vacate the 15th floor studios at 750 Main Street in Hartford. The target date for the move was October 1976.

audio - WDRC Production Director Dave Overson's 16th Anniversary of Rock  piece August, 1976 - To celebrate its 16th Anniversary of playing Top 40 music, WDRC AM launched a month-long promotion giving away dozens of double pocket albums. Production director Dave Overson produced a special montage featuring many past personalities that aired throughout the month.

early 1977 - WDRC moved out of 750 Main Street, Hartford, and relocated studios and offices to the remodelled transmitter building at 869 Blue Hills Avenue, Bloomfield.

WDRC's 16 Years of Rock
Barry Grant presents WDRC FM 103 Connecticut's Newest Album Rocker

audio - April 9, 1977 April 9, 1977 - WDRC Vice President of Programming Charlie Parker explains why the AM and FM morning shows are about to split.

April 7, 1978 - The weekly issue of The Big D Sound Survey proclaimed a new slogan for WDRC FM. The station switched to an exclusive album format, giving it the first 24-hour identity totally distinct from WDRC AM. By October, all on-air references were to D103.

D103 logo
Hartford's Hit Music Authority

April 15, 1979 - A Hartford Courant TV Week column detailed how WDRC FM had tried album-oriented rock, modified AOR, and was now primarily an oldies format with singles- oriented album rock. WDRC AM was described as playing standard Top 40 music.

 
Man From Mars site WPOP site return to top home