The afternoon drive slot at WFLA AM was fun because it paired me with traffic reporter Gary McHenry. I always tried to have a bit planned to bounce off him. Beyond some odd news item or fact it was all unplanned improv. You never hear radio like this anymore because the traffic is recorded from some remote location as is the on air talent who "voice tracks" (records breaks to be played later) multiple stations. This afternoon also features AccuWeather meteorologist Ken Clark.

Live radio like this is gone now. (As are green stamps, which was the big on-air promotion this day.)

Traffic reports from the Goodyear Blimp! with Arch Deal are highlighted with Mike Weber and Martin Giles anchoring this afternoon drive segment. Also featured are Tedd Webb with sports, Alan Archer Accuweather, and Steve Cheney makes suggestions for weekend TV watching.

News1 Radio - News/Talk without politics! This is after the format had been on the air replacing the WLCY music format for a month. Mike Weber & Martin Giles were in the afternoon drive slot before moving to mornings. The show featured CBS Network news segments, Tedd Webb with sports, Arch Deal traffic, Alan Archer weather, and a variety of talk subjects. This day gold was at $459.79 an ounce, Hurricane Harvey was churning and discussion of left handedness with the head of "Left Handers International."

Mike Weber does middays on AM 1380 WLCY. It's the day after the 1980 primary elections. Howard Hewes steps in before his afternoon shift.

Mike Weber does middays on WLCY 1380 AM. The station was doing a "Tie A Yellow Ribbon" campaign in support of the hostages in Iran.

Mike Weber morning drive on WFLA-FM The Jacksons are coming in concert and there is confusion about coupons for tickets. Tedd Webb is doing sports reports including the NCAA allowing college football TV broadcasts on Saturday afternoons, Rowdies exhibition soccer, and Bandits football. Lee Hall has news of Walter Mondale visiting Tampa and potential female VP running mates in the 1984 presidential election and Brian Brewer is in the Firestone Jetcopter doing traffic.

NOTE: FLA FM used a stand-up console (no chair) configuration to help add energy to the on-air presentation. They wanted me to be "up", but It sounds like I need to switch to decaf coffee!

K-99 afternoon drive with Mike Weber
Later that evening "Night Court," starring Harry Anderson and created by comedy writer Reinhold Weege, premieres on NBC TV; runs for 9 seasons. Adrian Dantley ties Wilt Chamberlain's NBA record for most free throws made in a game by converting 28 of 29 free throws in Utah's 116-111 win over Houston at Las Vegas. Tampa doesn't have a hockey team yet but Edmonton beats Minnesota 12-8 in the highest-scoring modern NHL game.

The first "business day" of 1984. Continuous Country K-99 afternoon drive with Mike Weber. It's also the 25th anniversary of Alaska Statehood.

Jerry Springer sits in with me to take calls about the Who Concert tragedy at Cincinnati's Riverfront Coliseum the night before.

This WLW air check features calls from witnesses who were there and opinions on how to prevent it happening again. (A ban on general Festival Seating is called for.) You will also hear classic radio commercials about retail establishments in Cincinnati that are no longer there.

(Sorry for the somewhat poor quality of the air signal recording from a radio cassette recorder.)

It's difficult being on the air when a tragedy occurs. This is the evening of the WHO concert tragedy at the Cincinnati Riverfront Coliseum. 11 died in the crush of an estimated seven thousand people trying to get in for "festival seating".

This is the reporting that evening as the information was coming in. I was wrangling coverage by Pat Boyso and Jeff Hildebrandt on mobile radios at the hospitals. The following night (the next podcast episode) features Councilman Jerry Springer with me answering comments by call-in listeners. Ironically, our studios at 3 East 4th Street overlooked Riverfront Stadium and the Coliseum. I could see the flashing lights of the emergency vehicles.

NOTE: This was recorded off the air on a radio cassette recorder, so it has the distinctive AM radio sound. Copyrighted material appears under the "Fair Use Doctrine".