Calling All Good Guys!

Tipping you all off that XM Radio's Channel 6 is doing a salute to WMCA this Friday from 4-9 p.m. Eastern. WMCA was sort of the weak sister to WABC in New York radio in the 60's, but the station did have its charms and I daresay I listened as much to WMCA as I did to WABC back then. They had the "Good Guy" airstaff that included Harry Harrison (before he jumped ship to WABC), Dan Daniel, B. Mitchell Reed, Gary Stevens, Jack Spector, Joe O'Brien, etc. The station had an incredible soundscape featuring jingles that were created by Johnny Mann, shortly before he helped create the "Boss Radio" sound with his jingles for KHJ in Los Angeles. The Good Guys were noted for their Noo Yawk attitude (since the signal of WMCA didn't have the reach of WABC, they could afford to be local) and the coveted Good Guys Sweatshirt.

Unfortunately for radio fans, WMCA went talk in the early 1970's (with the likes of Barry Gray and Long John Nebel) and is now a religious station (under the same ownership as Bwana Johnny's old stomping grounds, 970 WWDJ) - but reportedly they've gone back to using some of the old Johnny Mann jingles for kitsch value!