 To our way of thinking, there were primarily 2 stations that made radio in Philadelphia
what it was; WIBG and WFIL.
There were others, and they are represented on this site. But for
sheer competition and showmanship, The Big 99
and Famous 56 were the market leaders.
Philadelphia had some of the best radio in America (if not the world). WIBG
and WFIL's influence on most "Top 40" stations of the day was very apparent.
Why Was Philadelphia Radio So Good?
One reason was that WIBG was (arguably) the first 24 hour-a-day Top 40
station in a top 10 market in America changing from a religious format in late
1956 (History of WIBG). There
were some others in major markets that "block programmed" Top 40 music (usually
at night), but WIBG did it full-time and their ratings were HUGE.
Stations in other markets saw this and soon followed this revolutionary idea and
the rest is radio history.
Of course, starting in 1966 (History of WFIL), WFIL made "The Pop Explosion" a household phrase in the Philadelphia area and was extremely
inflential on other stations in other cities.
Philadelphia was also the city where "American Bandstand" originated, making it
very influential insofar as what music
other stations around the country played.
The Talent
The "City of Brotherly Love" also had some of the best known talent in the business
at one time or another. See our
Boss Jock Info page for a list of some of the "greats".
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