And now: some important historical (hysterical?) scans - the first three are just "text" (retyped) to allow fast downloading at dialup speed.
ARTHUR W. ARUNDEL's fan Letter to WQMR (retyped)
MATINEE AT ONE (promotional letter - retyped)
Increase Your Share of the $5 Billion Washington Retail Market! ACME!
Four Dark Days in November 1963 WQMR (never mentioning, of course, that they also have a 20kw FM station with call letters WGAY) does an incredible job documenting the assassination of John F. Kennedy. Here is the cover of an Lp the station released in January, 1964, that contains some of the remarkable and deep-felt coverage given by this little daytimer station - all the more reason for yours truly to doubt the veracity of radio stations of the present that don't even have news departments (OK, honestly, most WQMR personnel became instant news department members for awhile, but that's why radio is show-business). These stations had talent. We now have automated (fill in the blank with your four letter expletive). Coming soon, a few clips from this album.
(skipping ahead) WGAY ad in FORECAST FM! 1967 I humbly apologize for the red markings you see, maybe I should force the page to black and white to cover my bad "art" (colored the white lines red for no reason) of 1967 vintage. SPECIAL REQUEST: WQMR/WGAY ran some great 1 and 2 page spreads in Forecast FM in 1966 and 1967 that showed a drawing of the World Building and tower. I had them and "lost" most of them during various moves over the years. Any ads I could borrow and scan, I'd be very grateful (or scan them and email them to me).
Robert (Bob!) Chandler's Letter to *me* from January, 1969 - In high school (10th grade) I had written the station concerned that the dropping of all thematic material (harps, etc.) might lose the station its core identity. I suggested using the harp once every 15 minutes. About 3 months later, it was back, and I believe one other suggestion was taken as well, can't remember exactly what it was. Though the harp returned, it went away for good a year or two later, not sure when. Bob Chandler removed all thematic material. NO exceptions. In all the years past, everything was set to music - even time checks, weather reports, news headlines... you can hear some of the material at the sounds page.
8/31/2013 Even though this web page is defunct, or as Microsoft says these days, deprecated (and will soon be deceased) check out this Christmastime card from "Fiddlin' Curly Smith." It's almost a decade before Connie B. Gay and mood music and all that, but when I rode by the station in the period from maybe 1959 through 1964, and it looked "OK" but not "heavenly" check out this artistic rendering from what appears to be 1951, the building was built in 1946 and 1947, as depicted on a Christmas card; it was found on Ebay by Detective Bob Bell who finds some fascinating stuff!
