Salamon pens book on WHN
January 10, 2013
Ed Salamon has written another book. Archer Books is publishing WHN: When New York City Went Country which is due for release on February 25, 2013. The release date coincides with the 40th anniversary of WHN’s switch to country music. The book tells the story about how the Park Avenue radio station reached a #2 position in the New York ratings and became the most listened to country music station of all time during its fifteen years in the format. WHN broadened the definition of country music and introduced new artists and sounds to the format, while at the same time its exposure of country records in New York helped country music cross over to pop radio.
The book is based on interviews with former WHN staffers and country artists as well as the personal experiences of the author, who was WHN’s program director for more than six years. The book also includes more than forty photographs of WHN air personalities and country music stars who visited the station.
Salamon said that what made WHN successful were the techniques he developed while programming WEEP (1080) in Pittsburgh. He also points out that the station had many Pittsburgh connections…
Jessie Scott (of WDVE and “13Q” fame) worked evenings at WHN.
Robbie Roman (of WEEP and WIXZ) was assistant PD.
Dene Hallam (WEEP PD) followed Salamon as PD of WHN.
Joel Raab followed Hallam as PD, but also served as WEEP’s PD under the name Jay Stevens.
Salamon wrote Pittsburgh’s Golden Age of Radio for Arcadia Publishing in 2010.
On February 25, Hill Country Live (30 West 26th Street; New York) will celebrate the book’s release with a WHN reunion including a panel of WHN air personalities moderated by Salamon. Admission is Free.
February 26, WFDU (89.1 FM in New York or www.wfdu.fm) will have an on-air reunion of personalities from WHN from 9:00 a.m. – 3:45 p.m. WFDU is licensed to Teaneck, NJ and the transmitting antenna is located on the famous tower in Alpine.
I remember WHN rather fondly. At 1050 AM, it was on the same frequency as Toronto\’s CHUM, a TOp 40 bastion for many years. I often tried to listen to CHUM but sometimes WHN would horn, so I actually became a bit familiar with what would come to be known as \”countrypolitan\” radio. Thanks, Ed, for bringing country to a youngster with a Top 40 orientation.
attaboy ed……i shall get the new book…..i aam trying to put a book togrther..”of mikes and men” and for sure you will be in it…i would like to hear from you……..your old marning man at weep….jack wheeler
Hi Jack, I would like to hear from you too, if only to make sure you say good things about me in your book. 🙂 I don’t know how to get in touch with you, but you can reach me at ed_salamon AT rocketmail.com.
It might make a good primer if FM 94.7, the former Family Stations’ WFME, were to go country. New York boards are speculating on what sort of music Cumulus will carry.