Lunch at the Broadcast Pioneers

A WRTI Visit

to the Broadcast Pioneers Luncheon

A group of the WRTI Alumni attended the Broadcast Pioneers Luncheon on January 21, 1998. It was sort of a mini WRTI Reunion. The organization is a Society of Broadcast, Communications and Advertising Professionals contributing to the past, present and future of broadcasting. Membership dues are $35 per year and you must have been in the business or related fields for at least 15 years.

At the meeting, the Broadcast Pioneers paid tribute to the founding of WRTI a half century ago and to its founder, Professor John B. Roberts. Roberts addressed the organization and was introduced by Jerry Klein, the last student Station Manager of WRTI-FM.

Where It Was
Broadcast Pioneers Luncheon
Wednesday, January 21, 1998
The Topic was the Super Bowl presented by Al Meltzer of WCAU, Channel 10
In addition, there was mention and a presentation by John Roberts on the 50th anniversary of the dedication of the Temple University Radio Studios and of the first broadcast by WRTI.

Place: The Adams Mark Hotel
City Line Avenue at Monument
Philadelphia

The following WRTI people were in attendance:
Bob Backman
Ed Cunningham
Sam Fineberg (1949 to 1951)
Ed Harding
Anne Klein
Jerry Klein
Walt Mocrytzki
Mike Muderick
Professor John Roberts
Ed Sciaky
Judy Sciaky
Gerry Wilkinson

Read the text of John Roberts' address


Photo #1 - John Roberts addressing the luncheon. Note the WRTI table in the foreground.

Photo #2 - John Roberts addressing the luncheon. A closer shot.

Photo #3 - Ed Harding on the left with Walt Mocrytzki (Who?) on the right

Photo #4 - From left to right, Walt Mocrytzki, Ed Cunningham and Ed Sciaky

Photo #5 - Ed Cunningham

Photo #6 - Jerry Klein shooting video for use in his annex as RealVideo®

Photo #7 - From Left to right, Ed Harding & Mike Muderick

Photo #8 - Mike Muderick (didn't you ever hear that your face may freeze that way?)

Photo #9 - From left to right...Ed Harding, Mike Muderick & Ed Cunningham

Photo #10 - From left to right...Bob Backman, Walt Mocrytzki, Ed Sciaky and Gerry Wilkinson

Photo #11 - Group photo (from left to right)
(standing)Ed Harding, Mike Muderick, Ed Cunningham, Bob Backman and Gerry Wilkinson
(seated) Jerry Klein, John Roberts, Sam Fineberg, Walt Mocrytzki and Ed Sciaky.
Sam was at WRTI from 1949 to 1953.

Photo #12 - Group photo of everyone saying "Zheeeeeee" (from left to right)
Ed Sciaky, Ed Cunningham, Jerry Klein, Gerry Wilkinson and Mike Muderick
"While everyone is saying "Zheeeee," Ed Cunningham is saying.........
"I don't know these people."

Photo #13 - Mike Muderick (looking more normal...notice I said "more")

Photo #14 - (From left to right) Mike Muderick, Bob Backman, Shelly Gross, Al Meltzer and Jerry Klein.
Shelly is current president of the Broadcast Pioneers and former co-owner (Guber & Gross) of the Valley Forge Music Fair, Playhouse in the Park, the old Camden County Music Fair, etc. He just sold the last remaining property, the Westbury (CT) Music Fair.

Photo #15 - Ed Sciaky's reaction when WMMR said, "Ed Sciaky, Too Old to Be in This Room"

Photo #16 - Ed Sciaky and Herb Clarke.
Ed was saying, "Herb, I know I can do weather. Listen to this, Weather, W-E-E-Z-T-H-A-R...That's just about the worse spell of weather we've had in a long time." Herb, Herb...where ya going?"

Photo #17 - Ed Sciaky and Anne Klein.
Ed was saying, "I know I can do PR. You just tell the truth. Listen to this. Sure, we dumped that toxic waste in the river, but we saved $8. Anne, Anne...where ya going?"

Photo #18 - Ed Sciaky, Leonard Tose and Tommy Brookshire.
Ed was saying "I know I can do play-by-play. Listen to this. This is Ed Sciaky rounding third and heading home. Len, Tommy...where ya going?"

Photo #19 - Judy Sciaky and Walt Mocrytzki.
Judy was saying, "Walt, you work at Shadow Traffic. Ed can do the traffic reports. When he was little, everyone always said for him to play in traffic. Walt, Walt...where ya going?"
Alternate caption....(from Jerry Klein)....Walt was saying: "Uh-huh. Sure. Right. Okay, Judy, we'll look into it. But don't call us, we'll call you."

Photo #20 - Herb Clarke and Jerry Klein.
Herb was saying, "Now if we act fast, I know of an opening, and we can get this Ed Sciaky fellow in the Old DJ Nursing Home."

Photo #21 - John Roberts giving another lecture

Photo #22 - Herb Clarke, Mike Muderick and Ed Cunningham
Herb was saying, "I'm tellin' ya, John Facenda's head was this big."

Photo #23 - Jerry Klein, Anne Klein and Ed Sciaky

Photo #24 - Jerry and Anne Klein

Photo #25 - Judy Sciaky, Mike Muderick and Ed Sciaky.
(Wouldn't you just loved to have heard this conversation.)

Photo #26 - Ed Sciaky, Mike Muderick, Jerry Klein and Herb Clarke.

Photo #27 - Mike Muderick, Bob Backman, ???? and Nat Wright (all-night DJ at WIP in the sixties). Nat was a customer of Gerry Wilkinson's store for many years.

Photo #28 - Ed Cunningham and Ed Sciaky.
Ed C. was saying, "I think I just backed into someone's umbrella."

Photo #29 - Mike Muderick and Nat Wright.
Mike was saying, "Did you hear about Cunningham and the umbrella?"

Photo #30 - Judy Sciaky and Bob Backman.
Judy was saying, "Are you sure you're not Charles Kuralt?"

Photo #31 - John Roberts and Sam Fineberg.
Roberts was saying, "Yes, I have the Billboard Jazz Top 100 right here. Let's throw darts at it!"

Photo #32 - Jerry Klein.
Jerry was saying, "Are you sure Allan Funt started this way?"

Photo #33 - Bob Backman, Walt Mocrytzki and Gerry Wilkinson.
Walt was saying, "Of course, I'm a salesman. How much do you give me for this tie?"

Photo #34 - Walt Mocrytzki, Ed Sciaky and Gerry Wilkinson.
Gerry was saying, " Walt sings tenor. Ed, you do the bass and I sing "Who Put the Bomp in the Bomp Sha-bomp, Sha-bomp."

Photo #35 - Ed Cunningham, Bob Backman and Walt Mocrytzki.
Ed was saying, "I see Jerry Klein found that umbrella. Bet that smarts."

Photo #36 - John Roberts & Sam Fineberg

Photo #37 - John Roberts

Photo #38 - Walt Mocrytzki

Photo #39 - Walt Mocrytzki and Ed Sciaky

Photo #40 - John Roberts, Walt Mocrytzki, Mike Muderick and Jerry Klein.
Jerry was saying, "Professor Roberts, tell the film department we'll have this class assignment in shortly. Next time, don't have them team me up with that guy Wilkinson. We have to re-shoot over and over because the only thing you can hear on the soundtrack is ZHEEEEEEEE. We've been working on this for 30 years."

Photo #41 - Paul Norton, editor of the Broadcast Pioneers' newsletter & John Roberts. On Sunday, February 8, 1998, Gerry Wilkinson received an e-mail from Paul reminding us that during the sixties, he, Paul Norton was John Roberts' weather guy. Maybe they need to start a Channel 6 "Old Gang" web site.

Photo #42 - Ed Sciaky and Mike Muderick.

Photo #43 - Ed Sciaky and Mike Muderick.
Ed was saying, "and Herb said that Facenda's head was this big."

Photo #44 - Judy Sciaky

Photo #45 - (Left to Right) Ed Harding, Gerry Wilkinson, Ed Cunningham and Ed Sciaky. This photo was taken by Anne Klein. Regular copies of it were made and forwarded to the Broadcast Pioneers. They, in turn sent this print to Ed Cunningham. That's where I borrowed it to scan. Indeed a round about way to get this picture.

Check Out our RealAudio® and RealVideo® excerpts in the Jerry Klein Annex

This is the WRTI Old Gang Web Site!