The following is written by Gerry Wilkinson....On Monday, April 27, 1998, I visited my old buddy, Joe Ryan at WPHL-TV, WB17. I basically stopped to take a couple photos, but we got talking and Joe gave me a little of his "story." He worked at WDVR (later EAZY 101, now B-101) while still in school. Probably started there about 1967. Bruce Smallwood was also employed there. From there, he went to WYSP with Bruce and Temple grad, Harry Pliscof. "About 1969," he thinks. The Temple trio lost their gigs when they tried to unionize the station. Finally, the union and station owners reached an agreement. WYSP could fire the whole staff and change format, but all new air talent hired would have to be union members. "Started here at WPHL in 1973," Ryan reported. "Been here ever since. 25 years in a long time this business." Joe, 25 years is a long time in any business. Also in the mid-seventies, Joe did weekend air shifts at WIOQ, before they went "disco." When asked "what does sales service" (the department that Joe works in) do, he muses, "always refer to it as the pawns of the chessboard of Channel 17." Basically, he smiles, we work with the National Sales Reps in scheduling the commercials and making sure the contracts run properly. "It's hair raising," Joe said as he patted his head to make sure his hair was still there. And you know what, most of it still was.
Joe Ryan outside WB17
Joe Ryan, another pose
Joe Ryan, a close-up
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