Presented are a series of classic radio commercials for the Sun Ray Drug Store in Shamokin. Recorded in the early 1970′s, these feature some familiar voices from the WISL airwaves including Dave Leonard, Dennis Edwards, Tom Kutza and more. These spots not only highlight the creative talent at WISL but also the good humor and lighthearted nature of Dave Donmoyer from Sun Ray. Thanks to Dave Leonard (Dave Horjnacki) for digging out these hilarious commercials.
What was the cost of advertising on WISL in the 1970s? This rate card was used to determine how much airtime on WISL cost for specific dayparts and durations.
During this period WISL was still owned by Radio Anthracite (Henry W. Lark). There are a couple of important things to note on this rate card:
First, WISL AM & FM are listed and each station has its own branding; WISL-AM as “The Voice of Information” and WISL-FM as “The Sound of Entertainment”.
Second, this rate card not only show the rates for local advertising, but also national advertising rates. While it is uncommon today, national advertising buyers would look to a small market station such as WISL for national advertising buys. The national slogan used was “A Quality Station in a Quality Market”.
Third, both WISL-AM and FM had a broadcast day that began at 6am and ended at midnight. While both stations were authorized for both day and night service, they elected to sign-off during the overnight hours.
The Anthracite coal region of Pennsylvania has produced some of the finest athletes our country has known. In high school football, our schools are frequent winners of regional and state championships and nobody knew those teams and their coaches better than Bernie Romanoski.
No WISL Hall of Fame entry would be complete without a little background history. Bernie was born on August 25th 1922, was a 1941 graduate of Coal Township High School and was a lifelong resident of the Shamokin-Coal Township area. He enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1942 and reached the rank of Sergeant. He served in both the North African and Italian campaigns of World War II. Before his honorable discharge in 1945 he earned a Bronze Star for meritorious service in combat.
During his High School years he began a career in sports that would last 70 years. Having been an All-State athlete in high school, his skill on the field led to a coaching career at Coal Township High School which began in 1949. The Demons saw much success under Romanoski’s leadership. Along with Hall of Fame coach Walt Marshall, they won the Eastern Conference Titles in both 1950 and 1955. In the 1960’s he coached with another Hall of Famer, Ed “Beaners” Binoski and took the Eastern Conference, Southern Division Titles in both 1960 and 1964. After years of coaching the Coal Township football team, he moved to the Shamokin Area High School, where he coached Football, Basketball, Baseball, Track and Golf until 1968.
Bernie Romanoski & Joe “Jazz” Diminick (September 1957)
For many years he also served as the Athletic director at Shamokin Area and is credited with bringing many innovations and improvements to their athletic policy and facilities. It was also under his leadership that Shamokin Area’s prominence as a PIAA Post-Season playing site began.
Bernie Romanoski at Coal Township Field (September 1957)
Bernie also served as a PIAA official for 40 years. His certifications included Football, Basketball and Baseball and he was a frequent official for championship games in all three sports.
Bernie’s love for sports and the people that played them seemed to naturally bring him to the field of broadcasting. He spent many years covering and promoting area sports on Shamokin’s WETV television station and on WISL Radio. His involvement with WISL started in 1970 and weekly radio program became a “who’s who” of local sports and everybody got their chance to be part of the program. Bernie would cover all sports and in many cases his guests would pack the WISL studios. Bernie also wrote weekly sports columns for the Shamokin News-Dispatch and the News Item.
Bernie Receives A Plaque Honoring his 22 Years at WISL in 1992. WISL Host John Berry pictured.
Every Saturday Morning Bernie’s program would take to the air. Tom Kutza would often run the show to make sure something was actually being broadcast and also to let Bernie do what he did best; talk sports. Listeners will remember the many comical program opens that the guys at WISL produced, you can hear many of these original opening in the audio exhibits below. The programs were often lively with good-natured wise-cracking between the guests, Tom and Bernie. The show was also a local forum and Bernie would often take callers to talk about the local sports happenings of the day. He even held trivia contests to test the listener’s knowledge of sports history, giving them a chance to win tickets to a movie at UA Theaters in Frackville or a Whopper at the Burger King. Bernie’s programs were never strictly planned or scripted and he always took time to talk about the lives of the players, and their families.
He used his broadcasting career to further his desire to serve the community and give back by hosting numerous radiothons on WISL and telethons on WETV. Over the years, these events raised thousands of dollars for the American Heart Association, The Shamokin Hospital and other organizations.
Newspaper Ad for the 1978-79 United Way Campaign Radio-Thon
However, his crowning achievement may have been the sports hall of fame that bears his name. Along with other area sports enthusiasts, Romanoski was able to bring the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame to the Lower Anthracite Region. In 1984 The Bernie Romanoski Sports Hall of Fame was created and today under the leadership of his son Bernie Romanoski Jr. continues the tradition of honoring the best student athletes the area has to offer. Bernie passed away in 2008.
Coal Township’s 150th Anniversary Coaches Dinner
We are very lucky to be able to present to you some amazing artifacts from the collection of Bernie Romanoski Jr. In addition to sharing some fantastic photos and newspaper clippings, he was kind enough to give us a number of reel to reel tapes and cassettes he found in his father’s estate. We would also like to thank Larry Deklinski for granting us permission to publish some great shots he had found in the Thomas Collection.
As you enjoy these artifacts, we invite you to share your memories of Bernie in the comment boxes below. We are always interested to hear your thoughts and stories!
AUDIO EXHIBITS:
Classic Bernie Romanoski Sports Show Openers:
(Courtesy of Dave Horjnacki)
Pete Wambach
W. C. Fields
W.C. Fields & Ralph Cramden (Romanoski’s Caravan To Hershey)
Valentine’s Day
The Lone Ranger
The Cereal Bowl Football Game
Ted Baxter & The President
Surprise Birthday Party For Bernie
Shamokin Indians Cheerleaders Cheer For Bernie
Santa Claus
Rubber Duckie
Punxsutawney Phil
Pete Wambach – It’s A Miserable Day In Pennsylvania
Pete DeRito’s New Years Message To Bernie
Pete DeRito’s Birthday Message To Bernie
New Year’s Eve Party
Joe Paterno
Howard Smozel
Horseshoe Camp
Happy Birthday To Bernie
Golf Tournament
Bernie’s Letter To Santa
Fishing Trip
Bernie The Basketball Player (From WAZL Radio in Hazleton)
Bernie Is President Of The Mickey Mouse Fan Club
Bernie Romanoski Sports Show Clips
(Courtesy of Bernie Romanoski, Jr.)
Bernie Romanoski Sports Show – Mike Klembara & Players on Lourdes Winning The Eastern Conference Class A Co-Championship 1974
Bernie Romanoski Sports Show – Shamokin Area Golf Coach Interview 1990
Bernie Romanoski Sports Show – Shamokin Indians Football 1991
If you grew up in Pennsylvania in the 1970′s and 80′s, and found yourself anywhere near a radio, it’s a good bet that you have heard this man’s voice. From 1969 through 1985 the words “It’s a Beautiful Day In Pennsylvania” were delivered through the gravelly vocal chords of one Pete Wambach. During it’s run, the radio feature program officially titled “This is Pennsylvania,” was broadcast on more than 100 Pennsylvania radio stations. The idea was simple, each day Pete presented a little known fact about the state’s history, some local trivia from a long forgotten corner of the state or a highlight of an upcoming fair or cultural event. The productions were straight reads, containing no background music or beds, just Pete and the stories as only he could tell them.
Pete had a certain poetic way of presenting his 3 to 5 minute features, weather describing Pennsylvania’s Flaming Foliage or telling the story of The Auctioneer’s Rebellion, it was hard not to be pulled in. His complete mastery of storytelling and the art of communication can be attributed to his many years as a broadcast journalist. Starting in radio in the late 1930′s, Pete’s communication accomplishments include becoming a long time columnist for both the Harrisburg Patriot News and the Paxton Herald, creating the first television-telephone talk show in the country, and hosting various radio and television programs. Pete found himself close to Pennsylvania politics and the Democratic Party serving as a press aide for Governor George Leader, and even ran, albeit unsuccessfully, for lieutenant governor in 1966 and the 17th District Congressional seat in 1974. On the business front he owned Wambach Waxworks, a record distribution company and a restaurant in the Colonial Park Mall from the 50′s through the 60′s. Creatively he even wrote a musical about the coal region entitled “Anthracite!”
WISL radio was one of the affiliates of “This is Pennsylvania” and Pete Wambach was a frequent guest on the station. Whether in studio or via telephone, it was always great radio when Pete Wambach was involved.
Our presentation today is very fitting considering that this week marks Shamokin’s 150th Anniversary celebration. During this week, we reflect on what it means to be from Shamokin, what it was like growing up here. We remember the good times, the bad times and everything that brought us to where we are today. We remember the rich heritage of this amazing place known as “The Coal Region.” In this feature, originally broadcast on April 14th 1983, Pete takes a look at “The Region.” He eloquently describes, the people, the places, the feelings, the history… what it means to be from here, from Shamokin, from “The Region.”
“… No people on earth are so proud, and with all the reason in the world to be, because they live and work and play and eat and die in The Region.”
After his death in 2007, his family donated his transcripts and audio recordings to the Pennsylvania State Archive. The staff has digitally converted and cataloged these historic programs and had made them available on the State Archives website, however this page has gone missing in recent years. You can always hear the many programs we have recovered every weekday morning at roughly 9:30am at www.WISL1480.com.
AUDIO EXHIBIT
This is Pennsylvania – “The Region” April 14, 1983
Howard Hertzog a.k.a Scott Davis in the WISL Control Room
Howard Hertzog was a very busy guy in the Shamokin Area. During his short life, he managed to pack in as much activity and good will as he could. Howard was an active member of the Jaycees and served on the committee that raised the money needed to purchase a heart monitor for Shamokin State General Hospital. Howard was also the co-chariman for the 1969 Shamokin Area Heart Drive. Remember LAREDO (the Lower Anthracite Regional Economic Development Organization)? He was also chairman for the 1969 Miss Laredo Contest. LAREDO was the organization that helped start the Glen Burn Mine Tour, Howard also served as a tour guide. He was President of the Shamokin Area Amateur Radio Club, and if that wasn’t enough he also worked at the Singer Store and at the Sun Ray Drug Store.
Howard was also a Disc Jockey at WISL using the name Scott Davis. He joined WISL in the late 1960’s and would work there until his untimely death in 1972. According to Hertzog’s daughter Angela, Howard struggled with heart issues his entire life. Scott Davis passed away while doing the night show on WISL on August 5th 1972, leaving behind his wife and two-year old daughter. He was only 33 years old.
We were able to get in touch with Angela last year and learn more about her father Howard. Angela was able to find some pictures of her father and even found a box full of old reel to reel tapes in the attic of her family home. Every time we are able to locate audio of WISL, it is a special thing, however this time the audio meant so much more. When her father passed away, Angela was only 2 years old. In conversation we learned that she had never heard her father’s voice. These tapes offered a very special window into the past and the chance for Angela to “meet” her father again. We were able to get a clean dub of the audio from the tapes she found, and what a treasure. We found radio shows, commercials, outtakes and sports broadcasts all featuring the voice of her father, Scott Davis.
Through the courtesy of Angela Hertzog we present to you Scott Davis!
AUDIO EXHIBITS
Scott Davis aircheck WISL 1971
Scott Davis Show for Scott Berkelson WISL 1971
WISL Saturday Line-Up Promo (Scott Davis Voiceover)
Shamokin Sunoco Stations – Inspection Commercial (Scott Davis Voiceover)
Pickwick Self Service Shoe Mart Commercial (Scott Davis Voiceover)
Alfie’s Boutique Commercial (Scott Davis Voiceover)
WISL Drop “Scott Davis Plays The Heavy Hits”
photo exhibits
Postcard from the Glen Burn Mine Tour – Howard Hertzog as a tour guide
This is how McDonald’s was getting the Big Mac sandwich into the minds of millions of customers in the Mid 1970′s. The original concept, “two all-beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions – on a sesame seed bun” began as a simple single word heading designed for college newspapers, but quickly grew into a song, a television advertisement and a promotion that had radio listeners trying to say the ingredients as fast as they could for a chance to win prizes. While many still remember the slogan today, the original campaign was ended in 1976, after a mere year and a half run.
1970’s McDonald’s Bumper Sticker
The local McDonald’s on route 61 in Coal Township caught the fever and called on WISL Radio to create some radio buzz over their signature sandwich. Here we find your favorite WISL DJ’s calling on contestants to say the Big Mac ingredients in three seconds or less for a chance to win their choice of a Big Mac T-Shirt or five Big Mac sandwiches. This was certainly a tall task, something even the DJ’s themselves had a hard time doing. Don’t feel bad though, even if they couldn’t get the words out in time they would still walk away with a coupon for a free Big Mac of their own. Everyone was a winner on WISL Radio!
