Crowning of The Coal Township Football Queen – Shamokin News-Dispatch October 18th 1952
In this post we are privileged to share some historic audio recorded by the WISL microphone way back in 1952, only four years after WISL began broadcasting. This clip takes us to the crowning ceremony of the Coal Township Football Queen of 1952.
Before we get to the main exhibit, let’s begin with some background information. In 1950, The Coal Township Boosters Association hosted the first Football Queen competition. The program was created to help raise money for the Boosters Association and their various activities throughout the year.
A total of ten girls would be selected from the Freshman, Sophomore, Junior and Senior classes of the West End High School and the Pulaski School. These girls would then compete, through a voting process, for the title of Coal Township Football Queen. Voting boxes would be placed at each one of the schools as well as at local businesses throughout Coal Township. For a nominal fee, five cents in the earliest years, a person could cast their ballot for queen.
First Week Results from 1950 – Shamokin News-Dispatch October 12th, 1950
Over the years, the fundraising event would grow and each girl would hold various fundraising events such as bake sales, to increase the amount of money raised.
The final year a Coal Township Football Queen would be crowned would be in 1964. The merger of the Shamokin School District and the Coal Township School District resulted in the dissolution of the Coal Township Boosters Association. Although the Coal Township program would come to an end, by the 1960s many other local schools would begin holding annual Football Queen competitions of their own.
Now, back to 1952. The Coal Township Football Queen was Mary Anne Apple who received a total of 8,606 votes. She was a junior at West End High.
Announcement of Mary Anne Apple winning Coal Township Football Queen – Shamokin News-Dispatch October 16th, 1952
The following clip features an unidentified WISL Radio announcer introducing the crowing ceremony. This program was recorded during the half-time program of the Coal Township vs. Mount Carmel Catholic football game and features remarks from third runner up Miss Rose Marie Krupa, Lady In Waiting (second runner up) Miss Betty Moore, Coal Township Boosters Association President Elmer Shuey as well as a few words from the queen.
WISL Transcription Disc Label – Part One
WISL Transcription Disc Label – Part Two
So, let’s go back in time and give a listen to the official crowning of the 1952 Coal Township Football Queen.
AUDIO EXHIBIT
WISL – Coal Township Football Queen Crowning: Mary Anne Apple October 17th 1952
National-Dime Bank East End Branch – Photo from Shamokin News-Dispatch July 1958
In 1932 the Dime Trust and Safe Deposit Company merged with the Shamokin National Bank to become the National-Dime Bank of Shamokin. National-Dime was one of the largest financial institutions in Shamokin serving customers with personal and commercial loans, Christmas clubs, and savings and checking accounts. The bank’s corporate offices and main branch were located at the corner of Market and Independence Streets in downtown Shamokin, the current location of M&T Bank. In March of 1968 the National-Dime Bank merged with The Pennsylvania National Bank and Trust Company of Pottsville.
Pennsylvania National Bank And Trust Company Logo, circa 1968
In 1958, The National-Dime Bank of Shamokin was in expansion mode. A merger with the First National Bank of Trevorton was completed on May 28th 1958 with the Trevorton Branch of The National-Dime Bank opening on June 2nd. Around the same time, renovations were underway at the corner of Independence and Shamokin Streets for what would become the East End branch of National-Dime and their third location.
Advertisement promoting the National-Dime Bank East End Branch Open House – Shamokin News-Dispatch July 14th 1958
The official grand opening of the East End branch commenced on July 15th 1958 with an open house celebration. The open house was attended by directors of the National-Dime Bank, local leaders and featured a live broadcast by WISL Radio.
National-Dime Bank East End Branch ribbon cutting – Shamokin News-Dispatch July 16th 1958
It’s not surprising that WISL Radio would be on-hand to help promote the opening of the new, modern banking facility considering Henry W. Lark, owner of WISL Radio, was also the president of The National-Dime Bank of Shamokin.
National-Dime Bank Grand Opening article – Shamokin News-Dispatch July 16th 1958
The WISL Broadcast took place from 4pm to 10pm and featured interviews with a number of people of interest who were in attendance. The audio clip that we have to share includes one of those notable persons, Mary Roebling.
Mary Roebling 1958
Mary Roebling was a pioneer for women in banking, becoming the President of Trenton Trust in 1937 and also the first woman ever to become president of a banking institution. When Roebling took control of Trenton Trust, the country was in the throws of The Great Depression and the bank was facing $4 million dollars in debt with only $11 million dollars in assets. By 1951, she not only was able to pull her bank through the financial crisis but also increased the banks assets to $70 million dollars. That same year she also scored the bank’s biggest client to date by securing the business of U.S. Steel.
Roebling lent her success to the cause of women’s rights and constantly promoted women in business and spoke out against sexism in the boardroom. In addition to becoming the first woman to serve as a bank president she was also the first woman governor on the American Stock Exchange, was the founder of the first female-owned bank, the Woman’s Bank of Denver in 1978 and first woman member of Union League Club in Philadelphia.
WISL transcription disc Label from Mary Roebling Interview
Roebling was a friend and colleague of Henry Lark and made the trip from Trenton to Shamokin for the open house event. In the following audio exhibit, we have a rare recording of Roebling as she congratulates Henry Lark on his expansion of National-Dime. This recording was likely made on premise at the new East End branch and broadcast during the 4pm to 10pm broadcast.
AUDIO EXHIBIT
Mary Roebling at the Grand Opening of The National-Dime Bank East End Branch, July 15th, 1958
WISL Radio celebrated their third birthday on January 27th 1951 by running a full-page advertisement in the Shamokin News-Dispatch. In the advertisement you will see a massive list of all of the sponsors heard on WISL as well as a list of some of the Mutual Network programs aired by WISL.
The list of advertisers is transcribed below. It is truly incredible to see just how many businesses operated in the Shamokin area in the post-war era.
Albertini Motors Alexander’s Restaurant Amato Cleaners Double-A Wafers Anchor Diner Ann’s Dress Shop Anthracite Auto Leonard Appichel, Contractor Arcade Beauty Salon Arena Gardens Joseph Arnoldin & Sons Atlas Rug Cleaners Baker’s Auto Exchange Midnight Cafe Ballentine’s Radiator Shop Baum’s Sport Center John A. Belsky Ben’s Fur Shop Kaiser Frazer Dealers Black Diamond M. R. Bodner-Studebaker Dealer The Bootery Bowl-Mor Rowling Alleys Raymond Boyle, Service Station Burkett’s Service Station Burns Furniture Bycoskie Motors Camera & Music Mart Caravella Amusement Enterprises Catino & Krayniak Auto Sales Central Sales & Service Choplick’s Cafe Cohen’s Men’s Shop John J. Chowka, Mortician Crissincer Motors Croll Furniture Crone’s Crowl Tire Company Dale Circus Daniel’s Pottery Danville Livestock Market James A. Davis Davis Hosiery Company Dell Cleaners Sam Dluge Dobroski Furniture Dornbach Motors Durdach Brothers Dusick & Hoberg John J. Dusick Eagle Shoe Shop East End Beverage Company Edgewood Park Edgewood Restaurant Eisenhart’s Ely’s Sample Shoe Store Emily’s Corset Shop Emworth’s Poultry Fetterolf Chevrolet Firestone Store Follmer’s Florist Forman’s Furniture Fraternal Order of Eagles Fryling Stationery Fun Novelty Company Fuhrmann & Schmidt Gallagher’s Charles N. Geist Ghezzi’s Girard Investment Company Wlllard P. Graber, Insurance Guinan’s Department Store V. C. Hack & Sons Hazel’s Gift Shop Herr Gas & Oil Company Economy Stores Ben Hirsh Shoe Store Hodrick’s Appliance Home Furniture Company Horowitz’s Houghton’s Summer Resort Household Appliance Ideal Park Island Park Jay’s New York Store Jeddo Store Jepko’s Jones Hardware Company Katch Furniture Keystone Auto Electric King Music House Kirby Sales & Service Kiwanis Club Ernest Klase Kline Motors Knoebel’s Groves Charles Krebs Stores Kresge Store Kulpmont Athletic Club Kulpmont Auto Wreckers Kuzo Brothers James LaCross Store 1st Roundup Cafe Lazarus Store Leader-Hamilton Company Leaven’s & Donlan Liachowitz Jewelers Little Giant Loyal Order of Moose Lupold’s Furniture Little Norway M&L Cleaners McElwee’s Jewelry Store Madden’s Vacuum Cleaner Service Maine Fire Company B. Mallett A Sons Mallett’s Variety M. J. Marcinek Martin & Kohler C. E. Hoover Mertz Motor Sales Miller Brothers Shoes Miller’s Cafe Reba Miller Mount Carmel Motors Modern Dress Shop Monarch Laundry Moser’s Department Store Mowery’s Radio Service Moyer’s Sunoco Service Murphy & Scovern Natalie Drive-In Natalie Grove National-Dime Bank J. J. Newberry Thomas Nicholas, Plating Nu-W’ay Drive-In Dunkleberger’s Furniture Pearock Shop Parenzan’s Music Store Peter Patti Penn Premier Shows J. C. Penney Company Peter’s Hardware Store Peter’s Furniture Store Peter’s Appliances Store Phil’s Men’s & Boys’ Store Picarelli Markets Pipa’s Beverage Company Pitello’s Kiddies Shop Pitello’s Dairy Lunch Ralph Pupo R-Radio & Appliance Raker Lumber & Planing Company Raup Lumber & Construction Company Reed’s Milk & Ice Cream George H. Reitz Jewelry J. T. Rhoades, Florist Rolling Green Park Rosini Brothers Restaurant Rosini Brothers Coal Helen Rosini, Beautician Rummel’s Nursery SOS Radio Electric Sam’s Restaurant Same Day Vacuum Service Shoener’s Millinery Schneider’s Philco Dealer Shades’ Venetian Blind Service Shamokin Bible Depot Shamokin Christian Laymen’s Association Shamokin Cycle Shop Shamokin Equipment Company Shamokin Flying Service Shamokin Home Association Shamokin Sports Supply Shamokin Tire Service Shamokin Upholstering Shamokin Ready Mixed Concrete Company Shusner’s House of Glass Silverman’s Variety Smart Shop Smink’s Book Shop Marlin B. Snyder, Roofing Sperry & Hutchinson E. C. Stashinski Style Shop Superior Furniture Superior Electric George Swank Switzer’s Cafe Tomol’s Troutman Motors Union Fire Company Union Beverage Company Vallish Furniture Stank’s Victory Fur Shop S. Watral & Son Weller Brothers West Ward Building & Loan Association O. K. Wetzel Wolfe’s Department Store Wolfgang’s Electric Service Workmen’s Supply Worth’s Yellow Cab Company Youth For Christ Harold Zeigler Appliances H. A. Zimmerman, Jeweler Roy Zimmerman Appliances Capitol Theatre Victoria Theatre A & P Stores Albermarle Hotel, Atlantic City Bell Telephone Company of Pennsylvania Big Boy Auto Parts Brest Packing Company Brotherhood of Painters, Decorators & Paperhangers of America Buckley Amusement Enterprises Butter Krust Baking Company Clark Packing Company Clark’s Feed Mills Congress of Industrial Organizations Theron D. Conrad, Investment Securities Chevrolet Dealers Crosley Shelvador Dealers Cluckey’s Fur Studios Crowl Chemical Company Dayton Tire Dealers D & H Distributing Company Eastern Press Edward’s Lakes-to-Sea System Electro-Metallurgical Company Insulation Service Company International Ladies Garment Workers Union K-B Frosted Foods Keller Auto Racing Bloomsburg Fair Lycoming County Fair Reading Fair Selinsgrove Fair Maurer’s Dairy Miller’s Auto Stores Neighborhood Bakery Northumberland Memorial Park Philco Dealers Rea & Derick, Inc. Real French Cleaners Roaring Creek Water Company Rusco Products Company Sanitary Diaper Service Shamokin Packing Company Spaulding Bakeries Shamokin Sanitary Milk Company Stegmaier Brewing Company Styletex Clothes Tharp’s Ice Cream Textile Workers Union Local No. 173, U. T. W. U. of A. Triangle Shoes Upholstering Schools Wise Potato Chips Williams Grove Park Yoch’s Bakery Company Academy Distributors Alamo Restaurant Anna Jane Beauty Shop Avellino Cafe Art’s Coffee Shop American-Australian Wool Shop Atkins Store Bardex Medicine Blue Goose Beaney’s Produce Bashore’s Ben Reimer’s Men’s Store Black Diamond Garage Broscious Farm Supply Capital Hospital Service Castetter’s Cafe Concannon’s Chrystal Bottling Company Central Food Markets Choplick’s Cafe Crone’s Cigar Store Cohen’s Hardware DeSantis & Deitman Body Shop D & R Radio & TV Sales Esso Dealers Exchange Club Enterprise Specialty Empire Vulcanizing Company Esslinger First National Bank of Mount Carmel Frank’s Cafe Forget-Me-Not Shop Green Meadow Poultry Market Louis Grossman & Sons Gordon Airport Guarantee Trust & Safe Deposit Company Robert Graham Harner Motor Harry’s Grill Hummel’s Furniture Henry’s Auto Parts Russell M. Seeds Company Romberger Brothers Machine Shop Roth’s Store Highway Service Station Hagan’s Barber Shop Holy Name and Rosary Societies Henlee’s Dress Shop Huntsinger Harris Paint Store Rev. Heffner Irvin R. Enders Kennels Jay Store Johnny’s Market James Shop Alex Klepacki Kulpmont American Legion Andrew Kurillo Steve Kania Kaiser-Frazer Dealers Knights of Columbus Kulpmont Gas Company Kotanchik Lumber Company Keller Racing, Incorporated Kyle Jacobs Allen Krebs Lowery Electric Corporation Vincent Lupia L & S Oil Company William Loftus Lahr’s Wheel Service Liberty Shoe Repair Lee H. Mertz Lincoln-Mercury Cars Mount Carmel Business Men Millie’s Dress Shop Majestic Theatre Mount Carmel Self Service Shoe Store McDevitt’s Cafe McCann’s School of Business McElwee Home & Auto Supplies Martini Markets Mertz Motor Sales Miller’s Furniture May E. Jones Gift Shop Rev. Donald Martin Louis Matlow Novotny Electric Service Neversink Hotel O. P. O. Clothes Victor Paganotti Pennsylvania Power & Light Company Pennsylvania State Employment Service Prescription Shoe Store Phil’s Economy Store Pioneer Troubadors Casper Pinsker Michael Potts Peter’s Tavern Pep Auto Sales Jess Phillips Pinkey’s Market Polish Cadets Polish Dramatic Club Paul Roadarmel Meats Royalist Cigars Rovito & Company Ralpho Township High School James A. Reilley Ranshaw Furniture Ritz Cafe Shamokin Hair Dressers Sunoco Dealers Shade’s Auto Supply Shuey’s Jewelry Store Shusterman’s Sunbury Auto Wreckers Slim’s Lunch Harold Snyder Spriggle’s Men’s Wear Shamokin Merchants’ Council Shimock’s Furniture Serien C. Shipmen Steinhart Appliance Store Stroehman’s Bakery J. A. Seitzinger Superior Electric Service W. R. Thomas & Sons Thompson’s Advertising Service Urich’s Gladiola Garden United States Army United Men’s Shop Andrew Urban Weis Pure Food Stores West End Garage Wydra’s Cafe Warsaw Tavern Ed Waugh J. N. Werntz Willow Cafe Yuengling’s Young Folk’s Club Zurick & Zurick Paul Zimmerman
National Advertisers
Johns-Manville Corporation Quaker Oats Dawn Bible Students American Federation of Labor Murine Pierson Pharmaceutical First Church of Christ, Scientist United States Tobacco Company Lutheran Laymen’s League Kellogg Company Derby Foods Nabisco O’Henry Candy Bars Ronson Lighters Voice of Prophecy, Incorporated Proctor & Gamble Tide Joy Carling’s Ale Wilson Sporting Goods Gillette Razor Miles Laboratories Ballentine Beer Pabst Blue Ribbon Dodge Division (Chrysler Corporation) Plymouth Division (Chrysler Corporation) DeSoto Division (Chrysler Corporation) R. B. Semmler Ford Motor Company Ford-Lincoln-Mercury Hudson Motor Car Company Trimount Clothing Ralston Purina Philip Morris Hellmann’s Mayonnaise Miles Laboratories General Foods Bayuk Cigars Cudahy Packing Company Mutual of Omaha D-Con Nucoa Blue Goose Foods Pepsi Cola Perfect Circle Piston Rings Hudson Motor Car Company Annahist Corporation A. O. Smith Company Chamberlain Company Dari-Rich General Mills Gulf Corporation Episcopal Churches (National Council) East-West Shrine Committee American Schools Oldsmobile Dealers
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.
A couple months ago we were introduced to Tom Kollins and had the pleasure of spending some time on the phone reminiscing about his days at WISL. Tom provided a wealth of knowledge, some fascinating recordings and just plain good conversation. We are honored to present to you the Tom Kalinowski story. Thomas Kalinowski’s involvement with WISL radio goes back farther than anyone we have been able to interview for the WISL Hall of Fame. He was only 12 years old in 1948 when he auditioned with the Kelly Bogetti Orchestra for a live music spot at the station. Tom says that Kelly Bogetti billed him as the “youngest accomplished Hawaiian guitarist in the Anthracite area.” Although they didn’t get the job, this would not be the last time Tom would climb the stairs at Rock and Sunbury Streets.
By 1952 Tom was entering his senior year at St. Edward’s High School. For career day that year, St. Edwards students took over WISL. With some assistance from the staff, they read commercials and did the station breaks for the day. Through this audition, Tom impressed the management and was asked to join the station. His first role was night announcer. The shift began at 6pm and Tom would head to the station each night after school was out. His duties consisted of various station breaks, and reading news, sports and other announcements between the Mutual Radio Network programs the station aired in the evening. Tom said he would sign the station off by playing a transcription of the “Star Spangled Banner” around 11 or 12 at night.
WISL Schedule Tuesday, September 8th 1953
In June of 1953 Tom graduated high school, and about that same time John Persico, who was the morning disc jockey at WISL had a blow out fight with Charlie Petrie, the station manager. Petrie subsequently fired Persico and Tom was asked to take the morning spot. The morning program was called “Wislin’ Time” and was a typical DJ show. Tom says they would play records, do interviews, and give the news, sports and weather. This was local radio and Tom was a one-man-band. He said “you needed a lot of energy to run that kind of a program.”
According to Tom, you needed to be a jack-of-all-trades to work in local radio at that time. While at WISL Tom was a Disc Jockey, play-by-play announcer for both football and basketball, did remote broadcasts and even tried his hand at advertising sales, “because every station wanted you to hit the streets and try to sell.” Some remotes that stood out in Tom’s mind include broadcasting live from a horse show held at a riding ring on Trevorton Road and broadcasting live from the American Legion when Ralph Marteri’s band came to play.
Jolly Jack Robel
Tom remembered Jolly Jack Robel, an accomplished Polka band leader from Shenandoah, who would come to WISL once a week for an hour long Polka show. Tom said that they would have a great time doing the program, but would have an even better time hitting up a local saloon after the show was over. Other memorable programs included The Little Giant’s Sunday program. The Little Giant owned a meat market at the east end of Independence Street. Legend has it that during the war, his was the only shop in town with meat, leading to questions of the quality and source of his stock. Nevertheless, in the post-war years, The Little Giant’s program on Sunday mornings was very popular. So popular in fact, that many would catch the early mass on Sunday to be sure they wouldn’t miss the program. In addition to the meat market and radio show, Tom also remembered The Little Giant having a zoo of sorts, located at the entrance to Irish Valley, where kids could see and pet deer, goats and the like.
WCBG Logo from Matchbook Cover circa 1956
Tom’s time at WISL would come to an end in 1956 when he auditioned for and won a job as the morning man at a brand new radio station in Chambersburg, PA; WCBG. With this move also came a name change, he now began going by the name Tom Kollins, a name that would stay through the rest of his radio career.
Shortly after joining the staff at WCBG, Tom was approached by the local competition, WCHA, to come work for them. Tom agreed and found himself back in Central Pennsylvania working for another station owned by WCHA in Milton, WMLP. Tom recalled that one of the new hire rituals at WMLP was to send the new guy to the Buoy Hardware store, located across the street from the station, to try to sell advertising time. Tom says that the joke was that “old man Buoy was like Ebenezer Scrooge, was grumpy, would keep all the lights out in the store except where he knew you would be, and would never buy advertising.” That is until Tom went in. He said that either Mr. Buoy was trying to play a trick on the station or he was just simply ready to advertise, because when Tom went in, he bought some spots. When Tom returned to the station with the spot order, no one could believe it.
WCAR Detroit Publicity Photo circa 1962
Tom’s time at WMLP didn’t last long, as soon as contractual obligations were concluded with WCBG, Tom was brought back to Chambersburg and began working at WCHA. At WCHA Tom hosted a music program and did play-by-play for various sports. You can hear Tom at WCHA in the audio exhibits section of this post. These recordings were found by Tom on reel-to-reel tapes in his home and have not been heard for many years.
By 1960 Tom would find himself moving halfway across the country, thanks to a major market disc jockey who was traveling the Pennsylvania Turnpike. Tom says this disc jockey caught his program and told his boss in Detroit about this guy he heard in Pennsylvania. Tom was offered a job with WCAR in Detroit where he would finish his radio career.
Tom Kollins at the Detroit Athletic Club circa 1973
In 1965, Tom decided to make a career change, following a passion he had for Billiards and began playing pool professionally. Tom was a very accomplished pool player winning the Michigan Straight Pool Championship twice. From 1968 to 1973 he was the Billiard room manager at the prestigious Detroit Athletic Club. By 1977 Tom had found a new passion, one for the game of Snooker. This passion would find Tom traveling the world playing the game and holding the United States National Snooker Championship title five times. CLICK HERE to learn more about Tom’s fascinating Snooker career.
Tom Kollins on the Golf Course
Today, Tom enjoys retirement with his family and lived in the Detroit area. We are very fortunate to have had the opportunity to share in Tom’s interesting history, we sincerely thank him for allowing us to make another WISL friend.
*** UPDATE ***
We are sad to report that Tom passed away on June 22nd 2020 at the age of 84.
Fire tore through the WISL Transmitter site located on Big Mountain on February 17th 1968 completely destroying all equipment and forcing the station of the air for a brief period of time. Below is an article published in the Shamokin News-Dispatch on February 19th 1968, the Monday following the fire. Thanks to Heather Sharp-Makal for uncovering this newspaper clipping.
Shamokin News-Dispatch Story February 19th 1968
On the same day that this article was published, WISL also ran a nice sized advertisement proclaiming that the station would be back on the air shortly and thanking listeners for their support and patience.
WISL AD from the Shamokin News-Dispatch February 19th 1968
Amazingly within days of being taken off the air by fire, WISL resumed broadcasting at 9am on February 21st 1968. A new transmitter building would be built in the coming months and would serve the station for more than three more decades. Below is the article from the Shamokin News-Dispatch announcing that WISL has returned to the air.
Presented is an advertisement printed in the Shamokin News-Dispatch announcing the addition of FM radio service to WISL Radio in 1968. WISL-FM is now WBLJ-FM.
Original advertisement printed in the Shamokin News-Dispatch September 17th, 1968
Fire tore through the WISL Transmitter site located on Big Mountain on February 17th 1968 completely destroying all equipment and forcing the station of the air for a brief period of time. Below is an article published in the Shamokin News-Dispatch on February 19th 1968, the Monday following the fire. Thanks to Heather Sharp-Makal for uncovering this newspaper clipping.
Shamokin News-Dispatch Story February 19th 1968
On the same day that this article was published WISL also ran a nice sized ad proclaiming that the station would be back on the air shortly and thanking the listeners for their support and patience.
WISL AD from the Shamokin News-Dispatch February 19th 1968
Amazingly within days of being taken off the air by fire, WISL resumed broadcasting at 9am on February 21st 1968. A new transmitter building would be built in the coming months and would serve the station for more than three more decades. Below is the article from the Shamokin News-Dispatch announcing that WISL has returned to the air.
Letters To Santa Graphic from Guinan’s Advertisement (Shamokin News-Dispatch, December 2nd 1951)
Growing up in the Shamokin and Mount Carmel area, it’s likely that when you hear someone say “Letters To Santa” it brings a warm feeling to your heart. It may bring back memories of preparing your letter for Santa, probably with the help of your Mother or Father, and then either mailing it to WISL Radio (a.k.a. The North Pole) or going with Mom or Dad to drop it off at a local business, who would make sure it would get to Santa, then racing home from school, or maybe waking up extra early to hear Santa Clause read your letter live on WISL Radio.
“Letters To Santa” article (Broadcasting Magazine December 12th, 1949)
The program was “Letters To Santa” and was arguably the longest running program on WISL Radio. While it’s difficult to track down the exact details of the show’s origins, we do know that it dates back as far as 1949, one year after WISL Radio signed on. According to an article written in the December 19th, 1949 edition of Broadcasting Magazine, the program drew “thousands of pieces of mail from every community, both urban and rural, in the area” and featured two announcers who would alternate reading the letters live on the air. The program ran 15 minutes in length and was usually sponsored by one local business.
Radio Listings as published in the Shamokin News Dispatch December 23rd, 1954, Notice “Letters To Santa” airs at 4pm
The program continued throughout the 1950’s, airing at various times during the day, sometimes at 11am other times at 4pm. The popularity of “Letters To Santa” grew and by the early 1960’s was being hosted by WISL News Director Jim Riley. The format was fairly the same, letters would come to the station and would be simply read on the air by Riley. However, in 1961, that format would change and WISL’s “Letter’s To Santa” would take on a whole new meaning to children in the area.
Tom Kutza has always loved the Christmas season and has even considered himself to be one of Santa’s helpers. When he joined WISL in 1961, he said to himself, if he had anything to do with the “Letters To Santa” program, he would arrange to have Santa read the letters to the children. It wouldn’t be long before Tom got his wish. Jim Riley accepted a job with WHLM-AM radio in Bloomsburg, PA, and upon his departure Tom took over the “Letters To Santa Program.”
From this point on, not only would children get to hear their letters read on the air, but WISL Radio would “fire up their connection to the North Pole” so that Santa himself could read the letters live on the radio.
Guinan’s Department Store Ad from The Shamokin News-Dispatch December 2nd, 1954, telling kids to drop their letters off in their Toyland section.
Over the years there were many sponsors of the “Letters To Santa” program. In the 1950’s there was W.C. Hack & Sons and Guinan’s Department Store, both of which showed their support in newspaper ads in the Shamokin News Dispatch. Kutza said that during the 1960’s Reed’s Dairy was one of the major sponsors, and that kids could give their letter to the Reed’s delivery man to be read by Santa. Burger King was also a sponsor over the years, and kids could take their letters to the restaurant to get them to the big guy.
W.C. Hack & Son’s Ad from The Shamokin News-Dispatch November 24th, 1953. Note the mention of “Letters To Santa” at the bottom of the ad.
Kutza said that it has been interesting to see how toys have changed through the years. When he took over the program the children would “write for dolls and tinker-toys, but today it’s all computers and high tech gadgets.” The program has brought it’s share of heart breakers to the air as well, Kutza said that there were many letters asking Santa to “please get Daddy a job for Christmas” or “bring Daddy back from the war.” He shared with us a couple of the memorable happy stories from over the years:
Father Herbert Skurski from St. Stephen’s Church was loved by the children. Known as “The Magician” it saddened many when he was sent by the Archdiocese to a church in Nova Scotia. The Father was well known in the Shamokin area, so it wasn’t surprising when one youngster wrote a letter to Santa asking if he would please pick up Father Skurski in Nova Scotia on his way to Shamokin and bring him back for Christmas. Well, as luck would have it, Father Skurski was headed back to Shamokin for the season. Can you imagine how happy that youngster was to find that Santa had honored the wish and delivered Father Skurski to Shamokin, just in time for Christmas Mass?
Another story takes us back to the days of the Vietnam War. A young boy wrote to Santa “if it’s possible, could you bring daddy home for Christmas?” Kutza said that these letters were always the saddest, knowing that all this little guy wanted was his daddy home for Christmas, and that nothing could be done to make sure his wish came true. However in this case there was a little Christmas magic in the air. Christmas morning came and the little boy came downstairs from his room, hoping to see his daddy standing there. He looked and looked and there was no sign of his daddy. Sad and disappointed that his daddy was not there on Christmas morning, he looked at his mother and said “I guess Santa couldn’t bring daddy home.” What the boy didn’t know was that in the early morning hours, while he was sleeping his father did come home and was asleep upstairs. The boy’s mother said he should go look upstairs, maybe Santa had left him up there. Needless to say, Santa delivered, and their family was reunited for Christmas.
In 1998, Kutza left WISL and “Letters to Santa” came to an end, at least in it’s original form. Five years later, in 2003 the News-Item approached Kutza, who at the time was the Tourism Director of Northumberland County, about bringing the program back, this time through the magic of the world wide web. Kutza agreed and now children from anywhere in the world can send their letters directly to Santa and hear them read by him nightly through the News-Item’s website.
The tradition also continues on the WISL internet stream weekday night at 7pm through the month of December. Kutza said he is so thankful that the News-Item saw the value in this wonderful program and brought it back to life.
We were able to locate a couple vintage “Letters To Santa” programs from the 1990’s, they are presented here for your enjoyment. We are always looking to add to the archives, so if you or anyone you know may have recorded a “Letters To Santa” program on WISL feel free to email us at [email protected]. We will be happy to pick up cassettes or reel to reel tapes, transfer them to a digital format, return the originals and provide a digital copy in return. We would love to be able to share more Christmas Magic from “Letters To Santa.”
In 1953 WISL was celebrating five years of radio broadcasting in Shamokin. To commemorate the occasion Radio Anthracite, the parent company of WISL, took out a full page ad in the Shamokin News Dispatch. The advertisement touts an award they received from the Pennsylvania Week Radio and Television Committee, a special fifth anniversary cash contest sponsored by National Dime Bank and the first official announcement of Radio Anthracite’s intentions of opening and operating a television station in Shamokin.
The Federal Communications Commissions was assigning new UHF television stations across the country and channel 65 was to be assigned to the Central Susquehanna Valley. WISL was not the only station to throw it’s hat in the ring for the new TV License, The Sunbury Broadcasting Corporation, owner of WKOK in Sunbury had already applied for the channel 65 allotment.
By early 1954, both contestants had withdrawn their applications and visions of channel 65 would never be realized.
WISL Advertisement from The Shamokin News-Dispatch (January 24, 1953)
Article From The Shamokin News-Dispatch (February 22, 1954) Announcing the withdrawal of WKOK’s TV application
