{"@context":"http://iiif.io/api/presentation/3/context.json","id":"https://marmia.aviaryplatform.com/iiif/bc3st7gm52/manifest","type":"Manifest","label":{"en":["W.I.T.H. Bob Mathers interview, 1996-03-01"]},"logo":"https://d9jk7wjtjpu5g.cloudfront.net/organizations/logo_images/000/000/053/original/cropped-marmia-logo-copy1.png?1586173104","metadata":[{"label":{"en":["Source Metadata URI"]},"value":{"en":["https://marmia.libraryhost.com/repositories/2/archival_objects/25592"]}},{"label":{"en":["Date"]},"value":{"en":["1996-03-01 (Creation)"]}},{"label":{"en":["Description"]},"value":{"en":["Be advised that this video may contain sensitive, triggering, and offensive language and content. (Content warning)","Digitized with funding provided by the Council on Library and Information Resources' \"Digitizing Hidden Special Collections and Archives: Amplifying Unheard Voices\" grant program. (Funding note)","Bob Mathers discusses the W.I.T.H radio market and broadcasting history, Jack Wells, Buddy Dean, Hot Rod, and more. (Scope and Content Note)"]}},{"label":{"en":["Format"]},"value":{"en":["1 Betacam"]}},{"label":{"en":["Identifier"]},"value":{"en":["WJZ-FLDTP-001-013 (Identifier)"]}},{"label":{"en":["Series Title"]},"value":{"en":["Field Tapes"]}}],"summary":{"en":["Be advised that this video may contain sensitive, triggering, and offensive language and content.","Digitized with funding provided by the Council on Library and Information Resources' \"Digitizing Hidden Special Collections and Archives: Amplifying Unheard Voices\" grant program.","Bob Mathers discusses the W.I.T.H radio market and broadcasting history, Jack Wells, Buddy Dean, Hot Rod, and more."]},"provider":[{"id":"https://marmia.aviaryplatform.com/aboutus","type":"Agent","label":{"en":["MARMIA"]},"homepage":[{"id":"https://marmia.aviaryplatform.com/","type":"Text","label":{"en":["MARMIA"]},"format":"text/html"}],"logo":[{"id":"https://d9jk7wjtjpu5g.cloudfront.net/organizations/logo_images/000/000/053/original/cropped-marmia-logo-copy1.png?1586173104","type":"Image"}]}],"thumbnail":[{"id":"https://d9jk7wjtjpu5g.cloudfront.net/collection_resource_files/thumbnails/000/253/833/small/thumbnail_253833_1728334906.jpg?1728334907","type":"Image","format":"image/jpeg"}],"items":[{"id":"https://marmia.aviaryplatform.com/collections/948/collection_resources/136821/file/253833","type":"Canvas","label":{"en":["Media File 1 of 1 - open-uri20250109-552-8xh74f.mp4"]},"duration":1266.89,"width":640,"height":360,"thumbnail":[{"id":"https://d9jk7wjtjpu5g.cloudfront.net/collection_resource_files/thumbnails/000/253/833/small/thumbnail_253833_1728334906.jpg?1728334907","type":"Image","format":"image/jpeg"}],"items":[{"id":"https://marmia.aviaryplatform.com/collections/948/collection_resources/136821/file/253833/content/1","type":"AnnotationPage","items":[{"id":"https://marmia.aviaryplatform.com/collections/948/collection_resources/136821/file/253833/content/1/annotation/1","type":"Annotation","motivation":"painting","body":{"id":"https://aviary-p-marmia.s3.wasabisys.com/collection_resource_files/resource_files/000/253/833/original/open-uri20250109-552-8xh74f.mp4?1736436212","type":"Video","format":"video/mp4","duration":1266.89,"width":640,"height":360},"target":"https://marmia.aviaryplatform.com/collections/948/collection_resources/136821/file/253833","metadata":[]}]}],"annotations":[{"id":"https://marmia.aviaryplatform.com/collections/948/collection_resources/136821/file/253833/transcript/71690","type":"AnnotationPage","label":{"en":["AUTO_TRINT_WJZ-FLDTP-001-013_ffv1.mp4 [Transcript]"]},"items":[{"id":"https://marmia.aviaryplatform.com/collections/948/collection_resources/136821/file/253833/transcript/71690/annotation/1","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"All right. First of all, let me have your name. Bob Mathers. And yours? Mathers. You've been you've been working on the radio for how long? Well, I've been in the business for about 20 years. So you're relatively a youngster compared to the project we're working with? Absolutely. I wasn't born, and most of these guys were at their heyday. Well, you know, radio is referred to as the senior electronic media, right? Television didn't get it started many, many years after after radio actually dubbing it. They're celebrating one hour, 55th anniversary. So you started one 1941. Okay. Now, expand on that a little bit. The idea is they're celebrating anniversary. Exactly. Just taking it from the top in late 1940. I'm not taking you from the top. Okay. Go ahead and I'll give you the theme line. And you go ahead. Okay. Our age is getting ready to celebrate an anniversary. We certainly are. 55 years serving Baltimore, March 1st, 1941, At 7 p.m., the station signed on. And this station has seen some tremendous talent come out of here and go on to bigger and better things. You or you guys actually started here before World War Two? Absolutely. I guess about a good six months or so before Pearl Harbor. Do you recall? Of course, the call letters were the same. Right. The dial actually the dial position started out at 1200. Tell us cycles. And then shortly thereafter went to 1230. So you've been 1230 all these years, practically? Absolutely. Even though you are celebrating your 55th anniversary, you guys were late comers getting into the business. Tell you what, It was the very first station in Baltimore to play all music. 55 minutes of music, five minutes of news every hour on the hour.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://marmia.aviaryplatform.com/collections/948/collection_resources/136821/file/253833#t=16.65,145.25"},{"id":"https://marmia.aviaryplatform.com/collections/948/collection_resources/136821/file/253833/transcript/71690/annotation/2","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"The other stations at the time that were in the market were strictly network affiliates. So when we came on the scene, people were saying they're not going to need much to work with just to keep a steady supply of needles when they break playing the records. And they found out that that's what the people really wanted was the news and the music rather than the all of the network programs at the time. So what you're saying is that back then, the other stations that were already here, it had been here for almost 20 years, were network affiliates. That's right. You guys were the local upstarts, the local independent upstarts. And quite frankly, it was a laughingstock. But they proved that that's, again, what the people wanted to hear. What kind of music are you playing back in 1941, the hits of the day, basically the swing music, the big band, Glenn Miller, Benny Goodman. And whenever a particular trend came out and was popular, it huge jumped on it. And it was the same with the early 50s when rock and roll came in. But it got that ball rolling and by teenage became a real rock and roll pacesetter in the mid 50s and then to almost towards the end of the 50s. Another local upstart, Westinghouse Broadcasting, bought a TV station here in Baltimore and stole two of your very popular talents. Absolutely. Jack Wells was the original host of Baling for Dollars, and he went on to host, I believe, the 1:00 show or a show similar to that on Channel 13. And of course, it was in the summer of 1957 when Buddy Dean was on vacation at his home in Arkansas. You got a call from Joel Chase friend, who again, at one time teenage alumni, and he says, Buddy, come on over.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://marmia.aviaryplatform.com/collections/948/collection_resources/136821/file/253833#t=146.0,252.04"},{"id":"https://marmia.aviaryplatform.com/collections/948/collection_resources/136821/file/253833/transcript/71690/annotation/3","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"We want to do a show featuring a disc jockey playing records on TV. And his buddy Dean had remarked previously he thought that was a crazy idea when he went over and did it and he turned the town upside down. And as we all know, the rest is history. Of course, now, when Jack Wells and and Buddy Dean left and went to WJC, our ratings are shot through the ceiling. Well, that's very true. And thankfully for it, we got a fellow out of Charleston, South Carolina, named Jack Taylor in 1957 who continued the high ratings for WHDH So well, and WJC sort of has as a connection there from the from the 50s. Well, we like to think so. Channel 13 has contributed a great deal to the market over the years. And WRAL, of course, was the original cause of 13. They went to Jay Z in the 50s. And I've had a chance to talk to a number of these guys like Buddy Dean and like Jack Wells, and they speak very fondly of both stations during their time here in town. What about one of the fellows, one of the one of the guys that used to I used to listen to as a teenager just was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame. Yeah. Hot rod. Absolutely. What about it? What do you know about him? Well, he was just in the studio yesterday. I met him personally for the first time, but like a lot of other people, I grew up listening to the guy, and he's just a fantastic individual. The man talked faster than anybody I've ever known or heard in my life. But the thing of it is, it only took you a couple of times to listen to him.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://marmia.aviaryplatform.com/collections/948/collection_resources/136821/file/253833#t=252.25,351.52"},{"id":"https://marmia.aviaryplatform.com/collections/948/collection_resources/136821/file/253833/transcript/71690/annotation/4","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"You can catch up to the lingo and figure out what he was saying. And like it was like you said, he had a tremendous following in this market and still does today. People fondly remember Hot Rod Hulbert, who is the guy now? The hot guy right now? Well, we take the approach that all of our personalities have their own following. But if you have to pick a guy that has the longevity in this market, it's a guy named Jack Edwards who does our midday show tend to three. Jack's been spinning records in Baltimore since 1956, so that's a pretty good longevity record. He might make an hour then segment of his very own. I think he could more than make one. So he was playing 50s music back in the 50s. And what is he playing now? He's playing 50s music in the 90s. And what goes around comes around? Absolutely. Back again. Back in the 40s, you were doing 55 minutes of music, five minutes of news. Is that what you said? That's right. What about the news? I mean, what did did you guys have a big news staff? Do you have any news at sound engineering? Yes, we do. Okay. Yes, we do. So, I mean. Did you have a respectable news? I mean, back then, of course, radio stations had had people in London and and and all over the world. Your guys certainly didn't have that. Did you have a respectable news department? Well, if you're talking about starting in the 40s, it did have local news coverage, primarily handled by the announcers at the start. But toward the mid-forties, some news people, specifically news people were hired and Ross McFarland became the first White House correspondent. Alan Ford Bill Evenson.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://marmia.aviaryplatform.com/collections/948/collection_resources/136821/file/253833#t=351.61,465.23"},{"id":"https://marmia.aviaryplatform.com/collections/948/collection_resources/136821/file/253833/transcript/71690/annotation/5","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"These were guys that went on to do tremendous work. In fact, Evenson covered the White House, the Kennedy and King assassinations for the mutual network, the moonwalk. It again, unlike a lot of the other stations in town, only at the time, a 250 watt radio station. But the ownership, Tom Tinsley and Jake Emery, owner and manager respectively, did go out and hire the best news talent possible. And they really went out and dug up the stories. Ted Jaffe is another great example. He's known for a lot of his work on w c i o that he started in white in this market and then came back to to the station before he retired. Now, what about. You guys have been in business now 55 years. What's new? What's next? Well, we took a look at the market about a year or so ago. And, of course, when you're an Am radio station in 1996, there's a tendency for people to go toward FM because it was a 1978, by the way, that FM officially overtook AMX in terms of listenership. And today, you've got a whole generation of people that do not understand its value, its allure, its charm. So what we did and taking a look at the market, we said there is a whole group of songs and artists that no station in town is playing Bobby Rydell, Connie Francis, Paul Anka, Brenda Lee, Brooke Benton. And we said, Hey, let's do that. It sparkled with that type of music back then. And let's bring it back again. And it's really catching on. Well, here in the city. So that's what you're going to continue to do for as long as we can because we're having a ball with it. And the listeners seem to love it as well.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://marmia.aviaryplatform.com/collections/948/collection_resources/136821/file/253833#t=466.31,568.45"},{"id":"https://marmia.aviaryplatform.com/collections/948/collection_resources/136821/file/253833/transcript/71690/annotation/6","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"How's the ratings? The ratings so far have been flat. We were well, too. I guess to give you a real quick recap, when the radio station had a previous format of big band, we began to drop like a rock. And it was about a year ago that we made this change. We had a slight increase and we stayed pretty much flat. But our 45 to 64 year old listeners, from what we understand, have come up for a good deal. Now, for those that follow such things, there is a new rating period coming out in about 3 or 4 weeks. And we think that period is going to really show a significant increase in listeners. Well, let me put it a different way. Okay. Back in the 40s, obviously you guys are making money. That's right. Are you still making money? Well, it's been a struggle. It really has been. And the reason being is because we have we have a lot of clients. We have about 50 to 75 clients on the air each week. A lot of these clients are individual folks. They don't have large budgets, but we've got too much detail. Okay. Let me ask you again. I've been told I do that sometime. One more time. Okay. Back in the 40s, David was making money. What about now? We're beginning to make money now. Things were tough for a while, but we've come back. We've. We're at a point that just the opposite of what probably I say is that we're beginning to make money now. Let let's try it again. If you say things got a thing, is things dropped off or revenues dropped off, but now they're increasing. All right. Okay. I got your answer. Okay. Back in the 40s, David was making money.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://marmia.aviaryplatform.com/collections/948/collection_resources/136821/file/253833#t=568.99,666.19"},{"id":"https://marmia.aviaryplatform.com/collections/948/collection_resources/136821/file/253833/transcript/71690/annotation/7","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"How are they doing now? We're doing much better. About a year and a half ago, we really started in the 40s. Well, probably not as well as the 40s. And let's get it right this time. We're going to do our best. Let me try again. Okay. We're doing much better than the 40. They used to make money. Are you still making money? We're still making money. We're still making money here. We have a wonderful group of advertisers. More and more people are discovering what we're doing. They're buying into the station. They're seeing results. The listeners about is loyal and support a bunch of people as you could ever hope to meet. We're having a ball with this. So what are you going to be playing 55 years from now? If you and I are still alive at that time, my guess is if we have anything to do with it. We'll be playing the golden oldies of 110 years ago. All right. Now, that was good. Let me just ask you just a little teeny bit about yourself. Now, you gave me your name. You said you've been in the business for 20 years, right? How old were you when you started in radio? I was 18 years old when I started. When did you want to become involved in radio? When I was about five years old. I got the radio bug. I grew up in Baltimore. I listened to Chuck Thompson, Hot Rod. I listened to guys like Coulson, Chop chop, Fisher Rock and Robin Kirby Scott, any named deejay in Baltimore in the 60s. I listened to them and I just decided that's the kind of thing I want to do. And then you've been gifted with that great voice. Well, see, when you grow up in Baltimore, you may have the tone of voice, but the accent is something you have to deal with.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://marmia.aviaryplatform.com/collections/948/collection_resources/136821/file/253833#t=667.66,771.46"},{"id":"https://marmia.aviaryplatform.com/collections/948/collection_resources/136821/file/253833/transcript/71690/annotation/8","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"And then when I worked a posse back in 79 and 80, I worked for a guy named Larry Clark, one of the best program directors I've ever worked for. The guy was a taskmaster. He would throw things at me because I couldn't pronounce certain words right. But I ultimately got to where I could at least make some sense in speaking on the air. So that's been some hard work. What are you. Here I am. Well, I'm a lot of things and a lot of things as far as titles go. Are you on the air? Yes, I am. When is your gig? Saturday afternoons from three until seven. I do an all request oldies show of the 50s and 60s. So if you want to if you want to hear Bob Mathers and I remember a show called Request for Yours. Okay. So if you want to play that request full of yours game, tune into you on Saturdays. Absolutely. I answer the phones. I talk to the people. I pick, the songs, I play them, and we all share in the great memories of those years. Here we go on to the rover here. My God. I would. I would. Okay. All right. First of all, you don't need to put in packages for people that. They want to put in play with. It was Jack Wells. Buddy Dean. Build a fever right by the name, Of course. Who are the other guys? John Kriegel. Got it. This was 1941, and the guy behind the mic was a fellow by the name of Gene Rayburn, who went on to do the match game, the match game on TV or on television? On television. Highest rated daytime series. Highest rated daytime series from that era. Well, the match game was was in the 60s.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://marmia.aviaryplatform.com/collections/948/collection_resources/136821/file/253833#t=771.71,916.08"},{"id":"https://marmia.aviaryplatform.com/collections/948/collection_resources/136821/file/253833/transcript/71690/annotation/9","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"In the 60s. And in the front the dust. We call it the lightning thing. Lightning hit. Lightning head. Yes. And it's still being used in there. Publishing material. Sure to. About time. I'll pretend. Living a life that slowly grows. Grow? Not one man. That's all I want you to me, Dana. We hope so. Sky kiss. And that's on you. You mean this? Yeah. Right after this record, it's out of JPMorgan. And that's all I want from you on stereo. I'm 1230. W i t h. This is not. I should have brought in an old 78. No, I would have put it on the turntables over there a couple 78 years ago. We got two spots. He worked with Buddy then? Yeah. Where is he? How did he get? Yes. The memories belong to the group known as the Les de Me, an express 1900 yesterday, 22 before one. I'm Jack Edwards and we are stereo. I'm 1230 W88 sunny mild high 60s clear and cold tonight overnight low in the 20s Thursday looks like cloud sun warmer high 60s were a delightful 62 degrees in downtown Baltimore. We're celebrating 55 years of continuous broadcasting all month long and we invite you to join us for the soundbites, the old programs, comments from the alumni and anniversary gifts galore. And they're all for you. Listen for your opportunity to phone in and win symphony tickets, dinners, gift certificates and much, much more throughout the month of March. And be tuned in each hour of the half hour for voices from our past and yours to the station you grew up with. Stereo am 1230 is w i t h Smith, owner of the Grandpa Restaurant, would like you to know that the grandpa now has 18 Gramps available early in the day, seven days a week, starting at 12 noon.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://marmia.aviaryplatform.com/collections/948/collection_resources/136821/file/253833#t=917.16,1110.97"},{"id":"https://marmia.aviaryplatform.com/collections/948/collection_resources/136821/file/253833/transcript/71690/annotation/10","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"So. He recalled that when this was. Yes. Well yeah, I yeah, I believe it was 1959. Let me call it confirm that. Okay. That was 1969. Thanks, Lisa. Hey, Don. And later this hour, we are back in my home. I had two people, by the way, Jackie O, really happy about this happy hour Night. A solid seven of you last up until 1957, until the early part of next week, after sales meetings, everybody will be in here. And then you can call me, by the way, on that fellow. Coming up, an important fuel station manager. Yeah, I know. The rise of Radio. Rocky Point, Long Island, 1933. Galliano, Marconi and David Sarnoff visit the birthplace of Broadcasting Radio's first castle was this rustic shack. In 1921, radio fans were all earphones listening to a pioneer station in. Crystal said Explorers here, such performers as Miriam Batista, child movie star. One of radio's trailblazing announcers introduces what he calls a little peach from a Broadway show. The peach poses as radio gets called everything from gag to gadget, at best, a plaything and a fad. But fate has to make radio a power in a world of peace and war. Herbert Hoover, secretary of Commerce in 1922, finds Infant Radio, facilitates news gathering, as do many others in high public office. Andrew White comes to the microphone with the latest news in sports in what is then the latest in broadcasting studios. But growth of radio is switched from toothpick antennas from these beacons of broadcasting. The Port Jefferson Tower. And it often Virginia here's one 600ft high. Radio waves over ocean waves. In 1923, one of the first American overseas broadcasts is heard in England by Captain West of the BBC and relayed to.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://marmia.aviaryplatform.com/collections/948/collection_resources/136821/file/253833#t=1111.45,1262.7"}]},{"id":"https://marmia.aviaryplatform.com/collections/948/collection_resources/136821/file/253833/transcript/71690","type":"AnnotationPage","label":{"en":["English [Transcript]"]},"items":[{"id":"https://marmia.aviaryplatform.com/collections/948/collection_resources/136821/file/253833/transcript/71690/annotation/11","type":"Annotation","motivation":"subtitling","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"https://d9jk7wjtjpu5g.cloudfront.net/file_transcripts/associated_files/000/071/690/original/trint_WJZ-FLDTP-001-013_ffv1_transcript.vtt?1728353349","format":"text/vtt","language":"en"},"target":"https://d9jk7wjtjpu5g.cloudfront.net/file_transcripts/associated_files/000/071/690/original/trint_WJZ-FLDTP-001-013_ffv1_transcript.vtt?1728353349"}]}]}]}