99.1 New Haven

WPLR has an incredibly rich history . . . but we're having a hard time digging it up.  Of course before being WPLR the station was WNHC-FM, co-owned with WNHC (AM) and WNHC-TV (Ct's first TV station!).

If you can provide any station history please send it to us at admin@hartfordradiohistory.com.

WPLR Memories:

Barry Grant:

    "... I can see that most of the real history of WPLR is totally missing. So here's a little more background of where I fit into the picture. I was hired to do the all night show on WDRC simulcasting on AM & FM. The AM station was heard in about 13 states, Quebec, Ontario, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick & Newfoundland. I got calls from all those places. For many we were the only AM station doing an Album Rock they could hear. I had been doing the 7-Midnight shift at WAAF, Worcester when Charlie Parker heard me. At the time it didn't occur what a radical move he was making. I was allowed to play any music of my choosing, make up my own contests, and do anything with that time slot I wanted (within reason!). He never criticized me or told me what to do the whole time I was there-he knew it was working. My on air work was recognized when I was chosen by Billboard Magazine & the Broadcast Industry as Air Personality Of The Year. WPLR's ownership approached me about becoming the Prgram Director there. The station was floundering and going nowhere. It was my chance to take my programming concepts (which I believed in) to take on a new challenge. WDRC's ownership/management tried to persuade me to stay there, but I took the WPLR offer. However it was not without a rocky path to get there.The airstaff rebelled against the idea of me being hired as Program Director and went to the owners house for a meeting to protest it. He then met with me and asked if I could go along with some of the staff's concerns and work it out with them. I told him that if he wanted a station with high ratings & greater revenue, He'd have to let me do it with total control. He decided money and ratings were more important and hired me. The station was in a mediocre market position at the time. I knew we had real talent there- the late Stoneman (Joe Demaio) & Gordon Weingarth. I put Bob Nary on in the morning where he did a very good job and introduced information to the format-news,sports etc-believing that the majority of listeners were just regular people and not a bunch of radicals & druggies. I discovered Marcia Simon while listening to the radio and thought she sounded great-Marcia was absolutely not into much of the music we were playing on air-but her sparkling personality and willingness to do our format made her a listener favorite. I also found Eddie Wazoo and he was another big talent. Bruce Manke was multi talented and a major contributor to the station. I hired John Griffin from Akron, Ohio to be Production Director and he's still involved with the station. I won Program Director & Air Personalty Of The Year awards there & WPLR was Radio Station Of The Year. Later I would repeat these award wins in another market.
    WDRC approached me about returning as the Program Director of the FM station. At the time Charlie Parker had been the only PD for both stations for a long time. He again took a chance with a new idea and hired me. We did pretty well in the ratings, but ownership really wanted an Oldies format and I was done there and off to Pittsburgh.
So there's a little more background that you might not have known."

1968

1969

1973

Marcia Simon, 3rd from L.

Bruce Manke

Bob Herpe

Bob Dark

Transmitter engineer (L) demonstrates 20,000 watt WNHC-FM transmitter to Aldo DiDiminicus (R).

WNHC FM and TV transmitter building in Hamden.

Lobby of WPLR in Milford.