RadioTapes.com / Historic Minneapolis St. Paul Radio Airchecks
             

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Thank you for visiting RadioTapes.com featuring nearly 2,000 recordings of Minneapolis/St. Paul radio stations dating back to 1924 with many from the 1950s to 1980s including WCCO, KSTP, WDGY, KDWB, KQRS and others.

Recent postings are listed below. Popular news related airchecks can be found on the SPECIAL POSTINGS page including coverage of major events as heard locally including tornado and severe weather, JFK and RFK assassinations, 35W bridge collapse, Apollo 11, 12 & 13 flights, Watergate, Twins World Series celebrations and more!

View 175+ videos of Twin Cities radio station (local television news coverage)  on the VIDEOS page. Find 1,000 music surveys from KDWB, WDGY and more on the MUSIC SURVEYS page.

We are always looking for good quality historic recordings (audio and video) of Twin Cities radio stations. We accept CDs, cassettes, reel-to-reels, transcription records, etc. Original tapes are carefully digitized and promptly returned with a CD copy. If you have recordings you can share, please CONTACT US. Thank you to more than 100 contributors who have provided airchecks and materials to this website

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DATE POSTED

4/13/14

Coverage of the Boston Marathon Bombings - WCCO-AM (830) - CBS Radio

April 15, 2013 - Breaking news coverage of the bombings at the Boston Marathon #1  #2  #3  #4 (22-28 MB files)

April 19, 2013 - Montage of newscasts: 12 AM, 3 AM, 7 AM, 12 PM and 3 PM

April 19, 2013 - Breaking news coverage - capture of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev (staring at 6 PM) #1  #2  #3  #4  #5  #6  #7 (16-29 MB files)

April 19, 2013 - CBS News Weekend Roundup Special Edition: Boston Bombings - 37 MB

4/6/14

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KDWB-AM (630) - Rob Sherwood - January 3, 1970 - 12 MB (provided by Danny Sigelman)

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Includes commercials for YooHoo chocolate energy drink and Arby's.

 

 

4/6/14

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KDWB-AM (630) - Bob Reed (aka Chuck Roast) - January 4, 1970 - 17 MB (provided by Danny Sigelman)

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An interesting aircheck with KDWB news director Bob Reed having to fill in for an ill overnight KDWB DJ, so he uses the name Chuck Roast. Includes newscast and commercials for J. A. Gerber Jewelers and Berman Buckskin,

 

 

4/6/14

WYOO-AM/FM - U100 (980/101.3) - Jerry St. James & Michael J. Douglas - December 1975 - 20 MB (provided by Danny Sigelman)

Includes Rex King performing the "Night Before Christmas (1975 version)," Julie Child-Like, newscast with Michael J. Douglas, and commercials for Mustang II, Schaak Electronics and Listerex.

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WYOO-AM/FM - U100 (980/101.3) - Jerry St. James & Michael J. Douglas - December 1975 - 19 MB (provided by Danny Sigelman)

Includes Rex King and his daughter Cindy, sportscast with Michael J. Douglas, and commercials for Midland Records and 20th Century Motors.

4/6/14

WYOO-AM/FM - U100 (980/101.3) - Bus Side Photos - approximately 1975 (provided by Danny Sigelman) - CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE

           

3/30/14

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KSTP-AM (1500) John Hines and Charlie Bush - 1977 - 14 MB (provided by Danny Sigelman)

Includes commercials for 7-UP and Brookdale Pontiac Honda.

3/30/14

 

 

KDWB-AM (630) - Adam North - 1973 - 21 MB (provided by Danny Sigelman)

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Includes commercials for Dixie Mobile Homes, Hudson Sports & Travel, Solarcaine, Schell's Beer, Doublemint Gum, Country Club Malt Liquor, JC Penney, Sisters (movie), Twin City Honda, Vega car show Rosedale Center, Melanie at Carnegie Hall record at Musicland,Como Park Apartments, RC Cola, St. Croix Valley Sports, Old Style Beer and Burnsville Burningham Apartments.

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3/30/14

rob sherwood - s.jpg

 

 

WYOO-AM/FM - U100 (980/101.3) - Rob Sherwood Saturday Night Show - 1975 - 9 MB (provided by Danny Sigelman)

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Includes commercials for Pepsi Cola and Alvin Lee & Co. at the St. Paul Civic Center.

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3/30/14

WYOO-AM/FM - U100 (980/101.3) - 1975 Demo

3/23/14

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KDWB-AM (630) - Rob Sherwood - 1973 - 15 MB (provided by Danny Sigelman)

Includes commercials for Dr. Hook & The Medicine Show and Flash Cadillac and the Continental Kids at the Minneapolis Armory, Hals Sportswear, Sun Scene '73 Fashion Show, The Godfather (movie), Everynight Shampoo, Zayre Shoppers' City, Coca-Cola (sung by The Fortunes), Atlantis and 7-Up.

KDWB-AM (630) - Rob Sherwood - Live at the Minnesota State Fair - 1973 - 21 MB (provided by Danny Sigelman)

Includes commercials Merit Chevrolet, Goodman Jewelers, Leon Russell at Parade Stadium, Robinson's Clothing, Coca Cola (sung by the Four Tops), The Hong Kong Cat (movie), Levi's, Pepsi, Orange Crush, Lancer's Warehouse, Donaldson's, Heavy Traffic (movie), United Stores, 7-Up, Turf Club in Houlton, WI and Instant Homes.

3/23/14

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KDWB-AM (630) - Advertising rate cards - June 1, 1972 - PDF File (provided by Danny Sigelman)

3/23/14

WYOO-AM/FM - U100 (980/101.3) - Rob Sherwood & Mesa Kincaid- 1976 - 8 MB (provided by Danny Sigelman)

Includes commercials for Coca Cola and The Nail Restaurant.

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WYOO-AM/FM - U100 (980/101.3) - Rob Sherwood & Michael J. Douglas - 1976 - 11 MB (provided by Danny Sigelman)

Includes a commercial for Tenpenney Two Restaurant.

3/23/14

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WYOO-AM/FM - U100 (980/101.3) - Advertising rate cards - October 1, 1974 - PDF File (provided by Danny Sigelman)

3/23/14

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WYOO-AM/FM - U100 (980/101.3) - Newspaper ad- 1975 - PDF File

3/23/14

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WYOO-AM/FM - U100 (980/101.3) - 400,000 Busy Signals Sales Piece - October 1974 - PDF File (provided by Danny Sigelman)

3/23/14

WLOL-FM (99.5) - Music Surveys - PDF Files - (provided by Jeff R. Lonto)

3/1/14

Coverage of the Vietnam War

August 5, 1964 - WCCO-AM (830) - CBS Radio News Special Report: The Crisis in Vietnam - 22 MB

(provided by Bill Lund, Digital on Location, Woodbury, MN)

January 18, 1966 - WCCO-AM (830) - WCCO News Director Jim Bormann and Senator Walter Mondale travel to Vietnam.

Includes interviews with Minnesota soldiers, war battle sounds and more - 25 MB (provided by Bill Lund, Digital on Location, Woodbury, MN)

April 30, 1975 - WCCO-AM (830) - CBS Radio and WCCO news coverage on the fall of Saigon -  3 MB

April 30, 1975 - KFMX-FM (104.1) - NBC Radio newscast on the fall of Saigon - 3 MB

April 30, 1975 - KSTP-TV - NBC Nightly News (audio) - Coverage of the fall of Saigon - 16 MB

In 1975, the Internet did not exist. To hear newscasts/reports from foreign countries, in some cases, a shortwave radio was needed. The following is a rare English language shortwave recording from the Voice of [North] Vietnam as received in Minnesota the day Saigon fell. Plus, a shortwave recording from the BBC. Audio is rough on both recordings, but if you listen closely, you will hear history "as it happened."

Voice of Vietnam announcing the fall and liberation of Saigon - April 30, 1975 - 2 MB

BBC reporting on the fall of Saigon - April 30, 1975 - 5 MB

3/1/14

 

CONELRAD brochure (provided by Jeff R. Lonto)

Jeff Lonto writes, "Having seen what you've most recently posted (see below), I thought you might be interested in this CONELRAD brochure that is in a packet of Civil Defense literature that I have. The packet says on the outside that it contains information "For Your Survival!"

2/22/14

WCCO-AM (830) - Charlie Boone and Roger Erickson

Comedy bits from the 1970s through 1990s (provided by Charlie Boone)

Britons reflecting on Americans

Buckingham Palace Hotel

Father Francis Mulcahy

Gunsmoke

John Houseman gives Boone & Erickson interview coaching

Martha Stewartville Christmas Special

Minnesota Hospital from New Ulm (July 12, 1997)

President Reagan

Send in the Plows

"Sid the Musical" from the Minnesota State Fair

The "Jimmy" Carter Family

 

2/22/14

WLOL-AM (1330) - Music Surveys

April 26, 1959

May 10, 1959

June 21, 1959

1/31/14

 

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Twin Cities Public Television Almanac host Cathy Wurzer and Jim du Bois of the Minnesota Broadcasters Association talk about the history of the Emergency Broadcasting System (January 31, 2014).

Click on photo to view the video.

 

 

Civil Defense Recording played on TPT's Almanac is posted below.

  

 

 

 

 

 

Evacuation Route image provided by Todd Kosovich

WCCO RADIO CIVIL DEFENSE RECORDINGS (1961)

WCCO-AM (830) - A very rare set of recordings of civil defense announcements from 1961 that would have aired on WCCO Radio in the event of a probable or actual enemy (nuclear) attack. These announcements were pre-recorded by WCCO announcers Howard Viken, Dick Chapman and Governor Elmer Andersen, and most likely would have aired from the station's transmitter facility in Anoka which included a fallout shelter.  8 MB (provided by Curt Lundgren)

                           

THE BIG EBS (Emergency Broadcast System) MISTAKE OF 1971

WCCO-AM (830) - EBS Error - A rare recording - as it sounded on WCCO during the Howard Viken Show on February 20, 1971 with follow-up reports and coverage on 'CCO Radio and CBS Radio. See below for more details. - 6 MB

On the morning of Saturday, February 20, 1971, Wayland S. Eberhardt, a civilian teletype operator, was going about his routine duties at the National Emergency Warning Center at Cheyenne Mountain, Colorado. One of the functions of “the Mountain” during this era was to send out the weekly Emergency Broadcast System (EBS) test directive to the nation’s radio and television stations. They were also responsible for sending out the real warning. When stations received these messages they compared it against a card to determine what action to take. At 7:33 a.m. local time on that fateful Saturday, Mr. Eberhardt, a fifteen-year veteran of his job, fed the wrong tape into the transmitter. He was later quoted by the New York Times as saying “I can’t imagine how the hell I did it.” Text source.

The teletype message that went over the wires:

MESSAGE AUTHENTICATOR: HATEFULNESS/HATEFULNESS

THIS IS AN EMERGENCY ACTION NOTIFICATION (EAN) DIRECTED BY THE PRESIDENT. NORMAL BROADCASTING WILL CEASE IMMEDIATELY. ALL STATIONS WILL BROADCAST EAN MESSAGE ONE PRECEDED BY THE ATTENTION SIGNAL, PER FCC RULES. ONLY STATIONS HOLDING NDEA MAY STAY ON AIR IN ACCORD WITH THEIR STATE EBS PLAN.

BROADCAST EAN MESSAGE ONE.

MESSAGE AUTHENTICATOR: HATEFULNESS/HATEFULNESS

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WOWO-AM (Fort Wayne, Indiana) EBS False Alarm - February 20, 1971

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(courtesy of the History of WOWO website)

1/11/14

400 music surveys have been added to RadioTapes from KDWB-AM, WDGY-AM, KTCR-AM/FM and various retail stores

including Dayton’s, Musicland and more. There are now 1,000 music surveys from 1957-1984 posted on this website.

1/4/14

 

 

KDWB-AM (830) - Lord Douglas (Phil Heuer) November 10, 1967 - 4 MB (provided by Curt Lundgren)

Includes lots of jingles and a legal station announcement at 1:05 into the aircheck

12/29/13

 

WLTE-FM (102.9) - "Murphy in the Morning" Jack Murphy and Nancy Gallos - Dec 24, 1984 - 22 MB (provided by Craig Broden)

Includes commercials for the Digital Business Center, Star and Tribune, Celebrity EuroSport from Chevrolet, Nestle Hot Cocoa Mix, Mount Frontenac and St. Paul Book and Stationary.

12/29/13

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WWTC-AM (1280) - Splendid Blend format with John Farrell from May 1979 - 11 MB (provided by Craig Broden)

Includes Mutual Radio newscast and commercials for George's Fashions for Men, Minnesota Kicks Soccer, Dermasoft,

Ex-Lax, and Ford

HAPPY HOLIDAYS FROM RADIOTAPES.com

CBS RADIO

WCCO-AM

KQRS-AM/FM

  • National Lampoon Radio Hour Christmas Special - 1974 - #1 -  #2  (provided by Mark Rotenberry)

KSTP-AM

  • "A Christmas Carol" starring Rob Sherwood as Ebenezer Scrooge and KSTP staff members in the supporting roles. Narrated by Charlie Bush - December 24, 1977 (provided by Jay Philpott)
 

WYOO-AM/FM (U100)

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12/18/13

WCCO-AM (830) - Steve Murphy, WCCO Radio news journalist and managing editor, is retiring this month after 33 years. To the lower left is a staff photo that was taken in 1984 celebrating Steve winning a George Foster Peabody Award for a series of special reports titled "Debbie Pielow: Waiting for a Heart that Never Came."

- Tribute to Steve Murphy that aired on WCCO-AM on December 17, 2013 - #1  (14 MB)  - #2  (16 MB)

Appearing: Mick Anselmo, Charlie Boone, Adam Carter, Steve Enck, Roger Erickson, Eric Eskola, Bruce Hagevik, John Hines, Susie Jones, Denny Long, Mike Lynch, Telly Mamayek, Steve Murphy, Tim Russell, John Williams.

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- Debbie Pielow: Waiting for a Heart that Never Came -Murphy's Peabody Award winnng reports (1983) 10 MB   

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- Peabody Award News Release - PDF

Back row: Larry Haeg, Karin Mengar-Davis, Howard Viken, Dick Monn and Chuck Lilligren.

Front/middle rows: By Napier, Jerry Miller, Barb Piazza, Clayt Kaufman, Bruce Hagevik, Gordon Mikkelson, Steve Murphy, ?, Tom Gavaras, Curt Beckmann, ? (partial face), Betty Hammond, Sue Frase, Judy Thorpe, Maureen Mulvaney, Linda Paulson, ?, and Steve Woodbury.

12/15/13

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KDWB-FM (101.3) - "Morning Sickness" Chris Edmonds and Pam McManus - June 15, 1983 - 18 MB (provided by Eric Sorensen)

12/8/13

COVERAGE OF THE DEATH OF JOHN LENNON (12/8/1980 to 12/14/1980)

#1 28 MB - #2 25 MB - Part 1 opens with an announcement by Howard Cosell on ABC Television's Monday Night

Football that John Lennon had been shot and killed, a bulletin on NBC Television interrupting The Tonight Show, followed by airchecks from KQRS-FM, NBC Radio's The Source, WCCO-AM/CBS Radio, WWTC-AM, Mutual News, WCCO-FM, KDWB-FM, KSTP-FM, WLOL-FM and KCLD-FM.

(Thanks to Stuart Held for many of the above airchecks and Todd Kosovich for the WCCO-AM/CBS Radio aircheck and NBC-TV bulletin).

WCCO-AM (830) - Breaking news coverage on the shooting and death of John Lennon from CBS Radio and

WCCO Radio with Bill Diehl and Franklin Hobbs. (December 8, 1980) - 3 MB

KDWB-FM (101.3) - Tribute to John Lennon (scoped) - (January 14, 1980) #1 19 MB - #2 10 MB

(provided by Arne Shulstad)

12/7/13

 

WCCO-AM (830) - News of the attack on Pearl Harbor as heard on 'CCO Radio on December 7, 1941 - 17 MB

11/26/13

COVERAGE OF THE 1982 MINNEAPOLIS THANKSGIVING DAY FIRE

WCCO-AM (830) Breaking and continuous news coverage of the Minneapolis Thanksgiving Day fire on November 25, 1982

that destroyed the 16-story headquarters of Northwestern National Bank (now Wells Fargo) and the vacant, partially demolished location formerly occupied by Donaldson's department store. Includes Steve Cannon, Rich Holter, Dan Hertsgaard, Jim Rogers and Joe McFarlin.   #1 7 MB  -  #2 7 MB  -  #3 7 MB  -  #4 9 MB.

11/18/13

COVERAGE OF THE ASSASSINATION OF PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY

Six hours of coverage the shooting and death of President John F. Kennedy as covered on WCCO-AM and CBS Radio on

November 22, 1963. (mp3 files range from 20-34 MB) (provided by Bill Lund, Digital on Location, Woodbury, MN)


12:40-1:45 PM - #1   #2

1:45-3:00 PM -   #1   #2

3:00-4:00 PM -   #1   #2

4:08-4:52 PM -   #1   #2

5:45-7:20 PM -   #1   #2    #3

CBS Radio: Allan Jackson and Dallas Townsend (New York), Nelson Benton (Dallas Parkland Memorial Hospital), Dan Rather (Dallas), Robert Pierpoint (Dallas), Wells Church (Washington DC), Roger Mudd (Washington DC), George Herman (Washington DC), Alexander Kendrick (London), Charles Von Fremd (Washington DC), Stuart Novins (Moscow), Bernard Eismann (New York), Paul Niven (White House), Daniel Schorr (Bonn), Vin Maloney (Boston), Nelson Benton (Dallas), Peter Stursberg (Ottawa), Winston Burdett (Rome), Peter Kalischer (Tokyo), Richard Hottelet (New York), and Marvin Kalb (Washington DC).

WCCO-AM: Jergan Nash, Maynard Speece, Dick Chapman (interviewing people outside the WCCO building as the news of JFK’s death broke and news reports) and Arv Johnson. Plus, Charlie Boone, Jergen Nash and Ray Christensen with notices of event cancellations/postponements, special church services, etc.

In addition, comments from MN Governor Karl Rolvaag, former MN Governor Elmer Anderson, WI Governor John Reynolds, former President Dwight Eisenhower and UN Ambassador Adlai Stevenson, Plus, a portion of President Kennedy’s breakfast speech to the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce the morning of his death.

NEW AIRCHECKS JUST ADDED!

ABC Radio - Thanks to broadcast historian Todd Kosovich, RadioTapes is able to present more than five hours of

ABC Radio coverage of the shooting/death of President Kennedy including extended coverage following the announcement that President Kennedy had died. The recordings start with "Music in the Afternoon" program interrupted by breaking news of the shooting of President Kennedy. #1  #2  #3  #4  #5  #6  #7  #8  #9  #10  #11  #12  #13  #14  #15  #16 (mp3 recordings 13 and 24 MB)

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Don Gardiner (anchor) with reports from Bob Clark (Dallas), Pete Clapper (Capitol Hill), Stuart Klein, John Rolfson (Washington DC), Quincy Howe (commentary), John Scali (Hawaii), John Casserly (Rome), Irv Chapman (Washington DC), Ted Koppel (United Nations), Sam Jaffe (Moscow), Walter Forges (national editor), Bernard Kaplan (Paris), Bob Lindley (Buenos Aires), Paul Harvey commentary (also on aircheck #13), Bill Downs (Andrews Air Force Base), Bill Sheehan (London), Bruce Morton (London), Alex Dreier (Chicago), and others. Plus, interviews with various senators, congressmen and religious leaders including Minnesota’s Senator Hubert Humphrey plus former President Eisenhower, speech from President Johnson, a tribute from the BBC, and much more.

NBC Radio - Coverage of the shooting/assassination of President John F. Kennedy - Bulletin  #1   #2  #3 (1 MB each)

Continuous Coverage #1 25 MB - #2 24 MB (provided by Todd Kosovich)

Voice of America shortwave broadcast as they struggle with CBS saying JFK is dead and NBC saying JFK is still alive.

7 MB (provided by Todd Kosovich)

NBC-TV - Don Pardo bulletin JFK shooting (provided by Todd Kosovich)

NBC-TV - News on JFK shooting (provided by Todd Kosovich)

NBC - Bulletin on shooting of JFK (provided by Todd Kosovich)

NBC Radio - Edwin Newman bulletin on JFK shooting  (provided by Todd Kosovich)

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MORE AIRCHECKS

File sizes listed next to the airchecks are approximate and have been rounded.

 

All of us involved with RadioTapes.com are pleased to have the opportunity to highlight so many great Twin Cities radio stations and personalities, past and present. We are occasionally contacted about donations to this website. As mentioned above, we are always looking for more airchecks. As for monetary donations, we prefer that they be given to the the Pavek Museum of Broadcasting. Located in St. Louis Park, MN, the Museum houses one of the world's finest collections of antique radio, television, and broadcast equipment and also provides educational seminars and workshops for children and adults. We encourage you to visit their website, or better yet, stop by and tour the museum. This website is not operated by the Museum of Broadcasting – we are just fans of the museum.

Ownership/copyright of airchecks, videos and printed materials posted on this website remain with the radio and television stations that produced them. The purpose of RadioTapes.com is educational and is intended only for private, non-commercial use.

RadioTapes.com is a part of RadioTapes Inc., a non-profit company registered with the State of Minnesota.