1 of 1- RadioActive
- Moderator
Offline 
The Notorious Convention That Nearly Broke Top 40 Radio Forever
Alan Cross recalls a notorious radio convention in 1959 that resulted in debauchery for some DJs, and eventually led to the payola hearings that destroyed many careers.
"The DJs were offered lots of liquor and drugs. One party hosted by Morris Levy, the notorious head of Roulette Records, went through 2,000 bottles of bourbon. Hookers were brought in — even from overseas. Promises of cash payments for future considerations were made. It was an incredibly wild party that cost the labels about US$120,000, which is worth more than US$1.1 million in today’s money."
The Notorious Convention That Nearly Broke Top 40 Radio Forever
- Doug Thompson
- Member
Offline
Re: The Notorious Convention That Nearly Broke Top 40 Radio Forever
That '59 convention in Miami was created by Storz Broadcasting, the company that launched the Top 50 radio format. In fact, it was Storz' Miami station WQAM that Allan Waters heard on his winter vacation in Florida in 1956 that made him think of turning CHUM into a Top 50 station, which it was until the chart was reformatted to a Top 30 for the August 10, 1968 chart.
[img][IMG][/img][/img]
- RadioActive
- Moderator
Offline
Re: The Notorious Convention That Nearly Broke Top 40 Radio Forever
WQAM was a great radio station and one I also listened to on my family's winter vacation trips down to Florida. (That and WFUN.) I can see why, even in those early years, it made an impression on Mr. Waters and changed our own radio history here. 
- •
Thread Starter- paterson1
- Member
Offline
Re: The Notorious Convention That Nearly Broke Top 40 Radio Forever
Pretty cheap looking chart, especially for 1965. Hope they sounded better than they looked...
- RadioActive
- Moderator
Offline
Re: The Notorious Convention That Nearly Broke Top 40 Radio Forever
Don't let the wrinkles in that old chart fool you. It hasn't aged as well as some in my collection, but then it was transported a loooong way home.
Here's another one from that exact same week, six years to the day. And I can assure you, though we didn't have that expression back then, they were a kick-ass radio station. Rick Shaw was an institution in that city, a sort of early Roger Ashby, on the air for decades and decades. He finally passed away in 2017 at the age of 78. 
- •
Thread Starter- RadioActive
- Moderator
Offline
Re: The Notorious Convention That Nearly Broke Top 40 Radio Forever
Just for comparison's sake, here's what their competition was up to chart-wise around the same time. Note some of the CanCon songs on the chart - The Guess Who, Mashmakhan and Andy Kim.
- •
Thread Starter- paterson1
- Member
Offline
Re: The Notorious Convention That Nearly Broke Top 40 Radio Forever
It's not the wrinkles but the 1965 WQAM chart looks really amateur. Much better in 1971 with an actual printed chart and not done with a typewriter. Surprised that WFUN's chart and other material is still typewritten. WQAM had six cancon songs on their chart, in 1971, just days before the 30% cancon ruling took effect here.