In this week’s issue… Remembering Pittsburgh’s Quinn – Seven Mountains enters Harrisburg – My launches new brands – Ryan out at B101 – More cuts at Radio Vermont – Another AM deleted
By SCOTT FYBUSH
*He was one of the biggest names in western PENNSYLVANIA top-40 radio for two decades, and then a significant voice in conservative talk radio for even longer. Along the way, he made memorable detours into Buffalo, New York and Philadelphia and hit national syndication, too.
Jim Quinn, who died Sunday, grew up in New Jersey and started in radio at WING (1410) in Dayton, but his career always centered on Pittsburgh, where he first hit the airwaves at KQV (1410) in 1967. As with so many big talents of the day, he moved often, crossing the state to work at Philly’s WIBG (990) a year later, then quickly returning to KQV for a few years only to move to New York’s WPIX (101.9) in 1972, then to the night shift at Buffalo’s WKBW (1520), where that big 50,000-watt signal brought him into homes up and down the East Coast.
Quinn came back to Pittsburgh in 1977 as part of the high-energy crew at WKTQ (13Q), then moved to middays two years later at WTAE (1250). In 1983, he and Don Jefferson hit the morning shift at WBZZ (B94), where their “Quinn and Banana Show” was full of as much blue humor as a southwest Pennsylvania audience would tolerate, and sometimes a little more than that.
In 1990, Quinn and Jefferson were sued by B94’s news director, who won her defamation case after accusing the pair of portraying her as promiscuous on the air. That sent Quinn in a new direction – after the show was cancelled, he moved to WRRK (Rock 97), hosting what started out as a rock morning show but gradually transformed into right-wing political talk with almost no music.
In his new life as a talk host, Quinn moved around the dial even more, landing at iHeart’s WPGB (104.7) when it launched a talk format in 2004. Nine years later, Quinn didn’t follow the rest of the WPGB lineup over to WJAS (1320); instead, his “War Room” show resurfaced as a mostly-streaming offering anchored at WYSL (1040) in suburban Rochester, NY, whose owner Bob Savage had worked with Quinn in Buffalo. For a time, it also aired on SiriusXM.
Quinn had been off the air for over a month, after suffering an aortic aneurysm that led to open-heart surgery.
Jim Quinn was 82.
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In this week’s issue… TEGNA deal consolidates Hartford, Scranton, Buffalo stations - CBS to close radio newsroom - Buffalo's Snyder to retire - New FM cancels amidst allegations - Erie's Stehlin retires - New LPTVs on the way
In this week’s issue… Hall sells WCTK, WNBH - Remembering NY's Anastos - WMEX sale withdrawn - Saga moves in western Mass - TikTok Radio launches on iHeart subs
In this week’s issue… Cumulus bankruptcy roils radio - BTPM announces Buffalo format shuffles - WMEX moves newer, ditches Justice - Sliwa returns to NYC AM - Denis to step down at CHUM
In this week’s issue… Student radio survives, thrives at IBS - Kerr extends contract - WSAR sale falls through - WIVB GM departs amidst merger talk - WGR expands east
