The station signed on June 10, 1951, as a 1000-watt non-directional daytimer on 980, from studios on the second floor of 243 Central Street. The studios have never moved; the power was increased to 5 kW DA-2 in 1979 – and from day one until a few years ago, the station had been under the same ownership. It was put on the air by Ike Cohen and his brothers Maurice and Ted, and with the deaths of Ike and Ted, Maurice remained as sole owner until he sold it to Merrimack Valley Radio a group headed by Clark Smidt and Sam Poulton.
Clark Smidt has 43 years of broadcast experience and along with Ryan Johnston, Operations Director, Dean Johnson, Executive Editor and Teddy Panos, Station Manager they have provided more local programming and continue to expand local shows. Monica Collins Ask The Dog Lady. Mayor Sullivan, Billerica Mondays along with Saturday Morning Live with Warren and company and Tom Duggan’s Paying Attention. Weekly appearances by the Lowell City Manager, Police Supt. and Congresswoman Nikki Tsongas, have helped Wireless Mike Flynn and Teddy in the morning make the show more localized.
WCAP has also initiated a program that trains college students on how to research and gather news facts for radio newscasts, along with specialty reports. This internship affords students’ course credit. Middlesex Community College and the University of Lowell had students that participated .Middlesex Community College airs a show every Friday at 11 am on WCAP. Evan Heidenrich who is heard weekdays with Ryan and co-host other shows I believe was part of that programs. They also do a great job getting High School kids involved with Teddy’s Pig Skin Press Pass, coverage of High School Sports and Tyler Dumont and his Teen Talk.
Some former WCAP staffers: Ray Tremblay (who was the DJ at every High School Dance I remember) Jack Baldwin, Bill O’Neill and Gary Francis Joe Corcoran and Casey Crane., Regina Faticanti , George Anthes, John McDonough, Sue Rourke, longtime WCAP producer Dan Bourret, Fred Nutter (worked the boards in High School and is now Ch. 7 Sports Producer) Jim Reed, John Tucker . Mark Adams, Joe Abrams Other names from WCAP’s earlier years included Fred Faust and Dan Gillette, and the long history of WCAP news well-represented with names such as Barry Pretzel Dave Faneuf, Susan Czepiel, Bill Smith, Mary Blake, Bernice Corpuz, recently the News Director and Julie (Stinneford) Sider, who’s moved on from the WCAP newsroom to a big career in voiceover work. (She’s the “Julie” whose automated greetings prompt you at Amtrak’s toll-free line.) and Scott Fybush who has turned his love of radio into a solid business. No doubt many more I’m forgetting.
Please add your memories of WCAP.
(Some Material/Photo’s used from Internet postings by Bill O’Neil and Scott Fybush)
Guess I missed the big celebration. I was with WCAP doing afternoons then mornings between 1981 and 1985. I have many fond memories. Joe Corcoran, my PD, what are you up to? Barry Pretzel I actually know from WEMJ, Laconia in the late 70s…when was he at WCAP? Remember Sharon Bradley, Dave Gillis, John Black (I think that was his name), Ed Coleman (now for many years with the FAN in NYC), and Gary Green (who had a nickname for every sports figure long before Chris Berman got started). John Tucker, Bill Smith, Julie (then) Stinneford, Bill O’Neill, Mary Blake were also around in my time as, of course, were the Cohens. Maurice was always hovering over me during remotes in the mobile unit. Here’s to another 60 at the ole 980.
Rob Thaler (now living near Baltimore and working for MetroNews near DC)
Rob! Great that you checked in. Would love to drop you an email or Facebook PM to catch up sometime.
Shows how often I check in to this website. Bill, I’d love to hear from you. My e-mail address is r2thaler @yahoo.com.
Just ran across this. I worked summers and off and on at WCAP in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Ike was station manager and Maurice head of sales. Bob Perry was program director. Murry…er, Mark Adams was the morning guy. I followed after engineering for Jim Droney’s talk show. Harold Sullivan was the News Director and Dave Cates the Chief Engineer. I broadcast the football games with Joe Shimko. On Sunday I followed Ned French “on the bench.” Fred Faust, John Tucker, and Matthew Mann (forget his real name) were on the staff. We had a softball team that lost a lot of games. Don Hill married Anita while I was on board — they met at WCAP. Great times. I miss that bunch. I worked in radio for a while after getting out of the Navy but have mainly been involved in real estate. My wife Carol and I live in Scottsdale, Arizona. If you know, please let me know whatever became of this group. Ned O’Hearn
I just came across this as well. I began part time at CAP in the mid to late 80′s while at Emerson College. After graduating, I was a full timer doing some sports and the midday gig in the late 80′s. Like everything else in life, you don’t realize that these were the “good old days” until they were over. Some of the things/people I remember. Doug Barker, Gordon McAdam, Julie Stinneford, filling in at ULowell hockey games for Chaz Scoggins, Joe Corcoran, Ike and Maurice, Sharon Snigocki, Barry Pretzel, Jeff Grayson, Bill O’Neill (Bill, I still remember your last song “While you see a chance, take it.”, Chuck Cecil, Martha, the Lowell/Lawrence football game. Sorry if I forgot someone…it’s been a long time. I hope everyone is doing well. I now live in Derry, NH with wife Sharon and Tyler 14 and Ashlee 10.
Happened to wander ’round and about the cyber world and found this. I’ve been wondering for the past few years whether the news voice I heard on WGMS-FM, Washington was that of Rob Thaler. I thought it was when I tuned in via Internet to see if John Chester, with whom I worked at WCRB, was still there. I’m not so great on faces but never forget a voice, even without headphones with the gain turned up all the way.
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Wow. Bill, I hear the Tigers don’t play at Briggs Stadium anymore. By the way, John is retiring at the end of this year, but he’ll still voice track overnights. He’s been an absolute pleasure to be associated with.
Just found this. I worked at WCAP for a couple of years. All weekends. Played music for a few hours on Saturday and then remember playing Chuck Cecil and those “Swingin Years”.
Recording the weather from Michael Henry at the “WCAP Weathercenter” – made it seem like we actually had a weather center. Ha!!
Biggest thrill? When I had a person win the jackpot on my weekend show. I think it was a surprise to all the onair folks since usually the winner would be in drive time M – F with Gordon, Grayson or Corcoran. Fun times. Now in Tampa Florida.