WAPE Jacksonville FL 40th Reunion, 1999 (2:08:32)

… It’s nice to be in a museum when you’re not dead …
[Description by Uncle Ricky]On April 10th, 1999, WAPE-FM Jacksonville, Florida, PD Cat Thomas and the WAPE Alumni Association brought together many current and former WAPE personalities for the WAPE 40th Reunion.

This two-hour composite of the original four hours features much of the fun and warmth of the reunion broadcast. Classic jingles, airchecks, and great stories are included, along with (in no particular order): Hoyle Dempsey, Tim Byrd, Jay Thomas, Bill Burkett, The Greaseman, Cleveland Wheeler, Dr. X, World Famous Tom Murphy, Tony Mann, Mark the Shark, Candy Clutch, Train on the Radio, Shannon West, Phil Beckman, Robby Rose, Dr. A. J. Davis, Pete Owen and Alan Moore.

This is a wonderfully entertaining exhibit and it’s packed with lots of personal remembrances certain to delight broadcasters and listeners alike. Our thanks to Hoyle for making this tribute to the legendary WAPE available to REELRADIO.

Welcome to the new ReelRadio!

This site is now operated by the North Carolina Broadcast History Museum. 

We want to thank the board of ReelRadio, Inc. for their stewardship since the passing of the founder Richard Irwin in 2018.  It has not been easy and they have maintained the exhibits for future generations to enjoy.

I met Richard Irwin, aka Uncle Ricky, when we were freshmen at East Carolina University.  We both had worked at local stations in our hometowns.  No one was more passionate about radio, especially Top 40 radio, than my friend Richard. 

Our goals with this site are to preserve the exhibits and make them available free of charge for people to enjoy.  Over time, we hope to add some airchecks to the site.  This will not happen immediately.  Time and resources will determine the future of new exhibits. 

Many thanks to the web folks at the Beasley Media Group for countless hours of work.  Again thanks to the board members of ReelRadio, Inc. for their faith in us. 

Richard Irwin’s hope was that his site would live on long after his passing. He said, “I hope REELRADIO will survive as my contribution to the ‘radio business’. The business is allowed to forget me, but the business should never forget the great era of radio that we celebrate here”.

We remember Richard and we thank him. If you enjoy this new site, we would appreciate a contribution. We hope you enjoy the new ReelRadio!

Board of NCBHP
North Carolina Broadcast History Project