Note from MediaVillage founder Jack Myers: If you love the history of media, I strongly recommend Jeff Minsky's tribute below to WPLJ-FM, which ends its 48-year run tonight. His memories are especially poignant and meaningful to me. In 1973, as WPLJ was launching the nation's first album-oriented rock format, Sales Manager Dale Pon hired me as one of the staff's first sales execs, with responsibility for covering retail businesses across the New York metro area. I was joined by Larry Fischer, who later led Time Warner Cable Sales for many years. A year later Larry Divney joined as Director of Sales as the station moved from hashtag ratings to one of the top stations in the market. Larry elevated me to Local Sales Manager and two-years later I was recruited to lead retail sales for WCBS-TV (Channel 2). The PLJ team was and remains legendary. Divney moved on to head sales for MTV, A&E Networks and ultimately to become President of Comedy Central and CRO for MTV Networks. WPLJ's lead DJs then were Jim Kerr, Pat St. John, Tony Pigg, Zacherle, Jimmy Fink, Carol Miller and Alex Bennett. Pat, Tony and Zacherle became friends and Larry Divney has been among my closest friends for decades. My immersion in early rock n' roll radio (today's Classic Rock) led directly to my interest in cultural shifts and technology-led transformation -- from AM to FM, broadcast to cable TV, to digital and internet media, and now into the future. I'm proud to have been a small part of the WPLJ legend. The history of WPLJ Radio will live on. Read on to learn why.
Memorial to WPLJ. The Legend Will Never Die
