Aircheck: Radio Stories
AIRCHECK is a podcast about radio's personality from radio personalities. Each episode includes guests from the Radio industry including, but not limited to, Air Personalities, Program Directors, General Managers, and Owners. In addition to the shared stories, AIRCHECK incorporates the rewound audio from those special story moments. Both Rich De Sisto and Paul Kelly, currently on the air in Philadelphia, have concentrated their radio careers in the northeast corridor of the country. Radio stops for Rich include WAXQ/New York, WYSP/Philadelphia, WPST/Trenton, WMGM/Atlantic City, WAMX/Huntington, and WZXL/Atlantic City. Paul’s on air time includes WEZX/Scranton, WPDH/Poughkeepsie, and WZXL/Atlantic City where he and Rich met in the late 80s. Paul also operates Philadelphia-based Kelly Music Research. AIRCHECK is accepting guests for future sessions/seasons. If there’s a story to be told….and hopefully audio to complement it, from College Radio to AM/FM, Satellite, AIRCHECK will give it a listen. If you are in or out of radio and want to tell your stories, email: AirCheckMe@gmail.com.
Aircheck: Radio Stories
S4 E23: Jimmy Fink Pt 2 (NEW YORK RADIO LEGEND FROM 95.5 WABC-FM/WPLJ - 92.3 KROCK - 107.1 THE PEAK)
Jimmy Fink has been working in broadcasting for more than four decades….hosting shows on several major market radio stations, television networks, and production & advertising companies in the New York and Washington, DC metropolitan areas.
Over the years Jimmy has worked for ABC, CBS, and NBC, Rolling Stone Magazine, HBO, Cinemax, and syndicators like United Stations Radio Network, DIR Broadcasting and The Global Satellite Network. In the 80s & 90s, he spent 10 years at New York’s K-Rock (WXRK-FM), and wrote and produced several internationally syndicated radio programs including Rolling Stone Magazine’s “Continuous History of Rock & Roll,” “RockWatch,” and “New Waves” for NPR.
Jimmy’s a lifelong resident of Westchester County, New York, and dedicates a lot of energy to two specific charities: The Pediatric Cancer Foundation and Open Door Family Medical Centers, where he’s a past member of their Foundation Board.
Jimmy is currently doing afternoon drive on 107.1 The Peak/New York (WXPK-FM). He joined the station near its inception in June of 2004. After seeing a bus poster for a new radio station and listening for a half hour, he knew he had to work there. He calls 107.1 The Peak the most creative station with the broadest format any radio lover could want to work for.
Part two of four includes Jimmy taking us back to those formative years of his radio career and how his contemporaries welcomed him. The story of 95.5 WABC-FM changing to WPLJ and how those call-letters came about. He shares some moments with those legendary WPLJ DJ’s he was fortunate to work with, and that historical moment when WPLJ changed format in the early 80’s. We also hear about his conversation with Graham Nash plus his elevator encounter with John Lennon and Yoko Ono.
You can download or stream every episode of AIRCHECK from Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google Podcasts. You can also ask your Smart Speaker to “Play Aircheck Podcast”.
If you're a radio vet with a story to tell we want to hear from you.
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