While I never had the honor of knowing or even meeting him, Myron Jones is a name that has been recognizable to me as a broadcast industry great for many a decade.
What recently brought his name back to my attention, I cannot remember . . . but when it occurred, I knew I wanted to know more about the man and his story. First, I learned that he was born in Youngstown, Ohio, in 1925 and began his broadcasting career as an engineer at WERC-AM in Erie and WFMJ-AM in Youngstown.
Next, I discovered this article in the August of 2017 issue of industry publication RADIO INK: “RADIO INK recruited two of the best programming minds in the business, Lee Abrams (who I worked with at XM Satellite Radio in the 2000’s) and Randy Michaels (a radio industry “luminary,” not only in programming, but as well in executive roles at Jacor Broadcasting and Clear Channel Communications, now iHeart Radio), to answer this question: ‘What are the greatest Top 40 stations of all time?’ Here’s how they stacked them up!
Well, I soon found Myron’s first station, WJET, at # 5 on Randy’s list of America’s 20 greatest Top 40 stations, and his commentary about WJET is pretty much the essence of the Myron Jones story:
WJET dominated Erie as a daytimer on 1570 with 250 watts. After moving to 1400, still at low power, no one could touch them, and everyone tried. The founder and owner, Myron Jones, built the building and wired the studios himself. His wife did the music. He hired major-market talent and they stayed. Forever. No station was better about promoting, playing the hits, and focusing on the community. Many of the big AM Top 40 stations had FM stations. None of the big-market owners did the smart thing and moved to FM in the ’70s. Myron did, and because he had a TV station, he had to sell the AM to do it. At the time, the AM was still number one! WJET-FM debuted at number one. Pretty remarkable.
Before I go on, it should be noted that Randy was one of WJET’s “Good Guy” DJ’s some 50 years ago — how long he stayed, I do not know.
Myron, only 26 years of age at the time, with his partner, Bill Fleckenstein, also an engineer, launched WJET in 1951. In the fall of 1955, it moved to 1400 AM, permitting the station to begin 24-hour-a-day operation. Then the WJET Broadcasting Company applied for 1570 in nearby Youngstown, Ohio, which became daytimer WHOT-AM.
As Randy Michaels noted … being on 1570, the station was licensed to operate only during daylight hours. Until years later when the government’s rules were loosened, no U. S. station on 1570 could broadcast outside of daylight hours, as the frequency was under the control of the Mexican government and 1570 was occupied by XERF, which became known as a “border blaster,” transmitting with extremely high power from just across the river from Del Rio, Texas. There were many nights in the 1940’s and 50’s when I could hear XERF clearly in eastern Pennsylvania! It was on XERF that Wolfman Jack would first gain fame as a radio personality.
As Randy also pointed out … Myron’s first wife, Kay, served as the station’s music director for much of its first two decades. However, the station’s listing in the annual Broadcasting Yearbook seldom identified anyone as the program or music director … a couple of times it did, she was listed under her maiden name of Kay Pfadt.
As you see, WJET — like many hit-formatted stations of the era — for many years published its own weekly “top hits” survey sheet. Through the earlier years, the air staff was promoted as the WJET Good Guys; however, by the late 60’s, the term had been de-emphasized … in the image above from 1969, Johnny Holiday is called a “Fun-lovin’ good guy.” (By the way, 50 years later, this Johnny Holiday still is being heard on Erie radio.)
From early on, WJET was a regular reporting station for the top hit charts of Billboard, Cash Box and other music publications. When a recording was listed as a “new add” or reaching hit status, the WJET Erie, Pa. call letters were regularly on the list.
In this 1969 ad in Billboard magazine for the English group, the Zombies, you’ll find the WJET call letters.
The station did a very good job of promoting itself, including stunts which received great press coverage. Check this item from the September 5, 1960 Billboard magazine’s Vox Jox column:
Already serving time on a 50-foot pole (located in a downtown shopping center), is Ronnie Cash, WJET, Erie, Pa., who undertook the stunt for the benefit of Camp Lend-A-Hand, Western Pennsylvania’s camp for crippled children. Cash, who suffers from acrophobia, volunteered to climb the pole because he himself had polio as a child. Cash is doing his regular 6 p.m. deejay show from the pole, where he lives in a pup tent mounted on a small platform.
Further on personality radio done the Erie, Pennsylvania, way can be found in this article from the May 22, 1971 issue of Billboard, based on an interview with the station’s manager, Rick Hanna.
In April 1966, Jet Broadcasting became a multi-media operation with the sign-on of ABC TV affiliate WJET-24; at the time, ABC’s programming was limited to off-hour clearances on the CBS and NBC affiliates, both of which had been on the air for more than a decade.
Come 1986, Myron recognized the benefits of moving WJET’s Top 40 programming to an FM signal, but at the time FCC ownership regulations prohibited one company from owning both an AM and FM plus a TV signal in the same market. So, he acquired an FM station — naming it “JET-FM 102” and selling his AM station. The FM soon replaced the AM as Erie’s #1 rated radio station!
Myron also helped Penn State University’s Behrend campus in Erie secure the license for its radio stations, WPSE-AM and FM. In 2014, he and his wife, Marlene, established the Myron Jones Fund for Broadcasting to support the stations in perpetuity.
Myron Jones would finally retire from broadcast industry ownership in 2001 and he passed away last year, in June of 2018, at the age of 92.
As stated in Myron’s obituary:
“Many successful broadcasters and business executives had received their initial training at Jones’ stations. His life and career have been a model of ethics in business to employees, friends, clients, competitors, and the general public. He was a consummate gentleman, a professional and a humble man. He has often been referred to as “the nice guy who finished first.”
A final word from Randy Michaels as told to industry trade publication rbr.com:
“Myron spent the least possible money on studios and furnishings, but he paid people well, and engendered amazing loyalty. It’s difficult to be frugal, tough, creative, compassionate and generous all at the same time, but that describes Myron.”
Did you know or work for Myron Jones? If so, do you have a story you can share?
Image Credits: Chart visuals courtesy of Old Time Erie, WJET Ad from 1962 – courtesy of Erie County Historical Society
Myron Jones also acquired Pittsburgh daytimer WEEP 1080, and I was a college kid disc jockey there in the early 1960’s. The TOP 40 programming was simulcast on sister FM station, WITT.
He was a soft-spoken and genuine gentleman.
Whenever a WEEP job was to be eliminated, Myron’s WJET henchman, GM Pete Coteccia came to town. Pete wore a steel leg brace, and when that metallic noise was heard coming down the hallway, somebody’s gig was up !
J K Smith
Thanks, J. K. Appreciate that side story.
Oogie Pringle–I assume it was the same guy–was on the air at WNBC-AM/New York in the 80's.
Yes, all reports about the air folks say many went on to bigger markets and stations!
I was WJET-1400 AM radio's 1st intern from Edinboro. They usually came from Gannon's WERG. I was there 1983 working under PD Jim Cook (legendary jock & became Clearchannel Royalty. He surprised me one weekend by putting me on the schedule. I was on my Hometown Hit Radio station. (Nothing sounded better in your headphones than Jet in AM Stereo too) Later, I'd become morning show producer for Frank Martin in the Morning. But it was Myron Jones 80th birthday party that was the event that spring boarded me into radio. His party was an huge event. Talent from all over the country were there. Jim Cook tapped me on the shoulder & said "follow me". He introduced me to Barney Love, former WJET jock & PD. He needed a morning show producer at WGAR FM & AM in Cleveland. I spent the next 35 years doing mornings on air in Baltimore and Denver, Md's eastern shore, State college, Cumberland Md, & Denver. I can say I worked at the legendary Hit Radio 14, WJET, Erie. This Erie boy's dream.
Kenny Campbell
Thank you, Kenny … I’m always ready to read, share and highlight stories like yours! When you love what you do and do it with passion, you’re likely to arrive it places that many only dream about.
I recall, not long after I joined WEEP, a gentleman wearing a non-flashy brown, conservative suit walked into the sutdio about 7PM. Being the only person in the area, I asked, "Can I help you?" He just introduced himself, "Hi, I'm Myron Jones."… It was 1971, and all these years later, Myron Jones is and was the most unassuming and humble multimillionaire I ever met.
It’s my opinion, Ken, that that kind of multimillionaire are some of the best people walking this earth. A lot of them do a lot for mankind without bragging about it. Thanks for sharing. Never knew Mr. Jones beyond recognizing his name, but wish I had.