Raleigh, N.C. – It’s the “reel” deal, a repository of over 3,500 historically significant air checks and web content from Top 40 radio, known as “ReelRadio”.
Airchecks from some of radios most famous personalities like Casey Kasem, Rick Dees, Gary Owens, Wolfman Jack and many more. One of the many artifacts on the ReelRadio site includes radio legend Don Imus interviewing Wolfman Jack in a “free-wheeling and fascinating exchange about Wolfman’s early years in radio.”. This turned out to be the Wolfman’s last interview, passing away about a week later.
ReelRadio has now been restored and made publicly available thanks to the preservation efforts of the North Carolina Broadcast History Museum and the expertise of Beasley Media Group’s digital division. The conversion took place over the last 12 months, funded by the Museum.
“We’re proud to support the incredible work of the North Carolina Broadcasters’ Museum in bringing the Reel Radio website back to life,” said Caroline Beasley, Chief Executive Officer of Beasley Media Group. “This project is a powerful celebration of the state’s rich broadcasting legacy for future generations to discover and enjoy.”
Kip Wahlers, attorney with Ice Miller law firm in Columbus, Ohio, and a radio enthusiast, served as president of the Reel Radio board, speaking of Carl Davis contacting him about the NC Broadcast History Museum assuming custodianship of the site, “this was our goal: to find a permanent home for this collection so that it can be preserved into the indefinite future.” Wahlers went on to say. “This is a Herculean effort.”
Carl Davis, a NCBH Museum trustee who spearheaded the museum’s custodianship of ReelRadio, was a personal friend of the collection’s curator, Richard Irwin, a.k.a. “Uncle Ricky.”
Davis explained “air checks,” are basically the radio show minus the music. “Richard was a radio and computer programmer who collected and got to be friends with a lot of people who also shared the same passion.”
With the unveiling of the newly hosted site, NC Broadcast History Museum President
Mike Weeks said, “The ReelRadio project is directly aligned with the Museum’s goals to celebrate pioneers of radio and television while preserving the rich and significant history of the broadcasting industry to be universally accessible and useful. We couldn’t be more pleased that this valuable resource is now publicly available.”
For More Information Contact: Mike Weeks, President
NC Broadcast History Museum.
252-721-0470
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