A Golden Goodie from another WMPT Alumnus

One of the most surprising thing about having a web site or a BLOG page is who read it. Recently I received a big surprise when one of my early idols on WMPT, Mike Sullivan sent me an e mail saying he found my site while "surfing." I remember Mike as a person with a great on air presence, and wild sense of humor and an extremely creative mind. One of my favorite "Sully" stories involves him when he was doing sign on back in the days when WMPT was located on the second floor of the South Williamsport Borough Hall. When you got to the top of the stairs and went in a big counter greeted you, to the left was the ever present nickel Coke machine, legend has it that Mike would come in turn on the lights, plunk two nickels in the machine and get two bottles of cherry soda. One he would drink while turning stuff on, the other during sign on. From the time I got there in 1966 till I left in 1979 the cherry soda was always referred to by the entire staff as "Sully Soda." That being said, here, with his permission, are some of Mike Sullivan's memories of the early days in radio for him:

Kelly: While surfing I stumbled onto your WMPT site and I cannot tell you how much I enjoyed reading it – and marveled that yours truly (Mike Sullivan) was included in your remembrances!

Here’s a brief “rundown” (you can take that literally) of my career:

Hired by Dave Castlebury in 1960 after he listened to my “superb” air check from WMLP. “What kind of a microphone was that you were using?” (typical Dave comment).

Actually, I had been fired from WMLP, and also cut loose from WBRX in Berwick, WJOC, Jamestown, NY and WHTG in Asbury Park, NJ. Had Dave not hired me, I would have quit the radio biz.

I got drafted a few months after Dave hired me. But he took me back in 1962 (full time!) even though I was only a part-time employee. Some folks hated Dave. But he and his station were just what I needed at that point in my career.

I left WMPT in Oct., ’63, for WMID, Atlantic City, where I was indoctrinated in “back-to-back” commercials during the summer season. June thru Sept. we played 3 records an hour. I know. It sounds as if I made that up.

In Oct., ’65, I joined Susquehanna broadcasting (they owned WARM in Wilkes-Barre, Scranton.) I was hired at their “new” station, WGBB in Freeport, Long Island, NY. What a wild place! (Not a place to work if you were (1) in radio and (2) married.

I got canned at WGBB because the manager, Bill Musser, hated me – I guess because I wasn’t from PA.

I was hired one day later at WGLI, Babylon, Long Island, where the signal was quite strong – if you happened to be a fish.

On land, we couldn’t be heard 17 miles from the station.

From there I went to the big time: Chicago stations WGRT, WJJD, etc. Mostly news and 10 years with a black station, owned by John H. Johnson of Ebony/Jet magazine fame.

I spent 5 years in Minnesota, all radio years, all cooooooooooooooooold radio towns.

Returned to Chicago in ’84, worked at one big FMer which canned the entire news department to make way for a high-paying morning announcer (Tom Joyner, who is now syndicated nationally on black outlets.)

I gravitated to newspaper work in 1986, spent 12 years in suburban Chicago radio (in news) before retiring (voice problems) in 2005.

I am now on staff at the Elgin (Ill.) Courier – News as a business reporter.

I am a grandfather of two boys and still married despite the rocky radio road.

Yes, I do remember you hangin’ out with me during my air shifts at ‘MPT.

I feel fortunate to have worked at WMPT.

I feel very fortunate to have spent more than 40 years on the air. I did it all, Kelly. Played black music at a black station, was news director for several stations and did production work that was decent.

I still lose my voice on occasion, but it’s good enough for print journalism.

Thanks Sully, I look forward to more posings from you as well as anyone else who survived radio in Williamsport, Pa.