Early Radio, Hanover, PA

WHVR

Broadcasting in the late 1940s from the Trust Building on Center Square in Hanover, Pennsylvania, WHVR's first announcers were Mack Edwards, Ed John, Ned Rutledge, and Chuck Zink.

Mack Edwards and Chuck Zink went on to jobs in television -- Edwards in Baltimore and Zink in Miami. Besides his announcing duties, Ed John (‘the fella with the two first names”) also owned a pet shop in Hanover. Ned Rutledge stayed with WHVR for over 50 years.

I listened religiously to Chuck Zinc who had an evening show called Pot Luck With Chuck. He played the songs of the day and had some running patter with a little dummy whose name escapes me. I could never understand the concept of a dummy on the radio. I remember Zinc heading a March of Dimes drive for polio. People would call in and pledge money to the drive and a member of the Happy Ramblers Motorcycle Club would pick it up.

On Saturday mornings, WHVR broadcast from the Victory restaurant on Broadway, sponsored by Utz Potato Chips. Edwards and later Rutledge would interview patrons and always make a big to do over someone celebrating a birthday.

On Saturday evening at 7:00, the Reverend Ralph Rudisill presided during a remote broadcast from The Gospel Tabernacle, a local church in Hanover. Rudisill was "fire and brimstone" kind of a pastor with a Pennsylvania Dutch accent who whipped his flock into a frenzy - “Come down through the roof, Lord," he shouted, "we’ll pay for the shingles!!” Wish I had a recording of one of those broadcasts; they were unbelieveable.

Country music in the morning: Hank Snow, Roy Acuff, Hank Williams, Lefty Frisell.

In the late afternoon, I came home from school and listened to Sky King and the Green Hornet on a Mutual Broadcasting System feed.

And on Sunday evening, the family would listen to Jack Benny, Amos and Andy, and Phil Harris on the old FADA radio in the living room.

Wonderful memories of a unique time in broadcasting!