In this week’s issue… Jerry Blavat, RIP – New leader at WMHT – Holy Family adds three – New morning shows in Toronto
By SCOTT FYBUSH
*There’s only one way to end the phrase “iconic Philadelphia rock and roll DJ,” and that’s “Jerry Blavat.”
The “Geator with the Heater” was a fixture on the city’s music and radio scene for a remarkable seven decades, from his early years as a “Bandstand” dancer in the 1950s through many years of music promotion and management and into a ripe old age in which he somehow never really got old, playing his favorite early rock and R&B music for new generations of listeners who found him in various corners of the radio dial in PENNSYLVANIA and NEW JERSEY.
Blavat, who died Thursday at 82 in Philadelphia, was barely 13 when he made his broadcast debut on WFIL-TV (Channel 6) dancing on “Bandstand,” the first expression of his passionate love for the city’s music and its musicians, especially the Black artists whose music got covered more than it got actually played on radio. He was managing bands such as Danny and the Juniors before he was old enough to drink, and by 1960 he had his own radio show on Camden’s WCAM.
As legend has it, that talk show where he interviewed visiting performers turned into a rock and roll show during a snowstorm when Blavat brought out his record collection – and for decades, it never ended. His fast-paced patter and authentic Philadelphia music moved around the dial over the years, often at relatively obscure spots like WPGR (1540) in Philly, WVLT (92.1) in Vineland and WTKU (98.3) in Atlantic City. The “Boss with the Hot Sauce” was always more than just a radio jock, owning the Memories nightclub in Margate, south of Atlantic City, and promoting shows all over the area.
For the last 17 years, he also hosted a Saturday night version of his show on WXPN (88.5), where he reached new generations of listeners along with his longtime fans, who were always his “teenagers” no matter how gray.
In his 80s, Blavat didn’t slow down until just recently, when he had to cancel several shows because of shoulder pain.
Behold, the 2025 calendar!
We chose the 100,000-watt transmitter of the Voice Of America in Marathon, right in the heart of the Florida Keys. This picture has everything we like in our covers — blue skies, greenery, water, and of course, towers! The history behind this site is a draw, too.
Other months feature some of our favorite images from years past, including some Canadian stations and several stations celebrating their centennials (can you guess? you don’t have to if you buy the calendar!).
We will ship daily through Christmas Eve. Place your order now for immediate shipping!
This will be the 24th edition of the world-famous Tower Site Calendar, and your support will determine whether it will be the final edition.
It’s been a complicated few years here, and as we finish up production of the new edition, we’re considering the future of this staple of radio walls everywhere as we evaluate our workload going forward.
The proceeds from the calendar help sustain the reporting that we do on the broadcast industry here at Fybush Media, so your purchases matter a lot to us here – and if that matters to you, now’s the time to show that support with an order of the new Tower Site Calendar. (And we have the new Broadcast Historian’s Calendar for 2025 ready to ship, too. Why not order both?)
Visit the Fybush Media Store and place your order now for the next calendar, get a great discount on previous calendars, and check out our selection of books and videos, too!
In this week’s issue… WBUR backs off local talk - EMF's expansion in NY, nationally - Rochester broadcasters honored - Russell finds new PA radio home - Remembering Bruce Stevens - The new calendar's here!
In this week’s issue… Remembering WNY's Palvino, Harris - Will King sell Bangor stations? - Kay moves earlier - New signal on LI - Cumulus cuts hit PA, New England - Frizzell sells in NH
In this week’s issue… Saluting a small-town radio vet - Bell moves CP24 - Scott heads west - Burlington gets Air 1, "Experimental Radio" - Family Life heads down I-86
In this week’s issue… NY TV anchor, radio historian both retiring - XPN PD to retire - More Cumulus cuts - Rogers sells FMs as Corus makes big talent cuts By SCOTT FYBUSH Jump to: ME - NH - VT - MA...
