When I was kid, my father told me that when he moved to a new area he would take a ride and get lost. He said he would familiarize himself with the area that way. I was out for one of my weekend “Backside” rides in CT and had gotten lost. Thinking of my dad, I just took in the sights and familiarized myself with the area. In doing so, I came upon a Backside gem.
As I drove along Route 173 in Newington, I saw a building with the call letters of a radio station, WPOP. Not being from CT, I was not aware of this station. I asked my wife, who is from West Hartford, about WPOP and she said she listened to the station when she was young. She said right away, “WPOP Good Guys,” recalling a time in the '60's and '70's when the station's DJs were called the Good Guys. The station played Top 40 music at the time. The station was sold to Merv Griffin in the early '70's and soon became an NBC news and information station. The radio station left the Newington location in 1998, leaving the space abandoned like many of our backside subjects.
I remember the station, but don't recall listening to it. I also remember driving past that building years ago when I was living in Middletown.
ReplyDeleteI'm impressed that your wife remembered anything about it. I remember the call letters. Thanks for posting.
ReplyDeleteI remember the station very well. It was the fisrt station I listened to with my 8 transitor radio. Ken Griffin was a favorite DJ back then. He had his "Royal Order of the Black Socks". Ken just pasted away last year I believe in Florida
ReplyDeleteEd