1300-AM. On June 8, 1922 Baltimore’s first radio program was broadcast on WEAR. Later that month the station took part in the first radio broadcast of a presidential speech (Warren Harding). By 1924 the station was taken over by the National Guard and renamed World’s First Broadcast Regimen (WFBR). It was relocated into the 5th Regiment Armory until 1927 when it was returned to civilian management and moved to 7 St. Paul Street – and then in 1939 moved to 10 E. North Avenue. In 1945 they became affiliated with the American Broadcasting Network (ABC). Long time announcer Stewart Kennard began with the station in the early ‘20s – retiring in 1953.
Arthur Godfrey got his start in 1929 playing banjo on a WFBR amateur contest called “Saturday Night Function.” He so much impressed producers of the show that they found a sponsor – a pet store that sold bird seed – and he appeared regularly as Red Godfrey, the Warbling Banjoist. Later Godfrey became an announcer before moving to D.C. in 1931, then to CBS in 1945. Many talented local artists got their shot at the big time by appearing on Godfrey’s network affiliated programs during the ‘40s and ‘50s. The show “Arthur Godfrey Time” aired during the early-mid ‘50s weekdays at 10:30AM on TV Channel 2.
1950s programs included “Club 1300” (variety program sponsored by Arrow Beer), “Melody Ballroom,” and “Matinee in Maryland.” Personalities included Bill Lefevre (who later went to WBFF-TV and later taught at the Broadcasting Institute of Maryland), Lou Corbin, Joseph Imbrogulio, Walt Teas, Howard Streeter, Joe Knight, Helen Brooks, Don Spatz and his “Music Before Midnight” show, and Mike James with his “Sunday Afternoon Jazz” show…
WFBR personalities – 1959 L-R: Bill Jaeger, Joe Knight, Mike James
In the late ‘50s WFBR 1300-AM was a Top-40 style station playing the lighter pop songs and the carry-over pop artists into the rock and roll era. Personalities during that period included Dave Robinson, Mike James, Walt Teas, Joe ‘Your Knight of the Spinning Round Table’ Knight, and Bill Jaeger. The ‘60s included Jack Welby, Jack Wheeler, Johnny Contino, Dave Lindsay, Jim Coffinberger…
Morning personality Joe Knight released an album of his on-air comedy bits in 1961 titled “The Many Days of Joe Knight” (Columbia XTV-81275).
The station switched to a Top-40 format in 1972. Personalities from the ‘70s included Pete Berry aka ‘The Flying Dutchman’ (who abruptly resigned in late 1973 and was replaced with) ‘Commander’ Jim Morton and Hard Rock, Johnny Contino, Johnny Walker, Dave King (see bio ‘Dave Harris’), John Councilman, Wayne Gracey, Charlie Donovan, Larry Walton, Wayne Gruen, Mike March’s “Mad Radio”… March was also seen moonlighting at emcee at the Other Place and the Pimlico Hotel in 1975 with his “wacky fun ‘n games night.” The Flying Dutchman emceed rock shows at the Eastwind. Commander Jim Morton also emceed a weekly risqué program at the Club Venus.
WFBR was the Orioles Baseball flagship station in the ‘70s and ‘80s. The syndicated Dr. Dimento show was broadcast on Sunday nights at 8 PM.
In 1976 the WFBR Corporation bought Glen Burnie station WISZ-FM as a sister station and called it WBKZ FM-96. The new FM format consisted of middle of the road (MOR) light pop music they advertised as “Magic Music.”
Bob Bolton, Charlie Donovan
In the ‘00s 1300-AM is known as WJFK with a talk radio format.
2025 photos of WFBR 1590-AM studio in Glen Burnie.
