Trailer for “The Jukebox: Radio Archive” podcast, featuring “scoped” classic radio airchecks from “The Jukebox,” hosted 1995–2000 by Mike Saffran on “Oldies 98.9” WKLX — later known as “99BBF” — in Rochester, N.Y. (Note: “Scoped” means only the DJ’s “mike breaks” — when the DJ’s microphone was turned on — were recorded. So, with most of the music, jingles and commercials removed, podcast episodes, each featuring an entire five-hour show, typically will be less than 30 minutes long.)
After initially posting a succession of show recordings from March–April 1997, classic airchecks from April 1998 and later featuring audio from the former weekly all-request listener call-in show will be shared once a week. (Eventually, older shows also will be added to the podcast series.)
Mike says:
“For more than two decades, I’ve had a goal to one day digitize and share many of my old ‘Jukebox’ show recordings — before the cassette tapes literally disintegrate. But it’s not just for me. Even though the tapes represent local-radio history and are a big part of my personal radio journey — hosting ‘The Jukebox’ was the most fun I had in more than 40 years in radio (counting college) — the recordings, because they’re reflections of listeners’ lives, also present slices of Rochester history.
“My long run as host of ‘The Jukebox’ was truly a pinnacle moment in my radio career — and, for that matter, in my life. For more than five years — which some might describe as a lifetime in radio — I considered the role a true honor and privilege. Back then, I lived for taking listener phone calls and playing requests on the air. I lived for Saturday nights!
“So, I hope podcast listeners enjoy hearing these classic radio ‘rewinds’ into local-radio and Rochester history — and maybe some former listeners of ‘The Jukebox’ will have fun recognizing and hearing themselves!”
