Tearson Bites the Dust at WMGK
There's a time honored, but not so honorable tradition in broadcasting. On-air talent hardly ever gets to say "so-long" to listeners or viewers when they're being canned. Today, the ax fell on WMGK's Michael Tearson. But will you hear the tree fall?
Tearson Bites the Dust at WMGK
There's a time honored, but not so honorable tradition in broadcasting. On-air talent hardly ever gets to say "so-long" to listeners or viewers when they're being canned. Today, the ax fell on WMGK's Michael Tearson. But will you hear the tree fall?
One of Philly's true pioneers of progressive rock radio, Tearson broke into the biz with his late 1960s years at a then student-run, all-volunteer WXPN, then moved to WDAS-FM, for many moons to WMMR and later back, briefly to a now professionally steered XPN. Tearson has been holding down the fort at WMGK since April 2002 with a two hour (6 to 8 a.m.) "Saturday Morning 60s" heritage music show that he put together with amazing first hand knowledge and a great record library from his South Jersey home studio.
But this morning, MGK program director Charlie Lake told Tearson the party is over after this Saturday's show. And since that episode (and several more) are already in the can, M.T. won't get to say his farewells. A pity. This isn't just "another one bites the dust," it's one of the classic rock outlet's true "keeper of the keys" getting locked out, no longer to share his small insights and big picture perspective, or what veteran reporters like to call our "institutional knowledge."
Tearson is sanguine about the whole thing, joking that doing his show from home kept him out of the line of fire (and firing) for much longer than most. And he's got gigs going on Sirius/XM satellite radio, heard regularly on the Blues channel and often doing fill in (including today) on Classic Vinyl.
Still, as Leonard Cohen wrote and sang, "Hey, that's no way to say goodbye." Wonder if Tearson wasn't being prescient the other day, when he posted the survey question on Facebook "What's your favorite kiss-off song?"
Contact Daily News staff writer Jonathan Takiff at takiffj@phillynews.com.
Hear him on Sirius XM. Too bad they stuck it to you Mike on MGK. I know the feeling (getting the shaft). Best of luck!— Bill8339- Didn't he do the program, "My Father's Son" on XPN in '71?— VermontPhilsFan
- Ah, the Planet of Tearson...it's been a pleasure. Thank you.
— Michelina - Oh I see...did a search and it was Steve Leon. He died at age 69 last Feb. Loved that show.— VermontPhilsFan
- Michael, you're a true legend! Good luck in all you do. You now have the opportunity to become bigger and better in your career. I'll be listening for you. Peace.— 4friedchickensandacoke
- I knew Michael when he was the prototype of the hip hippie at Penn... in the Quad 1968 with his flower power guitar case. He was a mentor for freshmen behind him at WXPN when he started "The Attic," and lead the charge at WMMR.
The marketplace has no shame, and no memory, but I'm glad MT has other platforms. Someone in Philly should set up up with something new and terrestrial. WXPN? We elders deserve some respect for our knowledge, no?
Nick Spitzer (aka Nick Spencer on WMMR) of public radio's "American Routes" on WHYY— Nick Spitzer - great post & great memory you gave us all there. I shared the same time and sometimes the same place (Penn's Quad) and I share your sentiment about the knowledge us old folks have from those days of rock music. My children - all very much into music of these times and armed with every gadget and service available to keep up with the times - know nothing of the time they live in as compared to us.
How is that possible? Speaking for myself, I may be 60 now but I have no regrets about the time I grew up. Would only want to be young again in exactly those wonderful days of the 60's.— advantasux - some great old radio back when DJ's actually determined playlists and had some journalistic freedom. David Dye, Ed Sciaky, Michael Tearson, Carol Miller, Helen Leicht, et al...those were the very good old days of the 60's and very early 70's. You'd get to hear such a variety of music and, sometimes, when the mood was right, these folks would give you an entire album side, whatever it took to please their audience.
Best of luck to good old Michael T. One of the very best voices when FM radio in Philly was a treasure.— advantasux - Michael Tearson and Dave Herman on WMMR. What a legacy. In 1968 I was 17 and thanks to WMMR I discovered music I never knew existed. I went into a Head Shop in center city Philadelphia and saw a poster of the Grateful Dead and wondered who they were. Thanks to Dark Star on WMMR I found out.— Drew777
- oh, yes, how could I have forgotten to mention Dave Herman in my post above? Of all of them, he is what most of my memories are made of.
To not remember him shows just how old I've become, I guess.
@Drew, thanks for the reminder!— advantasux - I remeber listening to WMMR one Christmas eve close to midnight in the 80s and he played Pachebel's cannon. It was the perfect song to introduce Christmas, even on a rock station. Those days are long gone.— Wanny
- Broadcasting on Sirius XM is almost as bad as writing a column for the Inquirer.— Wilhelm Von Humboldt
- Tell that to Cousin Brucie, a New York radio legend who jumped at the chance to go to Sirius/XM when legendary oldies station WCBS-FM (101.1) in New York suddenly went to the JACK format in 2005. — Wallyhorse2
- Thanks. Spent many moons on that planet listening to great music!— jimd98
- i believe it was always... Tearson for Two... I might be wrong, but it sounds right— 1philfan
