It was announced today something I have been dreading. On 5.31.19, 95.5 WPLJ will no longer be PLJ.
My teenage years went up in smoke and I teared up.
95.5 WPLJ wasn’t just a radio station. It was a connection, it was something I looked forward to when I would visit my Dad during my early teen years, I knew in Danbury Connecticut we would lose the station on 84 while driving to Maine, I knew by the Shop Rite in Phillipburg, New Jersey I would lose the station when we were almost home, over the years it then became my alarm clock, Scott and Todd were on and didn’t leave the airwaves on 9/11 until 6 PM it was comforting having a familiar voice instead of watching the news, PLJ became apart of my ride home, I would play the station in my office at a previous employer. PLJ has always been apart of my life, I never thought it would go off the air.
I have said this before, my Dad was in radio. One of my earliest memories is being in at the station with him while he was on air. I felt like he taught me how to listen to morning radio and appreciate it and by that with Scott and Todd. For years, I would listen, tape and analyze what I was listening to. During my teen years I wanted to work on PLJ. My dad told me to take notes of the show and I did for a few years. I had a notebook full of times, taking notes of what was going on, what songs were played, what aspect of the show, guests, if they were talking or what music was playing. I don’t tell this story much, but I wanted to be on radio and work with Scott and Todd. One of my favorite things about the Scott and Todd show was the phone scams. To this day my best friend and I still quote “Love in the Garden Center” and even tho the A&P is no longer around, I do hear the A&P mentioned from time to time and I can’t help but say “then go to the A&P and do all yer shopping!” from the Crazy Coupon Collector phone scam. Every Christmas I always got the latest scam album, by New Years I had it memorized.
PLJ was something that very few understand. If it wasn’t for my Dad seeing the Mojo Radio commercials, PLJ would have never came into my life and I wouldn’t have fallen in love with New York City, the Yankees, Scott Shannon and Todd Pettengill. I have said it before, if we had the technology we have today during the mid 90’s when I lived with my Mom, i wouldn’t have gone to school or it would have been one hell of a fight for me to get to school. I would come home from my Dads with a handful of tapes, while friends were listening to local radio stations, I had tapes upon tapes of Scott and Todd and would play them until I had them memorized. My favorites where on Fridays with the blast off. It always seemed liked a party, and if I could go back into time I would be a studio audience member.
9/11
I get the question at times, “where were you on 9/11, what did you do?”
WPLJ was there for me on 9/11. I came home from school and listened to Scott and Todd, they were not playing music but were talking. Todd saying “I went into my office and I have a photo of the NYC skyline and all i can think about is that they are gone” It still gives me chills when I think about that day. Most people were watching the news, I was listening to PLJ. I fell a sleep that night to PLJ, which wasn’t playing music, but was playing Channel 7 live coverage. I remember laying in bed listening to NJ Burkett describe Ground Zero with the sirens in the background.
Scott and Todd years
I could listen to Scott Shannon everyday and I still do. I find his stories fascinating about his time in the radio business and he always seemed like you could have these amazing conversations with. Todd Pettengill always made me laugh, and Naomi’s voice was captivating when delivering the news. And then there was traffic reporter Joseph P. Nolan – Did he really steal a man’s pants? As i grew, they grew and the show changed through out the years. It took me a few weeks to appreciate Patty Steele when Naomi decided to retire. To this day, I laugh and tell the story of Patty Steele being my alarm clock. If i could go back time I would go back and listen to every show and not think twice about doing so.
Other on air talent
Its voices to me that catch my attention, Jeff Miles is one of them. He’s on my Facebook and every time he announces he’s moving, I’m usually the first one asking him if he’s going back to PLJ. Its always a no, but now I can’t ask. He was late morning/early afternoon guy. I would listen to him everyday while at work. One day he was on Facebook asking listeners what they want to hear, and I replied “Anything by Dave Matthews Band” He played “Ants Marching” and mentioned me on air, I’ll never for get it, it as a surreal moment in my life.
Later on in life, I have ran into people who worked at PLJ. A few years ago I was talking to Hannah Byram on Facebook. We went to the same high school in New Jersey and was so excited for her that she worked at the station before taking a gig in Boston.
Then there is Blake Hayes, who is on air on Coast 93.1 in Portland, Maine. I found Blake last fall when I got frustrated with the station I usually listen to and their constant need to play Adele and found Coast by moving the dial. I had no idea Blake had any ties to PLJ. But after listening to his morning show i was getting a familiar vibe, like I have heard some of this before. After chatting with him, he told me he worked on PLJ for a while. Amazing how after years how a “silly” radio station can bring people together.
With a heavy heart I write this. I have been listening to Todd’s message for most of the day, I listened to Scott’s last show on PLJ back in 2014, I teared up knowing that there won’t be anymore PLJ.
To Scott Shannon, Todd Pettengill, Naomi DiClimente, Patty Steele, Joe Nolan, Monk, Jeff Miles, Race Taylor, Annie, Jade, Dave Stewart, Hannah Byram & Blake Hayes, and to anyone else I have spent my time with over the last 25ish years while listening to WPLJ, thank you.
Thank you Dad, for your curiosity for Mojo Radio, without it PLJ wouldn’t have come into my life and I would have missed something amazing.
(I am secretly hoping Todd Pettengill will re-join Scott Shannon on WCBS 101.1).