He was the most popular personality in the Midwest at night, pulling in huge audiences. Ranting and raving every night, talking with listeners and passing along their messages (there were no phoners in the early 60's), singing off-key in between songs, including his "On Top Of A Pizza," Dick Biondi owned every person under the age of 30. But Biondi only stayed with WLS for 3 short years. The old story of Biondi being fired because he told an off-color joke was simply not true. Dick was very concerned about the high amount of commercials and news he had to run every hour and he let his displeasure be known to the General Sales Manager. As a result, a literal fistfight ensued in the hallway of the station! After it was over, Dick was told to go home and cool off. He took this as being fired. Eventually a mutual agreement was reached. Biondi left WLS and went on to work at KRLA in Los Angeles, then later back to Chicago to WCFL.
By 1965, WCFL dropped its labor programming to take on "Channel 89." It was the beginning of a long and bitter radio war that would last eleven years, with several personalities working on both sides of the river at one time or another. As the decade progressed, many WLS personalities went on to become household names. "Mother Weber's Oldest Son" Clark Weber held down morning drive before becoming program director. Midday disk jockey Bernie Allen also was a professional singer. Ron "Ringo" Riley, who interviewed The Beatles when they came to town also appeared on the Batman Show and often "feuded" with Clark Weber. Afternoon Silver Dollar Survey Show host Dex Card was known as "the crew cut fellow in the first row." Art Roberts, who also interviewed the Fab Four, racked up with an incredible 62% audience share at night and released an album entitled "Hip Fables." He also featured a radio serial entitled "The Wild Adventures of Peter Fugitive" featuring WLS Production Director Ray Van Steen. Like Clark Weber, Don Phillips, who hosted the East of Midnight show was also a licensed pilot. He would often fly to several record hops in the course of an evening. In 1967 Gene Taylor, now WLS' station manager, brought over a young go-getter, recently in from Boston who was doing the all-night show at Super CFL...Larry Lujack.
(the images of the WLS Surveys and WLS Pictures are also from this site.)