Promotional Pocket Radios

[Jeffhs]

Originally Posted by bgadow

My earliest radio memories, probably late 70s, are switching between the 2 stations which were both pop or similiar then. I do have a WCAO radio which sez on the front something like "Hot tunes for summer fun" or something, on the back is a switch & one position is marked with a football! I've never tried it but I reason that this would tune you direct to "Radio 60, WCAO" and that they were carrying the Colts at the time.

WCBM and WCAO are still around in Baltimore (with their original calls), on 600 and 680 respectively, but their formats have changed (as have most U. S. AM stations). They are now both talk stations, but were probably top-40 when your promotional set was new. I live in northern Ohio, but I found out about these stations' whereabouts and doings via TVRadioWorld.com; however, I can often hear Baltimore's 50kW stations at night, as clearly as any of the 50kW Cleveland stations.

The switch on the back of your WCAO promotional radio likely is a fixed-tuning selector. The position marked with a football switched in circuitry to tune the set to WCAO's 600kHz frequency. The other switch position did the same, tuning the set to WCBM on 680.