The Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia

We asked Barbara Sommers for her bio in 2014. She wrote like a maniac in the hopes that all of these stories, political opinions, and home experiences (like “Rat Hospice” and “Dachshund Lessons”). and many more will wind up as a memoir, a blog, and (best of all ) a book. This is what she sent to us:

Barbara Sommer has been called “venerable,” “the dean of women in radio,” “the million dollar voice,” in the Philadelphia Inquirer and Daily News, and in a college student’s article about her, “a five-foot tower of energy and humor.” The last remark would be closest, except that she has lost 5” in height, so she is now a 4’7” tower. She was also named one of Philadelphia Magazine’s “78 People to Watch in 1978,” as well as the “Best Female DJ” in Philly Magazine’s 1981 “Best of” issue.

Born in Paterson, NJ, to her secretary Mom and car-salesman from Jersey City Dad, she grew up (to some degree) in Boonton. NJ, known as the home of Boontonware, a plastic, melmac-ish dishware; the town was really on the map years later when it became the town where Jackie Aprile, Jr of the “Sopranos” was whacked.

Although she did get kicked out of Hebrew School in 4th grade, Barbara attended Boonton High School earning great grades without getting kicked out. High school graduation was traumatic; students were awarded diplomas according to height. At 5’ tall, she was third in line; because no one had mentioned the “no jeans” policy, and her jeans were so tight to roll up, she had to take them off. So she stood in the front row of all the graduates with no pants, living in fear of a gust of wind.

She attended Glassboro State College (before it was Rowan) as a French major; but quickly switched major to Communications Education after realizing she couldn’t talk fast enough in French to get out all the thoughts.

She developed the “Sommers Student Technique™” to get through school, a system that involved a mixture of bullsh**, acting and great excuses. This saved her from attending lots of classes; she would take the final and get an A because, as she told her professors, “You know I already know this.” When faced with a teacher who did not like her, Barbara would make it her mission get an A+ in the course, just for spite.

While attending GSC, Barbara fell in love with the college radio station, WGLS-FM, which reached beyond the campus all the way to the pizza shop. Sometimes, you could pick up the signal in Pittman!

Nearing the end of her freshman year at Glassboro, Barbara’s mother passed away at the age of 48. Barbara misses her every day, and wishes her mom could be here to know that she did NOT, indeed, wind up in jail.

At GSC, Barbara graduated Cum Laude with a BS degree (hah!) in Communications Education. How fortuitous; there were NO teaching jobs anywhere, this forced her to do a career "punt."

This innate talent for punting, combined with her work at the college radio station, Barbara thought, ”That’s it! I’ll get a job as a deejay on the radio!” She quickly slapped together THE ABSOLUTELY WORST IN GOD’S WORLD demo reel and went job hunting. In Philadelphia. Market? Shmarket! It was closest.

After WMMR rejected her, with wise advice to “work in a smaller market first, maybe?” she continued her journey stabbing at windmills.

Next stop? WYSP, (remember Quad94?). Because at that moment in time corporate was pushing affirmative action, she was hired for weekends and swing on the spot – after “plunking down” the WORLD’S WORST MOST-RANCID, WRONG DEMO TAPE EVER for their approval. They hired her. To this day, she has no idea what they were thinking; she had no experience at all, and that demo truly sucked. Barbara calls it the first of several “radio lightning strikes.” Right place, right time, right girl. It was totally surreal.

Barbara’s tenure at WYSP (Quad 94) lasted about six months. The station was in the corner of Suburban Station, and it had no bathroom. During those days, when Manfred Mann’s 9-minute “Father of Day, Father of Night” was played on WYSP, you knew the jock had to pee and no one was around to do the segue.

Next stop? WIOQ-FM. They had a bathroom. She stayed there about 6 months, but still had her eye on the next move.

Here’s where another huge “radio lightning bolt” hit in a call from WFIL’s Jay Cook sometime in 1975; again, BAM! She was the first girl boss jock on the air at WFIL, hired for overnights. This kind of super-produced, jingle-loaded, “Boss” radio had always been a male dominated format; it was in REVERB! Barbara credits her hiring to the fact that she was the only woman in broadcasting shorter than Jay Cook, and since she was already working in town – no moving expenses.

This wonderful guy sent her memos addressed “Dear Shrimp.” She owes him so much – for the “radio lightning strike” and the opportunity to learn at the best University for radio; it was THE quintessential place to learn any radio format. She learned by watching the late Jim O’Brien, who followed her at 6 am, who became a dear friend and drinking buddy; he taught her to smile when she talked on the radio, which became her signature.

Our nervy heroine, gathering up all the chutzpah she could muster, sent a demo tape to WABC in NY in 1977 (the tape wasn’t not quite so horrible this time – at least she was working in top-40). This was the biggest radio station in the country; it was also the station Barbara had listened to as a kid. She got a call to come up for an interview at GOD’S radio station, sat in the air studio watching George Michael work, and she was offered weekends and swing and a chance to join the best airstaff in the biggest market; this meant she would be the first woman ever hired by this legendary radio monster. Thinking it was too early in her career to leave full-time Top-40 at WFIL for part time and swing, (she’d only been in radio 2-1/2 years), that she needed to grow more as a radio personality, Barbara declined; plus she really liked working Jay Cook This was also a signal that she was INSANE.

Barbara’s stay at WFIL continued for several years, through several incarnations (as AM broke away from the limelight with the surging choices offered by FM), and several program directors. One was Dean Tyler, who remains a close friend to this day; his fondness for Barbara may be rooted in the fact that again, she was the only woman in radio shorter than him.

Dean Tyler held a shotgun to my head and MADE me do mornings when the station went country. She referred to herself as the “morning cowperson;” this was not a good fit for her, especially in the context of one of the late Tom Monaghan’s promotions which had me dressed in western garb, riding a HORSE around the spectrum. She did this without dying.

In 1982, after WFIL had moved into a building on Domino Lane it shared with it’s sister fm station, WUSL, the decision was made to create the seminal Urban Contemporary station, turning the fm into Power 99 fm. Barbara was thrilled to be the white Jewish midday girl in that earthquake of a format. It was wonderful!

Shortly after beginning her work at Power, Barbara was picked by Channel 3 to co-host an “evening magazine” type of show targeted at teens with the BEST EVER Jerry Penacoli; he was the most fun friend on earth (we’re still in contact on facebook They shot two shows on Sundays, so Barbara was ‘ON’ 7 days a week for two years (6 days at week at Power, the 7th at KYW). Imagine the pressure – consider living all that time ON and in fear of a ZIT! It was heaven!

Some years later, she made a move to WSNI-FM (Sunny) to be part of a morning team with Kelly Randall. This was an “ok” fit for a period of time. In April of 1991, she gave birth to her beautuiful son Andrew after a very complicated pregnancy. The end of her professional relationship with that station was not a good one.

Since he was General Manager of WMGK by then, Dean Tyler snapped her right up for weekends and swing at this soft a/c station, but with a little baby at home, she decided that THAT was the production where her talents were best utilized.

And so she left radio, for the “other” career she’d had all along – freelance voiceovers! Since she’d married Wally Hayman, the city’s best media and music producer, she got a LOT of work.

Now? She’s semi-retired; since the recording studio is now in her and her husband’s basement, she can do a recording session via ISDN in boxer shorts with Henry, her spotted mini-dachshund, curled around her on the chair. She’s also writing her crazy life story; Barbara describes her brain as “on fire with ideas,” so, since she can’t say “hello” in under 3,000 words – she’s still got a lot to say – keep listening!

The e-mail address of the Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia is pioneers@broadcastpioneers.com