The Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia

Broadcast Pioneers Member Ed Klein was one of the people who don’t get talked about enough because he worked mostly behind the scenes at WPEN, although he would often do on-air vacation fill-ins. Ed was also passionate about attending virtually every WPEN event so he could meet the listeners and talk about music. Ed was truly a significant cog in a well-oiled radio machine.

Dr. Ed Klein was the Music Director for 950, WPEN in Philadelphia for decades. He came to the station in 1980. During his tenure, the “Station of the Stars” became an ARB success story, a Marconi award-winner, and a respected leader for nostalgia and adult standard formatted stations across America.

Listeners often asked him if he was “really a doctor?” Ed replied, “I’m not really a doctor of anything.” They then wanted to know, why the nickname? Ed Klein said, “Actually, it was given to me by Joe Grady (a member of Broadcast Pioneers) when the ‘950 Club’ started in 1980. He was reading something that had my name and title and the writer abbreviated Music Director to M.D. Hence, the nickname Dr. Ed Klein.”

Ed had great pride in the wonderful music specials he and WPEN’s Charlie Mills produced together, spotlighting great stars such as Steve & Eydie, Tony Bennett, Mel Torme’, Dame Vera Lynn and many others. They also collaborated on the award-winning WWII special “The Road to Victory” which Ed called his “all-time favorite creation.”

Ed was typically laid back and quiet, but he loved talking about his early days working with local bands as a rock and roll drummer, including his own band called “Ed Klein and the Orangemen” which was popular in the late fifties. During his time at WPEN, he still could often be seen sitting in with several Philadelphia area rock bands.

He was a native of Syracuse, New York where he attended Syracuse University majoring in communications and music. He originally became interested in working with local New York state disc jockeys while he was playing keyboard. He then went into the Armed Service in 1962 for two years.

He then returned to New York and Oswego as an air personality. Then in 1965, he moved to Mount Cisco. However, some of us may remember seeing and hearing his work without ever knowing who was doing the job. He was a voice over artist on the General Mills cereal commercials that ran during “Rocky and Bullwinkle.” Remember, Rocky and Bullwinkle walking on a beach and a bottle with a note inside washed ashore. Bullwinkle said, “Fanmail from some Flounder?” Rocky, said, “No, this is really what I call a message.” And there was Ed and his spot.

He was a booth announcer for WOR-TV, Channel 9 in New York and then moved to New Jersey and several area stations. One was WMGQ (New Brunswick), sister station at the time to WPEN, here in Philadelphia.

He loved bowling and dancing. He was especially fond of square dancing and country and western dancing. He also loved animals and was co-owner of “Le Pooche,” a dog grooming shop in Center City Philly.

Ed treated everyone with respect, whether it was a high-profile air talent or college intern. Former WPEN intern Kelly Wallace recalls, “Ed was a rare find. He was the kind of person that had years of knowledge, experience, and the patience of a saint.”

Broadcast Pioneers member Charlie Mills worked with Ed for twenty years at WPEN, and remarked, “I loved Ed, you had to love Ed. He had a calming and positive spirit that was truly contagious.” Others said, “Ed knew so much about the music industry that he was like Google before Google.” In February, 2016 Ed Klein passed away.

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