You could say that for more than 40 years, our industry has well suited a veteran Philadelphia-area broadcaster to a T. You can say that if the broadcaster we’re talking about is T Morgan who will celebrate his 20th anniversary as an air personality at WMGK this May. Move your radio dial across the FM and AM bands and chances are you’ll pass stations T. Morgan has worked out over the years; WIFI-FM (Philadelphia), WDAS-FM (Philadelphia), WIBG-AM (Philadelphia), WMMR-FM (Philadelphia), WKXW-FM (Trenton), WYSP-FM (Philadelphia) and WMGK-FM (Philadelphia).

T. Morgan’s crowning achievement was to initiate album radio in Philadelphia during 1967’s Summer of Love. “I was not aware then,” said Morgan, “that a few months earlier album radio had debuted at KSAN in San Francisco and WOR-FM in New York. I was influenced by the way records were segued at WHAT. I had heard Jazz and Pop albums having their liner notes read on the air, accolades given to sidemen, music treated like it was important and I thought why not to rock artists as well?” Morgan created the AOR format in Philadelphia radio as Music Director at WIFI-FM. “Back then,” he recalled “ it was called underground radio and progressive rock.

He did not know what lie ahead in his career when he started a summer job while still in high school at WICK in Scranton. It was there that he adopted the name “T. Morgan.” He was shocked when some fellow staff members told him that “T” was synonymous with marijuana. ”Despite playing many records with drug references, I was never aware of “T” being a drug reference when I adopted the name. Those who indulged thought the name was “cool,” he said. Turns out that WICK was the starting point for many who made a notable career in broadcasting including Fox’s Bill O’Reilly.

It is clear that T. Morgan’s career over the years has been on the right track. What is little known is that his background includes very successful times spent in the athletic category of track. He competed in various events calling the 400 meters (the 440 back then) his best one. He has run with the U. S. Team overseas and once ran the anchor leg helping set an American record in the 4x400 at the Penn Relays. It was at the Relays that he participated in a special race created for long-time track enthusiast Bill Cosby. Morgan attended LaSalle University on a full athletic scholarship and was later inducted into the Pennsylvania Athletic Hall of Fame.

As he looks back, Morgan has something good to say about every station he’s worked at. He calls his current spot at WMGK special. “It’s the greatest place to work,” he exclaimed. “The best company to work for and the best people to work with, they’re family.”

From the official archives of the Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia
Photo originally donated by Broadcast Pioneers member T. Morgan
Bio written by Broadcast Pioneers member Stephen Gary
© 2011, Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia
All Rights Reserved

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