Chuck Gagliardi

Broadcast Pioneers member Chuck Gagliardi began his communications career in March, 1970, at WJJZ, Mount Holly, NJ, hosting a Saturday morning radio show. In June, 1970, he accepted a position at WFIL, Philadelphia, PA (Famous 56), driving the celebrated Prize Patrol and doing on-air morning traffic reports and segments with legendary radio personalities Dr. Don Rose, Jim O'Brien, Long John Wade, and Jay Cook.

In September, 1970, Chuck moved to WCHE, West Chester, PA, to host an afternoon radio show. This job proved to be short-lived because Chuck accepted a full-time teaching position in October, 1970, and began a full-time career in education first at St. John Neumann High School, Chuck’s alma mater & later at St. Maria Goretti High School in South Philadelphia.

Happy in his position in education, but wanting to return to radio and television, Chuck landed a job in 1975 as host of Sports Spotlight for Telesystems Cable Corporation in Philadelphia.

He eventually became Director of Local Origination at Telesystems, creating and hosting the popular shows, The Music Hour and Cable Spotlight, the latter enjoying a twenty-four year run on Philadelphia cable television.

Guests on Cable Spotlight included such notables as singer Maxene Andrews (of the Andrews Sisters); Phillies announcer Harry Kalas; television chef Graham Kerr (The Galloping Gourmet); comedian Dom Irrera; Hall of Fame athletes Robin Roberts, Joey Giardello, Rafer Johnson, and Herb Adderley; actress Andie Macdowell; psychologist Wayne Dyer; author Mary Higgins Clark; singers Frankie Avalon and Bobby Rydell; radio personalities Joe Niagara, Pat Farnack, Angelo Cataldi, Don Cannon, and Pat Delsi; former Phillies player and manager Larry Bowa; and television personalities Nick Clooney, Ed Cunningham, and Carol Erickson.

Chuck also hosted one of the most popular and longest-running cable television shows in the United States, Cable Bingo, from 1976 until its conclusion in 1999.

In addition to his long career as a cablecaster, Chuck worked as a radio announcer at WCAM/WSSJ, Camden, NJ, and at WPGR, Philadelphia, PA, hosting oldies shows at both locations. He also performed periodically at PRISM in Philadelphia, doing voiceovers for a horse-racing show, and at WHYY, Channel 12, Philadelphia, appearing on air and assisting with pledge drives. Chuck also hosted a weekly Internet oldies music show on www.destinationdoowop.com, 2003-2013.

Chuck Gagliardi retired from education in 2015, where he served for forty-five years and from cable television in 2016, where he served for forty-one years. He currently hosts a weekly oldies music program on www.soundsofphillyradio.com. Chuck and his wife Adeline live in Philadelphia. They have two adult children and three grandchildren.

From the official archives of the Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia
Photo & bio originally donated by Broadcast Pioneers member Chuck Gagliardi
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