The Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia

From 2005-2016, Broadcast Pioneers member Steve Ross, along with fellow members, former Philadelphia Eagles General Manager, Jim Murray and Jackie Strauss, co-hosted the popular nostalgia program, “Remember When.” The show aired Saturday night's and quickly developed a loyal following, with folks who can easily recall some innocuous something that happened several decades ago, but have difficulty recalling what they ate for breakfast that morning.

Ross began the new century as an air talent for a truly wonderful radio station, "The Station of the Stars" 950/WPEN - eventually spliting the 7-Midnight time slot with Broadcast Pioneers member, Kim Martin.

From 2008-2015, Ross co-hosted “PA Harness Week”- carried locally on NBC Sports Philly. The weekly TV show featured harness racing action from all over the world, presented in a somewhat non-traditional fashion, with its co-hosts often guilty of breaking out into protracted periods of silly.

Ross has been in the radio business since just before Marconi began his experiment. In fact, it's been rumored that the extent of the equipment at his first station consisted of a two tin cans and a ball of string. Ross boasts proudly that he's also never met a radio station that he couldn't ruin.

Steve Ross told us: "So, without boring those of you who are actually reading this, with statistics, dates and facts, I'll simply list the call letters of stations that happened to pop into my head, when I began thinking about it. So, be warned. I'll also be referring to myself in the “third-party” (That's because I wasn't invited to the first two). I will also make occasional irreverent comments – where I believe them to be appropriate (but, wouldn't that be an oxymoron?) Actually, Ross has spent more than decades as a broadcaster on both radio and television. In his native Philadelphia, he has performed as on-air radio talent at WFIL, WIBG, WWDB, WCAU, WXTU, WIP, WYSP, WIOQ, WZZD & WPEN (were there any other stations left?!)"

From 1993 until 1997, Ross served as Vice President/Creative Director for Jim Murray, Ltd., a sports marketing and public relations firm. Ross was intricately involved with the company's lead account, the McDonald's LPGA Championship, one of only four major tournaments on the LPGA tour. The tournament has the distinction of holding the world record for most money ever raised for charity by a single sporting event. He also served as contributing editor for the official program (Note: That sounds a lot more important than it really was – except for the money raised, that is).

During 1992-93, Ross, along with Helene Masiko was host of a comedy morning radio show, “The Dude & Dudess” on WMGM-FM, Atlantic City. In just one rating book, the tandem became number one in the market. They were also voted "Best of Atlantic City," by Atlantic City Magazine, as well Ross says: "We were really good, too – and if you don't believe that, just ask us."

From 1990 to 1992, Ross was executive producer and co-host (with Dick Jerardi) of "Keepin' Track," a national radio program devoted to thoroughbred horse racing. Broadcast over The Sun Radio network, the program aired in approximately one hundred markets (and could actually be heard in some of them).

From 1988 until 1990, Ross was Promotion Director and on-air personality at WIOQ-FM, Philadelphia. During his tenure, he developed several successful promotions, including the Q-102 music collection CD, in conjunction with McDonald's Corporation. Proceeds from each album sale benefited area Ronald McDonald Houses (That was very cool).
From 1985 to 1988, Ross was Director of advertising and promotion at Garden State Park. Shortly thereafter, he assumed similar duties at Philadelphia Park (now PARX), as well. Ross told us: "It was during this period, that I turned my attention from ruining radio to ruining racetracks."

During 1982, 1983 and 1984, Ross served as track announcer and race caller at Laurel, Maryland's Freestate Raceway, before becoming Director of Marketing the following year. He had previously served as track announcer at Philadelphia's Liberty Bell Park, as well. There's your proof. The only racetrack that remains in business today is PARX.

Other television gigs included producing and co-hosting the ground-breaking sports talk program, "Eagles Cheers" televised on Channel 57, Philadelphia. This show was the first in-your-face, confrontational sports telecast anywhere and spawned many network imitators. Ross commented: "I sure do a lot of co-hosting, don't I?"

Ross also served as on-camera co-host for "sell-a-thons" to solicit new subscribers to HBO and Cinemax (the money was good and there wasn't much heavy lifting involved). During the early 1980's, Ross was "the voice" of Meadowlark Lemon's Buckateers, a hybrid of the legendary Harlem Globetrotters, traveling throughout the world with comedy legends of the basketball court, including Meadowlark Lemon and world famous dribbler, Marquis Haynes. Steve told Broadcast Pioneers: "It a fun gig, when they weren't beating me up."

Ross was on the first jock staff when WYSP flipped from beautiful music to Progressive Rock - a move that didn't make a lot of the elderly happy campers. Ross added, "Nor, me either, for that matter. Coming from a powerhouse Top 40 station, WFIL, I didn't transition well to the laid-back style of Progressive Rock., i.e., I sucked!"

Ross also held a couple of radio distinctions throughout his career. First, he went from being the overnight jock at WIBBAGE, to weekends at fierce competitor, WFIL. Pretty much a no-no back then. Then, in the mid 1980's, while doing weekends and fill-ins at WWDB-FM, the Talk Station, and morning drive at WXTU-FM, there were occasions when Ross would do a talk show overnight at 'DB, then, got into his car, drove down the road to 1 Bala Plaza and did AM-Drive at 'XTU. Finally, Ross may be the only person who worked at 117 Ridge Pike, in Lafayette Hill, PA three different times, with three different call letters! Working overnights at WIBBAGE in 1972-73, returning to do morning-drive when it became WIZZARD 100 and did a version of "Remember When," when it was WNTP! A regular radio trifecta!

Early in his career, Ross also toiled as a air personality at WMID, Atlantic City and WBUD-AM & WKXW-FM, Trenton. Incredibly, all of them, surprisingly remain in existence! Ross began his broadcasting career doing college radio at Drexel's WXDT-AM.

He and his wife, Karen, Director of Perioperative Services at a Level One Trauma Center, reside in Medford, New Jersey. They have two beautiful and talented adult daughters, Alexis, and Nicole. It's also been rumored that Ross is still in possession of a large urn, containing the ashes of all the radio stations and racetracks he's ruined over these many years.

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