The Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia

Burt Sherwood
The Field Club, Sarasota, Florida
2005

Burt was General Manager of WIBG Radio in Philadelphia and stayed as GM when the station became WZZD. He was with them during 1976 and 1977. He's currently a broker for low-powered television stations and is based in Florida.

Burt was one of the first Rock & Roll jocks in New York City during the fifties and early sixties. He was "The Night Watchman" on WMCA where he worked with Herb Oscar Anderson, Scott Muni, Barry Gray and Ted Steele.

Sherwood got his start in broadcasting at WWXL in Peoria, Illinois by appearing on "The Grand Ole' Opry" when it originated from Peoria. While still in college, Burt Sherwood was offered a job by Gene Autry to work on his CBS Radio broadcasts. However, Sherwood elected to stay in Illinois but not for long. Then he landed at KTBS in Shreveport, Louisiana where he did a morning program. During this era, he was also the commercial announcer for Hank Williams' "Louisiana Hayride" broadcasts.

Next came WIBC in Indianapolis and then on to the windy city, Chicago and WOPA. While there, he did the announcing on the network noon newscasts anchored by Frank Blair (of The Today show fame).

Next Burt Sherwood formed a partnership with singers from Kay Kyser's big band; Ishkibble and a young lad named Michael Douglas. Mike Douglas would many years later originate his syndicated TV talk show from Philadelphia's KYW-TV studios. Their program was called, "Just for Fun" and was broadcast on NBC Radio.

He also did taped broadcasts for the Mexican super-powered stations of XERB, XEG and XERA. At this same time, he appeared on the network programs of "The National Barn Dance.".

In the early days of television, Sherwood did over a hundred live commercials every week on a variety of stations. But by 1963, Sherwood had moved into management as Vice-President and General Manager of WTSA in Brattleboro, Vermont. The group added WLOB in Portland, Maine and Sherwood also took on GM duties there in addition to WTSA.

In 1965, WTRY in Troy, NY hired him as Station Manager and National Sales Manager. Two years later, he joined WNHC in New Haven, CT, a sister station to WFIL in Philadelphia. Both were owned by Walter Annenberg's Triangle Publications' radio division. When the station was sold, Burt Sherwood went to WMEE and WMEF in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

Next was WIBG but after two years, he was off to WMAQ and WKQX back in Chicago. Since 1982, Burt has owned Burt Sherwood and Associates, Inc., a radio and television broker firm specializing in low-powered TV.

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