The Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia

(Left to right) Don Hurley and Ed Hurst
2009

Don Hurley was born in Atlantic City, New Jersey on June 19, 1960. His broadcast career began in radio in 1991 on WFPG, 1450 AM by hosting a talk radio program focused upon local, state and national issues, in conjunction with his brother Harry. In 1996, Don added a television program to his credits by hosting a live state-wide current events television program on Suburban Cable Television.

He is a retired Atlantic City Police Officer and the former Delegate and President to the Ventnor City Police Benevolent Association, after being the youngest President ever elected in the State of New Jersey. Hurley is one of the few to serve in law enforcement during four decades, (the 1970's into 2000's).

Don was also later elected and served as President for the Atlantic City Police Benevolent Association in the years 1996 through 1998, having spear-headed the citizens committee to save the position of Chief of Police in Atlantic City by referendum, when there was an attempt by government to eliminate it in the year 1996.

Don was a candidate for the New Jersey State Senate in the year 1997 in a race that received state-wide attention, when he launched one of the fiercest public policy campaigns and most financially expensive campaign in history at that time. Don continues his broadcasting career at WIBG, 1020 AM Radio by hosting a variety of talk and entertainment programming.

In the year 2006, Don created the radio program "Classic Rock Memories" on WIBG, a program devoted to preserving and protecting some of the greatest music ever recorded and the artists who performed them. Don says that the emphasis on his program was "to give a platform to the artists who's voices were still strong, but were not being given the opportunity to share their gifts with the public."

Hurley is proud of his accomplishments in sharing new music from the classic artists of the 1950's through the 1970's, and even being the first to premier new music by The Raspberries, The Buckinghams, Helen Reddy and Tommy James and The Shondells by presenting music never heard before by the public on his "Classic Rock Memories" series.

But what Don is most proud of is his current position as Producer and Director for the legendary Ed Hurst and The Steel Pier Radio Show, heard on WIBG, 1020 AM. Since 2007, Don has been producing a show for, what he calls, the greatest and most long-standing radio broadcaster in American history, Ed Hurst, who continues into his 66th year of creating the most prolific music show on radio in his own inimitable style.

"There is never a day that goes by that I do not recognize how fortunate I am to be working with a true living legend in the great Ed Hurst," said Hurley. "Ed Hurst is a true national treasure and one of the most significant figures in entertainment history. He is the first to ever play a Tony Bennett record on the radio, I know this because Mr. Bennett told me so, and he is one of the first along with Milton Berle who hosted a national television program, The Steel Pier Television Show that was seen throughout the country in that era."

"The word legend is a bit over-used these days I would think, concluded Hurley, "but not in the case of a true broadcast pioneer like Ed Hurst, who along with Joe Grady changed the face of music with their television and radio shows that Dick Clark emulated and later took around the country and the world." As Dick Clark said on the occasion of the 50th Anniversary in broadcasting for Ed Hurst: "Were it not for Ed Hurst, there would never have been a Dick Clark!"

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