13Q: Beloved Former Pittsburgh Radio Station Revisited In Podcast

PITTSBURGH, PA — If you grew up in Pittsburgh during the 1970s, you probably still are familiar with phrase “I listen to the new sound of 13Q.” People all over Southwestern Pennsylvania answered their phones like that in hopes a 13Q DJ would be on the other end of the line and award them a minimum cash prize of $13,000 for doing so.

The station debuted in 1973, succeeding easy listening station WJAS 1320 AM. The call letters were changed to WKTQ, which became known for its popular promotions and weekly Top 40 flyers distributed throughout the city.

The station's rich history will be explored on Oct. 16 in the Shaping Opinion podcast "13Q: A Top 40 Radio Story." The podcast, hosted by Pittsburgh communications professional Tim O'Brien, regularly features authors, musicians, athletes, researchers, journalists and others.

The 13Q podcast will feature four former WKTQ personalities recalling their experiences at the station: Buzz Brindle, Batt Johnson, Dennis Waters and Ray Zoller. O'Brien also will talk to fans, play original sound from 13Q's airwaves and more.

What is the purpose of O'Brien focusing the podcast on a station that had a short lifespan and vanished into the ether more than four decades ago?

"The goal is to tell the story of Top 40 Radio through one station that make a huge impact in a few short years, knocking its entrenched competition out of Top 40 altogether," he told Patch. "The station was an innovator and captured the hearts, minds and wallets of the dominant Baby Boom teenage generation of the time."

Indeed, 13Q initially was so successful that it prompted competing station KQV to drop its Top 40 format and go all-news in 1975. But as more listeners shifted to FM stations, ratings declined and by 1979, the station changed its call letters back to WJAS and switched to an adult contemporary format.

O'Brien told Patch that he began working on this particular podcast in the spring.

"But due to vacations and other scheduling issues, I couldn't complete all the interviews until late September," he said. "And I really wanted to talk to those I did interview. In addition, identifying sources of information wasn't a simple Google search, so I spent a lot time conducting more in-depth research and following information leads from people I talked to."