ATLANTIC CITY — Proud Atlantic City-ans, why not take part in a free event to celebrate A.C.’s most important icon — the Boardwalk — this Sunday, Nov. 11, from noon-1pm? The Board-Walk starts at the south end of Atlantic City near the Atlantic Club Casino Resort and ends at Revel to the north.

There is no registration needed for the walk, and everyone is invited to join. It will be hosted by the Atlantic City Alliance in conjunction with the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority (CRDA). The first 225 people to call in to Longport Media at (609) 927-1100 will receive a free event T-shirt and participate in a large group photo on the Boardwalk on the day of the event.

Along the walk there will be a pit stop at the CRDA’s Boardwalk Operations Center for their “Weekend Social” event with complimentary coffee and water. The American Red Cross will be on-hand at the starting point to collect financial donations.

This is to remind everyone that Atlantic City’s famous Boardwalk and the businesses that line the famous wooden walkway are still open! More information can be found by clicking here or here.

Harry Hurley

LINWOOD, N.J. — Harry Hurley, radio talk-show host for over 20 years of Hurley in the Morning, will be taking over the midday time slot of noon-4pm weekdays on WOND 1400AM, effective January 2012, it was recently announced in a media release. He will be taking over the time slot syndicated talk-show host Rush Limbaugh now occupies.

Hurley currently hosts the 6-10am slot on WENJ 1450AM, where he launched his radio broadcast career and spent 15 years prior to a five-year stint at WIBG 1020 AM in Ocean City (returning to WENJ earlier this month). He will be joining fellow broadcast veterans Don Williams (6-10am), Barbara Altman (10am-noon) and Pinky Kravitz (4-6pm) at WOND.

According to the release, Hurley is “known for breaking news and securing high-profile interviews with top news-makers and notables. Hurley has interviewed numerous members of Congress, Governors, state, county and local elected officials, as well as A-list celebrities throughout the past two decades.”

Born and raised in the Atlantic City area, Hurley’s career has also included senior management positions in both the casino and broadcast industries, as well as stints on regional television and as a full-time print reporter for the Press of Atlantic City.

“I am honored to be joining the best live and local talk radio lineup in the history of our market,” said Hurley in the release. “Don, Barbara, Pinky and I will bring more than 100 years of uninterrupted talk radio to WOND — an unmatched record in the history of South Jersey.”

“We could not be more pleased to have Harry join the WOND family,” said Longport Media president Dave Coskey in the release.  “When you think of local broadcasters who have shaped and defined news talk for South Jersey. you think Don Williams, Barbara, Pinky and of course, Harry Hurley.”

Radio legend Ed Hurst (right), pictured with WPEN co-host Joe Grady and Frank Sinatra.

This just in….
Tony Bennett will kick-off the first show of WOND’s re-launch of Ed Hurst’s Steel Pier Show on Saturday, Oct. 8, at 4PM, playing tracks from his new Duets II album, which includes the following duet with Lady Gaga on “Lady is a Tramp.”

From WOND:

One of Philadelphia’s most iconic radio & television personalities — Ed Hurst & his show The Steel Pier Show —  airs on Longport Media’s newstalk station, 1400 AM WOND starting this Saturday, Oct. 8.

Ed was a pioneer of the American Bandstand-style dance party in Philadelphia in the 1960s and ’70s, hosting his popular television show on all the network affiliates in Philly, including Channel 3 and WCAU, before finding a home on WPVI ABC 6 for many years.

The biggest names in music of the time – from The Rolling Stones to Smokey Robinson to Frank Sinatra & Bing Crosby, all appeared on The Steel Pier Show. Throughout his long career, Hurst received numerous awards – including the prestigious Billboard magazine award; earning the title of the city’s top disc jockey and his TV show is often credited as the forerunner to Dick Clark’s American Bandstand.

Ed kicks off his first show on WOND this Saturday at 4PM, with his very first guest — music legend Tony Bennett.  Bennett even personally cut the attached promo for the inaugural show this weekend (attached is a raw demo of the promo), which is really very neat as Bennett notes that Ed was one of the very first DJs to discover him & play his record.

During his radio appearance on the show this Saturday, Bennett will preview songs from his Duets II album, which features a host of high-profile music pairings including Bennett with Lady Gaga, Amy Winehouse, John Mayer, Carrie Underwood and Mariah Carey.

Read more about Ed Hurst and the Steel Pier Show here.

Avalon resident Dave Coskey, former vice president of marketing for Borgata, and former vice president of public relations for the 76ers, has recently become president of Longport Media LLC.

Longport Media LLC acquired WTKU (KOOL 98.3) along with four other southern New Jersey radio stations (WOND News Talk 1400, WMGM 103.7 The Shark, WWAC Wild 102.7 and WBSS La Fiesta 1490) back in May for $4.2 million.

Recently the company announced that starting Monday, Aug. 1, KOOL 98.3 will be re-launched with a refined format of hit songs from the 1960s through the ’80s, and played by a lineup of personalities whose names and voices are familiar to radio listeners in southern New Jersey and throughout the Delaware Valley.

“Our goal is to position KOOL 98.3 as ‘South Jersey’s greatest hits station’ among all age groups,” said Dave Coskey, president of Longport Media, LLC.

According to Coskey in a media release, Paul Kelly, a respected broadcasting executive with extensive experience both as a programmer and behind the microphone, has been named director of operations for Longport Media, and will oversee the development and rollout of the changes.

“Paul brings a wealth of experience and expertise to our stations,” Coskey said. “Under his guidance, we’re confident that South Jersey radio listeners will be excited by what he’s planned as we roll out changes in formats, programming and on-air talent in the months ahead. Our company’s goal is to become the preeminent source of radio entertainment and information in the communities we serve, and Paul is the man best positioned and uniquely qualified to take us there.”

“One of our primary goals in creating the new format for KOOL was to offer our listeners programming and a playlist that’s compelling,” Kelly said in the release. “We want to become the station that people look forward to listening to not just during the work-week but on weekends, too.”

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