Harry Hayman - Father of WPGC

Harry Hayman was an electronics engineer and had worked at the FCC prior to being granted a Construction Permit on November 12th, 1953 to build and operate a new Morningside, Maryland AM broadcasting station at 1580 kHz. He also operated a local radio and television repair business on the side.

The FCC assigned 250 watt daytime only operation to the station. Estimated construction cost $9,420; first year operating costs $28,140; anticipated first year advertising revenue $31,200. The call letters WPGC, representing Prince Georges County were issued late in the year.

The tower for WPGC-AM was erected in April 1954 and broadcasts began on April 24th, 1954 from a garage in Morningside on a hill on the farm of Duval B. Evans on Walters Lane off Suitland Road. Harry Hayman was President & General Manager of the new independent station which aired 'Hillbilly Music' for 25% of its broadcast day. On September 15th, 1954, WPGC - AM's power was increased to 1,000 watts (250 watts Critical Hours).

The estimated advertising revenue was inaccurate to say the least; WPGC was basically bleeding money. Thus, within 6 months of its on air debut, Maxwell Evans Richmond, owner of an advertising firm in Philadelphia went into partnership with Harry for the sum of $10,000 on November 9th, 1954, forming 'WPGC, Inc.'. Harry, an engineer with no background in radio advertising agreed to sell one half of his interest in WPGC, leaving Max Richmond in charge of generating revenue for the station. Richmond would subsequently buy the remaining interest in the station outright on 06/13/55 for $19,000.

On 06/27/55, just over a year since WPGC's sign-on and little more than two years since beginning the process of license application, Harry's decision to cut his losses was finalized, filing an application for Consent of Transfer of Control to Max Richmond with the FCC, citing the Special Education needs of one of his children and a posible move to New Jersey for that reason. FCC approval arrived on 07/18/55.

 

 

Harry Hayman wrote:

I rented the original land from Duval B. Evans for the station and tower. He owned a convenient piece of property and he was willing to rent it to me.

I didn't have enough capital to run the station for the length of time that it would have taken me to get profitable. Maxwell Richmond contacted me to take him as a partner. Which I did. But he wasn't a very pleasant person and my wife and I didn't get along with him very well. He made an offer to me for full ownership and I sold out to him.

I then returned to work at the Census Bureau on Univac One. From there I went to work at the Navy and then at NASA on the Apollo project. When the Apollo Project was ending, I took early retirement from Federal Civil Service. Then I took a position as Executive Director of the IEEE Computer Society for thirteen years.

 

Glenn Miller, grandson of Harry Hayman writes:

It is an unfortunate duty of mine to report to you that my grandfather, Harry Hayman, passed away March 17th, 2008 in Boca Raton, Florida just shy of his 91st birthday and just after his 63rd anniversary. He had 4 children and 8 grandchildren (I am his second grandchild). I thought you would like to have this for your website.

 

 

Miscellaneous Audio

2/29/04

Ed Walker on: Ralph Tabiken & Harry Hayman - 1:12

 

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