Maxwell (Mac) Evans Richmond was the owner of an advertising firm in Philadelphia. Soon after the sign-on of WPGC on April 24, 1954, he approached owner, Harry Hayman about the possibility of buying the station. Hayman, an engineer had no background with radio advertising and agreed on November 10th, 1954 to go into partnership with Richmond for the sum of $10,000, forming, 'WPGC, Inc.' and leaving him 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, Hayman's decision to cut his losses was finalized, filing an application with the FCC for Consent of Transfer of Control to Richmond, 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.

Late in 1956, the Chesapeake Broadcasting Company sold WRNC-FM (formerly, WBUZ-FM) to WPGC, Inc. $5.00 was paid for the station license and $10,000 for its equipment and tower. FCC approval took place on November 20th, 1956. The purchase was made to add nightime programming to WPGC-AM's daytime only operation.

Max Richmond became President of WRNC-FM and named Gene Winters, (General Manager of WPGC-AM) as GM of WRNC-FM. WRNC-FM changed call letters to WPGC-FM in mid-March 1958.

In 1959, Richmond transfered Winters to manage his station in Henderson, Nevada outside of Las Vegas, KBMI, and hired new General Manager, Bob Howard to run WPGC, allowing himself more time to devote to his ad agency in Philadelphia as well as attend to his radio property in Boston, WMEX.

Richmond died in 1971. His estate received FCC approval on August 7th, 1974 to sell WPGC-AM & FM for $5.8 million to First Media Corporation (Richard E. Marriott, Chairman & 44% owner).  The transaction was finalized on October 17, 1974. Although discussion between the parties initially also included the possible sale of WMEX, First Media withdrew it's offer after lengthy negotiations for the station, perhaps as a ploy to expediate the sale of WPGC.

 

 

Pat McCoy writes:

Max Richmond was an even more difficult man to work for than Bob Howard. Max would come down from Boston and harass everyone, Bob the most, of course. He had an office hidden away in the back of a bunch of file cabinets and partitions. He loved to pick up his phone and listen to everyone's phone calls, sometimes butting in, but most often just listening. I never heard him make a positive comment to anyone.

 

 

BD Howard writes:

I remember Max Richmond and many of the employees of the day. All were quite cordial to the VP/GM's (Bob Howard's) young kid, although some were friendlier than others. I remember that Richmond never married, but that he had two girlfriends (hideous old broads IMHO). Apparently, neither one knew about the other so, as a kid, I was coached whenever I was to encounter one - this one's name and that I was NOT to mention the other one!

 

 

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02/15/60 Payola Probe Told Of Deals © The Evening Star

 

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02/22/60 Round Two In Boston ©Broadcasting

 

03/07/60 Four Cited On Payola Data ©Broadcasting

 

 

Miscellaneous Audio

	02/29/04	Ed Walker on: Max Richmond	1:00
	02/29/04	Ed Walker on: Max critiquing him while on the air	:59
	02/29/04	Ed Walker on: WMEX & Howard Levy	:52

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