Glenn Potter was President and CEO of First Media as well as new GM of WPGC (who held 2% of the corporation) when the station was sold in 1974. In addition to having been the college roommate of one of the Marriotts, he had previously been Sales Manager at Channel 5, WTTG. At one time early in his career, he had been an air personality in Provo. Beyond that, his radio experience was painfully in short supply, as was the Marriotts'.

There's no disputing the fact that with the passing of WPGC owner, Max Richmond in 1971, one of the most significant turning points in the history of the station would result. His estate put both WPGC and sister station WMEX in Boston up for sale (KBMI in Las Vegas, also owned by the Richmond Brothers, had previously been sold in the late '60's after going dark).

Among the suitors was a new broadcast outfit, First Media Corporation, formed in the Fall of 1973 by another set of brothers, Dick and Bill Marriott who had been advised to diversify their portfolio. Among their other ventures were investments in condominiums.

Though talks to purchase the stations began before closing on a property in Provo, negotiations dragged on over an extended period of time between the Marriotts and the Richmonds. Initially, both stations were to be part of the deal. But as time wore on and patience wore off, First Media withdrew its offer for WMEX as a ploy to encourage sealing the deal with WPGC. The tactic worked and an agreement was made soon afterwards to sell WPGC-AM / FM for an unprecedented $5.8 million ($28,357,411.76 in today's dollars).

This, despite WPGC GM, Bob Howard's claim of Right of First Refusal should the stations ever be sold. Howard filed a complaint with the FCC in the hope of either outright stopping the sale, or at least slowing it down. The Marriotts ultimately bought him off to the tune of $425,000 ($2,062,594.83 today, adjusted for inflation) which provided the funding for his later purchase of WYSL-AM / FM in Buffalo from Gordon McClendon. The first pivotal mistake came soon after they took over the station by letting 12 year Morning Drive fixture and PD, Harv Moore go early in 1975.

Other missteps included not bothering to pay ASCAP & BMI licensing fees. Nevertheless, being the 800 pound gorilla that WPGC was at the time, it continued its success despite questionable management directives, not the least of which were the blatant union-busting tactics in 1977 during 'The Great Strike (That Struck Out') in which all but one of the station's personalities were replaced.

By far, First Media's biggest blunder however was the disastrous decision in 1982 to change the format to AC. In a single ratings book (Fall, 1982) WPGC's cume fell from 633,000 to just over 300,000. With over half its audience gone seemingly overnight, revenues tanked as well.

Crippling the station even further was the change later of the call letters of the FM to WCLY and the horrendous 'Classy 95' period. Having effectively killed the goose that laid the golden eggs for so many years, First Media finally called it quits and sold the station along with the rest of its radio properties to Cook Inlet in the late '80's, who promptly brought back the heritage calls and quickly returned the station to profitability once more.

Today, First Media runs a series of stations in small markets while Glenn Potter is an official with the Mormon Church.

Keith MacDonald writes:

It seems the GM Glenn Potter (who's main claim to fame was being the college room mate of one of the owners) wanted a block of 50 tickets for an upcoming Diplomats (Washington's original Soccer team) game. Dan Steele was the booth announcer for the Dips games, so Glenn asked Dan to get him the tickets, for free of course. Well Dan did it. But before he had a chance to deliver them, the ratings came out and Dan was #1 again, beating his chief rival Brother Love at WRC.

So Dan took the opportunity to ask for a raise. Mr. Potter's response was to tell Dan if he wanted more money, go find another job. That night Dan tore up the Dips tickets into little pieces and put them in a pile in front of Potter's door along with his resignation.

 

 

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