WMRN-FM Christmas Day Broadcast Recordings (1973)

Machine transcript draft pending human review.

Accession: WMRN-2026-008

Source: WMRN-FM Christmas Day 1973 Side 1 audio recording.

Machine model: faster-whisper small.en

Generated: 2026-06-21

Transcript status: Machine draft; not yet proofread against the original media.

Summary: Long-form WMRN-FM / Stereo Marion Christmas Day 1973 aircheck with station greetings, headline news, weather, public service announcements, local sponsor greetings, WMRN-FM IDs, and beautiful-music format breaks. Long gaps in the draft reflect music or low-speech portions of the recording.

Program / format notes: Includes WMRN-FM beautiful-music era presentation, Stereo Marion station identification, Christmas greetings, sponsor copy, public service material, headline-news content, and weather for north central Ohio.

Review note: Machine transcript may mishear names, sponsor wording, and low-volume passages; final publication should be proofread against the original audio.

Draft Transcript:

[00:13:13.650 - 00:13:23.650] Madge Cooper, and from all of us at WMRN to all of you, the very warmest and merriest of Christmases and the happiest of New Year's.

[00:13:23.650 - 00:23:29.650] Time now for headline news on Stereo-Marian. Christians celebrate Christmas in Rome and Bethlehem, but violence is reported in Indochina and Ireland.

[00:23:29.650 - 00:23:36.650] Reports from New Delhi today say 179 persons, most of them homeless, have died in severe cold in northern India.

[00:23:36.650 - 00:23:44.650] Iraqi officials say they're boycotting a meeting today of Arab oil ministers in Kuwait because they don't approve of the Arab oil weapon.

[00:23:44.650 - 00:23:50.650] Federal energy officials say the latest Arab oil price hike will boost gasoline and heating oil prices in this country.

[00:23:50.650 - 00:24:00.650] And Cincinnati police say the painting theft case is still open, with three men charged with receiving stolen property, but no arrests yet for the theft itself.

[00:24:00.650 - 00:24:10.060] Elsewhere on the Ohio scene, Welfare Director Charles Bates is instructing all county offices to record the Social Security numbers of assistance recipients.

[00:24:10.060 - 00:24:14.220] He said this is an effort to cut down welfare fraud.

[00:24:14.220 - 00:24:23.220] Safety officials have predicted that 25 persons will die on the state roads before midnight tonight, and at least 17 have already lost their lives.

[00:24:23.220 - 00:24:33.020] The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency is to ask the Attorney General to go to court tomorrow, seeking a further injunction against the Forest Hills Utility Company.

[00:24:33.020 - 00:24:41.020] Well, a Christmas Eve fire did some $5,000 damage to the home of Mrs. Deborah Knox at 965 Henry Street yesterday.

[00:24:41.020 - 00:24:44.020] Fortunately, there were no serious injuries.

[00:24:44.020 - 00:24:48.020] Charges of first-degree murder will undoubtedly be filed against Paul Cramaza tomorrow.

[00:24:48.020 - 00:24:52.020] This was confirmed yesterday by a high police official.

[00:24:52.020 - 00:25:04.020] And Congressman Clarence Brown in his weekly report from Washington said President Nixon may not sign legislation approved by Congress, giving major federal money to the creation of a health maintenance organization.

[00:25:04.020 - 00:25:09.590] Weather words for this Christmas Day, 1973, in north central Ohio.

[00:25:09.590 - 00:25:15.620] Partly cloudy and mild today, with a high reaching near 50 degrees and intermittent rain.

[00:25:15.620 - 00:25:21.660] That's headline news on Stereomarian, 106.9 on your FM dial.

[00:25:21.660 - 00:25:26.660] A bright and warm and friendly Merry Christmas from all the employees of the Jim Dugan store.

[00:25:26.660 - 00:25:32.660] Dugan saw a lot of you during the shopping season and were happy every time they could help you find exactly what you wanted.

[00:25:32.660 - 00:25:35.660] And they may have said Merry Christmas to you then.

[00:25:35.660 - 00:25:38.660] But from everybody at Dugan's, Merry Christmas again.

[00:25:38.660 - 00:25:44.660] As a matter of fact, Dugans have been saying Merry Christmas to their customers for 58 years now.

[00:25:44.660 - 00:25:49.660] In the beginning, it was to people who drove up in form wagons and hitched the grays to the rack.

[00:25:49.660 - 00:25:52.660] To people who came in storm series drawn by a bay.

[00:25:52.660 - 00:25:56.660] And a smart young box in a snowcutter drawn by a spirited chestnut.

[00:25:56.660 - 00:26:01.660] Later, Dugan's customers parked their Model T's in their Stutz Bearcats in front of the store.

[00:26:01.660 - 00:26:11.660] But in all decades, Dugan's greeting and their wishes for a Merry Christmas for every one of their customers were neither more nor less sincere than they are today.

[00:26:11.660 - 00:26:17.660] Perhaps it was because Dugans have always had a genuine concern for the welfare of their customers.

[00:26:17.660 - 00:26:21.660] That they're still saying Merry Christmas after 58 years.

[00:26:21.660 - 00:26:27.300] Martha!

[00:26:27.300 - 00:26:29.300] So soon? They're having a party again?

[00:26:29.300 - 00:26:31.300] Ah, dinner. Friday?

[00:26:31.300 - 00:26:32.300] No, no, no.

[00:26:32.300 - 00:26:34.300] Well, it certainly sounds like fun.

[00:26:34.300 - 00:26:40.300] Fun? He gets everybody drunk on martinis. They forget to serve dinner and everybody gets a hangover. Great.

[00:26:40.300 - 00:26:43.300] We should come early for a couple of extra silver bullets?

[00:26:43.300 - 00:26:44.300] Silver bullets.

[00:26:44.300 - 00:26:49.300] Oh, yes. I suppose that was funny the last time. I mean, the way the clay pools conked out.

[00:26:49.300 - 00:26:51.300] Silver bullets? Who needs it?

[00:26:51.300 - 00:26:53.300] Well, look, I better check with Roger.

[00:26:53.300 - 00:26:55.300] Roger, what should I tell her?

[00:26:55.300 - 00:27:00.300] Look, honey, we don't want to go there. Tell her we're busy. Tell her we're on the wagon.

[00:27:00.300 - 00:27:02.300] Just tell her no.

[00:27:02.300 - 00:27:09.300] Let's face it. People who need to drink that much to be social are not really social drinkers.

[00:27:09.300 - 00:27:12.300] For a free booklet about drinking, write alcohol.

[00:27:12.300 - 00:27:17.300] Box 2345, Rockville, Maryland, 20852.

[00:27:17.300 - 00:27:23.300] A public service message from this station and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.

[00:27:23.300 - 00:27:30.130] You're in tune with Stereo Marion, W-M-R-N-F-M, Marion, Ohio.

[00:27:30.130 - 00:27:34.160] Beautiful music time on Stereo Marion is ten o'clock.

[00:27:34.160 - 00:41:23.550] Never too young or too old to enjoy the heady happiness and hearty sentiment of the yuletide season.

[00:41:23.550 - 00:41:30.550] Christmas messages can be as short as a chirpy Merry Christmas from the gang at Wilhelm's Wallpaper and Paint Store,

[00:41:30.550 - 00:41:35.550] 158 North Main Street in Marion, or as long as Dickens' Christmas Carol.

[00:41:35.550 - 00:41:39.550] We like to hear them all, no matter how it's said or how often.

[00:41:39.550 - 00:41:42.550] It all amounts to the same things, a great day.

[00:41:42.550 - 00:41:47.550] Bob and Mary Withrow at Wilhelm's Wallpaper and Paint Store want to be right in there, too,

[00:41:47.550 - 00:41:51.550] throwing in a bushel full of greeting for a Christmas that's the mostest.

[00:41:51.550 - 00:41:54.550] And after Christmas, when the decorations are down and put away,

[00:41:54.550 - 00:41:59.550] if your house needs a little permanent brightening up with wallpaper and paint, remember Wilhelm's.

[00:41:59.550 - 00:42:06.550] You'll find them just as friendly and interested after Christmas as they are now, and just as helpful.

[00:42:06.550 - 00:42:10.550] But for now, the word from Wilhelm's is Merry Christmas.

[00:42:10.550 - 00:42:21.850] Hi, I'm Steve Springer. From all of us at W-M-R-N to all of you, a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

[00:42:21.850 - 00:56:02.730] You're listening to W-M-R-N-F-M in Marion, the most beautiful sound around.

[00:56:02.730 - 00:57:10.670] The Campbell Supply at 941 Pole Lane Road, your headquarters for farm equipment and supplies,

[00:57:10.670 - 00:57:16.670] for Toro and lawn boy mowers, feels that Phillips Brooks said it just about right when he wrote,

[00:57:16.670 - 00:57:22.670] Everywhere, everywhere, Christmas tonight, Christmas in the lands of the fir tree and pine,

[00:57:22.670 - 00:57:25.670] Christmas in the lands of the palm tree and vine,

[00:57:25.670 - 00:57:28.670] Christmas where snow peaks stand solemn and white,

[00:57:28.670 - 00:57:32.670] Christmas where corn fields stand sunny and bright.

[00:57:32.670 - 00:57:38.670] That's not all of it, but the Campbell Supply wants to save some time for a few meaningful words of their own.

[00:57:38.670 - 00:57:45.670] A very personal greeting, warm and sincere, from Chuck, Ray and all the employees at the Campbell Supply,

[00:57:45.670 - 00:57:49.670] to you and all your dear ones, a very Merry Christmas.

[00:57:49.670 - 00:57:53.670] Beautiful music time on Stereo Marion is 10.30.

[00:57:53.670 - 01:11:45.330] Year 1539, the explorer Estevanico rode into a Zuni Pueblo village looking for the fabled seven cities of gold.

[01:11:45.330 - 01:11:56.770] Estevanico never found houses of gold or sidewalks of jewels, but in his 11-year search,

[01:11:56.770 - 01:11:59.770] he did discover Arizona and New Mexico.

[01:11:59.770 - 01:12:07.770] That early American explorer was a black man, one of many who helped make our country what it is today.

[01:12:07.770 - 01:12:14.770] Now, we at the United Negro College Fund want to make it easier for young blacks to help make this country what it should be.

[01:12:14.770 - 01:12:16.770] And we need your help.

[01:12:16.770 - 01:12:24.990] Give to the United Negro College Fund, 55 East 52nd Street, New York, New York 10022.

[01:12:24.990 - 01:12:32.380] A mind is a terrible thing to waste.

[01:12:32.380 - 01:12:37.380] Hi, this is Ned Cook. I'm a part of the sales department team here at WMRN.

[01:12:37.380 - 01:12:44.380] I would like to take this moment to express my most sincere wish to each of you for a very happy holiday season.