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Popular Top 40 DJ and Influential Music/Program Director
Chuck Brinkman was one of Pittsburgh’s most popular radio DJs and an influential music/program director from the 1960s to the 1980s on Pittsburgh radio stations KQV, WTAE, and WFFM / WMYG.
KQV-AM was the number 2 highest rated station in Pittsburgh through most of the 1960s. Chuck Brinkman was the mainstay of the KQV staff for 12 years during the station’s Top 40 glory days. He frequently ranked second to Clark Race in the 1960s radio ratings.
Adding new songs every week as the "Pick of the Week" KQV launched many hits by Motown artists. British Invasion bands, and Pittsburgh musicians. At KQV Brinkman was credited with breaking nationally the hit songs "Sitting In The Park" by Billy Stewart, "In the Summertime" by Mungo Jerry, "Gimme Gimme Good Lovin' by the Crazy Elephant and several songs by the Vogues, and the Jaggerz.
Pittsburgh Beginnings and Early Radio Days
Charles Brinkman was born in Pittsburgh in July of 1935. His family lived in Dormant until he was five. After several years in Cleveland Chuck's family returned to the Pittsburgh area where he attended high school at the Kiski Prep School. He attended Ohio University in Athens, Ohio and began working in radio at station WAND in Canton. He quit college after two and a half years to become an announcer on a Warren, Ohio station. He moved to station WELI in New Haven, Connecticut in 1956. He then worked at a station in Mt. Clemens, Michigan and station WJW in Cleveland. He volunteered for the National Guard in 1958 and spent six months of active duty at Fort Knox. After his National Guard duty he worked at WCUE in Akron for a year and then went back to WELI for a few months.
Chuck Brinkman's Hits
KQV Years
Brinkman began at KQV in 1960 working the all night shift. He took over the 7 PM to midnight show in August of 1962 replacing the departed Larry Aiken. He became part of KQV-AM's "Fun Lovin' Five," in 1963 which included Hal Murray, Steve Rizen, Dave Scott and Dexter Allen. In 1964 Brinkman introduced the Beatles at their Civic Arena concert. He also hosted the WIIC-TV Chanel 11 "Come Alive” dance show in 1966. Brinkman also was the DJ are many Pittsburgh area teen dances durin the 1960s.
Beginning In 1967 Brinkman served as KQV’s music director and afternoon drive host. As music director he selected the stations playlist. The station played 5 new singles and two new album cuts every week. Brinkman received gold records for his work in breaking hits by Mungo Jerry and Crazy Elephant.
WTAE
Brinkman moved to WTAE-AM in October of 1972 taking the mid day time slot. Chuck was appointed WTAE's music director by Bernie Armstrong in 1973. Chuck selected favorite Pittsburgh tunes for WTAE's "Solid Gold" TAE format.
KOGO
Chuck left the Pittsburgh radio market in 1979 to work at KOGO in San Diego as a DJ and program director. While in San Diego he also served as a programming consultant to station WFFM 96.9 in Pittsburgh.
WFFM / WMYG
Brinkman returned to Pittsburgh in 1980 doing the morning drive time slot at WFFM 96.9 and also became the station's program director. The station changed its call letters to WMYG (Magic 97) in 1986. As program director of WMYG Brinkman signed Jimmy Roach and Steve Hanson to a multi-year contract and brought them back to Pittsburgh after their stint at WSHE in Flordia. Jimmy and Steve returned to the Pittsburgh airways on WMYG-FM Magic 97 on Sept 1, 1987 taking over Brinkman's morning time slot. WMYG shifted its format from Adult Oriented hits to Classic Album Oriented Rock (AOR). Brinkman was replaced as the WMYG program director by Ron Reger in February of 1988 and became the station's operations manager.
KLUV-FM and KGVL
Chuck Brinkman left WMYG in April of 1988 for a a job as program director and afternoon drive DJ at KLUV-FM in Dallas. Ironically the station was owned by John Tenaglia who had hired and fired Jimmy Roach and Steve Hanson at his station WSHE-FM in Fort Lauderdale. Brinkman spent the next 17 years playing oldies on KLUV. He left the station in December of 2005. He is now part owner of a Greenville, Texas rock oldies radio station KGVL-FM 1400 and does the afternoon drive show.
Chuck Receives Gold Record
References
Chuck Brinkman's KQV Page - Jeff Roteman's KQV Site
Chuck Brinkman's WTAE Page - Jeff Roteman's KQV Site
Chuck Brinkman injured -By Adrian McCoy Pittsburgh Post-Gazette December 22, 2011
Brinkman: An Old Young Man Finds "QV Groovy - By Edward L. Blank Pittsburgh Press Jan, 9, 1970
KQV Picks Up Strong Sales Action on Albums Faster Than Singles - By Claude HallBillboard - May 15, 1971 - Page 27
Brinkman Leaving April 1 - Ron Weiskind Pittsburgh Post Gazette March 24, 1988
On the Air -Win Fanning Pittsburgh Post Gazette April 8, 1980
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