Rick Sklar
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Rick Sklar (born c. 1930, died June 22, 1992) was an American radio program director, who while at New York City's WABC was one of the originators of the Top 40 radio format.
Rick grew up in Brighton Beach, Brooklyn. He graduated from New York University and volunteered at WNYC radio as a writer. He then worked at WPAC in Patchogue, New York then went to New York's WMGM in 1960 as Program Director.
He moved to WABC in December of 1960. He was promoted to WABC Program Director in 1963. Under his reign, WABC became the model for tight-playlist, teenager-targeted Top 40 programming, with a strong signal and famed disc jockeys such as "Cousin Brucie" Bruce Morrow, Dan Ingram, and Ron Lundy.
In March of 1977 Rick was promoted to vice president of programming for ABC’s radio division. In 1984 Rick left ABC to start his own consulting firm known as Sklar Communications and wrote the book, Rocking America: An Insider's Story: How the All-Hit Radio Stations Took over. ISBN 978-0312687977
Rick continued to write articles and books as well as visiting various colleges discussing the business of radio in general. In June of 1992, he entered the hospital for a minor foot operation. Although Rick was in good health, died on the operating table at age 62 due to a lack of oxygen and other mistakes made by the hospital staff.[1]. He was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 1993.
