Bill Prettyman was a salesman who became Sales Manager under Glenn Potter and ultimately succeeded him as General Manager. He was the GM during the Great Strike That Struck Out in May of 1977 and for a short time was actually heard on the air until the air staff was replaced. He left the station around 1980 for station ownership and became President of Prettyman Broadcasting. Today, he is retired and enjoying the sunshine in Florida.

 

 

Bill Prettyman writes:

I left WEAM in 1965 to manage a small station owned by a friend of mine in Quantico, VA. Good experience. Answered an ad Bob Howard placed in Broadcasting Magazine looking for sales people and started at WPGC in ‘66. About six months later Bob named me sales manager. After Max Richmond's death, the estate sold 'PGC to First Media. I ended up with Bob Howard's old job after he decamped along with Harv Moore for ownership in Buffalo. (Harv’s still there now, about 82 years old!)

 

 

Mike Cohen writes:

I had worked at "The New WEAM" from 1960 until 1964. The first 2.5 years as morning man Johnny Sharpe. WEAM's mid day guy was Dashing Doug Vanderbilt a.ka., Bill Prettyman.

I did well in sales there and Bill decided he wanted in on this as well. Our desks were across from each other and he used to watch me work the phones to get appointments to sell advertising time.

But after almost a year in sales, they started playing games with the commissions, so I left to become a partner in an ad agency.

Bill left soon afterwards and joined WPGC. After 6 or 7 months, he started hounding me to come to work there. I had always heard that Bob Howard was impossible to work for and I sure didn't need to jump into that frying pan again.

Prettyman was very persistent and one day at lunch he pulled out three commission checks he hadn't even bothered to cash yet. They were for more money in one place than I had ever seen before, so I scheduled a meeting with Bob Howard the next week. I was a WPGC Good Guy shortly thereafter.

 

 

Anita Miller ('April May') writes:

Bill was a trip! He got me involved in a remote broadcast one time in one of the shopping malls just before Easter and I may never forgive him. He planned to give away plastic eggs to the shoppers with prize slips to get records, gift certificates to the different stores or cash. His wife Sharon and I were supposed to man the prize booth. The plan was for him to wear an Easter Bunny costume as he gave out the prize eggs but he waited til the last minute and no costumes were available. So he tells me the Friday before the remote that the only costume he could acquire was a Playboy Bunny costume and guess who had to wear it?!

I'm sure you can figure out the ending to this story. Stop laughing - it was not exactly my finest hour! Still, I heard later that the stores claimed it was the best remote ever...business must have been booming. To my knowledge Sharon wouldn't let Bill take any photographs. But I know people at the mall (shoppers and merchants) took some. Visitors the site may still have some from their private collections they could send in. I still have the hit man on retainer to get Prettyman!

 

 

BD Howard writes:

Bill Prettyman was quite a story. He lived very far away and was a workaholic (no doubt because he was making more money than he ever thought possible) and he and my Dad (General Manager, Bob Howard) would have a contest to see who got to work first, usually at around 5 or 6 AM!

Bill was a very funny guy. Always drove an old Chevy, wore a grey suit and tie, and kept meticulous records of ALL of his clients on 3 x 5 cards that he carried with him everywhere. When you talked with Bill by phone or as he made a sales call, he would update your file card so he always knew that your wife just had the flu, your kid just made the team, or you were planning a dream vacation.

When you as a customer called him, you were amazed that he knew so much about you and was interested in you as a person, not just as a client. He knew your birthday, anniversary and your kids big days too. And when he made a sales call, he always parked his old non-discript Chevy in a prominent place so his customers got the subtle impression he was a hard working family guy who sincerely appeciated you and your business. He had a very profund impact on my life. Hope he's enjoying life in FL - he deserves it.

  Articles

 

"WPGC On-Air Personalities Strike" © The Washington Post - May 5, 1977

During the Great Strike That Struck Out out in May of 1977, station management hit the airwaves including General Manager, Bill Prettyman. Below are rare tapes of him in action in a variety of capacities. Special thanks to contributor Steve Willet for these.

 

Newscasts

May 1977	Tease @ 5:53AM - :11
May 1977	Tease @ 6:20AM - :17

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