WPGC People - Gentleman Jim(s)

Jim Granger

'Gentleman Jim' was a house name used by several different jocks. The first was 'Gentleman Jim Granger' who did mornings in 1959-1960. If anyone knows of his whereabouts today please e-mail the Webmaster.

Slim Jim

'Slim Jim' did weekends in 1961. If anyone knows of his whereabouts today please e-mail the Webmaster.

Publicity shot from
the mid '60's at WEAM.

Walt Robin today.

Walt Rubin (aka Walt Robin)

Walter Rubin was first to be called 'Gentleman Jim Madison'. Walt had worked at WMUC at the University of Maryland in College Park and began doing weekend work at age 20 at WPGC in 1964. He later went on to work at WEAM then went to Dallas for many years. After radio he became a writer, producer and director of over 500 TV commercials before entering the world of film. Today he is a motion picture producer based in Rome, Italy.

Walt writes:

I have just happened onto this site, and applaud the work that it must have taken to compile the various information.

I can assist you in clarifying some information relevant to my stint with WPGC as “Gentleman Jim Madison”. I was 20 years old in 1964 and in my second year at The University of Maryland – putting time in at the campus radio station – WMUC – as an on air personality and as Program Director for a time. As I can recall the circumstances, I pulled together some air checks and other material and went to see the inimitable Bob Howard and was hired on the spot to work “part-time” hours on the FM station mostly at night and weekends – maybe 20 to 30 hours a week.

I recall that Harv Moore and Marv Brooks were there at the time, and I might have done some news reading at various times also. Therefore, my time at WPGC was 1964 and part of 1965. Late in 1965, I went over to WEAM in Arlington and became another “house name” – one of the “Jones Boys”. All on-air personalities were “Jones Boys” and we each used our real first names. In my case it was “Walt, the Jones Boys” – and I believe it was the little (as in Napoleon) General Manager, Harry Avril who thought this one up. He was even a bigger personality than Bob Howard .

Subsequently, when the Jones Boy thing started to wear, I was “let go” and then rehired later and became a Mark Allen (another house name) and, simultaneously, did a recorded / automated all night show for Eddie Leonard’s Sandwich Shops as “Rob Roberts”…anything to save money in those days. There were some great people at WEAM in those days including “Buzz Bennett” and I believe earlier, Jack Alix who moved over to WPGC eventually. The Program Director was Bob Bruton who moved on to KXOL in Fort Worth, Texas and asked me to join him as the Morning Drive man. On the condition that I would no longer use a station “house name”. He agreed and I moved to KXOL and used my real name – Walt Robin – from then on. This was in early 1967.

Eventually, KXOL brought in “John Rook” to do the programming and he imported a few people and shortened the play list to 10 Records. Not much fun. I then got an offer from KFJZ – the competition – and moved over to do mid-mornings, production, music and assistant program directing. I forget the exact circumstances, but I believe that they also brought in a “so-called” programmer (maybe Johnny Dark) and this gig became like work once again.

I gave it up and started my own advertising agency in Fort Worth and played in the world of Advertising for the next few years eventually moving to Dallas, where I took a part-time job with KVIL under Ron Chapman’s regime and started doing some acting in various local theatres, in commercials and in films. In 1977, I got an offer to do a film in Hollywood and moved to Los Angeles permanently. Once there I continued my acting career, also doing commercials, and kept my hand in advertising taking on “free lance” assignments.

This accumulated experience ultimately led to moving into the Film and Television Business as a Writer / Producer / Director. Having made more than 500 Commercials while in Advertising, this was a logical next step. Today, I have a Film and Television Production Company and am involved in setting-up our next Feature Film - based on a script that I have written and will produce - in the US, Canada, the UK and Italy. I maintain an office in Miami and in Italy (near Rome) in anticipation of the production of this film.

From 1966

Bob Benson

Bob Benson was the next 'Gentleman Jim Madison' and began doing nights at WPGC in 1966. He is remembered for using the 'It's him, Gentleman Jim' slug line. He previously had worked at WSMD in Waldorf, WHMC in Gaithersburg and WINX in Rockville before joining WPGC. His airshifts were Mondays, Tuesday, Saturdays 6-11PM & Sundays mornings.

Following WPGC, he worked at WASH, WMOD and later became the Music Director at WMAL. Bob was back on the air doing overnights at WWDC in the mid '70's before it became DC-101 in 1976 when he likely left the station. If anyone knows of his whereabouts today please e-mail the Webmaster.

Dave Moore

The name resurfaced again in the late '60's when Dave Moore (no relation to Harv Moore) was the fourth 'Good Guy' to use the 'Gentleman Jim' Madison name, working part time in 1969 at WPGC while in the Air Force at Andrews AFB. His grandaughter, Cassie writes, 'I was looking up info on 'Gentleman Jim' Madison, as Dave Moore was my grandfather. Unfortunately, Grandpa passed away on 09/15/09.

Good Guy DJ, Davy Jones writes:

After finishing his service he went back to his hometown, can't remember where. He got into sales and marketing and actually came to visit me a long time ago. Then he dropped out of sight.

Joel Denver today.

Joel Denver

The last of the 'Gentleman Jim Madisons' was Joel Denver who worked at the station from 1970-1971. He would later go on to other notable acheivements including working on the air at WFIL and later, launching B104 in Baltimore as its first Program Director in 1980. In the '90's he was the CHR Editor for 'Radio & Records'. In 1995 he struck out on his own, forming the 'All Access Music Group'.