'Breakfast with the Beatles' is a popular programming segment format on FM radio in cities in the USA. The segment format typically features one or more hours of programing consisting exclusively of music by or related to The Beatles. Several nationally-syndicated variations exist as well as many locally-produced versions.

Program contents include Beatles recordings; solo recordings by former members of the Beatles; cover versions of songs written or performed by the Beatles or the former members thereof; music by close associates of the Beatles, such as Yoko Ono, and the children of members of the band; news, features, and interviews related to the Beatles, former members and associates; and interviews with experts on Beatle history and trivia.

History

Disc Jockey Helen Leicht created, hosted and produced an early version of Breakfast with the Beatles on WIOQ in Philadelphia beginning in 1976 and running through 1989; when WIOQ changed formats, Leicht moved the program to station WMGK. Disc jockeys and program directors at other stations picked up the idea and variations on a Beatles-themed programming block appeared throughout the US. The concept proved a good fit for morning programming (particularly on weekends) and so the Breakfast name, or a variant, was often used.

It is a reflection of the cultural influence of the Beatles that radio stations have been able to sustain this format, sometimes running daily, for at least 25 years.

Local productions

Radio stations which feature, or have featured a Breakfast with the Beatles program include: WXRT in Chicago, WMGK in Philadelphia, WGRF in Buffalo, WMXJ in Miami/Ft. Lauderdale, KMET, KLSX, KLOS in Los Angeles, WZLX in Boston, and others.

Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Pete Best, Olivia Harrison and Yoko Ono have all called in to the longest running version of the show in Los Angeles, which was dropped in 2006 by KLSX-FM, but picked up by 95.5 KLOS in November 2006. The Los Angeles show is currently hosted by longtime Beatles expert Chris Carter, who replaced the late Deirdre O'Donoghue in 2001.

National productions

A syndicated version of the program format, Dennis Mitchell's Breakfast With The Beatles, which is syndicated to 47 U.S. radio stations and two on the internet. Mitchell is a Las Vegas broadcaster who had hosted a local version of the program for sixteen years prior to moving to syncication. Mitchell's guests have included Yoko Ono, Ringo Starr, Pete Best, Sir George Martin and many others.

There are also two other all-Beatles radio formats that air nationally, although with slightly modified names: Joe Johnson's Beatle Brunch and Bob Malik's The Beatle Years are both distributed by Westwood One.

A three hour version of Breakfast with the Beatles, hosted by Chris Carter, is scheduled to debut on Sirius XM satellite radio on September 14, 2008.

References

External links

• Los Angeles Breakfast With The Beatles official site
• Example at KQMT Denver-Boulder
• Example at WXRT Chicago
• Example at WTUE Dayton, Ohio
• Example at KLOS Los Angeles
• Dennis Mitchell's BWTB
• Andre Gardner WMGK Philadelphia Breakfast With The Beatles