Forty years ago, a radio competition began in the Lehigh Valley and resulted in a worldwide media frenzy.
In an attempt to gain publicity, the staff of Allentown radio station WSAN-AM, which was undergoing a rebranding, decided to hold a contest on September 20, 1982.
It was dubbed a “endurance contest,” with three participants competing to see who could spend the longest on the platform of a WSAN billboard located in Whitehall Township, across from the Lehigh Valley Mall, off of Route 22.
A new mobile home would be awarded to the winner.
However, the competitors turned out to be more serious than anticipated, and it took 261 days, a drug bust, and entreaties from government officials to bring the competition to an end.
Ned Teter, a WSAN radio DJ who worked the entire competition, said, “We were all taken a little off guard.”
“You do realize that this occurred long before social media, cell phones, or anything else like that? In 1982, nothing becomes viral. However, this was picked up by a few major publications, and after that, there were waves upon waves of coverage.
A housing crisis
The contestants were:
Mike MacKay was a newlywed in his first year of marriage and had a job. In a 2017 documentary titled “Billboard Boys,” it is stated that MacKay submitted 47,000 contest entries to WSAN, stating that he was unable to afford housing even with a steady job. In 2006, MacKay passed away.
It is purported that Dalton Young entered roughly a thousand contests shortly after his release from the United States. military. While residing on the billboard, he was ultimately taken into custody by an undercover police officer for marijuana-related offenses.
There are rumors that Ron Kistler submitted 4,004 entries to the WSAN office. He claimed in the documentary that he was only competing for a house, not for attention.
For more than a year, the competitors occupied the billboard platform equipped with space heaters, tents, toilets, phones, radios, and even a pulley system that allowed loved ones to bring them food and other necessities.
Housing shortages in the Lehigh Valley in the early 1980s contributed to the competitors’ devotion. Mobile homes were not affordable because the region’s manufacturing industry was in decline, despite their valued $18,000 (roughly $55,000 today).
Teter remarked, “These were three guys that, you know, they’re out of work.” These unfortunate people served as a symbol of the era. In 1982, we were in the epicenter of the Rust Belt, where jobs were limited.
One person who is familiar with the story well claims that the Lehigh Valley’s current affordable housing crisis isn’t all that different.
The 2017 documentary “Billboard Boys” about the radio competition was directed by Pat Taggart.
According to Taggart, “there isn’t enough housing on the market, and prices are sky high. We have a different housing crisis today.” “Thus, while different, there is still a significant gap between the wealthy and the poor, as well as extreme economic stress both then and now.”
Public opinion sours
According to Taggart, the Lehigh Valley’s public sentiment toward the men on the billboard grew sour during the competition.
After about six months, the police accused Young of being a marijuana dealer while residing on the billboard. The Lehigh Valley residents then began to grow irritated with the competition.
“People’s perception had significantly changed from finding this fascinating and cool to thinking it was a disgrace to the Lehigh Valley,” according to Taggart. People driving by stopped to stare at the men on the billboard, saying, “You know, guy’s dealing drugs up there, and there was fender benders constantly,” Taggart said. Taggart said bystanders also used to hang out and party at the base of the billboard all night long and it was common to find empty beer bottles and other garbage underneath it in the mornings after a weekend.
An abrupt end
The competitors on the billboard were a constant source of pressure.
Following Young’s arrest and elimination from the competition, Taggart remarked, “You have two guys left – Mike MacKay and Ron Kistler.” “And they just stayed, making it very evident that they had no intention of leaving without a place to live.”
According to Taggart, the competitors’ focus shifted toward the end of the competition from competing against each other to competing against the radio station.
On June 7, 1983, WSAN and the contest’s sponsor, Love Homes, gave in to public and political pressure.
They offered a free vacation, a Chevy car, and a mobile home to each of the two surviving competitors.
That was the end when MacKay and Kistler descended from the billboard simultaneously.
The story will hopefully still be made into a feature film, according to director Pat Taggart.
How European Rabbits Took over Australia
In 1859, wealthy settler Thomas Austin released 13 wild rabbits on his Australian estate. By 1920, their population grew to 10 billion.
Knockers-up: waking up the Industrial Britain's Workers in 1900-1941
Before alarm clocks were invented, there was a profession called a knocker-up, which involved going from client to client and tapping on their windows (or banging on their doors) with long sticks until they were awake. It lasted into the 1920s.
Moondyne Joe: The story of Australia's most notorious prison escapee
A man named Joseph Bolitho Johns (A.K.A Moondyne Joe) broke out of Australian prisons so many times that the police were compelled to build a special cell just for him. He escaped from that as well.
Nathan's Famous Doctor Stunt
When Nathan's Famous Hot Dogs first opened in 1916, the owner hired people to dress as doctors and eat hot dogs outside his shop, to convince people his hot dogs were healthy.
The Horrific story of Ariel Castro and the Cleveland abduction
Cleveland abduction victims Gina DeJesus, Michelle Knight, and Amanda Berry were forced to live in Ariel Castro's house of horrors for 10 years. He raped and beat them until they escaped in 2013.
Tunnels Dug by ancient giant sloths, A South American Megafauna
For years, scientists didn’t know what caused mysterious cave networks in South America. In 2010, they learned that the caves were actually tunnels dug by ancient giant sloths
10 world’s most destructive and dangerous volcanic eruptions in history
Volcanic eruptions can devastate cities, change the world's atmosphere, and devastate economic systems. They can create molten lava rivers, mudslides, suffocating ash, and poisonous gases that cause chaos around the world for years. A volcanic explosion's effects can be massive, from its size to its death toll to its economic cost. Here is ten world’s most destructive and dangerous volcanic eruptions in history.
Sylvan Goldman: The Visionary Who Revolutionized Shopping with the Cart
The inventor of shopping carts, Sylvan Goldman, had to hire several male and female models to push carts around in his store, demonstrate their utility, and explain their use to other customers, due to not catching on initially.
The History Behind the “No One Dies Alone” Program
In 1986, while doing a night shift at the hospital, Sandra Clarke, a registered nurse, was asked by an elderly patient to stay. She promised to be back after checking on her other patients, but by the time she returned, the gentleman had passed away. Clarke became one of the key figures in launching No One Dies Alone, a program that allows volunteers to sit with terminal patients who have no one else.
Saudi Arabia camel carvings dated to prehistoric era
Archaeologists were shocked to discover that a series of camels carved into desert rock faces in north-western Saudi Arabia are actually prehistoric, dating from 7,000-8,000 years ago - before either the Pyramids of Giza or Stonehenge were built.
Blanche Monnier: Imprisoned For 25 Years For Falling in Love
Blanche Monnier, she was a French woman noted for her beauty, she wished to marry an old lawyer that her mother disapproved of, so she locked her in a small dark room in her attic for 25 years.
How 18th Century Women’s Rights Movements Shaped Modern Equality
The 18th century marked a turning point in the quest for women’s rights, as passionate voices challenged centuries of gender inequality and laid the groundwork for modern feminism. From pioneers like Mary Wollstonecraft to revolutionary declarations and early advocacy, this era sparked debates on education, political participation, and social justice that continue to resonate today. Journey through the origins of women’s rights movements and discover how their bold ideas shaped the fight for equality.
Mother who spent entire life savings for daughter’s cancer treatment won the lottery
A mother won $2 million from a $10 scratch-off lottery ticket after she spent all of her entire life savings to pay her daughter’s cancer treatment. She bought the winning ticket after her daughter’s last cancer treatment.
Marion Stokes recorded 30 years of television
Marion Stokes, a Philadelphia woman began taping whatever was on television in 1979 and didn’t stop until her death in 2012. The 71,000 VHS and Betamax tapes she made are the most complete collection preserving this era of TV. They are being digitized by the Internet Archive.
The Amazing Truth About The German U-Boat That Was Sunk By A Toilet
During WWII, a German captain and an engineer flushed the submarine's high-tech toilet incorrectly, causing the vessel to rapidly fill with water. British planes patrolling the sea attacked them as the submarine was brought to the surface. While many members of the crew were killed in the attack, the captain escaped!
Ancient Jericho: The First Walled City In History
The ancient city of Jericho is the world's oldest walled city, with evidence of stone fortifications dating back nearly 9000 years.
Keith Sapsford: The Story of 14-Year-Old Stowaway
The final image of 14-year-old Australian Keith Sapsford, who aspired to travel the world. In February 1970, he sneaked into the wheel-well of a plane flying from Sydney to Tokyo. It opened mid-air & fell out. When a photographer was testing a new lens, he captured this moment on film and was surprised when it developed.
The Day an Israeli F-15 Landed with One Wing: Zivi Nedivi’s Unbelievable Mid-Air Survival
Discover the astonishing true story of Israeli pilot Zivi Nedivi, who safely landed an F-15 after a mid-air collision tore off its entire right wing. Learn how skill, quick thinking, and the F-15’s unique design turned a disaster into a legendary feat in aviation history
The worst blizzard in recorded history: the 1972 Iran blizzard
The deadliest snowstorm ever recorded occurred in Iran in 1972. It lasted for a week, burying areas in 26 feet of snow and killing over 4,000 people, including the entire populations of three villages.
Philippines, the largest supplier of Nurses in the World
Philippines is the world’s largest supplier of nurses, supplying roughly 25% of all overseas nurses worldwide.
What is the story behind Wrigley chewing gum?
Wrigley's was originally a soap company that gifted baking powder with their soap. The baking powder became more popular than the soap so they switched to selling baking powder with chewing gum as a gift. The gum became more popular than the baking powder so the company switched to selling gum.
Graves holding hands over wall, A Catholic woman and her Protestant husband grave
A protestant man and a Catholic woman who weren't allowed from being buried together in a graveyard in 19th-century Holland turned their graves into a monument showing them holding hands across the wall separating them.
The World’s First Seismograph: How Ancient China Detected Earthquakes 1,800 Years Ago
Over 1,800 years ago, long before modern technology, the ancient Chinese astronomer and inventor Zhang Heng created the world’s first seismograph in 132 AD. This ingenious bronze device could detect distant earthquakes by releasing small balls from dragons’ mouths into toads’ mouths—each indicating a different compass direction. Its historic detection of an earthquake 400 miles away astonished the imperial court and transformed the way societies understood and responded to seismic events.
Xin Zhui And The Story Of The Stunningly Intact Lady Dai Mummy
A 2,000-year-old mummy of a Chinese woman, Xin Zhui, also known as “Lady Dai,” was preserved in 21 gallons of an “unknown liquid.” With her original hair, organs, eyebrows, and eyelashes intact, the mummy still has blood in her veins. Her skin and ligaments are soft and as flexible as that of a living person.
What Was the Beast of Gévaudan?
Between 1764 and 1767, a mysterious animal called the Beast of Gévaudan terrorized the French village called Gévaudan. It attacked and killed about 100 adults and children. While most believe it was a wolf, some say it may have been a wolf-dog hybrid, hyena or even a lion, but without any genetic evidence, the beast will remain a mystery forever.
