Radio as it used to be

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SHADOW
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Post by SHADOW »

Now, this is the best thread on this board in a long time. I love radio of the 60s and 70s.
bleach
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Another 93.7 WAMX story

Post by bleach »

The station at the time was off Terrapin Ridge on the hill bordered by the tower on one side and a forestry fire tower on the other. To say it was isolated is an understatement. Equipment wise it was not exactly state of the art even by 1973 standards. 2 Sony reel to reels the afternoon guy, Neil Starkey, picked up at a PX while he was in 'Nam and two cart machines, which only one would stop when finished. You stopped the carts and stacked them up until the record and then used the good machine to cycle them back to the start. Occasionally you missed one. You hoped it was not a 30 sec spot on a 70 second cart or else the hiss of the cart was sucked up by the Urei LA 3 while you scrambled to grab the psa book to read anything no matter how out dated to pad time. Oh, yeah to edit tape required 2 coins to hold the tape in place on a piece of card board and the same scotch tape you use to hold memos on the copy stand. Razorblades were from the oily GEM razor blade dispenser.

When we got our first jingle (only one) you had cart labels on the Gate transcription turntables. One for 45 the other for 33. You cued the records to those points and when you fired the jingle you hit the start button and the record should start at the right speed. If you had the pot up, then you always got the loud clunk of the solenoid kicking in that was almost as loud as the jingle. We eventually got a QRK quick start turntable that made it a little easier. Dicky Martin got the idea to speed the records up. So he would wrap the capstain on the QRK ONLY with however many turns of slicing tape it needed to bring the speed to say 47 or so RPM. Imagine hearing a song and hour or so apart on two turntables running at different speeds since only one was hyped. Until we figured it out, it was hilarious hearing the already warbling and hi pitched BEE GEES play at what had to be 60 rpm. The problem with using splicing tape is the friction created heat which would melt the glue after a while and the record would dramatically slow on air. BTW Cue burns were a curse. Arista records and Columbia re-issue gold series were the worst. Also we had a great old Altec mic and a Gates Stereo Statesman board with the master left and right knobs so you could screw with the out put level and piss off Dr. Don Rees the morning man/Chief engineer.

There's a ton more, but one last story. There was nothing around for miles and we only had non-drinking well water. The entire staff, sales,air,management worked out of the building. It was not a rare occasion for the well to dry up. They kept huge garbage cans under the air conditioning unit to capture the humidity dripping down. On the days the well was useless and nature called, you would take the bucket by the toliet and go out to the garbage can fill your pail and go back to the restroom and use it to flush. There were times where the water need exceeded the supply and it became quite an awkward problem.

Next installment... the Blizzard of 77 and how 5 guys spent the week in a cinder block building with a supply of bologna, crackers, and the zig zag man. Stay tuned.
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Oldiesdude
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Post by Oldiesdude »

First of all. I am sorry, for like Al Gore with the internet, I was the inventor of automation back in the early 70's.

I was working at a small AM station WETZ-Am and also held a job as manager/projectionist at the local theater in New Martinsville. One of the duties being to drive to Pittsburgh and pick up films once a week, that took up about 2 hrs of my showtime. On that day I would sit down and figure out what songs would play, how long they were and into times. Then I would record on a reel-to- reel tape intros to each song up to the singing. Figure out spot breaks ect, and even do intros with time checks, (as I was a time, temp jock). I then had a weekender come in and he would play the 45's I had selected and start the reel-to-reel at the same time. I could then drive to Pittsburgh, and listen to the show. The boss did not mind, as the weekender was happy to just be able to come in to do this, and it did not cost the boss any money. The weekenders name was Stan Zaliske (sp). Have never found out what happened to him after he left the station, but figure he now ownes several radio stations, or something, or maybe Clear Channel. :)
I'm just happy to know the Dougger!
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Post by CoolBreeze »

Airwaves wrote: Remember that WVAF was gospel before it was "Album Rock " in the 70's-
I worked at WVAF in 1969 when it was Christian music. (My first radio job) Rick Johnson worked with me, as did Randy Damron on the weekends. (He was still in High School as I recall).

I still have my pay sheet for the month. I took home $50 a week for a 6 day work week. I had to pay 50 cents a day to cross the WV Turnpike bridge. I had a wife & kid to support.

Later I went to WVRC in Spencer. What a rude awakening that was: No carts. We used 3 inch reel to reel tapes for all the commercials and show openings. I learned how to thread and cue a tape in 5 seconds flat. The transmitter sat 8 feet away and we could read the readings through the window. After 2 years, I returned to Charleston and went to WXIT where they at least had state of the art equipment. Wound-up at WCAW... back with Rick & Randy again. This time the pay rate was somewhat higher. ;)
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Post by Mark Justice »

the Blizzard of 77 and how 5 guys spent the week in a cinder block building with a supply of bologna, crackers, and the zig zag man. Stay tuned.
I hope that story includes the late-night appearance of the very pregnant wife of one of the employees, who managed to go where no emergency vehicle could go, for the express purpose of mid-winter (and quite vocal) loving with her hubby in the production room.
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Post by Lee »

SHADOW wrote:Now, this is the best thread on this board in a long time. I love radio of the 60s and 70s.
Agreed.

I love hearing (and reading) old radio stories.

Nowadays, all you hear is "____ slept with ____ in the production room. _____ doesn't know how to do their job and I wish _____ would come in an hour early so I can leave. _____ should not even be on the air when _____ is much better!"

:roll:
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fearpeddler
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Re: Another 93.7 WAMX story

Post by fearpeddler »

bleach wrote:.

Next installment... the Blizzard of 77 and how 5 guys spent the week in a cinder block building with a supply of bologna, crackers, and the zig zag man. Stay tuned.
hey now.. leave uncle ziggy out of this.... :lol:
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Big Media
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Post by Big Media »

Welcome, Mr. Justice, to the circus...

Lee's story reminds me of a guy I used to work with. If he was scheduled from 7 PM to mid-night, by god, he would walk into the control room at 6:59:59 every time. Every time.
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Post by Dave Allen »

We have a few like that now. That is Erin's big pet peeve. Some moron walks in at 5:59 for a 6:00 shift and asking how do you do this or that? Your ass should have been here an hour ago to ask these questions. That's just me, though, old and cranky.
Titties and beer...thank God almighty for titties and beer!
Lee
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Post by Lee »

fanofbigmedia wrote:Welcome, Mr. Justice, to the circus...

Lee's story reminds me of a guy I used to work with. If he was scheduled from 7 PM to mid-night, by god, he would walk into the control room at 6:59:59 every time. Every time.
Used to work with a guy EXACTLY like that....no....make that two.

Hell, sometimes they would show like 5 minutes after a shift. Or even better...call at 6:59:59 and say they're on their way. Of course, when they missed a break nothing was said...
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Post by Bob Campbell »

When I was doing nights in Detroit, the overnight guy had a tendency to show up late. So whenever he did, I'd record breaks in a Donald Duck voice saying I was him, speed them up and play them. Couple of times hearing "himself" sounding like a duck on crack and he started showing up on time. btw, he had an incredibly big deep ballsy voice.
Ahh, good times.
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GlenBrannon1
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Post by GlenBrannon1 »

Mark, The stories that could be told of the shop on Morningside Dr. 8O

Tell Ted I said hey

Glen
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