RE: Late 1960's Charleston WKAZ Gary Pallent

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ralphallen
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RE: Late 1960's Charleston WKAZ Gary Pallent

Post by ralphallen »

Gary was the very successful program director at WKAZ during the late 1960's. He left WKAZ to program one of the first FM rock stations in New York, then a station in Toronto, then back to his home town, in Tuscon, Arizona. Thanks to the Internet, I was able to find him, and I sent him an e-mail thanking him for being a teacher, a mentor, and friend. He thought it strange because we had met one time for fifteen minutes when i was a college student working at cross town rival WCAW. These two rock stations were awesome to behold during that few years before WCAW went to country music. Some of the best radio i ever listened to happened during that short time frame. WKLC, WCHS, WTIP, some great stations also were excellent.

So Gary was terminal, and in extremely poor health at the time, and I would call him, check on him, and one day he was gone.

What a gift he left us though, and I got to tell him how much his work meant to me. Gary was amazed that so long ago...what he did...every day on the air...was being consumed...and would live again as i matured into a solid jock, program director, operations manager, account executive, that his gift, through me, and what I learned and shared...gave something back, and my kiddos in the family carry on still...the long line of people that have been in love with radio...Gary was a huge star, an incredible program director, and a really nice guy. I miss him sometimes. Through radio, I knew him, he did not know me, until I called him, one afternoon...and we became friends then...at a different place in time.

The talent side of radio is very much an apprentice system, we learn our craft from others that spent time with us. We sometimes learn from our competitors, and they are not even aware that they are teaching you!

That is the magic of radio and it's so not about formatics, quarter hour maintenance, stopset content, researched music, how you mix it...what matters is DO YOU HAVE the love for the listener? ARE you able to reach through that microphone right to a soul...that needs a friend...do you love radio and does it haunt you as to how to make it better?

If you have walked this path...and you have or you would not be here...be thankful...and know that you are blessed. Few ever get this chance to do this radio thing. If you're doing it, cherish the time in the sunshine! And remember, somebody is listening to you...and like the song, "Time in a Bottle"...you never know what impact you are having.

God bless ya!

Ralph "Allen" Allenbaugh
640radio
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Re: RE: Late 1960's Charleston WKAZ Gary Pallent

Post by 640radio »

Well said.
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