WVQM in 1973

contracteng · Post by **contracteng** » Sun Oct 14, 2007 9:17 pm

If you have access to Radio magazine check out page 58 for a picture and story about the construction of the studio in 1973.[/img]

fmksey · Post by **fmksey** » Wed Oct 17, 2007 9:55 pm

Really cool! In about 1977 I went up to Skyline Drive, just to see the place at about 2am --- most stations with their format were off the air at midnight in those days. Maybe they promoted it on the air or it was just radio rumor -- but the story was DJ's had to wear white gloves so the LPs wouldn't get dirty -- no so. Walking in the place was like walking into someones split level house - the layout was just like a house -- like all the others around it, I bet. The DJ was live and made his breaks, every 15 minutes -- of course, no spots. The guy was really good on the air - and sort of happy to have some company at 2am. I remember most the equipment -- all that RCA blue face stuff that only rich stations had. It was classy operation - just like the sister stations in DC

EZ103.3FM · Post by **EZ103.3FM** » Wed Oct 17, 2007 11:55 pm

fmksey wrote:Really cool! In about 1977 I went up to Skyline Drive, just to see the place at about 2am --- most stations with their format were off the air at midnight in those days. Maybe they promoted it on the air or it was just radio rumor -- but the story was DJ's had to wear white gloves so the LPs wouldn't get dirty -- no so. Walking in the place was like walking into someones split level house - the layout was just like a house -- like all the others around it, I bet. The DJ was live and made his breaks, every 15 minutes -- of course, no spots. The guy was really good on the air - and sort of happy to have some company at 2am. I remember most the equipment -- all that RCA blue face stuff that only rich stations had. It was classy operation - just like the sister stations in DC

Interesting....I started there in June 1978 and it was fully automated by then, with all music on reel-to-reel tapes from KALA Music. Didn't realize they still had records in 1977....

lastone · Post by **lastone** » Thu Oct 18, 2007 2:04 pm

Can't remember what year (late summer 71' perhaps), but I do remember applying for an engineer job there and being asked to "read some news". You looked thru a window down intro the xmtr room which was very impressive. I was very young and perplexed by the two microphones. Which one should I speak into? My father had told me it was on "eight street hill" but no, it was further out. The place did look just like the other homes, including the driveway.

Years later I went back to see the automation and Engineer Carrol (sp) was busy fixing it. The music was on 20 min reels and provided by a broadcast division of a PA pottery company. Manager "Mike" said the place was loosing money hand over fist and "they" were watching to see if the station I was building in Williamson worked out as country. It did and TCR went on 103.3. I have always felt XCC was a factor in that decision. Mike had helped put together the old XIT Schaffer 903 that Harvit bought for XCC. (junk)

fmksey · Post by **fmksey** » Thu Oct 18, 2007 10:23 pm

I don't remember if it was 77 - but it "75-77ish" -- the station had not been on the air very long (years.) It was still owned by Connie Gay and the format was just like Gay's DC stations, WGAY/WGMS - the mood liners going from breaks were the same as DC but changed a bit for Huntington. The guy on the air was play LPs form T/T to T/T and changing
LPs when one finished. When I visited music was not on R/R.

Waveguide · Post by **Waveguide** » Thu Oct 18, 2007 11:04 pm

WVQM went on the air in the late 60's. Like 1968? Maybe 1966.....
Yes, it was a house. As I remember, being told by the late Eddie Walters,
It was a house that just after the foundation and initial framing,
the builder and/or owner, not sure, ran out of money. In the search for a
site, this was discovered. And what a wonderful site it was. ( we all seem to remember that....)
It sure did have the coverage. As for the house, converted to studio's and busness offices,
It never really made building code and electrical codes. But being in the county,
and in that time frame, it just never became a problem, as it would today.
I don't remember where the Cabell / Wayne line actuall is on Skyview Dr.
I think WVQM was just inside Cabell, but, I'm sure some of you fine folks will correct this.

And they "played" LP / Records" for apx the first 10 years. And, in the early days,
they did where the white gloves. Or were supposed too.
Fear it, if you were caught handling the records without the gloves.

Think partal automation started around 1978'ish. +/- ( give me a break )

Let's not talk about the two fires ( that I remember ) in that death trap in its brodcast days.

I had some pics of it's final days as WTCR when they moved the studios
to Cattlettsburg, and the XMTR to Rotary Park. JUst got'a find'em.
If I do, I'll post some of'em.

OK...... its somebody else's turn in the "Way-Back Machine"

SHADOW · Post by **SHADOW** » Thu Oct 18, 2007 11:34 pm

Here is the history of WVQM Stereo. It went on the air as WVQM, 50,000 watts, 103.3, Huntington, WV, on May 1, 1966. Owned by Connie B. Gay, who also owned WQMR FM and WGAY AM in Silver Springs, Maryland. WQMR FM was piped into the Lyndon Johnson White House. WQMR was known as Washingtonâ€™s Quality Music Radio and WVQM was known as West Virginia Quality Music. The Governorâ€™s office in Charleston tuned into our music for years.

Naseeb S. Tweel, General Manger of WTCR AM in Kentucky was also the first General Manager of WVQM. He was replaced by Ken Stephens in 1968. Edwin F. â€œEddieâ€

genlock · Post by **genlock** » Fri Oct 19, 2007 6:05 am

WHEZ was in Wayne county.

EZ103.3FM · Post by **EZ103.3FM** » Fri Oct 19, 2007 2:38 pm

Interesting info.

I happened to see (but didn't get a chance to talk to) Phil Stone this morning, who I believe worked at 103.3 when it was WVQM. He and I both now work for the Corps of Engineers but he's not located in Huntington and it's been many years since we talked about our respective experiences on Skyview Drive....

Arnie · Post by **Arnie** » Fri Oct 19, 2007 7:56 pm

I worked there from summer '73 untill late '74, right after my graduation from Marshall. They had just changed call letters and gone to the taped music. As I recall, the tapes were from a company called Shulke or Shulte. They told you which tapes to play every hour of the day. Supposedly, all stations with that subscribed to this service would be playing the same music at the same time. No network, just rip and read news and weather. Clackety AP machine next to transmitter. Bob Hanson was pgm director. Eddie Walters was a great guy and a great engineer. I was fortunate enough to run into him when I was visiting family in Huntington in the early 90's. Anybody know what happened to Bob Hansen or Ken Stephens? I would love to see those pics. Could they be posted? Arnie

Jeff Miller · Post by **Jeff Miller** » Sun Oct 21, 2007 5:18 pm

The WVQM pictures are at

http://radiomagonline.com/departments/r ... gn_off_40/

SHADOW · Post by **SHADOW** » Mon Oct 22, 2007 6:34 pm

WVQM control room IN 1967.