Remembering...
Some of this, some of that..
My first paycheck in radio came from WETO in Gadsden, Al, Later to be known as WJBY. They had a GATES Model 31 console. I would sweep the floors through the week and run the board on Sunday for ten whole dollars a week. (But hey, this was 1963 money!)
A word about my mentor. I owe an untold debt to this man, Calvin C Williamson, a war-time Navy sparks, who took the time to teach a young me (and my short attention span) the in's and out's of electronics and radio technology. Back in the days of a "First Phone" at the transmitter, Cal would hold court and I would learn, usually while he "stood watch" during directional operation. Cal had the patience and "way with words" to make learning a pleasure.
He totally knew his craft.
THE WAY I WUZZ
When the present 103.7 the "Q" in Birmingham, was plain ol' WLJM in Gadsden, this was me about 1972. Charlie Boman operated this FM and the AM counterpart WJBY. To hear the AM, when I was the P D, hit REELRADIO and listen.
http://www.reelradio.com/boma/index.html#bmwjby72
We had a Collins 212-S console, SMC automation, a Gates remote control, an Audimax and a McMartin mod monitor in there, but I would trade it all for that 77DX.
WVOK, The MIGHTY 690 Birmingham, AL and a very rare GENERAL ELECTRIC dual channel console
This is a shot of the legendary Alan Burns, when he was jocking at the legendary (in Alabama) W V O K, the Voice of Dixie with 50,000 watts in Birmingham, Alabama. This shot shows the board, and Gates CB-500 tables. On the jocks right side were three ATC Criterion cart machines. My many thanks to Harold Brown for this picture. His WVOK site is: http://wvok-memories.tripod.com/
Johnny Poer at the WVOK board late 50's and Johnny Davis in the Production Room
In this "pre-cart machine" era photo, you can see the original Rek O Kut B16H turntables in place with Gray Research arms, and an Ampex 600 to play commercials. (There were probably two). The picture on the right shows Johnny Davis (Jim Romine) in the production room with a GATES Yard and an Ampex 440 and Gates t Table. Thanks again to Harold Brown for sharing.
77, W A B C "NEW YORK CITY"
In the early days, WABC had Collins/ATC P150 or PB 150 cart machines either side of a custom slide fader console, with no wall between the talent and the talented engineer.
Jay Sclar tells me that is Scott Muni, at the mike. You really should visit the WABC site, it's great, with a lot of detail about WABC. This picture thru the courtesy of Jay Sclar who was there with the camera in NYC back in 64 and 64, and thus furnished a lot of pictures for the webpages.
http://musicradio.computer.net
Across town at WMCA 570 New York...
WMCA was using an RCA BC-2 when this one was made. Notice the extra pots that have been added to the end of the board to mix in the cart machines. Those are tube type Collins 642's.
Another WVOK memory
Joe Rumore's basement home studio.
If you grew up in Alabama, you listened to Joe Rumore sometime in your life. Joe was on WVOK in Birmingham blowing across north Alabama with ease using the WVOK 50,000 watt signal at 690 on the dial. He was on at Noon and also in the the afterrnon slot on the "Mighty 690" playing the hits from his basement studio at his home. How cool is that?
