By: J. Aegerter

J. Aegerter — Wed, 12 May 2010 21:50:06 +0000

When I started at age 17, the large local stations were IBEW Union shops (Closed Shops). I began at a suburban daytime AM (non-Union) and had a blast running the Gates YARD, spinning records with an announcer, recording commercials right off the air onto cartridge, taking meter readings on the BC1-T, tower base currents, phase monitor readings, field intensity monitor point readings and keeping the BC1-T humming along. I actually played 45 rpm vinyl, ad spots on cartridges, reel to reel tape, and signed on each day with Father Keller of the Christopher’s on 33-1/3 rpm vinyl. On Saturdays, ethnic programming paid the bills. I collected $80 per hour in advance of each program in greasy cash bills from the following groups: Serbian Hour, Italian Hour, Croation Hour, Amador Santiago’s Puerto Rican Hour, and Gonzales for the Mexican Hour. In the afternoons, the German Hour had a credit account and Herr Louie Zimmermann was just too much! The humor and political sarcasm on the show was something completely absent from today’s programming. He was way ahead of Don Imus! I kept real busy, keeping all of the program and transmitter log entries which the FCC was very fussy about back in those days. The only announcing I did was the station breaks and sign-on and sign-off. I cannot find this type of programming anywhere today. The station was a money-maker during the week, and the weekend brokerage actually paid all of the overhead each month. When I went to 50 kW 1130 kHz., things were much more formal. I kept both jobs and even took on a third station. I made good money while having a blast! I doubt if we will ever see those days again. Radio Doldrums coming fast!

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By: J. Aegerter