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.
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.
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/
WMCA, The Home of The GOOD GUYS in New York
The studios of legendary WMCA 570 in New York City in 1963. Here we see an RCA BC-2 console, COLLINS 642 cart machines (complete with tubes)and classic RCA BQ-50 turntables w/ MI-11885A tonearms. Note that extra pots have been added to the eight mixers standard on the RCA console to bring in the 4 cart machines.
This picture by JAY SCLAR from the WMCA webpage:
http://musicradio.computer.net/wmca/tour.html
77, W A B C
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
790 WFUN FUN Radio in Miami
Ron Gurley down in Florida, sent me these pictures of the FUN site from the 60's. This is the 5KW RCA beast that brought the southern tip of the U.S. fierce competition for WQAM and the Storz sound. My great friend the late Bruce Bartley was the morning man. I got to know Bruce in Atlanta where he worked at WSB and WCNN.
FUN RADIO, WFUN in Miami
Okay old timers, and young fans alike...it's time to "NAME THAT GEAR". I see a Volumax, some RCA pieces, and look at the number of cranks on that phasor!!!