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Address of WINN-106 Air Studios (Back In The Top-40 Days)

B

Bomba

Hello:

I am trying to find the location of the WINN-FM (WINN-106) air studio, back when the station was airing Top-40 music. Forgive me, as I do not know if the air studio has actually moved since that time. I am curious to know the actual address, as I have heard stories of people who used to work there, back in the day, when, as they described it, they used to stand outside the back door and fling old 45s out into the corn field, which, supposedly, was located directly behind the air studio's building. As such, I am curious to find the location on Google Earth and to hear any additional stories from others who were there at the time.

Thank you for your help.

--Bomba
 
They were in 2 places in that era...First building north of the McDonalds on US 31 in Columbus (it's a hair stylist place now), but the one you speak of is at their transmitter site in Scipio,IN. If you'll search WWWY on www.radio-locator.com and click on "Transmitter Location", a map will pop up, you'll see a button called Satellite on the map...and if you'll look behind the building, indeed there is a cornfield there...
 
Bingo, BobOnTheJob!!!

Thank you so much! I should have known better than to try and do too many things at once. It's nice to know where this place is, finally. I assume that there are no active studios there, now, as I believe Y106's air studio is back in Columbus, correct?

Thank you, again.

--Dylan
 
I can remember that pretty well, I used to hang out with chucky B when he was doing nights, as well as Devin marsh,,, who i think is it QMix 107.3 now, and Chucky B was at WDJX Louisville, but I dont know if he still is. They had a really small studio with a microwave link tower on the south side of the buliding to feed their transmission down to Scipio,,, just outside North Vernon.. The mics and Carts where on the south facing wall, and the Coffee Machine was on the north facing wall, and the bathroom in the back. I dont remember the Mcdonalds, but I know I used to go to the White Castle and Jerrys Restaurant just south of their. They were a CHR as WIN 106 from 92-97,, and they were some form of AC as Hits 106 before that, and I think the studio moved to Scipio the year before they went to Oldies as Oldies 106... They had a flame thrower signal in those days, was easily receivable in Indianapolis and Louisville, and even farther north near Anderson Indiana, all the way to Cincinatti, and in between Louisville and Lexington around Franfort.. The signal seems much weaker these days, i dont think they maintain it, or else 105.9 in Louisville paid them to reduce power when it signed on as 105.9 Q2-Alt Rock...... I do know that Kiss 107.1 in Cinci paid WRZQ to reduce power from 50kw watts in Greensburg, down to 8KW just east of Columbus to Maintain their city of license.... Bob do you know exactly where the old WRZQ tower back in the pre QMIX days was located, back when they were more of a mainstream AC instead of the Hot AC they picked up when Win 106 went oldies.... I heard from some that it was located at napolean about 15 miles south of Greensburg, but I dont think it was near that far from Columbus.
 
Hello, Mid West Clubber:

I love going down "Memory Lane." :) Thanks for the great, detailed description!!! I cannot say, positively, since I haven't spoken with Chuck in, wow, over a year; but, Chuck left DJX quite a while ago. Catching up with Chuck is on my "To-Do List."

--Dylan
 
Mid West Clubber said:
I can remember that pretty well, I used to hang out with chucky B when he was doing nights, as well as Devin marsh,,, who i think is it QMix 107.3 now, and Chucky B was at WDJX Louisville, but I dont know if he still is. They had a really small studio with a microwave link tower on the south side of the buliding to feed their transmission down to Scipio,,, just outside North Vernon.. The mics and Carts where on the south facing wall, and the Coffee Machine was on the north facing wall, and the bathroom in the back. I dont remember the Mcdonalds, but I know I used to go to the White Castle and Jerrys Restaurant just south of their. They were a CHR as WIN 106 from 92-97,, and they were some form of AC as Hits 106 before that, and I think the studio moved to Scipio the year before they went to Oldies as Oldies 106... They had a flame thrower signal in those days, was easily receivable in Indianapolis and Louisville, and even farther north near Anderson Indiana, all the way to Cincinatti, and in between Louisville and Lexington around Franfort.. The signal seems much weaker these days, i dont think they maintain it, or else 105.9 in Louisville paid them to reduce power when it signed on as 105.9 Q2-Alt Rock...... I do know that Kiss 107.1 in Cinci paid WRZQ to reduce power from 50kw watts in Greensburg, down to 8KW just east of Columbus to Maintain their city of license.... Bob do you know exactly where the old WRZQ tower back in the pre QMIX days was located, back when they were more of a mainstream AC instead of the Hot AC they picked up when Win 106 went oldies.... I heard from some that it was located at napolean about 15 miles south of Greensburg, but I dont think it was near that far from Columbus.
Click to expand...
106.1 is using the same antenna at the same power from the same site...it's never been maintained better than it is today.

WRZQ is actually 10.5KW. Having been their caretaker since 1981, I can say with certainty that they were on the WTRE AM tower in Greensburg (300' tower) until 1988. At that point, the flames flew from Letts, Indiana with full class B facilities on a 500' tower. Letts is about 7 miles SSW of Greensburg. That site was retired in the fall of 1997 for the present B1 tower that covers Columbus better than the full B site did...it was a good move & knocked the electric bill way down. And it gets out very well in spite of the almost 80% power reduction.
 
Oh, for good times sake, let's go back to Doyle Oakes and his "dinner music" - with his 10-bay side-mounted FM on the 150-foot 1460 tower on west US-50 in North Vernon, IN [Larry and I used to joke about roasting marshmallows off "Dad's FM station" in the hometown]... The biggest studio in the WNVI building had a grand piano as a resident, but they generally-played old Dean Martin and Patsy Cline songs between live spots for the local Dairy Queen [wasn't old local radio WONDERFUL?]

My close friend and Fraternity Brother [Larry Oakes—yep—the son and family “Wonder Boy”]... He was at the mic there in late high school in North Vernon, became one of my closest friends as a “Pledge Brother” at my college Fraternity at Ball State. I first visited his home when we were “dorm mates” [before we paddled each other in the Frat]. He invited me home for a visit and "tour" at WNVI after “the family” was ASLEEP in the Fall of 1974... We actually took the station ROCK ‘n ROLL [after “official Sign-Off” at 10PM - FIVE MINUTES of "dead carrier"] ...Then we played songs that did not reoccur over that airspace for over two-dozen years :mad: If you’d like, I’ll e-mail you our first playlist... My JR HI brother even recorded it OTA on a Sony FM tuner in Connersville, IN.

Those were the years, my friends :)
 
[EDIT] NOW, my "corrected response"...

Pardon me... It was 106.1 WOCH at the time... Sorry, LONG TIME folks [70s-something at the time] ... My memory may be going-directional-at nightime ::) [but not after a "few" :D ]... Darn it may need to get out of this... I can remember the the AM in Shelbyville on 1520 was ONCE WOOO - now WSVX - fomerly - WSVL [even on FM with each tutntable in seperate channels... "OK?"... I can still remember a few things about Indiana radio [[EDIT-profanity] And my friends name was O-C-H-e-s, BTY


[EDIT-off topic]
 
We lost Devin Marsh just a couple years ago. I think he was 42 when he passed. WINN/WKRP was an interesting place to work. I did overnight for a year and a half, after Chucky was moved up to 7 to Midnight. I remember that there were 2 cats that roamed the building "FM" and "AM". One of them crawled up inside a roll of carpeting that was there, and was missing for a couple weeks, until the smell became apparent of where he went. I remember looking out the studio window and seeing a cow looking back at me more that once. I also remember that was the only time I said "ass" on the air. We played Garth Brooks version of Hard Luck Woman, and I got to intro it as "from the KISS tribute cd, kiss my ass.....it's Garth Brooks and Hard Luck Woman on WINN 106." I also remember running the board on am for a certain race in May, and I live legaled the station..."You're listening to the greatest spectacle in racing, on AM 1460, WKRP, North Vernon."
 
Chuckie B and Allan are on Facebook, isn't everyone?

Amazing how the WINN WWWY transwmitter facilities haven't changes a bit power wise and it isn't as strong? A comment on processing?

The old studio building at Scipio (Skip E OH as we locals called it) is sad looking. Last I saw it Jerry Mathis (not the beaver) was still the chief and it was storage. Remember my brother test firing his new 44 pistol at the site and as loud as it was no one noticed. Lots of gun play in Jennings County I guess.

The garage became so mouse poop infested we set packages upon packages of moth balls out. It worked too.

Who said, "If Tasha Mann was on fire and I had a bucket of water I wouldn't cross the street to put her out?" Bag of skittles to the first correct caller.
 
Gee, that is a tough question. I would have to say my guess would come down between Dave Peach and Jim Clouse (Scatzer) and I think I would have to hedge my bet on the side of Jim Clouse. That, is my final answer.
 
Sorry - Jerry Mathis. Although everyone there apparently shared the sentiment.

Apparently the whole news situation where the statiosn ran news stories slanted towards a certain political candidate as program length commercial newscasts helped the situation.
 
ChiefEngineer said:
Sorry - Jerry Mathis. Although everyone there apparently shared the sentiment.
Click to expand...

Yep, it was me 8). She had **SO** little appreciation for Engineers and what they did. I got so fed up with her that when another job came along, I jumped at it. It was a good place to work before she came. There were a lot of other (good) people that moved on because of her.

--thebeaver32
 
I'm amazed at how many years of service they got from that Collins console (it was white with rotary "pots"). My step-dad worked at WOCH in the mid-70's when that board was "new."

Jerry is a great engineer and a great guy. I miss having frequent lunches with him at the buffet next to Kroger! I hope you don't mind if I defend my dear friend Tasha Kah Mann. I thought she was very easy to work for. The secret is to let the "little" things go. Pick your battles over the "big" things and bite your tongue over the small ones. It's kind of like...being married. She's actually a very warm and caring person.
 
Onesimus,
Defend away, but she's cost the company thousands - if not millions - in sales she's shot down due to things like the client wanting a little added value. She's run dozens of good people out of the building with her micro-managing. I've worked for a lot of managers during my career in radio, but she EASILY takes the prize for being the worst. No one even comes close!
 
Onesimus said:
I'm amazed at how many years of service they got from that Collins console (it was white with rotary "pots"). My step-dad worked at WOCH in the mid-70's when that board was "new."

Jerry is a great engineer and a great guy. I miss having frequent lunches with him at the buffet next to Kroger! I hope you don't mind if I defend my dear friend Tasha Kah Mann. I thought she was very easy to work for. The secret is to let the "little" things go. Pick your battles over the "big" things and bite your tongue over the small ones. It's kind of like...being married. She's actually a very warm and caring person.
Click to expand...

In her PERSONAL life, I agree. She could be really nice. I remember several times going to her house. She had a beautiful dog (Dalmation? If I remember correctly). The dog and I got along well--I was one of the few people who the dog seemed to like. That seemed to impress Tasha.

Work was a different story. The tales I could tell. I'll relate two. Once a week, I had to make a trip to Hamilton, OH for a station the company owned there. This was an all-day jaunt under the best of circumstances. The trip was about 2 hours each way IIRC. I usually didn't get home until midnight--or later. Yet Tasha insisted that I be in the office the next morning bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. Another sore point relating to that is that I always had to return the station vehicle at night--even though I drove RIGHT BY my house on the way. I lived about 7 miles from the studios. I could have saved a LOT of gas money--and time--over the years.

The final straw that made me decide to leave White River Broadcasting happened one night after I had returned from Hamilton. I had just gotten home and into bed, when the phone rang. The toilet in the men's bathroom had overflowed, and she wanted me to come in and clean it up. Something snapped in my brain, and I told the caller to call her back and say that cleaning up overflowed toilets was not in my job description, I was NOT coming in, and she could find someone else to do it. I went into work the next day wondering if I still had a job, but oddly, I never heard any more about that. A few months later, another job became available, and I was gone.

I had 6 radio stations I maintained, spread over two states, 5 in Indiana, 1 in Ohio. The Indiana stations were spread over three counties. I had plenty to do without fighting battles, small OR large. You could seldom win the battles anyways. In the case of coming in early the next morning after going to Ohio, I DID get a concession that I could come in later that day IF I left a note in her mailbox so stating. But she knew when I went to Ohio. Why couldn't that have been a given?

OK, I'll stop for now. But this is the tip of the iceberg. It was my, and others' opinion, that the only reason Tasha got that job was because her father was the CEO of the corporation. That was her only "qualification".

--
thebeaver32
 
I'm proud to have been a part of the 106.1 transition from the "Pick Whatever you want to Play" format to Oldies 106.1, where I was part of the original lineup, took over as morning guy, and was the first morning show host on "Rockin' Hits Y106." Great memories! Still nice being on air there...not as good trackin' as it was live, though. I can't imagine who dreamt of being on-air as a kid, wishing for it to have come to this. But it is what it is! Peace out and props to old legends "Jimbo on the Radio" and "Boogie Bob on the Job." I know you're out there.
 
Yeah I remember the stunt from top 40 to Oldies with the format wheel,, an hour of Country,, an hour of john melloncamp,,, etc,, quite an interesting stunt... I was kinda Disapointed in the new format because in Martinsville, we had access to Gold 104.5.. I missed Win 106, but I already had access to several INDY, Bloomington, and Terre haute stations... Didnt 104.9 flip from oldies to Hot AC when 106 flipped.. 104.9 was always oldies, then they went Hot AC or Bright AC,,, and now days 104.9 is oldies again as The River,,, Funny how things come full circle sometimes....

Also... Was Win 106 really a CHR or more of an Adult Top 40,, they dayparted most rhythmic stuff and played alot of 80s music,, Yet they were quick on new and unproven Pop Rock,,,, I really did like the station and I think the Columbus-Seymour-North Vernon market could use a top 40 station.... They havent had one since WIN 106 flipped 12 years ago, and then the rock leaning Z-93.7 in Seymore in 1990 with that puny signal,,, then they went Country when they upgraded to the Flame Thrower on the Freetown Tower... Why did they make their signal directional,,, it used to boom into Indianapolis,,, but it was much weaker in its final days,, I think they had a full Class B signal and 100kw,,,,, if you factor in the TX Height and the 2 25 watt transmitters... of course I dont know if they used both transmitters at the same time, or if one was a backup,, Im sure Bob on the Job Knows........ Speaken of Bob,,,lol of topic, but that name reminds me of the male enhancement pills on TV with Smiley BOB.......(THIS IS BOB).....
 
Haven't seen those Bob commercials in a while...hope they stay in hiding. When Susquehenna bought 93.7, their goal was to directionalize it away from Indy so they could upgrade 93.9. Then some bozo with too much time on his hands figured out how to move it to Louisville & we lost the whole thing. It had a mammoth signal before it was neutered...I-70 to the Illinois line wasn't uncommon. One of the few FM signals audible in Illinois, Kentucky & Indiana on a good car radio...The tower was on ground about 300' higher than the studio was...add the 500' tower & no wonder it threw flames. If I understood correctly, the transmitter went to Clinton,IN where there is a CP to move from 93.9 to 93.7.

I was pretty peeved when they decided that Country was going on that big 93.7 signal...The Heat was a fantastic station...one of the last contemporary pop stations I listened to before I started showing my age & went country/oldies/news-talk...The Heat wasn't obsessed with the Rap/Hip Hop/Urban flavor that drove this white boy away from Top 40 radio.
 
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