Most of my memories of the transition are actually rather sad, but the engineering aspect was interesting. One of my roles was to sit at a Monitor Point, and report back signal strength readings as the array was being "walked-in". In total, it took a couple of days. At times it felt a little tedious, but it was interesting, too. It added to my experience and knowledge as an Engineer, so it definitely had value!
The SAD part relates to the HUMAN element, and goes back to when it was still on 1440, daytime only. I was in the studio/office this one time and saw a very busy, thriving place. Typewriters were clacking, phones ringing, people in and out of the air studio with carts and paper copy, hustling back and forth. There were, probably 10~12 people there, all busily working. It was ALIVE!!
About a year later, I was back to that location... by now, the station had changed formats to sports-talk, and had fired everyone. :'(
That studio/office building was now completely deserted. 99% of the equipment was gone. Terry Smith and I were there one evening to collect what little of value remained, before the cleaning crew came in the next day and hauled everything to the dumpster. The place was now DEAD... and it literally brought a tear to my eyes. :'( I stood in what was once the busy Sales office, and let that tear fall.
A couple of broken chairs & desks were scattered about, with some wires and broken fixtures hanging from the ceiling in various rooms. A few ceiling tiles were missing, and there were several big stains in the carpet. We collected a handful of small items, then we locked-up that location for the very last time.
All that remained of that once-thriving station was that little building on the hill with the new transmitter and phasor... it now also housed a satellite receiver and a computer. There was a makeshift "studio" near the door, where someone came in and did a "morning show" for a few hours each day, as well as set up the automation for the other 22 hours of the day.
A once-thriving station was less than a shell of its former self. Where did all of those people go, when they got their pink slips? I didn't know any of them, but it still makes me very sad.
