Kurt Farmer passed away August 2nd. He was a ham radio buff and an engineer who did work for several stations in southwest Ohio over the years. I didn't know him well, but met him when he did some consulting work for a station I worked at in the mid-80's. He was a really nice guy and I just didbn't want his passing to go unnoticed in the broadcast community.
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Kurt Farmer passes away
- Thread starter TANKSBACK
- Start date
Kurt was one of the original engineers that put WDAO-FM on the air in the mid-60's.
He worked at WAVI/WDAO for a decade or more, also engineered WCIN-AM/WOKV-FM (103.5) in Cincinnati,
WGIC-AM/WBZI-FM in Xenia, WDJX-FM in Xenia, among others.
Kurt was a guy who "thought out of the box" before that phrase became a business mantra. Not necessarily because he didn't want to do things conventionally. Usually, it was forced upon him by owners with limited budgets. I was fortunate enough to have a conversation with him just a couple of weeks before his death, in which he related the story of how WDAO went stereo.
Anyone who worked for the late H.K. "Bud" Crowl would admit that one word people would rarely use about him would be "extravagant" (at least when it came to station spending). Back in the 60's a stereo generator was prohibitively expensive to Bud...at least if there was another way. Kurt found another way. He located
a military surplus device that, with a little tweaking and tuning would do what a stereo generator would do.
Cost to Mr. Crowl: $25 bucks.
Kurt also had a sense for programming. Some of his ideas could be "out there", others were right on and others, frankly, were ahead of their time. He developed, for example, WAVI's "Computer Talk" show back in the 1980's. He also, with his engineering knowledge, came up with something he called "Instant Access News". That's where you took a portable mixer with backfeed to a newsmaker. Not only did you broadcast live from the newsmaker's location and interview him/her, but you could also let the newsmaker be interviewed by the talk show callers. This caused more than a few politician's jaws to drop when they realized they'd have to face the voters, too! And this was in the mid-late 1970's.
One thing he did believe in...was local radio. Not that he didn't see practical reasons for voicetracking...but he always thought some broadcasters took it too far and didn't teach the talent how to do tracking in such a way that it "sounded live". And, Kurt had no taste whatsoever for broadcasters dropping the ball in emergency situations because their stations were not staffed at the time of trouble.
After leaving radio, he opened up his own business in Kettering, Ohio called "Stor-Com". It remains in business today, now being operated by his wife of 30 years, Bonnie...and their two kids, Abbey and Libby.
But, even in the final months of his life, I can tell you he was scheming to find a way to buy his own radio station in Dayton. It sure could've been interesting to see what might have happened had he lived to see it happen.
Kurt was a good friend, a talented (if sometimes not as appreciated) engineer and broadcaster and will be
missed.
He worked at WAVI/WDAO for a decade or more, also engineered WCIN-AM/WOKV-FM (103.5) in Cincinnati,
WGIC-AM/WBZI-FM in Xenia, WDJX-FM in Xenia, among others.
Kurt was a guy who "thought out of the box" before that phrase became a business mantra. Not necessarily because he didn't want to do things conventionally. Usually, it was forced upon him by owners with limited budgets. I was fortunate enough to have a conversation with him just a couple of weeks before his death, in which he related the story of how WDAO went stereo.
Anyone who worked for the late H.K. "Bud" Crowl would admit that one word people would rarely use about him would be "extravagant" (at least when it came to station spending). Back in the 60's a stereo generator was prohibitively expensive to Bud...at least if there was another way. Kurt found another way. He located
a military surplus device that, with a little tweaking and tuning would do what a stereo generator would do.
Cost to Mr. Crowl: $25 bucks.
Kurt also had a sense for programming. Some of his ideas could be "out there", others were right on and others, frankly, were ahead of their time. He developed, for example, WAVI's "Computer Talk" show back in the 1980's. He also, with his engineering knowledge, came up with something he called "Instant Access News". That's where you took a portable mixer with backfeed to a newsmaker. Not only did you broadcast live from the newsmaker's location and interview him/her, but you could also let the newsmaker be interviewed by the talk show callers. This caused more than a few politician's jaws to drop when they realized they'd have to face the voters, too! And this was in the mid-late 1970's.
One thing he did believe in...was local radio. Not that he didn't see practical reasons for voicetracking...but he always thought some broadcasters took it too far and didn't teach the talent how to do tracking in such a way that it "sounded live". And, Kurt had no taste whatsoever for broadcasters dropping the ball in emergency situations because their stations were not staffed at the time of trouble.
After leaving radio, he opened up his own business in Kettering, Ohio called "Stor-Com". It remains in business today, now being operated by his wife of 30 years, Bonnie...and their two kids, Abbey and Libby.
But, even in the final months of his life, I can tell you he was scheming to find a way to buy his own radio station in Dayton. It sure could've been interesting to see what might have happened had he lived to see it happen.
Kurt was a good friend, a talented (if sometimes not as appreciated) engineer and broadcaster and will be
missed.
J
JerryK
Guest
Very nice piece Kevin.
In the late 70's when 103.5 was playing disco he about ran the place all by himself. Kurt and the late Harold Parshall were always working on some hot deal in those days. I believe Kurt graduated from Little Miami high school in Morrow.
Did Kurt go quick or way it something terminal?
Jerry
In the late 70's when 103.5 was playing disco he about ran the place all by himself. Kurt and the late Harold Parshall were always working on some hot deal in those days. I believe Kurt graduated from Little Miami high school in Morrow.
Did Kurt go quick or way it something terminal?
Jerry
Kevin, Thank you for your note...Kurt was a good guy.
At the ripe young age of 14 I remember attending Kurt Farmer and Harold Parshall's Broadcast Workshop Inc. Kurt and Harold's idea was to start a 10-watt public radio station and train future broadcasters. They would encourage those that volunteered at the workshops to get their 3rd Class Broadcast Endorsed License. At the time you had to study and take a test to get your license.
Before the radio station went on the air (88.7 WCXL) I was there practicing board work, announcing and asking Kurt and Harold as many questions about radio as I could possibly think of. All of this took place in the basement of a building just north of The Golden Nugget Pancake House on South Dixie Drive in Dayton. I remember going next door an occasion or two to pick up a large cup of java (cream and sugar) for Kurt. I figured the deed would be worth a few more questions about radio. To my knowledge they never turned anyone away at the workshop and they never charged a dime.
As mentioned by Kevin, Kurt not only thought outside the box but came up with a better box altogether.
At the ripe young age of 14 I remember attending Kurt Farmer and Harold Parshall's Broadcast Workshop Inc. Kurt and Harold's idea was to start a 10-watt public radio station and train future broadcasters. They would encourage those that volunteered at the workshops to get their 3rd Class Broadcast Endorsed License. At the time you had to study and take a test to get your license.
Before the radio station went on the air (88.7 WCXL) I was there practicing board work, announcing and asking Kurt and Harold as many questions about radio as I could possibly think of. All of this took place in the basement of a building just north of The Golden Nugget Pancake House on South Dixie Drive in Dayton. I remember going next door an occasion or two to pick up a large cup of java (cream and sugar) for Kurt. I figured the deed would be worth a few more questions about radio. To my knowledge they never turned anyone away at the workshop and they never charged a dime.
As mentioned by Kevin, Kurt not only thought outside the box but came up with a better box altogether.
JerryK said:Very nice piece Kevin.
In the late 70's when 103.5 was playing disco he about ran the place all by himself. Kurt and the late Harold Parshall were always working on some hot deal in those days. I believe Kurt graduated from Little Miami high school in Morrow.
Did Kurt go quick or way it something terminal?
Jerry
Jerry:
Kurt passed away due to heart related issues suddenly and unexpectedly.
Interestingly enough, when he was running WOKV, it was not during the disco format. It was in-between disco and
urban...about a 6 month to a year period. Ironically, the format he moved the station to was an Gold-based A/C format that sounded almost like the oldies station WGRR would become, except...he programmed it with a bent toward Butler County. The slogan was "Making Friends and Making Memories". Coming off of the death of disco, it actually made some money for the company. Eventually, though the owners wanted to program to the Cincinnati market, and not Butler County, so eventually the flip was made to urban and WBLZ was born.
To all of you that had kind words for my husband Kurt Farmer - I cherish all the fond memories that you wrote about. I too met Kurt through Broadcast Workshop on South Dixie drive in that dank basement. I went with a friend who was teaching radio class at Miamisburg High in 1976 and met him. We married in 1977 and went to WCIN and WOKV in Cincy, then back to Dayton to do work on many small stations WDJX, WBZI, WGIC as well as WVUD, WDAO and WAVI. Broadcasting was always near and dear to Kurt's heart - When Kevin Fodor moved back to Dayton last year and got a job at Cox they had long conversations about the way that modern radio was run. Needless to say we were planning to try to buy a local AM station and put on a community based news and events station. We had laid out a business plan and were just starting to get intouch with possible investors. Kurt and I had 30 beautiful years together - he was one of a kind I'll grant you that. Thanks again for all of you kind words. Bonnie Farmer
Engineergirl (Bonnie)....how about a progress report on the AM you've mentioned. Perhaps the studio's could be named after Kurt.
I won't speak for Bonnie...she is, however greatly involved in the continued operation of Kurt's business in Kettering. And, I am happy to report the business continues to do well.
As for the station, it would be wrong to say "never", but we'll just have to see...
I was aware of some of Kurt's plans for the station, though. If you will recall, he was the force behind the
"specialty talk" on the old WAVI. And, something he called "instant access news" on WAVI. The idea was to place newsmakers into a position in which they would be questioned, challenged, or even confronted by listeners (read: constituents or voters) on a particular topic, sometimes even as soon as the news item aired.
I admit, such programming would have been extremely unconventional. But, it sure would have been interesting to see it unfold. It would have been live...local...and, somewhat, in your face. That was Kurt. He was always pushing boundaries and challenging conventional wisdom. Sometimes his ideas were so far out I could hardly take him seriously. Then, sometimes...what sounded wierd on the surface, made sense.
I wish I could have seen it happen with Kurt at the helm. He would have been a truly unconventional competitor. And, anyone with any experience in broadcasting would have told you...that's the most dangerous kind.
As for the station, it would be wrong to say "never", but we'll just have to see...
I was aware of some of Kurt's plans for the station, though. If you will recall, he was the force behind the
"specialty talk" on the old WAVI. And, something he called "instant access news" on WAVI. The idea was to place newsmakers into a position in which they would be questioned, challenged, or even confronted by listeners (read: constituents or voters) on a particular topic, sometimes even as soon as the news item aired.
I admit, such programming would have been extremely unconventional. But, it sure would have been interesting to see it unfold. It would have been live...local...and, somewhat, in your face. That was Kurt. He was always pushing boundaries and challenging conventional wisdom. Sometimes his ideas were so far out I could hardly take him seriously. Then, sometimes...what sounded wierd on the surface, made sense.
I wish I could have seen it happen with Kurt at the helm. He would have been a truly unconventional competitor. And, anyone with any experience in broadcasting would have told you...that's the most dangerous kind.
Well said JR and thank you.
I now live hundreds of miles away this evening while talking with another Ham radio operator we came upon the topic of personalities in the Dayton area. Kurt K8DIV was one, no matter what time of the day or night all one would have to do is key the microphone on 52.525 MHz and almost without doubt you would hear QRZd QRZd this is K8DIV. Just a month or so before Kurt's passing I keyed up Kurt answered we had long late night discussion about the old days. I remember the long nights in the basement of Astro Electronics on South Dixie Drive just North of Dorothy Lane building repeaters and tuning old RCA "Large Dogs" on 52.525. I remember the other nights working up in the cemetary on South Dixie on WDAO/WAVI transmitters and that old finicky GE repeater that some construction company owned. We worked on a lot equipment together and ya'lls right about the thinking out of the box engineering some of things we came up with were wild solutions. All in all I learned how tune radios and the need for good test equipment, something.
73 Kurt K8DIV SK До свидания! (dah svee-dah-nee-yah) old friend de Ivanovich
73 Kurt K8DIV SK До свидания! (dah svee-dah-nee-yah) old friend de Ivanovich
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