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Making Waves: Louisiana's Radio Story

Watch carefully and you'll see my name in the credits! (not prominently). It's pretty good, but like a lot of documentaries of the sort, it will leaving you wanting more--particularly wish old radio clips were longer.
 
I agree, there should have been more audio clips of the actual radio broadcasts. So many legendary stations, you could practically do an hour or two documentary on each. Two things struck me as missing.
1. No mention of WRNO. Perhaps too recent? Still I would think many would agree that WRNO was a was a legend. Many great names are associated with those call letters. Let's not forget that WRNO was the first domestic shortwave station with a target audience within the United States.
2. What was Poppa Stoppa's real name? I mean, if you're going to mention the man and show his mug shot, at least tell us his real name.
All in all, a decent documentary.
 
Poppa Stoppa. There are those who argue that there was more than one, but the "real" one (in my opinion) was Clarence Hamann ("...cowabunga! How 'bout that!"). I had the pleasure of working with him at WNNR back in the 70s. A really nice guy.
...
As for WRNO...it originally played a mix of things including...Hawaiian music before switching to rock. In it's early days as a rocker, it was Top 40 days and more progressive in the evenings (in competition with WWOM-FM). And, speaking of WWOM, they are usually credited with being "Mother Radio", but they were "The New Groove" and the "Underground" well before that. WWOM used to program country in the mornings, then beautiful music, then rock from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. (my kind of station). Later, Richard Shanks and the original WWOM "underground" staff shifted over to WJMR-FM where they could, at last, play Jimi Hendrix in stereo.
...
WRNO worldwide was groundbreaking; Joe Costello literally re-wrote the rules on shortwave broadcasting, but it never lived up to his expectations financially. Now, sadly, shortwave as a whole is generally forgotten medium, abandoned to Jesus, Spanish language, Spanish language Jesus, and the Chinese (with a few old diehard broadcasters hanging in by the hardest).
 
soundesigner said:
WRNO worldwide was groundbreaking; Joe Costello literally re-wrote the rules on shortwave broadcasting, but it never lived up to his expectations financially. Now, sadly, shortwave as a whole is generally forgotten medium, abandoned to Jesus, Spanish language, Spanish language Jesus, and the Chinese (with a few old diehard broadcasters hanging in by the hardest).
Click to expand...

He did it first and basically was broadcasting hard rock to the middle east during Iraq1 using the syndicated ZRock.. but still remember a guy calling from Toledo to request a song.. aw those were the days....

They had another station came about from Salt Lake City that was trying to do the same thing but it only lasted two years or so before going off air, At least WRNO stayed until the mid 1990s if I remember.

There is one "Commercial" broadcaster in the US on shortwave that doesn't do religion but runs a shortwave station in Maine as a place where people who would normally go the illegal route to get their message across pay him to play their message instead and that is WBCQ
 
Not sure which Poppa Stoppa they featured in the documentary. I thank it was Hamann. Yes, I heard that there was more than one as well.

Somewhere my dad has some old reel to reel tapes of back in the day of WRNO. Not sure what the dates are but has to be at least the 70's. If I ever do find them, they are most likely dust by now. I know they sat in an hot storage unit for a few years. If they're not dust, do you know of anyone locally that can transfer them?

I remember back in the 90's, 'RNO Worldwide broadcast a Pearl Jam concert. You could get a special QSL for it. I remember the address to reply to was a bit strange. It wasn't for the station but for Patout's restaurant in the quarter. Don't know what the relationship was. Anyway, I mailed the confirmation letter and after about a month I got a reply. "No such address" came printed on the outside of the envelope I mailed. Whatever.

I used to try to catch pirates on the SW bands but never had any luck. The way the internet is these days makes it a whole lot easier. In between trying to snag a pirate or two, I always enjoy trying to find Brother Stair somewhere along the dial. That's good entertainment there. :)
 
kd5pck2 said:
Somewhere my dad has some old reel to reel tapes of back in the day of WRNO. Not sure what the dates are but has to be at least the 70's. If I ever do find them, they are most likely dust by now. I know they sat in an hot storage unit for a few years. If they're not dust, do you know of anyone locally that can transfer them?
Click to expand...
Scott: You find the tapes, I'll get 'em transferred!
BD
 
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