Paul Harvey Dies

[oldies5161]

Why on earth would Chester be concerned about the on-air light when he would walk right in the control room when the light was on and start talking to whoever was on the air?? When I worked for him the on-air light didnt mean a damn thing to him

Chester would grip at me because I was always opening the windows and smoking. Smoking was a no-no.
If you heard this before skip down,...but we signed on after playing like we were on the air for two weeks in August 1966. We had one commercial. Not per break, not per hour...but one commercial during morning drive. I think it was the old City Cafe. One morning Chester called and wanted to know if the station was on the air. It was, as far as I could tell. He asked what the meters said and I could tell him because he and the engineer wouldn't let me know. i went out front to my car and could hear it and told him so. He resonded he knew what it was and would be there in a minute. It seemed he had been playing disc jockey the night before with the 'dummy load' in. Once he got it out.....I called the cafe and repeated the commercial.
My hours....sign on til sign off, Mon-Fri. with an hour off for breakfast, for lunch and for dinner. Football on Fri night and half a day Sat.

Buddy, please excuse my ignorance, but what is a "dummy load?"

My hours were sign on till sign off, Mon-Sat with 2 1/2 hours off between shifts. The SOB tried to make me work 7 days a week and I told him Hell no! In August 1971, I finally had had enough of his bullcrap and I walked out in the middle of my shift! ;D Remember the contol room board, Buddy? It was identical to the one at WHIN.

 

[deltas69]

buddy i didn't know you worked for chester..did you leave WHIN and go there..i swear i used to listen to you around 63/64 at WHIN..on a side note..i listened to the hartsville station last week as i come through there every afternoon around 4. they had quite a spot load on their breaks..now they be selling them for a quarter each..but each break had at least four spots. and i heard 3 breaks before they faded out,,they are also on an fm frequency..93.5 i think..saw it on a sign stuck in a yard..i know at one time earnie ashworth owned it..but he died a couple of weeks ago..not sure if he had anything to do with it..i think he still owned a station in ardmore alabama/tennessee..

 

[CommoChief]

Chester gave me my first radio job back in 1975. Hours - 12pm until signoff - 7 days per week. I wasn't in the studio 30 minutes before the morning guy informed me I would soon be fired. He told me not to take it personally but Chester fired everybody. I lasted 4 weeks until my replacement arrived and then I was let go. I was too devistated to realize he had already hired someone to take my place before telling me. Two weeks later I received another call from Chester. If I could come in for the afternoon shift that same day I could have my job back. So wanting to be in radio so bad - I quit the same grocery store job I quit 6 weeks earlier (can you believe they rehired me after leaving with no notice) and went back to Chester. He had fired the morning guy and moved my replacement in his spot. Well, needless to say, this time I only lasted 3 weeks before being canned again. Now here's the dirty little secret as explained to me later that year... Chester had a deal worked out with one (or more) Broadcast Schools. He would hire some of their graduates (so the school could boast about their placement success) and Chester would have a steady stream of announcers. After a few weeks they would get fired for any reason (I was fired for not catching Jerry Menshall saying WSIX over the air at WJKM - when Chester was taking/using/stealing their LIVE news feed). Lastly, I did receive another call from Chester about a month later stating he was ready to give me ONE MORE CHANCE. Thank goodness, by that time I was working at WRKM in Carthage or I would stupidly have gone back. The things rookies would go through just to get into broadcasting.

 

[CommoChief]

Footnote: I tuned in Chester's old station (now WTNK) the other day and heard Ron Jordon doing the local news. I can't believe he is working there. He must have a home studio and offers the service over the web to a variety of stations.

 

[mattthepm]

Footnote: I tuned in Chester's old station (now WTNK) the other day and heard Ron Jordon doing the local news. I can't believe he is working there. He must have a home studio and offers the service over the web to a variety of stations.

Yeah, Ron Jordan can also be heard on WGNS throughout the day with local news updates:

http://www.wgnsradio.com/wgns-traffic-news-mp3-updates/6084/

-Matt
Radio Free Nashville

 

[olebud]

oldies 5161 quote:

Buddy, please excuse my ignorance, but what is a "dummy load?"

Engineers....help where are you? It's a piece of equipment that can be inserted in a transmitter (at least years ago they could) and you could broadcast but it wouldn't go out past the parking lot.

Deltas69 quote:

[buddy i didn't know you worked for chester..did you leave WHIN and go there..i swear i used to listen to you around 63/64 at WHIN./quote] Went there in August 66. We signed the station on in Sept 66 and I left in Oct 66 for WHIN. SIDENOTE: I gave Chester my 2 week notice and he tried to get me to stay. offered me a raise, fewer hours. I refused, and the week before I left, he had the locks changed. Cost him 40-dollars and I laughed in his face, told him he deserved it. But he wouldn't fire me earlyl.

Yeah, Ron Jordan can also be heard on WGNS throughout the day with local news updates:

Last week the breakfast show on WHIN sounded like old home week. there I was, Ron was reading sports and Frank Series --- a long time WSM FM joc/MD/PD was doing traffic. You just never where this business will lead you.
Hartsville was kind of like basic traning for me. I wouldn't give you a nickle to go through it again, but wouldn't take a million dollars for the experrience I got.
You just don't get this kind of training in radio any more.

 

[K4WRF]

Buddy, Oldies,

A “dummy load” is a device that is used to test a transmitter with full power output and not radiate anything over the air. It dissipates the power in the form of heat and not electromagnetic energy. Not all stations have them but in the case of the station in question, it was a feature that was included in the transmitter, a Bauer unit that was sold as a kit. WIZO in Franklin also had one of these.

In some instances, this term is used euphemistically as a psychological description of a certain persona in the radio broadcasting profession, considered derogatory.

I’m sure you can think of a few individuals this term may apply to.

w/

 

[Journeyman]

Buddy, Oldies,

A “dummy load” is a device that is used to test a transmitter with full power output and not radiate anything over the air. It dissipates the power in the form of heat and not electromagnetic energy. Not all stations have them but in the case of the station in question, it was a feature that was included in the transmitter, a Bauer unit that was sold as a kit. WIZO in Franklin also had one of these.

In some instances, this term is used euphemistically as a psychological description of a certain persona in the radio broadcasting profession, considered derogatory.

I’m sure you can think of a few individuals this term may apply to.

w/

Also what a man who has a vasectomy is carrying

 

[Journeyman]

Footnote: I tuned in Chester's old station (now WTNK) the other day and heard Ron Jordon doing the local news. I can't believe he is working there. He must have a home studio and offers the service over the web to a variety of stations.

Astutely deduced. Can't fool you, can I.

 

[oldies5161]

Buddy, Oldies,

A “dummy load” is a device that is used to test a transmitter with full power output and not radiate anything over the air. It dissipates the power in the form of heat and not electromagnetic energy. Not all stations have them but in the case of the station in question, it was a feature that was included in the transmitter, a Bauer unit that was sold as a kit. WIZO in Franklin also had one of these.

In some instances, this term is used euphemistically as a psychological description of a certain persona in the radio broadcasting profession, considered derogatory.

I’m sure you can think of a few individuals this term may apply to.

w/

One comes to mind, Watt. You used to help him with engineering work in the Bordeaux area. ;D

 

[firepoint525]

Chester gave me my first radio job back in 1975.  Hours - 12pm until signoff - 7 days per week.  I wasn't in the studio 30 minutes before the morning guy informed me I would soon be fired.  He told me not to take it personally but Chester fired everybody.  I lasted 4 weeks until my replacement arrived and then I was let go.  I was too devistated to realize he had already hired someone to take my place before telling me.  Two weeks later I received another call from Chester.  If I could come in for the afternoon shift that same day I could have my job back.  So wanting to be in radio so bad - I quit the same grocery store job I quit 6 weeks earlier (can you believe they rehired me after leaving with no notice) and went back to Chester.  He had fired the morning guy and moved my replacement in his spot.  Well, needless to say, this time I only lasted 3 weeks before being canned again.  Now here's the dirty little secret as explained to me later that year... Chester had a deal worked out with one (or more) Broadcast Schools.  He would hire some of their graduates (so the school could boast about their placement success) and Chester would have a steady stream of announcers.  After a few weeks they would get fired for any reason (I was fired  for not catching Jerry Menshall saying WSIX over the air at WJKM - when Chester was taking/using/stealing their LIVE news feed).   Lastly, I did receive another call from Chester about a month later stating he was ready to give me ONE MORE CHANCE.  Thank goodness, by that time I was working at WRKM in Carthage or I would stupidly have gone back.  The things rookies would go through just to get into broadcasting.

Only thing worse than that is what the old farts do to try to stay in broadcasting!    I know of a guy who is now back at a station in which I replaced him after he got terminated!    I was only able to tolerate the GM there for a few days, so I soon left.  The guy I replaced must be a glutton for punishment!

 

[firepoint525]

Buddy, Oldies,

A “dummy load” is a device that is used to test a transmitter with full power output and not radiate anything over the air. It dissipates the power in the form of heat and not electromagnetic energy. Not all stations have them but in the case of the station in question, it was a feature that was included in the transmitter, a Bauer unit that was sold as a kit. WIZO in Franklin also had one of these.

In some instances, this term is used euphemistically as a psychological description of a certain persona in the radio broadcasting profession, considered derogatory.

I’m sure you can think of a few individuals this term may apply to.

w/

One comes to mind, Watt. You used to help him with engineering work in the Bordeaux area. ;D

Scottsboro! ;D