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Staff Members from 1969 at WBIS 1440 Hold Get Together

MarcB

MarcB

Staff members from WBIS 1440 AM in Bristol had a get together recently. It was the first time they had seen each other in 40 years.

http://www.bristolpress.com/articles/2010/02/14/life/doc4b78bb033721a810587354.txt

After spending a couple years dark WBIS moved to 24 hour operation on 1120 AM in 1986 and was LMA'd to Oscar Nieves in 1993 who moved the station to New Britain changed the calls to WPRX and format to Tropical. Nieves and a partner bought the station outright in 1998.
 
I visited the station about a year before the station got LMA'd. By them they were at 1120 on the AM dial at 1021 Farmington Avenue next door to the Burger King and I still have a WBIS bumper sticker to this day.
 
That's cool. I grew up in Bristol in the Northeast Section of the town about 1/2 mile or so from the Farmington Line. I always wanted to visit WBIS growing up but my mom always said a radio station is no place for children to be hanging out. Plus she said she didn't want me riding my bike on Farmington Ave. If people thought that stretch was bad back in the day it's 10 times worse now. The intersection of Farmington an Stafford is one of the most if not the most congested in the city. With all the development that went on down that end of The Avenue. - Stephen Automall sold 1/2 their property to Home Depot, Walmart and Ruby Tuesday built on farmland throwing distance from the Farmington line, Crowley buying out Wasley and building another building, and Chili's, Arbys, and LA Fitness built on the site of the old Larsons Farm. Not to mention a Dunkin Donut's built at the corner of a residential street, and a new Taco Bell built where some rundown old farm house stood. The old Taco Bell remains empty and for sale.

These days that building on Farmington Avenue next to Burger King houses numerous stores and offices. And the biggest shocker when I came back to town is that the Citgo Station next to Burger King at the corner of 6 and Stafford is now a Valero Station. Sometime before the flip to Spanish (I forget what year) they moved to Bradley Street in Bristol and got into a fight with the Zoning Board over that. I also remember that towards the end that place was operated by Shady People. They wanted my father to pay $20 for a prize he won.
 
MarcB said:
Sometime before the flip to Spanish (I forget what year) they moved to Bradley Street in Bristol and got into a fight with the Zoning Board over that.
Click to expand...

We've had this conversation on this board before. The owner moved the studios over to Bradley Street since he lived in the neighborhood and wanted to walk to work and then stop in again at night while walking his dog to manually reset the automation for overnight operation. Problem was the building on Bradley was not zoned for a radio station and he moved it over there without approval. The zoning board was willing to let his station stay there provided he pay the City of Bristol a zoning variance fee. Owner refused and decided to put said station up for sale. End of story.

MarcB said:
I also remember that towards the end that place was operated by Shady People. They wanted my father to pay $20 for a prize he won.
Click to expand...

Please enlighten us more about that.
 
bub said:
MarcB said:
I also remember that towards the end that place was operated by Shady People. They wanted my father to pay $20 for a prize he won.
Click to expand...

Please enlighten us more about that.
Click to expand...

My dad told me this story. Apparently the station was dialing random phone numbers to get someone to win a prize. They got a hold of him and asked him "What fast food restaurant uses the phrase 'Have it your way'" and my dad correctly answered Burger King. The station then told him to come down to the station with $20 to collect his prize and my dad told them what they could do with that prize.
 
I still remember them signing off the air every day playing a really cheesy version of "Yankee Doodle Dandy."

I wish someone had some airchecks and jingles of the classic "Forteen Fouty... W B I S!" jingles.

I miss WBIS. I remember driving by when my mom would bring us to Burger King. As we drove by I remember trying to see in the windows to see if I could see the person talking on the air... I never did. But I knew that was the place where the magic of radio was made and that was a neat feeling.
 
Hi, I grew up in the Philly area...I'm trying to find out which radio stations the late Dan Foley worked at before or after he came to WCAU-FM in 1975?...I know he worked at WBIS...he was a very talented dj.
 
Super Jock said:
Hi, I grew up in the Philly area...I'm trying to find out which radio stations the late Dan Foley worked at before or after he came to WCAU-FM in 1975?...I know he worked at WBIS...he was a very talented dj.
Click to expand...
Not sure about Dan Foley but actor Bob Crane from "Hogan's Heroes" fame worked at WBIS around 1950 or therabouts.
 
I remember talking to Jim Nettleton after he hired Dan at WCAU-FM, telling me that he brought him in from WRCQ...what type of format did WRCQ have at the time? Also, when I did a google search on him, it mentioned that besides working at WBIS, he started his career at WINF, but made no mention of him working at WRCQ...do you know anyone who may have any info?
 
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