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The "Singing Clock" on WING-AM
- Thread starter PixFool
- Start date
I don't remember it first hand, but I remember both Gene "By Golly" Barry and Steve Kirk saying they hated it because it was hard to reset.
"The Singing Clock" was a package syndicated by Commercial Recording Corporation out of Dallas. It ran at stations around the country but it was pricey because they customized the jingles for each station and did all 720 minutes (12 hours, 60 minutes, am and pm were duplicates) for the entire broadcast day. They may have done a generic package also, with no call letters, not sure about that. Then along came a cheaper competitor, "Futuresonic Time Chex". They created generic jingles, no call letters, and only did them for the 5's, such as 5:05, 5:10, 5:15, etc. If memory serves correctly WING ran "The Singing Clock" on the super-sized carts. I haven't discovered any place to get the audio yet but someone else may have.
I have the entire 6 o'clock and 7 o'clock series of the CRC package. KEN-R had the original tape from WING and was making portions of it available before he closed his business. The CRC package ran on an Ampex 350 machine with a clock to advance the tape each minute if the cut was not played on the air. I recall that they also had a different package that was customized with their call and it was on a large cartridge that ran on a Sparta cart machine.
I know that WLAC, WDGY and KOMA had the same CRC package and KOMA had their call letters on the even-numbered hours. I thing I might have some air checks from those stations somewhere.
I know that WLAC, WDGY and KOMA had the same CRC package and KOMA had their call letters on the even-numbered hours. I thing I might have some air checks from those stations somewhere.
I'm not familar with what WING programs with regards to sports - particularly on the local (Dayton and/or Southwestern Ohio) scene. Perhaps someone could advise. While I feel on-line streaming is always helpful for a station, there are some programs it can not do on-line such as NFL and major league baseball games. As such, it comes back to how well you can be received over the air.
If I may, here are a few personal thoughts on high school sports coverage by radio stations based on both having done and listened to them for decades. I think broadcasting high school football and basketball games are great for stations. However, in going in that direction, you have to have those who know how to sell them. You also have to have someone who can do the play-by-play in a professional manner. Too often, stations just allow staff members to do the games rather than use someone who has the ability. While this might boost morale, it is not fair to the listener or the teams being carried. It is also a good idea to publicize such broadcasts in the newspaper, over the air, via announcements in the schools that are being covered, etc. A failure in any of these areas (sales, announcer(s) and publicity can doom high school coverage. Along this line, using good remote equipment that is properly set up is very important. Hum on the line, loss of a remote signal, mikes cutting in and out, etc. may cause listeners to just turn off a broadcast. I also easily remember an announcer telling his listeners how excited the crowd was during a crucial part of a game broadcast. The only problem was, no one had even bothered to put a microphone where the crowd could be picked up. As such, that announcer might just have well been back in the studio. The whole process is very much a team effort just like the athletes on the field or on the court.
If I may, here are a few personal thoughts on high school sports coverage by radio stations based on both having done and listened to them for decades. I think broadcasting high school football and basketball games are great for stations. However, in going in that direction, you have to have those who know how to sell them. You also have to have someone who can do the play-by-play in a professional manner. Too often, stations just allow staff members to do the games rather than use someone who has the ability. While this might boost morale, it is not fair to the listener or the teams being carried. It is also a good idea to publicize such broadcasts in the newspaper, over the air, via announcements in the schools that are being covered, etc. A failure in any of these areas (sales, announcer(s) and publicity can doom high school coverage. Along this line, using good remote equipment that is properly set up is very important. Hum on the line, loss of a remote signal, mikes cutting in and out, etc. may cause listeners to just turn off a broadcast. I also easily remember an announcer telling his listeners how excited the crowd was during a crucial part of a game broadcast. The only problem was, no one had even bothered to put a microphone where the crowd could be picked up. As such, that announcer might just have well been back in the studio. The whole process is very much a team effort just like the athletes on the field or on the court.
The original WING "Singing Clock" tapes existed in the WING music library (along with some other jingle packages) until sometime in the late 80's or so.
When then-WING PD Rob Ellis and I were sent to Columbus to WCOL in October of 1990, we were instructed by then-WING owner Great Trails Broadcasting Corp officials to "take anything you think you might need to Columbus with you, because whatever's left here will be thrown away." So, as I recall, we took a bunch of stuff to Columbus out of fear that it would get pitched. I don't specifically recall if The Singing Clock tapes were part of that, (I know we took as many of the old PAMS jingle packages as we could find up to Columbus) but it's possible.
We also took most of the WING LP library. (the 45's at WING were mostly not in good shape by that point. By comparison, WCOL's staff did a much better job at keeping their 45's in order...and most of those were still almost pristine promo copies. And, before you ask, the WCOL 45 library was sold to Used Kids Records in Columbus around 1993 or so.)
Based on airchecks I have here, the WING Singing Clock was generic in nature...no call letters were sung (unless the station edited them for some reason by the early 60's).
When then-WING PD Rob Ellis and I were sent to Columbus to WCOL in October of 1990, we were instructed by then-WING owner Great Trails Broadcasting Corp officials to "take anything you think you might need to Columbus with you, because whatever's left here will be thrown away." So, as I recall, we took a bunch of stuff to Columbus out of fear that it would get pitched. I don't specifically recall if The Singing Clock tapes were part of that, (I know we took as many of the old PAMS jingle packages as we could find up to Columbus) but it's possible.
We also took most of the WING LP library. (the 45's at WING were mostly not in good shape by that point. By comparison, WCOL's staff did a much better job at keeping their 45's in order...and most of those were still almost pristine promo copies. And, before you ask, the WCOL 45 library was sold to Used Kids Records in Columbus around 1993 or so.)
Based on airchecks I have here, the WING Singing Clock was generic in nature...no call letters were sung (unless the station edited them for some reason by the early 60's).
Yes I remember! Was in the fourth grade in school back then and remember Lou Swanson, Bob Holiday and Gene "By Golly" Barry using them in 1964 at the dawning of Beatlemania and Motown....and yes no mention of the station were in the singing clock jingles...but the singers were essentially PAMS.
How I wish I could have been inside the shocase window studio back then to savor WING's magic on the air.
How I wish I could have been inside the shocase window studio back then to savor WING's magic on the air.
Limp73 said:Yes I remember! Was in the fourth grade in school back then and remember Lou Swanson, Bob Holiday and Gene "By Golly" Barry using them in 1964 at the dawning of Beatlemania and Motown....and yes no mention of the station were in the singing clock jingles...but the singers were essentially PAMS.
How I wish I could have been inside the shocase window studio back then to savor WING's magic on the air.
Believe it or not, Limp...I actually was in that showcase studio...one time. My Dad had met then WING General Manager Jim Bennett at a social occasion. They exchanged business cards and when Dad realized Jim was the boss at WING (knowing it was my favorite station), he asked Jim if there was any chance of bringing me to the station for a looksee.
Mr. Bennett said they didn't normally do tours for individuals, but hearing it would be for my tenth birthday, he told Dad to bring Mom and I over the next Saturday morning. (February 24th). So, Jim Bennett, true to his word, escorted my parents and I into that window studio on my tenth birthday. Jim Quinn was the jock on duty that morning...and it turned out I learned "your lee-dah!" and I shared the same birthday!
Turntables were on the left, facing the window...cart machines were mounted in the studio furniture racks off to the jock's right. They were controlled by a separate set of slide faders which were mounted into the studio desk just on the right side of the console. Though the board changed there over the years, the picture I have in my mind is of a smaller version RCA or possibly, Gates console, with the big ribbon microphone hanging from the shock mount stand. Request line phone was mounted on a board to the right of the jock.
OK...I'm cheating a bit here...I've seen photos from near that time, but they back up my memory of it. What I do recall vividly was that the 45's for airplay were kept on a custom made peg board (of sorts) that was behind the jock. Each peg held 45's for each chart rotation category, and it appeared as though the jock grabbed the top song from each stack when it was its' turn to play...then rotated it to the back of the stack after play. (Sorry, if I just busted the idea of some of you that "the jocks picked the music". Yes, they probably were allowed to adjust for tempo or other concerns, but there was a system to it.)
Then, we saw the "News Closet". (It was in the small newsroom that they had there on First Street, but it really was a closet...with a small desktop built in the back with a tiny 4 or 5 channel board and a microphone with a couple of cart decks for playing sound or opens and closes for "WING Newswatch" (or WING 20/20 News!) The teletype or teletypes were just outside the closet.
I also recall seeing the sales offices and what they called, "the print shop" which is where they printed all of the sales materials and...the weekly WING surveys. Mr. Bennett even gave me a blank copy of the form they sent to record stores each week upon which the store would write the number of copies of each record sold that week. That would be sent back and the station would use the tabulations, in part, to create the survey.
It wasn't as big a place as you might have thought. But, they were very efficient at using the space they had there in the Talbott Tower. By comparison, the WCOL studios in Columbus were much more spacious, having a three story building to work out of at Broad and Young. But, I didn't see that place till I went to work there.
And after reading all this, I have now outted myself as a certifiable Radio Geek!
Welcome to the club Kevin!
Thanks for sharing your memories of "WING Island" at 128 West First St.
At least I can now picture in my mind,the studio,the DJs,the newsroom and how it all worked together. It would be so cool if someone who worked there can muster up a WING tribute site complete with airchecks,photos,surveys,newscasts and all of the PAMS and Drake jingles....and of course The Singing Clock jingles as well. Thanks again!
Thanks for sharing your memories of "WING Island" at 128 West First St.
At least I can now picture in my mind,the studio,the DJs,the newsroom and how it all worked together. It would be so cool if someone who worked there can muster up a WING tribute site complete with airchecks,photos,surveys,newscasts and all of the PAMS and Drake jingles....and of course The Singing Clock jingles as well. Thanks again!
If you want to see an excellent tribute site, this is the one! Rod Williams is the person I most often recall doing the news during weekdays. Check out the pictures and background information at: http://wingradio.homestead.com/files/index.htm
D
del_griffith
Guest
I've been doing some archive research on Columbus radio by going through back issues of the local papers. I found a reference for the talking clock and WCOL in a 1960 or 1961 newspaper advertisement. I'll have to see if I made a copy of that image.
It was a full page ad (don't have the date with me) that listed all of the employees/air staff along with pictures. In among the the pictures was the talking clock.
I don't remember the clock at all, but clearly it was in use at COL in 1960
It was a full page ad (don't have the date with me) that listed all of the employees/air staff along with pictures. In among the the pictures was the talking clock.
I don't remember the clock at all, but clearly it was in use at COL in 1960
Check out the following link: http://1230wcol.com/reinhart-talkingclock.mp3 WING had 2 singing clocks - one by CRC and the one heard in the WCOL aircheck.
Aaaaah. The window studios were truly showbiz for radio. At the time (around 1968) i had instance to be in those studios..the streets were rather dark after about 10pm and several of the local "working girls" would stand near the window which was the only source of light..so they could be seen. At least one had a transistor radio and they would stare in the window and watch. Long records were scarce, so a resourceful WING "Lively Guy" would have a stash of 5 inch reels of tape that had been pre-produced with about 15 min worth of music and pre-recorded "snappy patter" ...Enough time to bolt across the street to the Greyhound Bus station and grab a Big Boy to go from the Frishes next door..
The news "closet" was waaaay down the hall, and you could just barely see the newsman. When the time came to go to news, you had to pot up the news studio as I recall and hit the sounder. The news guy would do his thing, but did NOT have an on air monitor in his headset. All he could hear was what was coming out of his board. In fact Great Trails had this thing about timing, and jocks at WING had to treat the newsroom just like a network. The newsman had his clock and the jocks' clocks were synchronized. They simply began "doing the news" exactly when it was supposed to begin. If the jock was late..too bad. It was not uncommon for the rowdy "lively guys" to open the studio mic and between stories rustle papers to make it sound ike the newsman was confused and searching for copy..or to wait for the newsman to take a breath and wheeze so the newsman would sound like he had a cold...they couldn't hear it, but everyone else could. And everyone in that town smoked.
The top of the hour was either Charlie Van Dyke or Gary Gears..."the HOME of Chrysler-Airtemp...W-I-N-G Dayton"
More Music.....Dayton 14/Winnnnnng!
The news "closet" was waaaay down the hall, and you could just barely see the newsman. When the time came to go to news, you had to pot up the news studio as I recall and hit the sounder. The news guy would do his thing, but did NOT have an on air monitor in his headset. All he could hear was what was coming out of his board. In fact Great Trails had this thing about timing, and jocks at WING had to treat the newsroom just like a network. The newsman had his clock and the jocks' clocks were synchronized. They simply began "doing the news" exactly when it was supposed to begin. If the jock was late..too bad. It was not uncommon for the rowdy "lively guys" to open the studio mic and between stories rustle papers to make it sound ike the newsman was confused and searching for copy..or to wait for the newsman to take a breath and wheeze so the newsman would sound like he had a cold...they couldn't hear it, but everyone else could. And everyone in that town smoked.
The top of the hour was either Charlie Van Dyke or Gary Gears..."the HOME of Chrysler-Airtemp...W-I-N-G Dayton"
More Music.....Dayton 14/Winnnnnng!
Jeff, great post, great memories! Gary Gears, there's a name I haven't heard in a while. Any idea what he's up to or where he's at? Loved listening to him on Chicago radio, WLS if I remember correctly. Chrysler-Airtemp, gone but not forgotten. And a personal memory from the WING downtown studios, the stiffling smell of exhaust fumes from the Talbot Tower garage when the air system wasn't doing its job! When we moved to the Kettering location people were thrilled to be able to stretch their arms at their desk and not bang into the walls!
Jeff/Tanks:
Thanks for posting those memories about the WING Showcase studio. I had been told about the exhaust fumes, but, thankfully for this young kid in the 60's, never got a whiff when I was in the building...
I just posted something new on the Dayton Broadcaster's Hall Of Fame website...if you go to it, select the "Media Page", and then go to the WING pull down tab, and scroll to the bottom of that page...there is a photograph from 1960 of DJ Randy Scott on the air in the studio taken from outside on the sidewalk (provided by Randy). There is also audio from an acetate disc which Randy sent to me and I digitized, containing promos for Randy and the station voiced by people like Hap Hopkins, Joe Bauer and, of course, a very young sounding Gene "By Golly" Barry. And I left the "record noise" in for free as a bonus!
Though I have seen other photographs of the outside of the WING studios on First Street, this is only one I've come upon so far that actually showed the window open and the DJ on the air inside.
Thanks for posting those memories about the WING Showcase studio. I had been told about the exhaust fumes, but, thankfully for this young kid in the 60's, never got a whiff when I was in the building...
I just posted something new on the Dayton Broadcaster's Hall Of Fame website...if you go to it, select the "Media Page", and then go to the WING pull down tab, and scroll to the bottom of that page...there is a photograph from 1960 of DJ Randy Scott on the air in the studio taken from outside on the sidewalk (provided by Randy). There is also audio from an acetate disc which Randy sent to me and I digitized, containing promos for Randy and the station voiced by people like Hap Hopkins, Joe Bauer and, of course, a very young sounding Gene "By Golly" Barry. And I left the "record noise" in for free as a bonus!
Though I have seen other photographs of the outside of the WING studios on First Street, this is only one I've come upon so far that actually showed the window open and the DJ on the air inside.
del_griffith said:I've been doing some archive research on Columbus radio by going through back issues of the local papers. I found a reference for the talking clock and WCOL in a 1960 or 1961 newspaper advertisement. I'll have to see if I made a copy of that image.
It was a full page ad (don't have the date with me) that listed all of the employees/air staff along with pictures. In among the the pictures was the talking clock.
I don't remember the clock at all, but clearly it was in use at COL in 1960
Del:
For what it's worth, I have here at the house one of 3 leather bound WCOL-AM sales presentations apparently done back in the 1960's. It looks like something a sales person might have shown on a call. I was given all three by someone at Mainline who found them somewhere in the facility on David Road. I sent WCOL one of the three copies, Mainline has the other one. I kept the one I have because I worked there (though much later in time) and may eventually offer some of the photos and stuff should a WCOL tribute site ever spring up. Some really cool pictures and sales literature from the time in there...
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