WALE former studios on North Main st....

[Kenny Atkinson]

While getting my car fixed at Pep boys today I decided to take a walk to 1185 North Main st....Studios no longer exist. the Asian spa moved in.
How does WALE still have a license if there is no more studio?

 

[Skynet74]

oh.. An Asian spa? That sounds much more fun than a dead radio station. I bet you that they make a lot more money than WALE ever did too!

 

[Kenny Atkinson]

oh.. An Asian spa? That sounds much more fun than a dead radio station. I bet you that they make a lot more money than WALE ever did too!

I filed a complaint....they been off over a year...time to let someone bid on it.

 

[Dighton Rockhead]

I filed a complaint....they been off over a year...time to let someone bid on it.

Good for you, Kenny!

But somehow...I doubt anything will come of it. As I mentioned in another thread...I think the FCC is so in love with the idea of broadband these days...that they don't seem to pay attention to much of anything else anymore.

 

[MarcB]

oh.. An Asian spa? That sounds much more fun than a dead radio station. I bet you that they make a lot more money than WALE ever did too!

I filed a complaint....they been off over a year...time to let someone bid on it.

That's all and good, but how do you prove something like that to the FCC. I mean I know it's true. And anyone living in Rhode Island knows it's true.

 

[Kenny Atkinson]

oh.. An Asian spa? That sounds much more fun than a dead radio station. I bet you that they make a lot more money than WALE ever did too!

I filed a complaint....they been off over a year...time to let someone bid on it.

That's all and good, but how do you prove something like that to the FCC. I mean I know it's true. And anyone living in Rhode Island knows it's true.

They knock on the door.....They do,do that.Ask our favorite Rhode Island Pirate.

 

[haverhill01835]

Ironic place for an Asian spa, considering what that building was before WALE moved in. If I recall - it was an adult movie theater/peep show.

 

[Dighton Rockhead]

Ironic place for an Asian spa, considering what that building was before WALE moved in. If I recall - it was an adult movie theater/peep show.

You might be thinking of when WALE was at 311 Westminster Street in downtown (across from Grace Church). The air studio was literally in what used to be the men's room. The ladies room became (by default)...a unisex rest room. Employees were encouraged to have thier own supply of "bathroom tissue" and soap on hand....just in case.

In any event...the building was demolished to make way for a city park.

 

[haverhill01835]

You might be thinking of when WALE was at 311 Westminster Street in downtown (across from Grace Church). The air studio was literally in what used to be the men's room. The ladies room became (by default)...a unisex rest room. Employees were encouraged to have thier own supply of "bathroom tissue" and soap on hand....just in case.

In any event...the building was demolished to make way for a city park.

You are correct sir. But the thoughts of an asian spa in the former adult movie theater did cause me to chuckle a bit. I produced a total of three shows in that building. That place was...odd.

 

[diamondj]

I remember when Kickin' Al Snape left what was 106.3 in its hit radio days around 1990 and then took a talk show at WALE when it was downtown. I remember he said he at least had a few of his faithful teen listeners peek at him through the window on Westminster.

 

[Skynet74]

I'll never forget all the talk shows that aired on WALE where both the host and the guests were on a regular phone line. That place had the worst quality audio that I've ever heard from a radio station.

 

[N1WVQ]

It didn't sound much better in the studio either!

 

[Dighton Rockhead]

I'll never forget all the talk shows that aired on WALE where both the host and the guests were on a regular phone line.

Those brokered-time horror "shows" HAD to have been some of the worst examples of radio in the history of the business!! The ONLY person one could hear clearly was the poor board-op...who would (usually in a clumsy manner)....cue the "host" when to quit yakking, and take a break. Such was the "quality programming" of the Battaglia family's "North American Broadcasting Company".

There is a web site out there put together by former employees of Channel 6, filled with loving (and not so loving) memories and stories of Channel 6 in ages past.

Can you just IMAGINE what such a web site would be like if one were put together by former employees and/or people who have been burned by 990 ? ? ?

 

[DG02816]

I can bet some of the stories would turn heads and perhaps some stomachs too. I tried to train as a board op there once.Station manager was a gal at the time. I still remember the dirty look and snotty remark when I dropped power back to 500 watts from the daytime 50 kW(this was pre-Greenville COL days.)What a toxic atmosphere the place had....

 

[VelvetR]

500 Watts at night would have been a wonder to behold when I was at the original 990, WLKW. Total sign-off was at sunset. Lucky for me. I had just put the damn thing to bed, immediately got into the elevator off the 4th floor of the elevator (Lowe's Theater Building on Weybosset) and had just gotten out of it when the great New England Power Failure (what year?? 1960's....) hit. Ten seconds longer and I'd have been stuck in that plastic wood-grained cage for hours at the very least.

 

[Kenny Atkinson]

The very first day I was training as a board op,Vinny Lewis was training me.That lasted no more than 90 minutes when the manager walked into the studio and her and Vinny went at it.a. Few FU's were exchanged and a GFY.vinny walked out and the manager said your done with training.Your on.finish is shift.That was my first day at WALE.
Later on a few years....102.7 was there.I worked 1day.Sales manager needed a board op to produce some real estate show..Well the finger got pointed around on who authorized of me to be hired and who was going to pay me.well at the end of the day I was paid,sales manager was chewed out show was cancelled.

 

[Skynet74]

I had issues with them without even being hired. I went on an interview there. Year 1990/1991. The GM knew I wanted to host a talk show. However he kept on asking me what I could do for them. I said I can host a great show for you. He responded with "No..That's not the answer". This went on for about 10 minutes. He then said.. "When you can come up with the right answer, let me know." I left that place shaking my head.

I already thought the guy was an A-hole for playing word games with me. But I needed a job. So I called there a few days later. He wasn't available. Then I called again and left a message because he still wasn't available. A couple of weeks went by and I still had not heard anything. So I started asking for the PD instead. (Some woman). Once again the same pattern continued. Not available or in a meeting each and every time I called. I must have called 3 times a day for three weeks straight. It was clear that they wern't interested in me. So now I was just pissed that they were blowing me off and wouldn't even give me the time of day. I didn't do anything wrong to them. I didn't deserve the brush off. I wanted to help them with a decent show that didn't sound like the horrible garbage they were airing.

So one day I decided to change my game plan just to see if I could get that A-hole management team to come to the phone. Secretary answered as usual. "Hello WALE." This time instead of stating my real name, I told her I was calling from Dick Clark Productions and wanted to talk to them about carrying a syndicated program. Not more than 10 seconds later *Bing Bam Boom* the PD gets on the phone. That's when I told her who it really was. Holy Moly she was pissed!!! I said.. "WOW.. it's interesting how you are so quickly available when you think it's Dick Clark on the phone, but you don't pick up the phone for me for a month." That's when she threatened to call the police on me for harrassment. She didn't appreciate my little trick at all. I said... I'm not harrassing you! I'm just calling to talk to you. You're just mad because I figured out a way to get you on the phone. That was the day that my chance of ever being employed by them went from very slim to absolutely NONE. I'm pretty sure that they wanted me to go to jail.

I've dealt with a lot of people and I have never been treated so rudely by a business in my life. The only thing I was guilty of was being way to enthusiastic to provide my services to the biggest dump of a radio station on the planet. I think the bigger bruise to my ego was when I realized that even the biggest sewer on the dial didn't want anything to do with me. Maybe that's when I started to sour on working in radio. lol

 

[DG02816]

The power drop I talked about was at local sunset; this was after the daytimers got nighttime secondary allocations. 990 got the max of 500 watts. That gal's reaction to my doing the right thing showed me they didn't give a rat's arse about doing stuff legally. Shame Bausemer sold out to those shysters.

 

[N1WVQ]

The power drop I talked about was at local sunset; this was after the daytimers got nighttime secondary allocations. 990 got the max of 500 watts. That gal's reaction to my doing the right thing showed me they didn't give a rat's arse about doing stuff legally. Shame Bausemer sold out to those shysters.

Dave,

Same thing happened to me in 2002 with "Spyder E. Veins" (the air name for the sales manager who hosted a punk rock show). This is when they had the 5kW & Greenville C.O.L..

 

[Dighton Rockhead]

I had issues with them without even being hired. I went on an interview there. Year 1990/1991.

So I started asking for the PD instead. (Some woman).

Sky:

If the time frame is indeed the early 90's, then the lady (and I use the term "lady" lightly) you and Kenny are referring to is (?spelling?) Christine Trudeau...simply called "Chris".

"Chris", for all intents and purposes...was Frank Battaglia's Station Manager ... all around "Gal Friday", and occasionally...the one left to do Frank's "dirty work"... who took care of all matters great and small at the station....everything from hiring and firing...to something as menial as brewing cups of tea for Frank upon request.

Chris Trudeau was many things at WALE....a lady was not one of them!