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WASB 1590 AM

I'll never forget the buckets on top of the production room RCA "consolette" at 1430 Main St. to catch the rainwater leaks through KB's roof. It was a quaint touch.

It was also scary to be completely alone in that building at night with your back facing a plate-glass door opening directly on the parking lot. Any nitwit or miscreant could walk up with direct-line vision into the control room. Many was the time I would be talking live on-mic while some weirdo was rapping loudly on the glass. The noise would go over the air. Then you'd answer the door where some shady type would aggressively demand some alleged "prize" he had won on-air.

It's amazing that during KB's years at 1430 Main - not a terrific neighborhood - nobody got shot at through that door. Or that nobody threw a brick through the glass.
 
As I see it one of the problems with radio today is that many owners refuse to pay for good talent.
Granted some stations still have employees who've been around for a number of years and have a loyal following. But then again we read about veteran announcers and news people being fired or offered "early retirement" just so management can save a few bucks, or so they claim because the money normally goes back into management's pockets anyways under the guise of bonuses.
I've been to stations that have beautiful facilities and studios, like WCBA in Corning as an example. Then I've been to "ratholes" where I felt like getting a flu shot after leaving.
What I noticed is that while WCBA has a nice facility, I didn't see many employees. Meanwhile at the "ratholes" there were people working at various jobs.
 
The Voice of Reason said:
On a trip back from Buffalo I decided to drive by the station and was amazed how shabby the property looked. Grass as tall as me and the building looked like some shack. I'm still wondering why officials in Brockport don't make the owner at least cut the grass and make the station look presentable? It's an eyesore.
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From my experience working in town government, every community has their own set of codes. While I have no idea what is contained in Brockport's Village Code, it is very likely there is a provision where a property owner has to comply with certain regulations when it comes to the apperance of their property.

All someone has to do is report WASB to Brockport's Code Enforcement Officer, or the Town of Sweden's Code Enforcement Officer, and that individual would have to visit the site and determine if WASB is in violation of any town/village codes.

If the station is in violation it would have to comply with code or receive a ticket. If a ticket is issued then the owner of WASB would have to appear in front of a town justice. If found guilty the station could receive a stiff fine and the owner ordered to clean up the property to comply with code.
 
Does anyone recall whether WASB's site is actually in the Village of Brockport - of the Town of Sweden?

As a general proposition township zoning codes are more lenient that in the associated villages where the population density is far greater.

Another major factor would be how WASB's parcel is zoned, which if typical, would have to be commercial - light industrial to accomodate the towers. Generally industrial-commercial realty have far lower requirements in terms of aesthetics, such as whether the grass is mowed or buildings are painted. The nature and size of industrial buildings and surrounding land often make it unnecessary or impractical to have everything trimmed and painted like it's a shopping mall or Disney World.

Which reminds me....gotta get out there and put the tweezers to WYSL's lawn... ;)
 
Savage said:
Which reminds me....gotta get out there and put the tweezers to WYSL's lawn... ;)
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While you're at it, Bob...can you do something about those unsightly PVC pipes and concrete blocks littered all over your property? :p

(And change the page on your Tower Site Calendar today, too...or I'll have to come down and do it for ya!)
 
Actually I think the PVC pipes are kind of attractive. Especially now that the sun is bleaching the factory bottom-of-the-swimming-pool-blue to white (at least on top.)

It's nice to see anything/anyone other than the current poster turning "gray on top" at WYSL.

Union jurisdiction rules: can't touch the tower site calendar. I'm management. You'll have to come do it.
 
Bob Savage remarks, "Union jurisdiction rules: can't touch the tower site calendar. I'm management. You'll have to come do it."

You guys signed with NABET? ;)

(Couldn't be an AFTRA shop, they'll let you enact any old work rules you want if the base salary scale's good...)
 
Nope. Not NABET, not AFTRA, not IBEW.

Because of our rural location, we're affiliated with the Farmer's Union: "the E-I-E-I-O."

(Gray Fidelipac with RIMSHOT on it fires here)
 
So, is this a preview of the "Savage-Fybush-Bob1370 Morning Zoo
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And as any good bean counting, cost cutting, bottom line CEO (scuse me owner/stockholder) would ask as questions #2 & 3..."is there longevity to this? Can they last 6 months (Beemer is paid off in 5), and can they spike the ratings in the short term? ;D

Personally, an example of the lost art of personality radio (the buck stops there!! )
That's all
 
This thread has now officially become more entertaining and/or informative than WASB 1590AM. Congratulations!
 
This thread has now officially become more entertaining and/or informative than WASB 1590AM. Congratulations!
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Interesting phenomenon that occurs with these threads. The less interest the topic is able to carry, the more entertaining the material becomes. :D
Just an observation.
 
SirRoxalot said:
This thread has now officially become more entertaining and/or informative than WASB 1590AM. Congratulations!
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It's also reaching a significantly larger audience!
 
Re: My favorite WWBK Brockport Story

In the 70's, I worked at WWBK, 1590 AM, First on the Right Hand Side of the Radio Dial. My favorite mishap was on a Sunday where I board Op-ed the local Church shows. One of the Christian Groups bought an hour every week, and produced it very well. I'd patch it in to the board from the remote line, hit the top of the hour, and voila, always there, always exactly on cue.

One week I was told they were broadcasting live from the land behind the radio station that they had bought for their new Christian community.

I patched it in, and didn't hear anything in cue. Nonetheless, I hit the top of the hour id, potted it up, and .... nothing. Silence. I dropped a needle on another Percy Faith record, and wondered what happened. About 10 minutes later, I was scared by a knock on the little window behind me (the studios were in the basement). When I opened the window, the church engineer was standing there holding pieces of audio cable, nearly in tears. I asked him what was going on, and he said, "Someone mowed the lawn...someone mowed the lawn."

They had strung cable down the hill and to the station, only to have it shredded by a man on a mower. (Probably Don Fuller, then GM). I thought of this when I read that the lawn needs mowing now.

My other WWBK story is about a guy named Mike Goosens who helped me get work there. Goose went to work one Sunday AM, and when he unlocked the front door, he nearly stepped into the basement. The station had burned down the day before. He ran to a payphone to call the owner, who, of course, knew the station had burned. No one called him to tell him not to come to work at sign on Sunday AM.
 
My wife worked at WASB when it was satellite oldies back in the summer of 1987. One Saturday, she reported to work only to find someone else sitting in the chair. When she called the PD to inquire he said to her "can't you take a hint? We don't want you around anymore. Hit the bricks!". What a jerk!!!
 
qman said:
My wife worked at WASB when it was satellite oldies back in the summer of 1987. One Saturday, she reported to work only to find someone else sitting in the chair. When she called the PD to inquire he said to her "can't you take a hint? We don't want you around anymore. Hit the bricks!". What a jerk!!!
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I've seen and heard numerous horror stories during my years in the business but what happened to your wife by far tops the list.

As for WASB, someone should write a script for TV. It would make for a funny sit-com.
 
Hearing some of the tales of WJBT, etc., amazing.

BTW, how many call signs did that place have and what was the origional non-DA AM frequency for which the station SHOULD have applied? I heard it was 720 {WGN} or 830 {WCCO}.

Those who were worked there in the early-mid 70s when it was WADD 1560 kinda, sorta, in a way, "lucked out." (If you want to call it that.) The boards, transmitter and phasor were new, the operation was on the first floor and the AP machine, air conditioning and toilets worked. What more could a DJ want. [/glib]
 
I've seen and heard numerous horror stories during my years in the business but what happened to your wife by far tops the list.
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I wonder what that callous PD is doing nowadays - probably managing a McDonald's, where he terrorizes his teenage staff.

As for WASB, someone should write a script for TV. It would make for a funny sit-com.
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Or a Twilight Zone episode.
 
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