WBAQ changes on the way

[robgrayson]

Sad to say, I saw an ad in the Delta Democrat Times which said "farewell from Jack Gannon, Jason Pettis, Paul Artman, Sr. at WBAQ..." I guess Mr. Artman has finally retired, and the tone of the ad suggests more changes may be on the way.
I owe a great debt to Mr. Artman, for giving me a start in the business. He gave me a chance as a 14 year old with a 3rd Phone (I thoroughly realize most folks on the board nowadays never took an FCC license test, some wouldn't even know what a 3rd phone was... or care...), trusting me on the air live in the world of Mantovani, Kostelanetz, and The Ray Conniff Singers. I often wonder how anyone gets a start in the biz anymore.
Throughout the 37 year run of WBAQ, Paul had a vision of what he wanted, and was a "hands-on" programmer. Back in the vinyl days, he would remove songs from rotation by taking a knife and scratching across album tracks which weren't appropriate.

 

[rwells2265]

I hate that, although it had to have happened sooner or later. 97.9 was like a breath of fresh air amidst what was around it on the dial. I remember listening to it about a year ago when we were passing through Greenville on the way back from a vacation in Arkansas. I still have the vision in my mind of my wife and I in our Honda Element, cruising down 61 while listening to a muzak rendition of "(Just Like) Starting Over"!

It still puzzles me how a station like that makes any money in Greenville. It doesn't appear to have a high retirement-age population ... does it?

What got me were the "pop standard" vocals roughly every third song in the middle of the lush instrumentals. Some of them were real kneejerks.

Paul Artman sounds like someone I wish I could've met. If only I knew at the time where the station was located, and if we had the time.

--Russell W.
Savannah, Ga.
...who knows what a "third phone" is. I studied for it back in 10th grade, and was looking so forward to getting that reddish-colored document. But then I was told, "We don't do that anymore. All you need is that hinky little manila-colored card."

 

[NE Miss Radio]

Back in the vinyl days, he would remove songs from rotation by taking a knife and scratching across album tracks which weren't appropriate.

Now, that's a direct approach.

 

[Powerpig56]

I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Artman when I worked in the Greenville market. He's a real class act!

 

[aeulgr1]

Back in the vinyl days, he would remove songs from rotation by taking a knife and scratching across album tracks which weren't appropriate.

Now, that's a direct approach.

I had a boss once who had a problem with me playing "Fly Like A Bird" on country radio. Good think he didn't have a knife handy. If he had come into the studio with a knife in his hand we would have had a new back door. Cause I'd a been outta dere!!!!!!!

 

[mikl73]

I remember WBAQ was one of the very very few fm stations rebroadcast over cable system in Clarksdale.

I ran into the trick with the knife a few times in my radio career.
I am not sure who did it but there were a few cuts at WAID that had the knife etchings performed on them. Everywhere else it was just a sticker covering cuts that couldn't be played.

 

[robgrayson]

What got me were the "pop standard" vocals roughly every third song in the middle of the lush instrumentals. Some of them were real kneejerks.

It's funny you should mention that... When I was there in the early 70's, and the station was still "live" before automation came into the picture, I think the format was "New Instrumental, Old Instrumental, Vocal" and repeat. While I was working at JDX, we did a major overhaul of the "oldies" in the format, and one of Bob Burton's standards was that any song we played needed to be "hummable". When I would go back to Greenville and hear WBAQ, I noticed that they essentially played the same "songs" JDX played; they just aired the easy-listening cover versions.
I know I've told this story before in these posts, but when I worked for Paul, I would bring in current singles which I, as a 14 or 15 year old, felt would fit into the WBAQ sound. Paul would patiently listen to them, and hand them back to me saying (in his pleasant, mellifluous, well-modulated manner), "Robert, you can play this record any time you want, AT YOUR HOME! Please don't bring it back here again!"

 

[ProdWhiz]

You wouldn't think that a station that played elevator music would be so popular, but revenue wise, WBAQ was one of the biggest thorns in our sides during my times at WDMS and KUUZ. They have always been the good guys over the years!

 

[CentralFloridaEagle]

...who knows what a "third phone" is. I studied for it back in 10th grade, and was looking so forward to getting that reddish-colored document. But then I was told, "We don't do that anymore. All you need is that hinky little manila-colored card."

When I attended USM (1976-78), we had one class called "Radio Production" (RTF311). The professor, Dr. Robert Burr Cade, didn't give a rat's behind if you ever showed up for class or not (he was quite a character). The only thing you needed to do to earn your "A" and three class hours was pass the 3rd Phone test, which most of us did at the FCC office in New Orleans. Shortly after it I got my first radio job at Laurel country station WLAU. Back then I felt like the king of the world on Sunday afternoons...

And the reason why stations that played "elevator music" usually did so well is because many professional offices in the area would use it as their background music. That's the way it was at least when I worked at Hattiesburg's WHER during the 1980s.

 

[tzbarber]

Remember we had to get those 3rd class certificates framed and put up on the walls?

 

[robgrayson]

And you knew how old everyone was... all the height, weight, birthdate info... right there on display. Once I heard Eddie Edwards, doing afternoons at WMC79 back in the country days doing one of his over-the-top breaks, and he said that he had been awarded "the highest honor bestowed on a radio professional by the Federal Communications Commission... the First Class Radiotelephone Operators License..."

 

[the golden boy]

...who knows what a "third phone" is. I studied for it back in 10th grade, and was looking so forward to getting that reddish-colored document. But then I was told, "We don't do that anymore. All you need is that hinky little manila-colored card."

When I attended USM (1976-78), we had one class called "Radio Production" (RTF311). The professor, Dr. Robert Burr Cade, didn't give a rat's behind if you ever showed up for class or not (he was quite a character). The only thing you needed to do to earn your "A" and three class hours was pass the 3rd Phone test, which most of us did at the FCC office in New Orleans.

No, you didn't say Dr. Robert Burr Cade! I had him for a couple of RTF classes. He is quite a character. "FEEL THE WALL!"

 

[rfburns]

Oh man... who could forget Dr. Robert Burr Cade! I'll never forget taking his RTF class and working at the 10 watt on-campus FM... which has since upgraded to a new frequency, more power and different call letters.

RFB

 

[the golden boy]

I remember Dr. Cade asked me personally in class, do I like sex and violence on TV. He later replaye, "I don't know about you guys, but I love sex and violence on TV. If there's a hockey game on TV and there's no fight, I get upset."