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Who around the USA (not necessarily in Chicago) has "storefront studios?"

Re: Who around the USA (not necessarily in Chicago) has "storefront studios?"

KGO in San Francisco had a studio overlooking the street. In 1973, somebody took a shot at Jim Dunbar, the morning guy, who many may remember from his days at WLS in the 60's. Glass was bulletproof, and Dunbar was not hurt.

I seem to remember KQV in Pittsburgh also have a street level studio. Both KGO and KQV were owned by ABC.

In Chicago, NBC5 has a showcase studio right across Pioneer Court from WGN's studio.
 
Re: Who around the USA (not necessarily in Chicago) has "storefront studios?"

When WEZE in Boston was beautiful music, their street level studio was at the Statler Hilton Hotel.

CNN's New York operation began in a storefront on the concourse at World Trade Center.
 
Re: Who around the USA (not necessarily in Chicago) has "storefront studios?"

One of the more famous ones is KRML in Carmel, CA. They're the station from the movie "Play Misty For Me". When I was out that way five years ago, the studio was in a strip mall with a souvenir store for the station iin the adjoining unit. Anyone know if it's still there?
 
Re: Who around the USA (not necessarily in Chicago) has "storefront studios?"

WROI (FM) in Rochester,IN (Fulton County) has its' window on 8th street in downtown Rochester. They have a great view of the historic courthouse from their on-air studio. The courthouse sits on the main town square.
 
Re: Who around the USA (not necessarily in Chicago) has "storefront studios?"

so did wfdt, Columbia City - also built by the same guy, Joe Sweeney.
 
Re: Who around the USA (not necessarily in Chicago) has "storefront studios?"

There's at least one station here in WI that has a "storefront studio"....1600 WRPN Ripon WI(formerly WCWC). I think the studios were moved from the transmitter site outside of town about 10 years ago when the station was sold. They're news talk and are just live in the morning from what I can gather......and I'm only about 40 miles away from 'em.

Think when the snow stops, It's time for a road trip. ;)
 
Re: Who around the USA (not necessarily in Chicago) has "storefront studios?"

KQV was at the corner of "walk and don't walk".
 
Re: Who around the USA (not necessarily in Chicago) has "storefront studios?"

GeorgeJ. said:
Back in the 90's WKKX in St. Louis had their studio mall-side on the West side of St. Louis. People could press their faces up against the glass from outside to view at least the morning show Steve & D.C. at that time).
Click to expand...

Those studios have been used by News/Talk KTRS for over a decade now at the Westport Plaza, which is a complex of offices, restaurants, hotels, and a few shops.
 
Re: Who around the USA (not necessarily in Chicago) has "storefront studios?"

Didn't the old WCOL Columbus Ohio have studios that looked out on the street? I haven't been in Columbus since 1979, but a friend told me about them. Also WXIL in Parkersburg WV use to have thier studio in a mall with a big window that you could see most of the live studios.
 
Re: Who around the USA (not necessarily in Chicago) has "storefront studios?"

Prais...are you including storefront stations from the past? Because back in the 70's, before the calls went to Michigan, there was a radio station located at Cherryvale Mall (if memory serves me correctly) in Rockford, Illinois. One of the unique features of the station were the calls WYBR, which stood for "yellow brick road." I remember an actual walkway in the mall made of yellow bricks (or at least painted to look like yellow bricks) that ended in front of the radio station's storefront. Also, I believe Jonathon Brandmeier worked there once way back then. Does anyone remember WYBR?
 
Re: Who around the USA (not necessarily in Chicago) has "storefront studios?"

trafficreportingguy said:
Prais...are you including storefront stations from the past? Because back in the 70's, before the calls went to Michigan, there was a radio station located at Cherryvale Mall (if memory serves me correctly) in Rockford, Illinois. One of the unique features of the station were the calls WYBR, which stood for "yellow brick road." I remember an actual walkway in the mall made of yellow bricks (or at least painted to look like yellow bricks) that ended in front of the radio station's storefront. Also, I believe Jonathon Brandmeier worked there once way back then. Does anyone remember WYBR?
Click to expand...
You are correct trafficreportingguy, JB was the morning guy, from 1978 until 1980. Ironically, Pete McMurray
was hired there, sometime around 92 or 93, to do mornings.

I forgot about the yellow brick road that you mentioned, do you know if it's still there? I would love to see that!
 
Re: Who around the USA (not necessarily in Chicago) has "storefront studios?"

Someone asked about WCOL having studios overlooking the street....I believe you are correct. Other stations under the same ownership, WING, Dayton and WKLO, Lousiville had street level store front studio. The WKLO studios were downtown and attracted great crowds. It's said that among those who stood in front of WKLO as kids were Dan Mason and Dianne Sawyer.
 
Re: Who around the USA (not necessarily in Chicago) has "storefront studios?"

The Neal McCoy video for "They're Playing Our Song" was shot at the storefront studios of WDKN in Dickson, Tennessee, sometime in the mid '90s. That station still exists (although under new ownership/management now), but the then co-owned FM station has since been sold off. I have looked for this video on youtube, but have been unable to find it there.
 
Worcester, MA

DanStrassberg said:
I've heard that WCRN (AM) in Worcester MA just recently completed relocation to storefront studios in Worcester, a city with a chronically troubled downtown..
Click to expand...

Now now, that's exactly the attitude Worcester has been trying to get rid of. I live a few miles away from there and downtown Worcester is not as bad as people think it is (anymore).

Here's one recent article: http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we...ountid=AC0110010920043005379&s_upgradeable=no


And another one: http://worcestermagazine.com/content/view/4774/

By the way, Citadel's 3 Worcester stations WXLO, WORC-FM (Oldies 98-9) and WWFX (100FM The Pike) are all located in downtown Worcester on Commercial Street in one of the buildings right off the Worcester Common (although, to get back to the thread's subject, I don't believe they are streetfront studios).
 
Re: Who around the USA (not necessarily in Chicago) has "storefront studios?"

WHDM in McKenzie, TN, had a storefront studio, at least back when I was working there in the early '90s. But the back door was about like your typical bedroom door. In other words, it was hollow and could have easily been kicked in. The front door had a window in it that could easily have been broken to gain entry. The front door had a lock on it, but also a hasp that we put a large bolt through at the end of the day. We also kept a washer with that bolt, to keep the bolt from falling through the hasp. One night when I left for the day, I couldn't find the washer. So obviously, I couldn't put the bolt through the hasp. The GM was critical of me the next day for not "locking" the front door.

This was (at that time) a daytime-only AM station, and I didn't really worry about security until the GM, secretary, and sales manager left for the day, usually in late afternoon. For the last hour or two of every day, I usually kept the outside doors locked, to keep anyone from coming in while I was on the air (reading the news or something) and couldn't get to the door. But sometimes the sports director or someone would show up, and I would need to let him in. If I had forgotten to lock the door, I would usually be holding my breath if I heard someone coming in while I was on the air.

The worst part about this was that this station had a "groupie" who would always hang around with nothing better to do, and he would show up at almost any time with almost no notice or advance warning. I didn't particularly like the guy, but management had no apparent objection to him coming around. They even asked me why I didn't "like" him, or what I had against him.

Fortunately, McKenzie is a small town, and the studio was only a block or two away from downtown. As far as I know, they are still in the same building, but they have more secure doors there now, the last time I passed through that area. Probably a good thing, since they are on satellite now, and no one is ever at the studios anymore, even during normal business hours!
 
Re: Who around the USA (not necessarily in Chicago) has "storefront studios?"

If we're including the past, then there was WLTH 1370, Gary, Indiana, which had a studio on the east side of Broadway about 35th avenue in Glen Park. I have a vivid memory of a summer day standing in front of the window, and watching the DJ cue up and play
"Spinning Wheel" by Blood Sweat and Tears when it was in the top 10. My three slightly older cousins lived about 3 bocks east of the station, and I thought it was SO COOL they had a radio station the could walk to. AND they had a player paiano in the basement of their
1950's ranch house, which stayed when they moved :'(.
 
Re: Who around the USA (not necessarily in Chicago) has "storefront studios?"

i've been waiting for weeks for somebody to mention it and no one has so, i will.
WIFE LUCKY 13 Indianapolis
it was a T-40 powerhouse for 10 years beginning in 1963 with their street level "Window On The World" in the Riddick Building on North Meridian Street in the Circle City. once home to Fred Winston,Dick Sainte, Chuck Browning, Jay Reynolds and Lyle Dean.
 
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