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WILM --- 75 RPM collection and RCA 77D (s)

I worked for WILM back in 1967-1968. At that time they had a HUGE collection of relatively pristine 75 RPM records from the 1940's and 1950's, including rock and roll. They also had at least one RCA 77D microphone. Does anyone know what happened to all of that down through the years?
 
I think you meant 78 RPM records. WTUX also had quite a collection of 78's (saw them one time when I took a tour back in the 60's). Probably some collector made them an offer or they were tossed, which would be a real shame. When I worked at WILM part time, I never saw any 78's. They had some LP's. But then again, I didn't have access to every nook in that dilapidated building at 12th and French Sts. so who knows. Maybe Mrs. Hawkins has a great collection of 78 RPM's in her den or family room.
 
Can't say what happened to the WILM 78's. But what WTUX did was a real shame. When Jack Reynolds bought the station, WJBR took many of the lp's. Some of them went to WNRK after JBR dropped the B/Ez format and Newark picked it up.

But the 78's and old 45's were thrown from the third floor complex that was WTUX, and landed in the dumpster below. Several of the 50's era 45's had already made it to my record collection, but I sure wish a lot more had!
 
Mike .... (I am an idiot) ... yes, I meant 78 RPM. I also posted my query on FB and Guy A VanderLek replied, "When WILM converted to news in 1974 (Wilmington's News and Information Service) Brandt Boylan was told to dump the library (I helped). Some of the materials ended up over at WTUX - however, when Jack Reynolds <bought> both 'TUX and automated it, most of their collection ended up in trailers behind the WJBR tower site on Ebright Road. WJBR has moved several times since then (mid-80's), and I think ClearChannel might now own the tower site and lease the space back to Beasley for WJBR and their STL from Bellefont/Penny Hill. As for the trailers, who knows...." ---- The collection of 78's, when I was there at WILM, was in several record shelving units in the back room that used to be a "live" radio studio with big boom mikes and a Scully transcription disc cutting lathe. This was at the Odd Fellows Building that then housed WILM (and, back in the 1940's to I-don't-know-when, also housed WDEL on the 3rd Floor).
 
By the way --- as I said earlier, I worked at WILM (1967-1968) at their studios in the old Odd Fellows Building at 10th and King Streets. I moved away from Wilmington in 1977. Where did WILM go and when up until where they are now (wherever that is)? Also, if you go to my FB page you can find a photo of me at the mike in 1968 at WILM. Search for "Roy C Pollitt". I have in my possession, somewhere, more photos of WILM's big studio showing the record shelves. Someday I'll unpack some of my "stuff" and find them.
 
Hey Pollitt, no problem, probably a typo. Typing isn't my strong suit either, so I can totally understand typo's. I went and viewed your photos on FB. Pretty cool photo of WILM's Odd Fellows Bulding studio, and the far more modern hi-tech station you also had posted there, with you being just a tad bit older than your WILM days.

When WILM moved from the Odd Fellows building (which isn't there now, a nice modern building took its place), WILM moved to an old row house on 12th and French Sts, I believe it was sometime in the early 70's. About 5-6 years ago ( I've lost track of time) Clear Channel bought the station and about 3 -4 years ago moved it to Basin Road, near the New Castle Airport -today owned by the Delaware River and Bay Authority the Del Memorial Bridge folks (formerly known as the Greater Wilmington Airport and the New Castle County Airport). The Wilmington News Journal papers is there in the same complex different buildings as (WILM/WWTX 1290 the Ticket/WRTX 92.9 TOM FM). The paper moved there many years ago from their former 9th and Orange St location).

Others here know more details, but that gives you a basic up date on WILM's building Their new building is state of the art, just one or two on air folks though (the rest comes from the bird). What a waste of such a great facility.
 
Probably a bunch of Wilmington radio history that ended up in the trash heap. What a waste.

When I worked on Armed Forces Radio in Alaska at Eielson AFB (about 30 miles east of Fairbanks) during Viet Nam, the previous PD at the station had cleaned house and literally had taken all the transcriptions from the 40's and 50's plus any record older than 1963 and had bull dozed them into a field. Can you imagine some of the priceless transcriptions of Bob Hope shows, etc, from WW II, Korea, etc, that this "knucklehead" destroyed, plus all the music transcriptions of the big band remotes of that time, dramas, comedy, etc, not to mention all the great music from the 50's and very early 60's. There are just some people that just might prove that evolution is not correct as they seem to be evolving the wrong way - heh heh.
 
I have a serious problem with those who do not respect history. Yes, I know you cannot save everything. And those old 78's were never going to be played again, or the transcriptions up in Alaska. But somewhere, there is someone who would pay for those items and would preserve the history.
 
Jim Walsh ---- I bet you found the same Joe Pyne disc that I found when I was at WILM !

Mike from Delaware ---- My butterball photo of me at the mike that you referenced was taken in/about 2005 after
we had moved into a fully refurbished building in Port Charlotte FL. Five radio stations including the one that I
worked for (WKII AM-1070). Five wonderful studios, 2 production studios, high tech engineering area, big sales
room, conference rooms, etc. The broadcast complex is still there ... just almost no employees. I (and my career)
bit the dust in 2009 after written accolades from my local GM and being told in April 2009 that I was one of the
"best and the brightest" to help them (you-know-who) go forward into bigger and better things. Four months later
I was toast. Ah-h-h-h-h Memories.
 
That seems to be the way of the radio business these days. Nice high tech studios and no on air employees.
 
Radio basically ended when broadcasting was taken over by investors and techies who knew nothing about radio.
 
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