WISH-AM To WAWE To WIFE

[media1170]

WIFE was first heard at Noon on December 2 1963, but what was the last day for WISH-AM?

WAWE was the interim call letters and ran none stop music except for the Kennedy assassination on November 22 when KLIF was aired ever a dial-up connection.
Anyone know where WAWE's programming was originated?

Murry Smith, who would know, has passed away and those familiar with the last days of WISH-AM have said not from the WISH-AM air studio.

 

[ChiefEngineer]

To one of my fav WIKS jocks...the old building still sits in ruins at the Post Road transmitter site, last I was there.

 

[media1170]

The building near the Post road gate was most likely the original AM building before there was TV. Last time I looked in there, which was some time ago, there was the remains of the WISH FM transmitter and some other discarded items of audio tape and equipment. The building was divided into 2 areas along the diagonal with a large window separating the two areas. The roof was open to the elements and things were very much a mess.

I worked at WISH TV from 1968-1970 and lived on the east side which allowed for an occasional visit to the TV transmitter. I had also stopped by when WISH AM was there and all of the transmitters(AM-FM-TV) were in the main building. WISH AM had a Gates 500 watt back up transmitter which, I was told by the transmitter engineer, had started life at 250 watts. Someone may know if that was possible.

When the RCA 5KW AM transmitter was moved to the south side, the night pattern did not pass proof. The back-up was run at night. If did not sound very good, very muddy. Don't know if the were directional or not.

 

[ChiefEngineer]

Collins made a 5kw box that was really a 10. People bought it and used the extra tubes as spares when this was required.

The 250 and 500 w transmitters as I recal were similar. Same cabinet. I believe the schematic for the 250 and 500 were one sheet. This was the 260G series.

I think a model that wasn't around much was "vanguard" and it lacked the larger picture window of the G model. Wonder how rf friendly to humans the pciture window was?

The 21 series Collins had a great manual I wished I'd taken from somewhere. The sales piece showed how an engineer could enter the rf cavity with the transmitter on for repairs. Next to thousands of volts the engineer was smiling. An engineer in Evansville at WGBF said that was great but make sure and take keys and change out of your pocket because it became hot and burned your, well...

Today stations at 250 w are forced to buy a 1k box by Haeeis. BE does make a 500w model. Why6 buy either when a Nautel Jazz series will run past the life of either?

 

[thatrossguy]

This one may be hard to pinpoint. I have an aircheck of Tom Mathis doing mornings on 11/14/63 (thursday) as WISH.
I have heard the reason for the 2 call letter changes was because of the govt shutdown a week later and the FCC had to wait to allow the WIFE calls to be released from another station.
The Indy Star lists WAWE for a few weeks on the TV page.
Also, I believe Burden took ownership in June 1963. Wouldn't the FCC in those days require the call change at the time of the sale???

 

[bigtime]

In a way it seems like bad timing to start that format up right as the country was in mourning, but then again it was a great format to have up and running a couple of months later when the Beatles went on Ed Sullivan.

 

[fwmw]

107.9 was WISH-FM, then WIFE-FM, right? Or was it WIFE-FM before becoming WISH-FM?

When did 107.9 first sign on? As I foggily recall, 107.9 was one of Don Burden's stations, so it was silent for awhile, but I don't recall when it was silent.

 

[media1170]

WISH-FM went on the air in late October 1962. The carried the AM for part of the day. As I recall, the station did provide stereo programing on Sundays and other parts of the day. WISH-FM was stereo when not carrying the AM.

The Mathis 11-14-63 air check establishes that WIFE did not take to the air at Halloween as is widely believed. The original reel is in my possession along with several other Mathis and WISH audio items

Broadcasting Magazine reported the sale of WISH-AM/FM was approved on November 13th. The WIFE call letter assignment was approved sometime between November 27 and December 4. Broadcasting Magazine, my reference, did not provide a specific date. However, I have a note that states WIFE first appeared as a call and the un-announced Top 40 programing of WAWE ended at noon on December 4th.

The 1963 and 1964 Broadcasting Year book show WISH-AM and FM for Indianapolis but the WIFE call had no station is listed with that call.

Part of the period between WISH and WIFE is why the WAWE calls and if the Kennedy assassination occuring in what is presumed to be in the first few days of the Burden control cuased the WIFE timetable to be shifted.

Anyone know?

 

[BobOnTheJob]

WISH AM had a Gates 500 watt back up transmitter which, I was told by the transmitter engineer, had started life at 250 watts.

If I understood the late Norm Beaty, the transmitter you speak of was a Gates BC-250GY that ended up at WIFE...that would be WIFE 1580 Connersville,IN. If that was it, in 2009 I orchestrated the sale of it to some ham operators around Richmond who plan on putting it on the 160 meter ham band.

 

[hipporadio]

WISH AM had a Gates 500 watt back up transmitter which, I was told by the transmitter engineer, had started life at 250 watts.

If I understood the late Norm Beaty, the transmitter you speak of was a Gates BC-250GY that ended up at WIFE...that would be WIFE 1580 Connersville,IN. If that was it, in 2009 I orchestrated the sale of it to some ham operators around Richmond who plan on putting it on the 160 meter ham band.

THANNKS to the ham community, Bob The BE/Omnia combo now on C'ville's 1580 now sounds so-much better... 'Shame that "new technology" arrived a bit late to save "good 'ole AM" :'(

 

[jmrabold]

Not sure if this helps. However, I found on reelradio.com some comments under a Jay Reynolds aircheck. I will cut and paste the info that pertains to this discussion

1 . the call letters were put into effect approx 12/1/63. The station had previously been WISH-AM co-owned with a TV station (still on the air as WISH-TV). Dick Summer of WBZ had been at WISH about 1962. The station was sold to Star Stations from Omaha (KOIL). It was oned by Star until they were stripped of their licenses in 1976.
The station was top 40 from about 1961 (if you count WISH) to about Aug of 79 when it became an AC format. It went all news in 81. In 82 it was reduced to running the audio track of CNN headline news 24/7 for about 6 months.
In 83 i took on the "music of your life" format for about 7 years. But the calls were abandoned in 83 for WMLF. The station (or at least the 1310 freq) is owned by Emmis and is WTLC-AM with a black oldies format.
About the DVD episode. Was he saying w-I-f-e or w-Y-f-e. It's hard to tell.
Also, for many years there was a billboard just outside the Indianapolis Airport that read something like 'while you where gone, we've been at home with your WIFE". Pretty clever huh.

2. I grew up in Indy and listened to WISH AM from 1959. The station had been Top 40 from some time in 1958. WISH never was able to beat WIBC though both were Top 40, but WISH being a much better programmed station. Besides Dick Summer, another WISH alumnus was Barney Pip. Mike Josephs consulted WISH in the early 1960's.

WISH was briefly WAWE in late November 1963 due to the Kennedy assination falling at the very time the call letters/owernship change was to occure.

Jay was a part of the original WIFE air team from December 1963. The very competative and promotion driven Starr Stations sound, very similar to the Storz/McLendon school of Top 40, made a quick kill of WIBC. WIBC took several years to recover and to become one of the finest full service AM stations in the country.

Though Jay Renolds was briefly at WABC, he spent his best and last years in Indy working for WTPI, on the old WIFE freq. of 107.9. This air check reflects THE BEST of WIFE and brings back many great memories of my many years growing up and living in Indianapolis.

The jingles used in this air check, besides the PAMS cuts from Ser.#27 & #29, are Tom Merriman Productions (pre TM Prod.) acapellas and Merriman's custom done for WIFE in 1965 orignally known as "Starr Burst" but marketed later by Studio Ten as "Powerhouse". The "Operation Air Watch" cut is from an older PFO/Ullman package which neither WIFE or WISH used.

Don Worsham
Media Preservation Foundation
e mail:
[email protected]

3.
I had forgot about the WAWE calls (just a couple of weeks maybe?). On 11/21/63 the station dropped it's long time CBS contract only to really need it the next day. Since WIFE had no network news on the day of the JFK assasination, Jay called KLIF in Dallas and got the dial in feed and taped a mike to the earpeice of the phone and ran the KLIF feed (illeagally) for the 4 days. He taped a note to the phone saying "DO NOT TOUCH". Coud have used a good dish that day.

 

[jmrabold]

There is a Facebook page called "Old Time Indy's long missed businesses, and forgotten history" A few radio buffs are over there. I will pick their brain

 

[thatrossguy]

the plot thickens...............I have a (bad) scan of a survey with a date that looks like the Friday after JFK (11-29-63??). It has a pic of Tom Mathis and he is refereed to as a WISH "good guy". Was there much of a change other than the calls? Could WAWE existed for at least through December (calls buried at the TOH?)? I can't imagine using new calls for only a few days.

 

[jmrabold]

OK...I have a radio buddy who called the Indianapolis Marion County Central Library today, as a favor to me, and he states that they confirmed that WISH ceased its broadcast and became WAWE on October 31, 1963 as a Top 40 format, but didn't make a big deal out of it until they officially became WIFE. According to the librarian, who was reading from the public file, that day was November 26th, 1963. Maybe a trip to the library to get a copy of that may be in order..

 

[media1170]

Hi Group,

The responses to the posting of the WISH to WAWE to WIFE subject has been interesting. Thank you for taking the time to read and respond.

I had notes that listed the times and dates of the transition of WISH to WIFE but they had been water damaged over the years. The subject of the Indy Radio Wars documentary has also been on the Indiana section of the Radio-Info and the WISH subject was started as a means of filling in details about WISH and the transition that WAWE represented.

To a previous pasting, the last WISH Nifty Fifty 1310 Good Music Survey was dated November 15 and pictured 1310 Good Guy Tom Mathis. If we could post images here there would be a copy for all to see.

I was a steady WISH listener, as were most others of my age in the early 1960s . Being in High School from 1962 to 1966, our age group was in the middle of the shift in listening habits caused by the introduction of WIFE. Our parents listened to WIBC but to "us teenagers" it was an unlistenable, boring radio station. WISH was the "younger-more exciting" way to hear top 40 and with much better DJs. When our schools held dances, it was almost always DJed by a WISH DJ

Evenings at WISH was where Dick Summer "lived" and spoke directly and always "personally" to us before he went to Boston and put his brand of "personal" radio on WBZ, to be heard over the eastern half of North America. I'll admit I listened to WBZ in Indy just to hear Dick Summer. Dick can still be heard on the Binder and Binder television commercials. Sounds the same now as he did back in WISH. Wish I could have heard him when he was on WIBC. Anyone have any WIBC Dick Summer Air checks they would like to share?

Barney Pip moved right in after Dick left and made anything that would be considered sane into something completely insane. Barney went on to spend time on some very big radio stations but chose to retire, and sadly, recently pass away in Indy.

Tom Mathis spent many years in Indianapolis, staying well past his original midnight WISH shift that became his WISH morning show where he went head to head with Bouncin Bill Baker. Tom went on to WIFE where he was heard on the Midnight WIFE air shift.

Tom was an key part of establishing WTLC as one of the most innovative R and B/Soul station in the US and proving that the FM broadcast band could do what AM radio could do at a time when few saw any value in the FM band.

WTLC was started in January 1968, replacing a small arts and jazz station with the call letters WAIV. Under Tom's guidance WTLC demonstrated for all to see that it could effectively provide great programming and community service to Indy's minority community: even though it was on the FM broadcast band.

Did it give WNAP, a year later, a better shot at success? Maybe the Indy Radio Wars documentary will answer that question.

Don Abbott, afternoons on WISH for years, was then and is still today a real pro. He was on the air at WISH from 1959 until the "end". Then stayed on to work at WISH-TV, acting as "Scotty Wright" for WIFE's Operation Airwatch and establishing a commercial production company first here in Indy and continuing to this day in Florida. For those who might question, was Don Abbott "Commander Don" on WISH-TV Saturday mornings kid shows in the mid 1960s? Don admits that he still wears the Commander Don outfit on rare occasions.

The last day for WISH was November 15th, 1963. At 12:01 AM on November 16th WAWE-AM-FM was born and was renamed WIFE on December 4th 1963. The WISH weekend air staff, from what I can read from my notes, operated WAWE on Saturday the 16th.

The Window On The World opened for business on April 1, 1964.

Radio in Indianapolis will be part of the subject of WFYI's Indianapolis in the 60s.

 

[Les Hollister]

Anybody know when WIFE moved into that building that houses WXIN TV-59? I recall a window to the street for passers-by being able to view a studio.

WISH-AM/FM were Lin Radio stations? When was the WISH 8 building constructed? I don't remember radio being housed with WISH on North Meridian. Any help with my memory would be appreciated. Indy radio had much more going on than Cincy or Columbus, OH in the 60s. Both cities had very little competition going on.

This movie looks like it will be very interesting to view. Fond memories on the screen. Looking forward to seeing it.

 

[PTBoardOp94]

LIN didn't buy WISH-TV until the 90s, long after the radio stations had been sold.

 

[thatrossguy]

WISH AM/FM/TV were owned in those days by Corinthian. I am not sure whether they morphed into LIN or not. I know LIN owned WAKY in louisville for a time.
I believe the radio was housed at 1440 (but not on the street front) since WISH moved into the building in the 50's. I have heard the reason for the sale was to help finance the new studio at 1950. I have also heard that CBS was leaning on their stations to convert to color by 1966 or so, or lose their affiliation. WISH could transmit the color signal from NY, but only had B/W cameras and video tape/film chains(?).
It till raises the question, why WAWE for only 17 days? Some say WAWE was because of JFK, but if the dates are right, this happened before the assassination. Puzzling at best.

 

[media1170]

Since there is no information in FCC records or Broadcasting Magazine that the call letters WIFE were in use at the time WISH was transferred to the Star Stations, the suspicion is that WAWE was used to create a break in the WISH programming. The station ran no commercials, was non-stop music without announcers except for a top of the hour ID.

As far as it is known, WIFE was always at 1440 N. Meridian, downstairs from WISH TV. In speaking with Dave Foor, the evening DJ at WISH radio in November 1963, WAWE orinated at of teh WISH AM studios for the remainder of November while the a downstars was prepared.

 

[Les Hollister]

Seems many combos sold off radio properties in the 60s to finance new facilities and engineering. WCPO-AM/FM/TV in Cincy sold off in the 60s and then built a new building downtown and went color.